Japan’s PM Takaichi to dissolve parliament to hold snap elections, says coalition partner

Japanese Prime Minister Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi intends to dissolve the lower house of the parliament to hold snap elections, a coalition partner has said. Takaichi has notified that she will dissolve the lower House “at an early stage of the ordinary parliamentary session”, Hirofumi Yoshimura, co-head of the Japan Innovation Party (JIP), told reporters on Wednesday. The annual parliamentary session will start next week. There have been unconfirmed reports that elections could take place as early as February. Last year, Takaichi became the first woman to become the Prime Minister of Japan. She was elected by her party, LDP,…