Now for a look at stories making headlines around the world and we start in Japan…<br />Tokyo's finance ministry has released documents relating to a dubious sale of state-owned land to a school operator with ties to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's wife. <br />It comes after the ministry said the records had been discarded…<br />For more on this and other international news we turn to our Ro Aram…<br />Aram… another headache for Mr. Abe….<br /><br /> That's right Mark… Prime Minister Abe is mired in a number of cronyism scandals that have put a dent in his approval ratings and credibility.<br /> The latest revelation has only added to his woes. <br />Tokyo's finance ministry submitted nearly a thousand pages of documents to Japan's parliament on Wednesday regarding its negotiations with Moritomo Gakuen on the largely discounted sale of state-owned land.<br />The documents were submitted on the same day ministry officials admitted to deleting them in an effort to hide those talks. <br />But the ministry said it had managed to retrieve most of the data from a few officials who were "keeping them safe." <br /> Moritomo Gakuen is a school operator with close ties to Abe's wife Akie and the sale has raised suspicions of favoritism by the premier. <br />The school operator planned to use the land to open an elementary school and naming Abe's wife as its honorary principal. <br />The effort to cover up the murky deal also comes only a few months after the ministry said it had doctored separate documents to make them tally with testimonies given by its officials to the Diet. <br /> Another three thousand pages of pre-altered files relating to the scandal were also submitted and they will all be assessed by lawmakers.<br />Results are expected to be announced by the end of the month.<br /> Abe has repeatedly denied his or his wife's involvement in the sale and he is expected to sit down with ruling and opposition lawmakers next week to discuss the issue. <br />
