Japan's Suga faces challengers in ruling party leadership race

FILE PHOTO: Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga speaks during a news conference at the prime minister's office, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Tokyo, Japan August 25, 2021. Kazuhiro Nogi/Pool via REUTERS

TOKYO (Reuters) -Japanese former foreign minister Fumio Kishida challenged Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Thursday for the leadership of the ruling party, as the premier struggles with crumbling approval rates ahead of a general election.

Suga repeated he would seek re-election in the Sept. 29 race for Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) president, while ex-internal affairs minister Sanae Takaichi also threw her hat in the ring.