TOKYO -- Yoshihide Suga was elected Japan's prime minister in a parliamentary vote on Wednesday, marking a new chapter in the nation's politics after a record seven years and eight months under Shinzo Abe.
Suga, 71, will confront the immediate challenges of keeping COVID-19 under control, jump-starting the economy and paving the way for Tokyo to host the delayed Olympics next year. His selection after years as Abe's right-hand man is seen as a move to ensure a smooth transition of power and avoid a policy vacuum in the middle of the pandemic crisis.
