Ms Koike, 56, told a news conference she had secured the required 20 signatures from senior members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to run in the September 22 vote to succeed Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda.

She is the first woman ever to run in the top leadership election of the LDP, which has been in power for all but 10 months since 1955, a party official said. -- AFP

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