World IN BRIEF : FRANCE : Premier Shakes Up Cabinet Positions

French Premier Alain Juppe, rated low in the polls and beset by a housing scandal, gave his Cabinet a face lift just days before Parliament is to begin debating his plans to slash a huge budget deficit. The new Cabinet consists of 32 members--16 ministers and 16 secretaries of state--compared to 41 members before. Many lawmakers had complained about the “amateurism” of some Cabinet members, such as Health Minister Elisabeth Hubert, the highest-ranking minister ousted. The changes came as Juppe’s popularity is at an all-time low--a recent poll showed 14% of voters approving of his performance.