Takaichi elected Japan's ruling party leader

Japan's former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi was elected leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on Saturday after a runoff against Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi. LDP parliamentarians cast 295 votes in the first round of voting, while another 295 votes were allotted to rank-and-file members.

Takaichi, who took the lead with 183 votes in the first round, entered the runoff with Koizumi who won 164 votes. The winner of the party poll to succeed incumbent Shigeru Ishiba, who announced his resignation last month, is almost certain to become the country's next prime minister because the LDP remains the largest party in parliament.