Abe to be Next Prime Minister
As widely anticipated, Shinzo Abe will be Japan's next prime minister (PM). He received 66% of the vote to be president of the Liberal Democratic Party, which holds a majority in the Japanese Diet. Thus his elevation to PM at a September 26 vote of the country's legislature is assured. Soon to be 52, Abe will be Japan's youngest PM. Supporters are optimistic he will continue the popular policies of outgoing PM Koizumi, while detractors believe his conservative beliefs will rattle relations with China and other Asian neighbors.

The general outlook on his pending accession can be found at Bloomberg, while this Mainichi piece focuses more on his political pedigree (his father was a foreign minister; his grandfather, a PM). The AP report focuses on the opposition forming to his conservative policies, which include an emphasis on patriotism in Japan's public schools. The FT editorial is balanced and thoughtful.