Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced his plans to resign in a news conference Friday due to a chronic illness that has resurfaced. Shigeru Ishiba, a 63-year-old hawkish former defense minister and Abe’s archrival, is a favorite next leader in media surveys, though he is less popular within the ruling party. Abe, the country's longest-serving prime minister, helped pull Japan out of recession in his second term but the country is struggling again amid the pandemic. The prime minister been repeatedly criticized for his handling of the pandemic and has been upstaged by Tokyo's governor. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPAbe's grandfather Nobusuke Kishi was also prime minister from 1957 to 1960 and his great-uncle Eisaku Sato, served from 1964 to 1972.

Source: Fox News August 28, 2020 05:49 UTC