Abe's approval ratings rise after hostage crisis

Public approval for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government rose after its handling of the hostage crisis involving two Japanese who were captured in Syria and later killed by Islamic State militants, polls published this week showed.

Japan's biggest daily, Yomiuri, found that support for Abe's government had risen to 58 percent from 53 percent 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.

A separate poll released by Kyodo News on Saturday also showed an increase in support for Abe. More than 60 percent of respondents said they approved of the government's response to the hostage crisis.