TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s approval rating has fallen sharply, an opinion poll showed Monday, as scandals erode public confidence in a government now in its fifth year. Abe has said he had no role in the transaction and has more than once vowed to resign if any connection is found. The latest survey by the top-selling Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper shows approval for Abe’s cabinet has dropped by 10 percentage points to 56 percent. Some 64 percent of the more than 1,000 respondents to the Yomiuri survey, conducted at the weekend, said they were not convinced by Abe’s denials. Abe’s wife, Akie, had been named honorary principal of the school but stepped down last month as the land scandal swirled.

Source: Manila Times March 20, 2017 07:41 UTC