A huge explosion rocked an area near Banex Plaza shopping centre in the Nigerian capital Abuja on Wednesday, two witnesses said.
The blast hit Abuja’s Wuse 2 district, reports said.
It is not yet clear what was behind the explosion. Emergency services are attending the scene.
Boko Haram has staged previous attacks in Abuja, but most of its targets have been in the north-east of the country
Nigeria, including the capital, has experienced several bomb attacks in recent months. Many places have been targeted by the radical Islamist group Boko Haram.
Manzo Ezekiel, spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency, told AFP news agency: “You can see smoke billowing from the sky. It’s a very crowded place.”
One witness said the blast shattered shop windows, and that people could be seen running out of the shopping centre with blood on their clothes.
Boko Haram has staged previous attacks in Abuja, but most of its targets have been in the north-east of the country.
In April, more than 70 people were killed in a bomb blast at a bus stop on the outskirts of the capital in an attack claimed by Boko Haram.
In May, a car bomb near a bus station in the suburbs killed at least 19 people and injured 60 others.
The group has hit Abuja several times before, including an attack on the UN national headquarters in 2011.
Iraq’s PM Nouri al-Maliki has rejected calls for a national salvation government to help counter the offensive by jihadist-led Sunni insurgents.
Such calls represented a “coup against the constitution and an attempt to end the democratic experience”, Nouri al-Maliki warned.
The US has led appeals to Iraq’s political leaders to rise above sectarian and ethnic divisions.
Government forces have been unable to recapture the territory seized by the rebels this month.
PM Nouri al-Maliki has rejected calls for a national salvation government to help counter the offensive by jihadist-led Sunni insurgents
Almost half of the 300 US military advisers assigned to help the Iraqi security forces have arrived.
Fighting was reported to have continued on Wednesday, with an attack by rebels on the Balad airbase, about 50 miles north of Baghdad.
In his weekly televised address, Nouri al-Maliki called on “all political forces to reconcile” in the face of a “fierce terrorist onslaught”.
But the Shia prime minister gave no promise of greater representation in government for the minority Sunni Arab community, whose anger at what they say are his sectarian and authoritarian policies has been exploited by jihadist militants from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS).
Nouri al-Maliki said forming an emergency administration that included all religious and ethnic groups would go against the results of April’s parliamentary elections, which were won by his State of Law alliance.
“The dangerous goals of forming a national salvation government are not hidden,” he said.
“It is an attempt by those who are against the constitution to eliminate the young democratic process and steal the votes of the voters.”
Nouri al-Maliki committed to start forming a new governing coalition by July 1st.
Aretha Franklin had married the much older Ted White in 1961, despite strong objections from her father.
Ted White was her manager in the ’60s. Aretha Franklin’s third child, Ted White Jr., was born in 1964. Today he is known as Teddy Richards and is a professional musician, often playing guitar in his mother’s band.
After a contentious marriage that involved domestic violence, Aretha Franklin divorced Ted White in 1969.
According to people who worked with Aretha Franklin during this period, Ted White had no prior management experience before becoming her manager. She was to spend most of the decade in the middle of a tug-of-war between Columbia Records and her husband. To this day, Aretha Franklin refuses to discuss any aspect of her relationship with Ted White. She also refuses to speak to him. They have had only two conversations since their divorce in 1969.
Aretha Franklin had married the much older Ted White in 1961, despite strong objections from her father (photo Rancurel)
Aretha Franklin married actor Glynn Turman on April 11, 1978, at her father’s New Bethel Baptist Church. She subsequently became a stepmother to Glynn Turman’s three children. They split in late 1982 and officially divorced in early 1984.
In 2012, Aretha Franklin again announced plans to walk down the aisle with her longtime companion Willie Wilkerson. Within several weeks of the announcement, Aretha Franklin called the wedding off.
North Korea has threatened “merciless” retaliation if a forthcoming Hollywood movie about killing Kim Jong-un is released, say agencies.
A North Korean foreign ministry spokesman said in state media that the movie’s release would be an “act of war”.
He did not mention the title, but a Hollywood movie called The Interview with a similar plot is due in October.
Actors James Franco and Seth Rogen star in the action-comedy film.
James Franco and Seth Rogen play a talk show host and his producer who are invited to interview Kim Jong-un, and are subsequently recruited by the CIA to assassinate the leader.
