Briefly

JAPAN

Polls getting worse for Kishida's govt

The latest opinion poll has shown that the disapproval rate of the Japanese government headed by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida jumped to 39 percent, a record high since Kishida took office in October 2021, Japan's Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported on Monday. The survey, conducted by Asahi Shimbun, received 998 valid responses. While the disapproval rate surged to 39 percent from 25 percent in July, the approval rate of Kishida's cabinet dropped to 47 percent from 57 percent, according to the newspaper. When asked about Kishida's handling of issues of politicians' ties to the Unification Church, 65 percent of respondents said they "do not approve".

IRAQ

Cleric Sadr says he is quitting politics

Iraq's powerful Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr announced on Monday he is quitting politics, after a nearly yearlong political stalemate that has left the country without a new government. He made the announcement on Twitter, where he added that "all the institutions" linked to his Sadrist movement will be closed, except the mausoleum of his father, assassinated in 1999, and other heritage facilities. His latest statement came two days after he said "all parties" including his own should give up government positions in order to help resolve a monthslong crisis.

EUROPEAN UNION

Scholz pushes for majority voting in bloc

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is pushing for majority votes on foreign policy and tax issues in the European Union to prevent the bloc from becoming paralyzed by the vetoes of individual states as it is about to take in new members. In the text of a speech for delivery in Prague on Monday, Scholz underlined Germany's commitment to the enlargement of the EU, stressing that the countries of the Western Balkans, Ukraine, Moldova and eventually also Georgia should join the bloc.

Agencies - Xinhua