PM Kishida weighs circumstances for snap election timing.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he will decide when to dissolve the House of Representatives after assessing "various circumstances," amid growing speculation that he will call a snap election by the end of the ongoing Diet session through June 21. Kishida held a press conference to provide details about his government's new steps to tackle Japan's rapidly declining birthrate, including removing an income limit for child-rearing allowances and raising payments for paternal leave. He is also eager to realize early talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to pave the way for a resolution to the long-standing issue of Japanese nationals abducted by Pyongyang in the 1970s and 1980s.