From hero to villain - Japanese PM on the rack

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s hold on power looked increasingly precarious today as his public support went into freefall after the sacking of his foreign minister and an emboldened opposition submitted a no-confidence motion.

Koizumi was forced into the defensive in his first major policy speech of the year, opening his remarks with an allusion to newspaper polls that showed the public deserting him in droves since he abruptly dismissed Makiko Tanaka as his top diplomat last week.