FOCUS: Breakup of ruling coalition clouds LDP chief Takaichi path to premiership

The abrupt breakup of Japan's decades-old ruling coalition has cast doubt on Sanae Takaichi's path to becoming the country's first female prime minister, triggering uncertainty and raising the prospect of a major political realignment.Less than a week into her role as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, Takaichi suffered a major setback when the Komeito party, its junior coalition partner for 26 years, decided to part ways, citing the LDP's weak response to political funds scandals.Komeito's exit leaves the LDP in a precarious position, already battered by poor election showings,…READ FULL ARTICLE