Japan PM Abe announces plan to step down

Tokyo, Aug 28 (IANS) Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has planned to step down "because of health issues", state-media reported on Friday.According to a report in NHK, Japan's national broadcaster, Abe is scheduled to hold a news conference later in the day to provide further details of his decision.The development comes after Abe's visit to a Tokyp hospital twice over the past two weeks, fuelling speculation that his health has deteriorated.This is the second time that the Prime Minister will step down from his post over a medical issue.He resigned in 2007 because of an inflammatory bowel disease, after only serving a year in office.He returned to the top job in 2012 after a landslide election win in the Lower House.
--IANS ksk/