TOKYO, September 12, SPA -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced on Wednesday he would resign, the Associated Press reported. Abe, at 52 Japan's youngest postwar prime minister, saidhe was quitting to pave the way for ruling and oppositionparties to work together to approve the extension ofTokyo's naval mission in support of the U.S.-led operationin Afghanistan. «In the present situation, it is difficult to push aheadwith effective policies that win the support and trust ofthe public,» Abe said in a nationally televised newsconference. «I have decided that we need a change in thissituation.» Abe, a nationalist whose public support rating has plungedto 30 percent, also cited the ruling party's defeat in July29 elections, in which the opposition took control of theupper house of Parliament. Chief Cabinet Secretary Kaoru Yosano suggested Abe alsohad unspecified health concerns that played a role in hisdecision, but he refused to release any details. Abe said he had instructed ruling party leaders toimmediately search for a replacement, but he did notannounce a date for his departure. --SPA www.spa.gov.sa/482135