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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Maroosha Muzaffar

Japan official clarifies why prime minister Ishiba was spotted ‘sleeping’ in parliament

Lawmakers applaud as prime minister Shigeru Ishiba, standing, is re-elected in a special parliamentary session in the lower house, Monday, 11 November 2024 in Tokyo - (AP)

Shigeru Ishiba, president of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), was seen dozing off in parliament on Monday where he was reelected as the prime minister.

Video footage showed Mr Shigeru briefly closing his eyes during a plenary session of the House of Representatives as the votes were being counted, leading to social media comments criticising his apparent drowsiness.

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