Reprieve for Japanese PM

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori has had a reprieve from another showdown with opposition parties.

A motion of no confidence against Mr Mori has been delayed until next week.

Leaders of Japan's four main opposition parties had agreed to submit the motion on Friday but backed down.

Nozomu Yamaguchi, an official with the Social Democratic Party, said the opposition needed time to get more support.

The motion would be the second Mr Mori has faced since he assumed office less than a year ago after the sudden collapse and death of Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi.

He narrowly survived the first, in November, when a faction within his own ruling party was persuaded at the last minute to drop support for it.

A no-confidence motion now would have little chance of succeeding, since Mr Mori and his ruling coalition partners have the votes to defeat it.

But it would be yet another embarrassment for Mr Mori, whose support among voters has crashed to below 10%.