Japan ruling party's junior ally Komeito to end coalition after 26 years

The Komeito party, the junior coalition partner in Japan's ruling bloc, said Friday it will end its alliance with the Liberal Democratic Party, breaking up a 26-year partnership that has played a major role in the nation's political scene since its inception.The withdrawal of Komeito, known as a pacifist party dovish on defense issues, comes after Sanae Takaichi, a staunch conservative lawmaker, became LDP president on Saturday amid widening differences over the response to a high-profile political funds scandal.With Komeito leaving the coalition, the LDP will remain a minority government i…READ FULL ARTICLE