Shinzo Abe, Japan's longest-serving Prime Minister, has resigned on Friday due to health issues. Concerns about Abe’s health began this summer and grew this month when he visited a Tokyo hospital two weeks in a row for unspecified health checkups.
Abe has acknowledged having ulcerative colitis since he was a teenager and has said the condition was controlled with treatment.
Abe, whose term ends in September 2021, is expected to stay on until a new party leader is elected and formally approved by the parliament.
More to follow.
(With inputs from AP)
