Japan PM wife tells of pain of political life

NEW YORK: Japan's First Lady Akie Abe, taking on a rare public role overseas, told a US audience on Wednesday about her deep unhappiness after her husband's first stint in power.

Akie Abe -- who has softened the Japanese leader's hawkish image through outspoken statements that have at times openly contradicted him -- scheduled a series of speaking engagements during Prime Minister Abe's visit to the United Nations, in what was billed as a first for a Japanese first lady on a foreign trip.