PM Abe's approval ratings rise in Japan after hostage crisis

Tokyo

THE Japanese government scored higher public approval ratings for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's handling of the hostage crisis involving two Japanese captured in Syria and killed by Islamic State militants, polls published last week showed.

Japan's biggest daily Yomiuri found that support for Mr Abe's government had risen to 58 per cent from 53 per cent in January. The paper surveyed 1,054 people by telephone on Friday and Saturday for the poll, which was the first since the hostages were killed.