Japan Dissolves Lower House of Parliament

Elections scheduled for December

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda of Japan dissolved the lower house of the country's parliament on Friday, setting the stage for a general election next month that is expected to bring losses to his party.

The decision, made under pressure from the main opposition Liberal Democrat Party (LDP), is likely to prove unpopular with some members of Noda's own party, the Democratic Party, which has been in power for a little over three years.

And it may cost him his job.