Nobuteru Ishihara, former policy chief for the Liberal Democratic Party, and Minister of Economic and Fiscal Policy Kaoru Yosano both announced they would be standing, joining party Secretary General Taro Aso. Yuriko Koike, Japan's first female minister of defence, is expected to announce her candidacy before Monday's deadline, although Mr Aso remains the favourite to take over from Yasuo Fukuda. Mr Fukuda shocked the country by announcing his resignation on Monday evening, citing his administration's inability to pass legislation since the opposition Democratic Party of Japan won control of the Upper House of the parliament in June 2007. Already out...