New Japanese Prime Minister

Mr. Taro Aso has just been elected the president of Japan's ruling party (the same party, the Liberal Democratic Party, has held power in Japan for the last 50 years) and is thus almost certain to be elected Prime Minister shortly.

Mr. Aso would be the first Catholic to be elected Prime Minister in Japan. He was also, it seems, a member of Japan's olympic shooting team (1976 Summer Olympics) and remains a big manga fan.