Japanese ruling party race to determine next PM

The candidates running for the leadership of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party have pledged to reform the organization.

Four candidates are competing in the September 29 vote to replace outgoing prime minister Yoshihide Suga, who will quit when his term ends at the end of this month after serving only one year. One leading contender, former foreign minister and current vaccinations minister Taro Kono, has promised to shake up the party and change some of its traditional policies.

His rival Fumio Kishida, also a former foreign minister, has vowed to "restore unity" to the country as it seeks to recover from the coronavirus pandemic. Seiko Noda, currently the minister for gender equality, is seeking to become Japan's first female leader, and wants to address the issue of the country's ageing and declining population.

The other contender is Sanae Takaichi, a right-winger who's pushing to strengthen the armed forces