Across Asia: Japan

PM stands by Ozawa

Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said yesterday he wanted ruling party kingpin Ichiro Ozawa, whose aides have been arrested in a funding scandal, to stay in his post for a mid-year election.

One former aide will be charged over the affair tomorrow, media reports say, adding to pressure on Ozawa to resign as Secretary-General of the ruling Democratic Party ahead of a key upper house election expected in July.