Japan

The country’s ruling party, the Democratic Party of Japan, suffered significant losses in the country’s election held April 10. The results came as Prime Minister Naoto Kan is being criticized for his handling of the ongoing nuclear crisis caused by the massive earthquake and tsunami that rattled the country last month. Reuters notes that Kan, who has been under pressure to resign even before last month’s disasters, is not likely to be forced out. But DPJ said that in the event Kan steps down, it could form a “grand coalition” with the main opposition party, the Liberal Democratic Party, to tackle what Kan has described as the worst crisis to hit Japan since World War II, Reuters says.