In The Interview, James Franco and Seth Rogen play a talk show host and his producer who are invited to interview Kim Jong-un
The movie’s teaser trailer, posted on Youtube, shows a lookalike actor playing Kim Jong-un, as well as fight scenes involving what appear to be North Korean tanks and helicopters, and a nuclear missile launch.
The North Korea spokesman was quoted by agencies as saying: “Making and releasing a movie on a plot to hurt our top-level leadership is the most blatant act of terrorism and war and will absolutely not be tolerated.”
He added that the “reckless US provocative insanity” of mobilizing a “gangster filmmaker” to challenge North Korea’s leadership was triggering “a gust of hatred and rage” among North Korean people and soldiers.
“If the US administration allows and defends the showing of the film, a merciless counter-measure will be taken,” the spokesman was quoted as saying.
Evidence emerged last week of North Korea further developing its missile technology. Experts identified a new anti-ship cruise missile shown in a North Korean propaganda film.
North Korea is holding three Americans in custody. The latest to be detained is said to be a tourist named Jeffrey Edward Fowle who reportedly left a Bible at a hotel.
Seth Rogen, one of the directors of The Interview, recently said he was inspired by journalists’ trips to North Korea.
He told Yahoo: “People have the hypothetical discussion about how journalists have access to the world’s most dangerous people, and they hypothetically would be in a good situation to assassinate them.”
Seth Rogen added that the movie was originally about meeting Kim Jong-il, but they had to revise the script when he died in 2011 and his son Kim Jong-un took power.
George Lucas has selected Chicago as the future site of a museum of his movie memorabilia and prized art collection.
Chicago had been battling for the site against San Francisco.
The selection of Chicago was a surprise given George Lucas’ close ties with the state of California.
George Lucas has selected Chicago as the future site of a museum of his movie memorabilia and prized art collection
Star Wars creator’s home and visual effects company LucasFilm are based in California. The museum is currently scheduled to open in 2018.
The news was confirmed by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office on Tuesday, though no further details were offered.
George Lucas has referred to Chicago as his “second home” in the past. His wife, Mellody Hobson, is from Chicago and they celebrated their wedding there.
Chicago has reportedly offered a patch of real estate along Lake Michigan near other popular attractions including the Field Museum of Natural History and the Shedd Aquarium.
San Francisco is said to have rejected George Lucas’ first choice of sites near the Golden Gate Bridge.
A vote by the museum’s board to accept the decision is expected on Wednesday, the Chicago Tribune reported.
The board is also expected to change the museum’s name from the Lucas Cultural Arts Museum to the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.
Among the items said to be in the museum’s collection are Norman Rockwell paintings and a scale model of the Millennium Falcon, the spacecraft helmed by Han Solo in Star Wars series.
Luis Suarez’s World Cup biting inspired plenty of hilarious memes in honor of soccer’s most famous flesh eater.
Luis Suarez appeared to bite Giorgio Chiellini during Uruguay’s 1-0 win over Italy at the World Cup.
Luis Suarez’s World Cup biting inspired plenty of hilarious memes (photo Twitter)
The Uruguayan striker could now face a long ban.
FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings after Luis Suarez was seen pressing his mouth into the shoulder of the Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini on Tuesday.
Luis Suarez has been suspended twice before for biting at club level, once with Ajax and once with Liverpool.
Some of the most popular memes appeared within minutes of the incident.
An investigating judge recommended that Princess Cristina of Spain, sister of King Felipe VI, be charged in a tax fraud and money laundering case that has helped inflame opposition to the monarchy.
Infanta Cristina, 49, was questioned in court in February about the business dealings of her husband, Inaki Urdangarin, and could now face trial.
However, an appeal has been lodged against the decision.
The judge’s ruling will come as an embarrassment to Felipe VI, who came to the throne only six days ago.
The tax fraud case was one of several scandals that weakened the popularity of the Spanish monarchy and prompted the abdication of King Juan Carlos.
Princess Cristina’s appearance in court in Mallorca was unprecedented for the royal family and if she goes to trial, she could face up to 11 years in jail.
Princess Cristina’s appearance in court in Mallorca was unprecedented for the royal family and if she goes to trial
The investigating judge’s decision is a major development in this investigation and a huge embarrassment for the Spanish royal family.
Judge Jose Castro believes Infanta Cristina knew more than she has let on regarding the allegedly corrupt activities of her husband, Inaki Urdangarin.
