Japan ruling party set for strong showing in local polls: media

Candidates supported by Japan's ruling party were expected to defeat opposition rivals in at least two of the five mayoral elections Sunday, media reported, boosting Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's economic reform drive. Candidates backed by the Liberal Democratic Party were set to win in Oita and Kyotanabe in Kyoto prefecture, according to Kyodo News which cited its own projections and early returns. Abe's LDP sees the polls as a litmus test of the popularity of his drive to resuscit