Digital Minister Kono joins ruling party presidential election

Digital Minister Taro Kono said Monday he will run in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election, touting his track record of pushing for reforms in his third bid to become Japan's prime minister.The outspoken Kono, 61, who went close to securing the top job before losing out to incumbent Fumio Kishida in 2021, said the Sept. 27 race should be a place for its contenders to show a clear vision for Japan at the global stage.He backpedaled on his earlier push to end Japan's reliance on nuclear power, saying that replacing old power plants with new ones is an option."I will imple…READ FULL ARTICLE