This inquiry has now lasted more than three years and during that time it has heavily eroded the popularity of the royal family. Princess Cristina has already appeared in court to testify, but the door is now open for her to face trial, which would take the scandal to a new level.
Judge Jose Castro has been investigating allegations that the princess’s husband embezzled millions in public funds with a former business partner.
Inaki Urdangarin, who is the Duke of Palma, and Diego Torres were alleged to have received 5.6 million euros ($7.5 million) by overcharging regional governments for organizing sporting events as part of a not-for-profit organization called Noos.
Announcing his decision, Judge Jose Castro said the princess should be tried alongside her husband and other suspects.
Anti-corruption prosecutors had already opposed his decision to name Princess Cristina as a suspect, saying there was insufficient evidence against her. Prosecutor Pedro Horrach said on Wednesday an appeal was being lodged “because there is still no piece [of evidence] against” the princess.
A final decision on whether Princess Cristina should stand trial will be made by the provincial court at Palma de Mallorca.
US troops have been deployed to Iraq to assist the Iraqi army in combating a growing Sunni militant insurgency, the Pentagon has announced.
Nearly half the 300 special operations soldiers promised by President Barack Obama are in Baghdad or on the front lines of the fight.
The rest are expected within days.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State John Kerry called for regional unity to expel the Sunni ISIS rebels who have taken large swathes of Iraq.
On Tuesday, two teams totaling 40 US troops began work assessing Iraqi troops on the front line, the Pentagon said.
US troops have been deployed to Iraq to assist the Iraqi army in combating a growing Sunni militant insurgency (photo NBC News)
An additional 90 personnel will work in Baghdad to set up a new joint operations command centre.
Those teams will be joined by an additional four teams of 50 troops each in the next few days.
The Obama administration has stressed the troops are not intended as operational forces but instead are there to advise the Iraqis and provide intelligence.
The Iraqi government had requested American air strikes, but Barack Obama has been reluctant to do anything that could lead to accusations the US was taking sides in a sectarian conflict.
The insurgents, spearheaded by Islamists fighting under the banner of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), have overrun much of north and west Iraq, including the second-biggest city, Mosul.
The violence has claimed at least 1,075 lives in Iraq in June alone, most of them civilians, a UN human rights team has reported.
The UN said the figures, which include a number of verified summary executions, should be viewed as an absolute minimum.
FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against Uruguay striker Luis Suarez after he appeared to bite Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during a World Cup match.
Luis Suarez, 27, and the Uruguayan Football Association have until 17:00 Brazilian time on Wednesday to respond to FIFA.
The Liverpool forward clashed with Giorgio Chiellini during Tuesday’s Group D game, which Uruguay won 1-0 to qualify for the last 16.
The referee took no action at the time.
Uruguay’s Luis Suarez appeared to bite Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during a World Cup match
The maximum ban Luis Suarez could face if FIFA takes retrospective action is 24 matches or two years.
Luis Suarez has defended himself in an interview with Uruguayan television, saying: “These are just things that happen out on the pitch.”
“It was just the two of us inside the area and he bumped into me with his shoulder.
“There are things that happen on the pitch and you should not make such a big deal out of them.”
Giorgio Chiellini, 29, described Luis Suarez as “a sneak”.
He added: “I’d love to see if FIFA has the courage to use video evidence against him. The referee saw the bite mark, but he did nothing about it.”
After the clash between the players, Luis Suarez went to ground holding his mouth, apparently suggesting he had been elbowed.
Giorgio Chiellini ran after Mexican referee Marco Rodriguez in an attempt to show him the alleged bite mark, pulling his shirt down to bare his left shoulder.
As he did so, Uruguay forward Gaston Ramirez tried to stop Giorgio Chiellini by pulling the Italian’s jersey back into place.
The incident occurred towards the end of the game, shortly before Luis Suarez’s team-mate Diego Godin scored the only goal of the match.
Diego Godin’s winner eliminated four-time champions Italy from the World Cup and secured Uruguay, semi-finalists in South Africa four years ago, a match against Colombia in the next round.
Republican Senator Thad Cochran has narrowly beaten Tea Party candidate Chris McDaniel in a high-profile primary in Mississippi.
Thad Cochran, a six-term senator seeking re-election, had the backing of establishment Republicans but was forced into a run-off by Tea Party challenger Chris McDaniel.
