Yasuo Fukuda to be new Japanese PM

Japan’s ruling Liberal Democrats have elected their new leader, Yasuo Fukuda, to succeed prime minister Shinzo Abe. The LDP hopes the experienced politician will revive its fortunes after a year marked by scandals, an election rout and a leadership crisis. He will be confirmed as prime minister on Tuesday in a vote in parliament whose lower house is dominated by the ruling camp.

He will however face a boisterous opposition that won control of the upper chamber in July. A solemn-looking Fukuda thanked lawmakers for their vote after the result was announced at the party’s Tokyo headquarters. He was congratulated by hawkish former foreign minister Taro Aso, his main rival in the race to leadership.

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