Japan Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara resigns

LONDON. March 7. KAZINFORM Japan's Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara has resigned after being criticised for accepting a political donation from a foreign national.

Japanese law bans the practise, if done intentionally, and the opposition had called on him to quit.

The move is seen as a blow to Prime Minister Naoto Kan, who has been struggling to get budget bills through parliament and keep onto his own job.

Mr Maehara had been seen as a potential successor to Mr Kan.

On Friday, he admitted taking a 50,000 yen ($610) political donation from a South Korean national resident in Japan, Kazinform refers to BBC News.

See www.bbc.co.uk for full version.