Japan's parliament elected Fumio Kishida, a former foreign minister, as the country's 100th prime minister on Monday, soon after his predecessor, Yoshihide Suga, resigned along with his Cabinet. Kishida will be formally sworn in later Monday, and he is expected to retain two Cabinet ministers, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi, and replace the other 18. Most of the new Cabinet ministers will reportedly be from factions that supported Kishida when he won the leadership race for Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party last week.
Kishida's first priorities will be to bring the COVID-19 pandemic under control and boost the LDP's population before parliamentary elections in mid-November. A 64-year-old third-generation politician, Kishida "used to be known as a dovish moderate but turned hawkish apparently to win over influential conservatives in the party," The Associated Press reports. "He is firmly entrenched in the conservative establishment and his victory in the party election was a choice for continuity and stability over change."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
October 7 editorial cartoonsCartoons Tuesday’s political cartoons include Chicago in trouble, RFK Jr's medical advice, and more
-
Does Reform have a Russia problem?Talking Point Nigel Farage is ‘in bed with Putin’, claims Rachel Reeves, after party’s former leader in Wales pleaded guilty to taking bribes from the Kremlin
-
Five key questions about the Gaza peace dealThe Explainer Many ‘unresolved hurdles’ remain before Donald Trump’s 20-point plan can get the go-ahead
-
Japan poised to get first woman prime ministerSpeed Read The ruling Liberal Democratic Party elected former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi
-
Israel and Hamas meet on hostages, Trump’s planSpeed Read Hamas accepted the general terms of Trump’s 20-point plan, including the release of all remaining hostages
-
US tipped to help Kyiv strike Russian energy sitesSpeed Read Trump has approved providing Ukraine with intelligence for missile strikes on Russian energy infrastructure
-
Netanyahu agrees to Trump’s new Gaza peace planSpeed Read At President Trump's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, they agreed upon a plan to end Israel’s war in Gaza
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Moldova gives decisive win to pro-EU partySpeed Read The country is now on track to join the European Union within five years
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
UK, 3 Western allies recognize Palestinian stateSpeed Read Britain, Canada, Australia and Portugal formally recognized the state of Palestine
