Japan's Fukuda to reshuffle cabinet - report - UPDATE

TOKYO (Thomson Financial) - Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda is likely to announce a cabinet reshuffle in a bid to reverse his dwindling public support, the Asahi Shimbun reported on Monday. Fukuda, who has been on holiday since Wednesday, will make a final decision about the shake up by July 29, the daily said. 'The Prime Minister is not wavering anymore (between a reshuffle and no reshuffle),' a party member close to Fukuda said Sunday, as quoted by the report. As many of the current cabinet members were appointed by Fukuda's predecessor Shinzo Abe, the premier hopes to make clear his line of policy with a cabinet reshuffle, the report said. Other major Japanese media have similarly speculated that Fukuda would use his time off to ponder ministerial changes. Heavyweights from Fukuda's Liberal Democratic Party, including... [read full story]