Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe dissolve lower house of parliament after calling snap election

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has dissolved the lower house of parliament, paving the way for a snap election on October 22.

Mr Abe is widely seen as trying to reconsolidate his grip on power within the ruling Liberal-Democratic Party, so he can extend the term of his premiership next year. The dissolution of the more powerful of Japan's two-chamber parliament comes more than a year before required by law.