Japan's ruling LDP loses 1 of 2 seats up for grabs in by-elections

TOKYO - Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party lost one of two seats up for grabs in Sunday's national by-elections, dealing a blow to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Cabinet, which is struggling to underpin an economy weighed down by price hikes.An independent candidate backed by opposition parties won in the House of Councillors by-election in the Tokushima-Kochi district, while in the Nagasaki No. 4 House of Representatives constituency, the LDP candidate defeated a politician of the leading opposition party.The LDP had hoped to retain the two seats, even though approval ratings for Kish…READ FULL ARTICLE