Former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba is set to become Japan's next prime minister after winning the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's presidential election on Friday in a runoff vote, defeating economic security minister Sanae Takaichi.In his fifth presidential bid, Ishiba, who also served as the party's secretary general, won 215 of the 409 valid votes cast by LDP lawmakers and rank-and-file members, while Takaichi secured 194, in a closely competitive race with a record nine contenders.Ishiba, a 67-year-old policy expert well-versed in defense, agriculture and regional revitalization, i…READ FULL ARTICLE
