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Japan PM Ishiba dissolves parliament ahead of Oct 27 election
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba dissolved the lower house of parliament on Wednesday (Oct 9) ahead of the Oct 27 snap elections, banking on his political honeymoon and a fragmented opposition to lead his scandal-tainted party to victory. Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has governed Japan almost uninterrupted for decades - albeit with frequent leader changes - and is almost certain to be re-elected. But Ishiba, named prime minister just last week, wants to shore up his mandate to push through policies that include beefing up spending on defence as well as on poorer regions hit hard by Japan's ... (full story)