Japan PM Abe chastened by huge loss in Tokyo assembly vote

TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said his party's stinging defeat in weekend Tokyo assembly elections represented a "severe criticism", after it lost over half its seats in the vote in a historic loss.

The polls, seen as a bellwether for national political sentiment, come as Abe is buffeted by a series of setbacks and scandals that have driven down his popularity.