Tokyo - Taro Aso had a long-awaited birthday gift Monday, when he finally nailed down the top post of Japan's governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
Aso, a Roman Catholic who turned 68 Saturday, defined his new role as LDP leader and presumptive prime minister as his "calling" from up above.
His gusto to climb the political ladder may have been cultivated through sportsmanship and family roots.
Aso ran in the LDP presidential race four times since 2001, when he contended against Japan's charismatic premier Junichiro Koizumi, before he finally won the crown Monday.
Tokyo - Stocks opened higher Monday in Tokyo as the market sentiment was cheered by the US government's 700-billion-dollar bailout plan to clean up bad assets.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average advanced 236.04 points, or 1.98 per cent, to 12,156.9.
The broader Topix index of all first-section issues also rose 25.58 points, or 2.23 per cent, to 1,174.7.
The Bank of Japan pumped 1.5 trillion yen (13.97 billion dollars) into the Tokyo money market Monday.
tokyo - Former Foreign Minister Taro Aso was set to succeed outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda Monday as he was expected to win Japan's governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential election.
Aso, 68, was determined to prevail against four other candidates in his fourth bid in the LDP presidential election, while hoping to lead the ruling party to victory in the House of Representatives election soon to be held.
Tokyo - Japan's governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) selects a new leader on Monday as the world's second largest economy copes with the turmoil of the global financial crisis.
Taro Aso, the party's secretary general, is tipped to succeed outgoing Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda in a contest with four other candidates, including the first woman to run for the post, former defence minister Yuriko Koike, 56.
The winner is assured of becoming prime minister because the LDP holds a comfortable majority in the lower house of parliament, the House of Representatives, which elects the head of government.
Tokyo - The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) will vote to replace outgoing Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda as head of the party that has dominated Japan for more than 50 years, officials said Sunday.
Taro Aso, who turned 68 on Saturday, is seen as the most likely candidate to win the party vote Monday. Contenders include former defence minister Yuriko Koike, 56, who is the first female candidate to run for the LDP presidency; Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister Kaoru Yosano, 70; former defence minister Shigeru Ishiba, 51; and former LDP policy chief Nobuteru Ishihara, 51.
The winner would be assured of becoming Japan's prime minister, because the party controls the House of Representatives in the Diet, or parliament.
Tokyo - Japan's rul
Tokyo - Stocks opened higher Monday in Tokyo as the market sentiment was cheered by the US government's 700-billion-dollar bailout plan to clean up bad assets.
Former Foreign Minister Taro Aso was set to succeed outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda Monday as he was expected to win Japan's governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential election.
