In a surprise announcement, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said today he would step down as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) next month, bringing his premiership to an early end.
Since coming to office in October 2021, Kishida has struggled to overcome dire approval ratings.
The party has been dogged by revelations of ties to the Korean-based Unification Church in the wake of the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in July 2022, as well as a political fundraising scandal uncovered last November.