Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has called an election a year early and will dissolve parliament on Thursday.<br/><br/>He seeks a fresh term at the helm of the world's third-largest economy as tensions with nearby North Korea reach fever-pitch. <br/><br/>Abe hopes to capitalise on a weak and fractured opposition to sweep back into power. Polls show him regaining ground after a series of scandals. <br/><br/>The Prime Minister did not give a date for the election but it will reportedly be on the 22nd of next month.<br/><br/>Surveys suggest voters approve of the hardline stance taken by the nationalist Abe on North Korea, which fired two missiles over the country in the space of a month and has threatened to sink Japan.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has called an election a year early and will dissolve parliament on Thursday.<br/><br/>He seeks a fresh term at the helm of the world's third-largest economy as tensions with nearby North Korea reach fever-pitch. <br/><br/>Abe hopes to capitalise on a weak and fractured opposition to sweep back into power. Polls show him regaining ground after a series of scandals. Abe told reporters that he will dissolve the House of Representatives on Thursday. <br/><br/>The Prime Minister did not give a date for the election but it will reportedly be on the 22nd of next month.<br/><br/>Surveys suggest voters approve of the hardline stance taken by the nationalist Abe on North Korea, which fired two missiles over the country in the space of a month and has threatened to sink Japan.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe today called for a snap election. He seeks a fresh term at the helm of the world's third-largest economy as tensions with nearby North Korea reach fever-pitch. <br/><br/>Abe hopes to capitalise on a weak and fractured opposition to sweep back into power. Polls show him regaining ground after a series of scandals. Abe told reporters that he will dissolve the House of Representatives on Thursday. <br/><br/>The Prime Minister did not give a date for the election but it will reportedly be on the 22nd of next month.<br/><br/>Surveys suggest voters approve of the hardline stance taken by the nationalist Abe on North Korea, which fired two missiles over the country in the space of a month and has threatened to sink Japan.