Japan PM to resign: Shigeru Ishiba hopes to avoid party split - Report

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has decided to step down as pressure mounts within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) for a leadership election, according to local media reports cited by AFP.The decision follows a major setback months back when Ishiba’s coalition with Komeito lost its upper house majority in a national vote amid public discontent and US tariffs.NHK reported that Ishiba chose to step down to prevent a split within the party, while the Asahi Shimbun said he could no longer withstand the growing calls for his resignation.(This is a developing story)