Kishida re-elected Japan's PM in Parl vote

Tokyo: Fumio Kishida was reelected as Japan's prime minister on Wednesday after his governing party scored a major victory in key parliamentary elections. Elected just over a month ago by parliament, Kishida called a quick election in which his governing party secured 261 seats in the 465-member lower house the more powerful of Japan's two-chamber legislature enough to maintain a free hand in pushing legislation through parliament.

The October 31 victory increases his grip on power and is seen as a mandate from voters for his weeks-old government to tackle the pandemic-battered economy, virus measures and other challenges. Kishida said he saw the results as a signal that voters chose stability

over change.