What does a shocking parliamentary loss for Japan's long-ruling party mean?

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s ruling party and its junior partner lost their majority in Sunday’s parliamentary election. The loss, much bigger than expected, is bad news for a leader who's only been in power for a month. It's largely a reflection of...

Japan's ruling coalition loses a majority in the lower house, creating political uncertainty

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’ s ruling coalition lost a majority in the 465-seat lower house in a key parliamentary election Sunday, a punishment by voters' outrage over the governing party’s extensive financial scandals. Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party...

Japan's ruling party may struggle in Sunday's vote, but its decades of dominance won't end

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba ’s ruling party, dogged by corruption scandals and plunging support, faces its toughest challenge in more than a decade in Sunday’s parliamentary election. This could set up a very short-lived time in office for Ishiba, who...

Japan's governing party headquarters is attacked with firebombs and suspect is arrested

TOKYO (AP) — A man threw several firebombs into the headquarters of Japan’s governing party in Tokyo on Saturday, then crashed his car into the fencing of the prime minister's residence, police said. There were no reports of injuries. The man, identified by police as Atsunobu...

Campaigning begins for Japan's parliamentary election

TOKYO (AP) — Official campaigning for Japan's Oct. 27 parliamentary election began Tuesday with new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba seeking a mandate for his policies and for reforms after the governing party’s political funds scandal. More than 1,300 candidates were expected to...

A-bomb survivors use Nobel Peace Prize to share anti-nuke message with the young

TOKYO (AP) — The recipient of this year's Nobel Peace Prize is a fast-dwindling group of atomic bomb survivors who are facing down the shrinking time they have left to convey the firsthand horror they witnessed 79 years ago. Nihon Hidankyo, the Japanese organization of survivors...

Japan's new PM dissolves the lower house of parliament to set up a snap election

TOKYO (AP) — New Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba dissolved the lower house of parliament Wednesday to set up an Oct. 27 snap election, asking people to trust the governing party's policies even as critics said the vote comes far too soon. Ishiba took office last week as...

Southeast Asian leaders meet in Laos to discuss Myanmar war and disputed sea

VIENTIANE, Laos (AP) — Southeast Asian leaders gathered Wednesday for an annual forum that will focus on the civil war in Myanmar and territorial tensions in the South China Sea, two key challenges that have tested the bloc's credibility. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations...

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba dissolves Japan's lower house to set up an Oct. 27 parliamentary election

Japan's new leader expresses regret for governing party slush fund scandal, vows stronger defense

TOKYO (AP) — New Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba opened his first policy speech in office Friday by expressing deep regrets over the governing party's slush funds scandal that dogged his predecessor. Ishiba replaced Fumio Kishida on Tuesday with the paramount mission of...