Japan PM Fumio Kishida to step down in Sept as scandals grew

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he will step down in September, ending a three-year term marred by political scandals and paving the way for a new premier to address the impact of rising prices.

"I will continue to do everything I can as prime minister until then end of my term in September," Kishida said in a televised press conference on Wednesday to announce his decision not seek re-election as Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader.

His decision to quit triggers a contest to replace him as party boss, and by extension as the leader of the world's fourth-biggest economy.