Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced on Sunday that he will resign as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and instructed the party to hold an emergency leadership election, while saying he will continue performing prime ministerial duties until a successor is chosen.

Ishiba's decision follows successive electoral defeats that left the LDP without majorities in both chambers of Japan's parliament and comes after his administration negotiated a trade protocol with the United States that addressed Washington's tariff measures—developments analysts say deepen political uncertainty for the world's fourth-largest economy.

Why It Matters

Ishiba's resignation heightens the risk of a prolonged period of policy gridlock at a time when Japan faces slow growth, risin

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