JAPAN PM SHINZO ABE BOOSTS WOMEN IN CABINET

                         

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has brought five women into the cabinet as he reshuffled his top line-up, while retaining ministers in key posts.

The move equals the highest ever number of women in the cabinet, previously seen under Junichiro Koizumi in 2001.

Mr Abe has said in the past that better utilising women as a resource will help revive the economy.
Taro Aso remains in place as deputy PM and finance minister, while Fumio Kishida stays as foreign minister. Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera will be replaced by Akinori Eto.
The new line-up was announced by Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, who also kept his post.
The reshuffle is the first significant rejig since Mr Abe took office in December 2012, after a landslide election win.
Support for his government has since fallen, partly because of the recent rise in consumption tax.
Mr Abe has in the past described women as an "under-used resource" in Japan.
Last year he set a goal to increase the percentage of women in leadership positions to 30% by 2020.
In his previous cabinet, women occupied two of the 18 posts.
Among the new female entrants is Yuko Obuchi, the daughter of former leader Keizo Obuchi, who takes on the economy, trade and industry portfolio, while Midori Matsushima was named justice minister.

In a parallel reshuffle, two lawmakers with good links to China, Sadakazu Tanigaki and Toshihiro Nikai, were appointed to top ruling party posts.