Across Asia: Japan

Calls to replace PM grow

Calls to replace Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda are emerging in his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), an influential ruling party lawmaker said yesterday, after the ruling bloc suffered a bruising by-election defeat.

But former chief Cabinet minister Kaoru Yosano, whose name has been floated as a possible successor to Fukuda, also said he thought the Japanese leader should soldier on and try to revive his support rates, now below 30 percent.