Japan's Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Innovation Party have broadly agreed to form a coalition government, setting the stage for the country's first female prime minister, Kyodo news agency reported on Sunday.

Sanae Takaichi, leader of the conservative LDP, and Hirofumi Yoshimura, head of the smaller right-leaning group known as Ishin, are set to sign an agreement sealing their alliance on Monday, Kyodo said. Calls to the LDP and Ishin headquarters to seek comment went unanswered outside business hours.

ALLIANCE MAY BE SHAKIER THAN PREVIOUS COALITION Ishin's co-head, Fumitake Fujita, raised expectations for a deal on Friday, saying the two parties had made "big progress" in coalition talks.

Ishin lawmakers will vote for Takaichi in an election to choose the prime minister in pa

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