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Shinzo Abe, Japan’s prime minister, on Monday announced a snap election just as he also announced a $1.78 billion stimulus package for debt reduction, social spending, and education. In an evening press conference, Abe said the Oct. 22 election should serve as an appraisal of his performance in dealing with the North Korean crisis and the national economy. Just hours before the announcement, Governor of Tokyo Yuriko Koike announced that she had launched an entirely new political party. She said, “I want the Japanese people to believe that there is hope for tomorrow.” Abe has been in office for about five years.