Republican Senator Thad Cochran has narrowly beaten Tea Party candidate Chris McDaniel in a high-profile primary in Mississippi
The race was seen as a crucial test of the direction of the Republican Party ahead of midterm elections in November.
Moderate Republican candidates also won primary races in Oklahoma and Colorado.
Earlier this month, establishment Republicans suffered the shock defeat of former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor by a little-known Tea Party challenger in his Virginia district.
Senator Thad Cochran, 76, is expected to retain his seat in November’s congressional elections.
Eli Wallach – who began his film career in 1956 after 10 years on stage – was admired for his wide range, in a career spanning six decades.
His portrayal of bandit chief Calvera in The Magnificent Seven was regarded by many as his definitive role.
A “quintessential chameleon”, Eli Wallach won an honorary Oscar in 2011.
Eli Wallach began his film career in 1956 after 10 years on stage
Though he was never nominated for an Oscar during his 60-year career, the Academy rewarded him in 2011 for “effortlessly inhabiting a wide range of characters, while putting his inimitable stamp on every role”.
Eli Wallach’s films included roles in the classic westerns How the West Was Won, The Misfits and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
Arguably best known for his villains, he made a lasting impression as Tuco opposite Clint Eastwood, in Sergio Leone’s 1966 spaghetti western.
Years later, Eli Wallach said strangers would recognise him and start whistling the distinctive theme tune.
He was also successful in light comedy and appeared in many TV shows, including playing Mr Freeze in the 1960s TV series.
Eli Wallach continued making films into his 90s, making his last big screen appearance in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps in 2010.
He was married to the actress Anne Jackson, with whom he often worked. In 1974 the two of them appeared with their two daughters in Saturday, Sunday, Monday.
Eli Wallach’s death was confirmed by his daughter Katherine in the New York Times.
Uruguay’s striker Luis Suarez appeared to bite Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini during their Group D clash at the World Cup tournament in Brazil.
Luis Suarez pushed his head towards Giorgio Chiellini in the penalty area just before Diego Godin’s Uruguay winner.
Giorgio Chiellini pulled his shirt down to show the referee an apparent mark on his shoulder made during the clash.
“It was ridiculous not to send Suarez off. It is clear, clear-cut,” Giorgio Chiellini told Italian television station Rai TV.
“Then there was the obvious dive afterwards because he knew very well that he did something that he shouldn’t have done.”
Uruguay’s striker Luis Suarez appeared to bite Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini during their Group D clash at the World Cup tournament in Brazil (photo Reuters)
After the clash between the players, Luis Suarez, 27, went to ground holding his mouth, apparently suggesting he had been elbowed.
As the Italian ran after referee Marco Rodriguez, Uruguay forward Gaston Ramirez attempted to get Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini, 29, to cover his shoulder.
Luis Suarez has twice been banned for biting and, at the 2010 World Cup, committed a handball on the line to stop Ghana from scoring.
FIFA will wait to receive the referee’s report. The disciplinary committee of world football’s governing is responsible for “sanctioning serious infringements which have escaped the match officials’ attention”.
Any suspension could range from “up to three matches or up to two months”.
Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez tried to play down the incident and believes there is a vendetta from certain media towards Luis Suarez.
“I’d like to see the images first before making any comment. If it happened, then the referee probably didn’t see it,” said Oscar Tabarez.
“Despite mistakes Suarez has made, he is the target of certain media, a certain press.”
Italy manager Cesare Prandelli said he was resigning after the defeat by Uruguay, which eliminated his side from the tournament in Brazil.
“I didn’t see the images of Suarez but I did see the bite marks in Chiellini’s shoulder,” said Cesare Prandelli.
Liverpool’s Luis Suarez was banned for 10 games for biting Branislav Ivanovic in a Premier League match in April 2013.
Luis Suarez was also banned for seven games for biting PSV Eindhoven midfielder Otman Bakkal’s shoulder while Ajax captain in 2010.
Duck Dynasty’s patriarch Phil Robertson might be part of Zach Dasher’s campaign as his nephew is running for a congressional seat in Louisiana.
Phil Robertson’s nephew, Zach Dasher, is running for a congressional seat in Louisiana (photo FOX)
Zach Dasher joked Monday on Fox News’ Hannity: “They’re going to be a big part of the campaign. I’m going to have Phil as my PR director – he’s so good with the media, and I’m probably going to have Si as my strategic consultant.”
“We’re still working on the details,” Phil Robertson’s nephew said.
