Japan ruling party to choose next PM on Sept 27: media

Japan's ruling party will decide on its new leader -- and by extension the likely next prime minister -- on September 27, local media said Tuesday.

The decision follows current Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's bombshell announcement last week that he won't seek re-election, after polls showed plummeting approval ratings for his government.

Campaigning to become the next Liberal Democratic Party president will begin on September 12 with a vote two weeks later, an internal committee decided early Tuesday, according to local media including public broadcaster NHK.

Who will succeed Kishida remains to be seen, with a hodgepodge of candidates, from party veterans to rising young stars and three women, reportedly weighing their chances and seeking to rally intraparty support, reports BSS.