With prayers, flowers and flags draped in black ribbons, Japan on Tuesday bid farewell to Shinzo Abe, the polarizing figure who dominated politics as the country's longest-serving prime minister, before he was shot dead at a campaign rally last week.

The accused admitted to the police that he intended to kill Shinzo Abe Kishida: We will never give in to violence, and we will continue the election campaign.

Fears of a global recession sent the safe-haven Japanese yen and US dollar higher against the pound, while the risk-sensitive Australian dollar fell to a two-year low.