KOIKE RESIGNS AS PARTY HEAD

TOKYO: Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike, once seen as a possible first Japanese female premier, stepped down as leader of her party yesterday after suffering a crushing election defeat last month. Her “Party of Hope” fielded 235 candidates for the poll but won a mere 50 seats while Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ruling coalition grabbed a two-thirds majority. “Stepping down as the head, I want to support you in an appropriate capacity,” Koike told a party conference. – AFP