Zach Dasher, who announced his bid for Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District, said the support of the Robertson family “means a lot.”
“We share a similar background and philosophy, be it political or our spiritual beliefs as well,” the candidate said.
Pro-Russian rebels shot down a Ukrainian military helicopter killing all nine people on board near Sloviansk.
The Ukrainian army says the Mi-8 helicopter, used for transporting military cargo, was hit by a rocket shortly after take-off outside the rebel-held city of Sloviansk.
Ukraine’s Mi-8 helicopter, used for transporting military cargo, was hit by a rocket shortly after take-off outside the rebel-held city of Sloviansk
It comes a day after the rebels vowed to observe a ceasefire until Friday, in response to a government peace plan.
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that the week-long truce was not enough.
Vladimir Putin said it should be extended to try to hold “substantive talks” between the Ukrainian government and the separatists.
The rebels have not commented publicly on the Ukrainian military’s claims.
Before Tuesday, the rebels – who continue to hold towns in the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk – had shot down at least two Ukrainian army helicopters and a plane.
Earlier in the day, President Vladimir Putin asked the Russian parliament to revoke the right of military intervention in Ukraine.
Did you miss Duck Dynasty’s Si Robertson last week when he was signing autographs?
Si Robertson will sign autographs at the Duck Commander Warehouse on June 25 (photo Facebook)
Well, he is coming back! Wednesday, June 25th from Noon-2PM. Stop by the Duck Commander Warehouse and see him.
Uncle Si wrote on his Facebook page: “I’ll be BACK JACK! This Wednesday, June 25 from Noon-2PM signing autographs at the Duck Commander Warehouse! Come by and see me!”
According to pictures of the Beverly Hill Hilton Hotel room in which Whitney Houston died in February 2012, remnants of her last meal showed that she had a hamburger, fries and a turkey sandwich.
Remnants of Whitney Houston’s last meal showed that she had a hamburger, fries and a turkey sandwich (photo TMZ)
Reports claim she had her final dinner in the bathroom right before she died.
The pictures also showed Whitney Houston drinking champagne and beer shortly before her death and it is suggested the lethal combination of alcohol with prescription drugs – which were also found at the scene – could have been the cause of her death.
Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, have met cast and production members from Game of Thrones during a tour of the Paint Hall Studios in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Game of Thrones series is partly filmed in the city’s Titanic Quarter, and is a focal point for Northern Ireland’s burgeoning film industry.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were presented with a miniature version of the infamous Iron Throne, which appears in Game of Thrones
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh began their second day of engagements at Crumlin Road Gaol in north Belfast.
They are on a three-day visit to Northern Ireland.
As well as meeting cast and production staff, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were also given a short overview of the series and the impact it has had on Northern Ireland, not only in terms of employment, but also in the creative arts field.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip also viewed some of the props that have featured in Game Thrones.
Before leaving, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were presented with a miniature version of the infamous Iron Throne, which appears in the series.
French police have detained 23 people in relation with the killing of Monaco heiress Helene Pastor last month, including her daughter and son-in-law.
Helene Pastor, from one of Monaco’s richest families, was ambushed by a man armed with a shotgun as she left hospital in the French city of Nice.
Her chauffeur, Mohamed Darwich, 64, also died of his wounds.
Sylvia Pastor, 52, and her husband, Poland’s honorary consul to Monaco Wojciech Janowski, were among those detained in Nice, Marseille and Rennes.
Helene Pastor was one of the wealthiest women in Europe
Wojciech Janowski’s bank account had seen suspicious financial flows which needed explanation, Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin told reporters on Tuesday. There were also apparent links with two intermediaries who had been in direct contact with two suspects in the shooting.
The two men were traced after police studied DNA evidence and CCTV footage from the area on May 6, he said. The pair were described as aged 24 and 31, originally from the Comoros islands, and having a string of criminal convictions.
Video from railway stations and elsewhere showed that the two men had taken a train from Marseille to Nice on the afternoon of the shooting, gone to a hotel, and then made their way to the scene of the shooting, he said. French media had earlier reported they had spent 500 euros ($680) on a taxi back to Marseille afterwards.
The shots from the sawn-off shotgun were fired through the window of the car, hitting Helene Pastor, 77, in the face and throat. She eventually died on May 21.
Helene Pastor’s father, Gildo, became one of Monaco’s wealthiest men when Prince Rainier gave him permission in 1966 to build high-rise buildings along the sea front, AFP news agency reports. Prince Albert II attended her funeral.
