Japan's Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda has announced his resignation, less than a year after taking office.
Fukuda told a press conference in Tokyo that a "new team" was needed to break a deadlock in parliament between his Liberal Democratic Party and the opposition. Surveys show that his coalition government's approval ratings have slumped to 29 percent, despite a cabinet reshuffle last month and an economic stimulus package unveiled last Friday. His fortunes were hurt recently by an unpopular medical reform plan that raises costs for Japan's elderly. To avoid a fresh election, the LDP will need to pick a new leader and win a confidence vote in parliament. Elections are not due until September 2009.
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