Aso to keep faction as Japan ruling party grilled over funds scandal

Former Prime Minister Taro Aso is set to defy pressure to dissolve his faction within the Japanese ruling party, sources close to the matter said Saturday, as other intraparty groups, including one led by the incumbent Fumio Kishida, have decided to disband amid a scandal over fundraising.Aso, who heads the second-biggest faction of the Liberal Democratic Party, has conveyed his intention to Kishida, the party's president, by saying his group's political funds have been properly managed, the sources said. Kishida accepted the explanation.Among the LDP factions, Kishida on Thursday pledged t…READ FULL ARTICLE