Shigeru Ishiba, leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, was elected Japan's new prime minister by parliament on Tuesday to replace Fumio Kishida, at a time of low public confidence in politics, a shaky economy and mounting security threats.His endorsement by both houses of parliament sets the stage for a general election on Oct. 27, despite growing criticism from the opposition bloc about the timing of the poll, which delayed Tuesday's parliamentary vote to approve him at the last minute.The new Cabinet formed Tuesday by the 67-year-old Ishiba, long seen as a maverick and security ex…READ FULL ARTICLE
