Japanese PM Kishida's approval slumps further

The approval rating of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's cabinet fell further in June, indicating that a controversial attempt by his ruling Liberal Democratic Party, or LDP, to revise political funding controls in response to its slush fund scandal has not been well received by the public.

According to a Jiji Press survey released on Thursday, Kishida's cabinet approval rating decreased by 2.3 percentage points from the previous month to 16.4 percent — the lowest level since the LDP returned to power in 2012.

Lawmakers and experts have raised concerns over loopholes in a bill proposed by the Kishida-led LDP to revise the Political Funds Control Act.