Helene Pastor rarely left her luxury home in Monaco and had just visited her son in hospital when she was shot, reports say. Her income was derived from owning several prestige properties.
The family’s lawyer in Paris refused to comment on the arrest of her daughter and son-in-law.
Microsoft is launching its first phone – Android-powered handset Nokia X2 – after completing its takeover of Nokia’s handset division.
Android operating system, developed by Google, is usually seen as a rival to Microsoft’s own Windows Phone OS.
The company said the Nokia X2 offered it a way to hook users into its cloud-based services, several of which come pre-installed as apps.
Microsoft completed its takeover of Nokia’s handset division on April 25 at a cost of 5.4 billion euros ($7.4 billion).
The X2 is the follow-up to the original X, launched in February before Nokia sold its mobile business.
The original model became the best-selling mobile in Pakistan and the third best-selling handset in India – according to market-research company GfK – as well as achieving strong sales in Russia, Kenya and Nigeria.
Microsoft is launching its first phone, Android-powered handset Nokia X2
Nokia X2 features:
a slightly bigger 4.3in (11cm) screen
1GB of RAM – double the amount of memory previously included
a more powerful battery
the addition of a front-facing camera for selfies
The handset will cost 99 euro ($135) when released in July.
Microsoft’s video chat app Skype, its Outlook email service and its OneDrive internet storage apps all come pre-loaded.
The company is also promoting some of its other apps – including Bing Search, the Yammer business-focused social network and the OneNote idea jotting service – as optional free downloads for the device.
The tile-based homescreen and ability to see apps displayed as a scrollable list on the X2 mirrors the Window Phone user interface, which might help encourage consumers to later make the leap to Microsoft’s more expensive Lumia range.
Windows Phone now boasts over 250,000 apps including Instagram and Vine, which were high-profile absentees until November.
But several banking apps, games, video on-demand software, and apps used to control wearable fitness trackers – all available on Android – remain absent.
The Nokia X2 can run the bigger library of Android apps, but unless users hack the device they can only browse available software via the Nokia Store – which excludes some programs – rather than the more fully-stocked Google Play.
Japan has announced its plans to cut the country’s corporate tax to below 30% in several stages starting 2015.
The move is part of PM Shinzo Abe’s plan to revive Japan’s economy, a pledge made when he took office in December 2012.
Japan’s corporate tax rate, at nearly 36% for large companies operating in the capital Tokyo, ranks among the highest in the industrialized world.
The latest move has been dubbed as Shinzo Abe’s “third arrow”.
The first two arrows launched last year and focused on using fiscal and monetary policies to turn the economy around.
Details in terms of how the tax cut will be implemented are yet to be revealed by the Prime Minister’s office.
Japan plans to cut the country’s corporate tax to below 30 percent in several stages starting 2015
Shinzo Abe’s previous economic reform measures included working with the country’s central bank, the Bank of Japan to embark on an aggressive quantitative monetary easing policy, through monthly bond purchases.
That helped drive down the value of the Japanese yen against the US dollar, and helped to benefit Japanese exporting companies, such as the automakers.
The central bank has also set an inflation target of 2%, which it hopes to achieve in a few years’ time.
Japan had been battling deflation, or falling prices for nearly two decades. But that may be changing, as prices have been rising over the last several months.
That was helped by a raise in sales tax in April this year, to 8% from 5%.
That’s the first increase in the sales tax, in 17 years. And it will rise again to 10% in October 2015.
The gradual increases in the sales tax are aimed at covering rising social welfare costs linked to Japan’s ageing population.
Japan currently has one of the lowest birth rates in the world.
It also has the world’s highest ratio of elderly to young people, raising serious concerns about future economic growth.
Shinzo Abe also said he would end compulsory overtime payments for workers earning over 10 million yen a year and raise the proportion of female managers to 30% by 2020 from last year’s 7.5% rate.
However, economists warned it would be years before Japan benefitted from the planned changes.
“Various legislation must be enacted and it will take time for companies to begin to act. Therefore, it will be 10 to 20 years before the potential growth rate rises,” said Kenji Yumoto, vice chairman of the Japan Research Institute.
Rick Ross had to cancel his Detroit concert on Saturday after an angry mob blocked his entrance to the venue and reportedly made threats against his life.
