Scandal-hit Abe unlikely to get 3rd term as LDP leader: ex-PM Koizumi

Former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Saturday Shinzo Abe is unlikely to win a third term in September's Liberal Democratic Party presidential election, citing the public's growing distrust in the premier after a string of recent scandals."Winning a third term will be tough as he is losing public trust," Koizumi told reporters in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture. Securing the LDP presidency is seen a prerequisite for Abe to stay on as prime minister.Touching on the scandal over the heavily discounted sale of state land to a school operator linked to the Japanese leader, Koizumi poin…READ FULL ARTICLE