While Japanese prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has been trying to persuade local communities it is safe to restart two nuclear reactors, 70% of Japanese say their country should reduce its reliance on nuclear energy.
While global publics largely take a positive view of the president’s leadership and foreign policy, he receives his lowest marks on dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — and his ratings on this issue are especially negative in the Arab nations of the Middle East.
Confidence in Turkish institutions and leaders — including the military, religious leaders, and the prime minster — has declined over the last few years. And Turks continue to express largely negative views of major world powers.
Mexicans overwhelmingly continue to endorse President Calderón’s campaign against the drug cartels and most — though somewhat fewer than a year ago — see progress in the drug war. But opposition to direct U.S. involvement has increased, and Mexican views of the U.S. generally turned negative following passage of the recent Arizona immigration law.