Rapper Rick Ross had been due to perform for fans at the Summer Jamz gig in the Chene Park Amphitheater, but upon arrival, he was faced with a “human blockade” of around 150 people.
Rick Ross had to cancel his Detroit concert after an angry mob blocked his entrance
The demonstration was reportedly sparked by local rapper Trick Trick’s song No Fly Zone, which encourages fans not to support stars who fail to collaborate with artists from Detroit, but the activists took the fight one step further by allegedly hurling abuse and threats at Rick Ross and his associates, prompting them to ax the show.
A statement released by venue representative Shahida Mausi reads: “Reports from our venue operations and security teams indicate 100-150 individuals orchestrated a human blockade around the service entrance to the venue, preventing Mr. Ross and his entourage from entering the premises. A decision was made from Mr. Ross’ team (that) the conditions were becoming threatening and posed a security risk.”
However, Rick Ross wrote on Twitter: “Luv #Detroit I wuz ready to killm (kill them, put on a great performance) 2nite,heard it wuz a peace protest wit picket signs and locked gates haa (sic)”.
The Gwanju court has begun hearing evidence in the trial of the Sewol ferry captain and 14 crew members.
The Sewol ferry crew is charged with negligence and abandoning ship. The captain and three officers are also charged with “homicide through willful negligence”.
Captain Lee Joon-sok’s lawyer suggested he would contest the murder charge because there was no intent to kill.
The Sewol ferry capsized and sank on April 16, with 476 people on board.
Captain Lee Joon-sok’s lawyer suggested he would contest the murder charge in Sewol ferry case because there was no intent to kill (photo EPA)
A total of 304 people are believed to have died. Divers have conducted an extensive search of the sunken ship to recover their bodies and on Tuesday retrieved the remains of a female passenger.
That brings the number of bodies recovered to 293, with 11 people still unaccounted for. Most of those on board the ferry were teenagers on a school trip.
Prosecutors say the ship capsized because it was overloaded, with cargo improperly stowed. Five executives from ferry operator Chonghaejin Marine are also facing charges.
The tragedy has caused shock and outrage in South Korea.
The crew has been accused of prioritizing their own safety over that of passengers, and also of causing more deaths by instructing people to remain in their cabins instead of evacuating the ship.
They are being tried at the district court in the southern city of Gwangju.
Students who survived the sinking are to testify next month at a court close to their homes near Seoul, instead of at the court in Gwangju, it was also announced on Tuesday.
The decision was aimed at minimizing further stress to the students, court officials said.
Meanwhile South Korea’s President Park Guen-hye, whose government has also faced tough criticism over the disaster, suffered another blow when her second nominee for prime minister withdrew from consideration.
The incumbent, Chung Hong-won, has tendered his resignation over the handling of the ferry disaster.
However, Park Geun-hye’s first choice as his replacement withdrew amid questions over his finances, and her second, Moon Chang-keuk, over controversial Japan-related comments that he made.
President Barack Obama has urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop the flow of weapons into Ukraine and halt support for separatists.
The White House said that in the phone call Barack Obama warned of further sanctions if Moscow failed to act.
The Kremlin says Vladimir Putin urged direct talks between Kiev and the rebels in the east. Russia denies arming them.
The separatists have said they will observe a truce initiated by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
President Barack Obama has urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop the flow of weapons into Ukraine and halt support for separatists
The week-long ceasefire – part of a 15-point peace plan announced by Petro Poroshenko last week – is due to expire on Friday.
Late on Monday, White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters: “The president spoke to President Putin and once again urged him to support peace instead of allowing the provision of arms and materiel across the border and continuing support for militants and separatists who are further destabilizing the situation in Ukraine.”
“Russia will face additional costs if we do not see concrete actions to de-escalate the situation,” he said.
The US and EU have already imposed a number of sanctions, including visa bans and asset freezes on Russian officials, after Moscow annexed the Ukrainian region of Crimea in March.
Washington said last week that a number of Russian tanks and armored personnel carriers had crossed the border into the east of Ukraine.
The Russian government has strenuously denied that any of its tanks crossed the border into Ukraine.
On Monday, the US State Department said Washington also had new information that tanks were being readied at a site in south-western Russia to be sent into Ukraine.
As diplomatic efforts to ease the crisis continued, Vice President Joe Biden spoke to Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko in a phone call on Monday, telling him that the US would continue to strongly support his peace plan, the White House said.
