Powerbroker Ozawa 'leaves Japan's ruling party'

Veteran Japanese powerbroker Ichiro Ozawa and 51 of his followers said Monday they will leave the country’s ruling party over a sales tax hike.

The 52 lawmakers — 40 from the lower house and 12 from the upper chamber of parliament — submitted their resignations to Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda’s Democratic Party of Japan, one of them told reporters.