Japan resumes whale killing despite protests

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Australia, New Zealand and eco activists are disappointed - Japan is at whale killing again despite the International Court of Justice ruling, The Independent reports. 

The Japanese Fisheries Agency said in a report that 30 minke whales had been killed during the April-June whaling season as part of its "research hunts" in the north-west Pacific Ocean.

They also said that another group of whalers were still hunting in a more remote part of the ocean.

Australia and New Zealand both hoped that the ICJ's March decision would bring the cruel practice to an end.

Al-Nusra jihadists pull out Syria's Kesab city seized in March

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Fighters from the jihadist Al-Nusra Front and Syrian insurgents have withdrawn from the city of Kesab on the border with Turkey, Agence France-Presse reported Saturday citing the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The majority of the fighters and rebels have left the city, the monitoring group said.

As of now, the Syrian army and fighters from Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah advanced on the nearby villages.

Cuba, Ecuador and Bolivia urge world to protect Venezuela against US imperialism

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The leaders of Bolivia, Cuba and Ecuador have urged the international community to defend Venezuela against imperialism "seeking to destroy Hugo Chavez's Bolivarian revolution," according to the ABI news agency. "They think it's time to destroy the Bolivarian revolution and depose the president of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, and they use unconventional warfare to achieve this goal," said Cuban leader Raul Castro, speaking at a meeting of social organizations ahead of the G77 + China summit.

"By defending Venezuela, we will protect Bolivia and all of America," he carried on. The leader of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, called on all Latin American countries" to defend Venezuela.

Bolivian leader urges dissolution of UN Security Council - media

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Bolivian President Evo Morales has urged the world community to bring an end to the UN Security Council as it is not meeting its goal of securing peace between states, the Bolivian ABI agency reports.

Saturday evening, Morales opened a meeting of the Group of 77 (G77) plus China in the Bolivian city of Santa Cruz. According to the organizers' plans, the final document produced by the summit should become the basis for the development of a new "agenda" of the UN.

World neglect of Syria behind Iraq unrest

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The former UN and Arab League envoy to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi said on Sunday the unrest sweeping Iraq stemmed from the international community's neglect of the conflict in neighbouring Syria. Jihadist-led militants launched a lightning offensive on Monday, advancing to within 80 kilometres (50 miles) of Baghdad's city limits and bringing Iraq's security forces to the brink of collapse.

Brahimi said that the international community's inaction on the conflict in Syria had precipitated the crisis in Iraq.

Ukrainian authorities 'act with impunity' because Western counterparts shield them

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The Ukrainian authorities "act with impunity" on various issues because they are "shielded by our Western partners, or by some of them, at least," and their "irreconcilable" position in talks on natural gas trade with Russia is one way this "impunity" manifests itself in, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Sunday.

"We hope this arrogant and uncompromising position is not backed by a third power, although we have some reasons to think so."

Iran MPs demand Rouhani strictly enforce veil law

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Two thirds of Iran's MPs have written to the president urging him to take measures to ensure women correctly observe Islamic dress, denouncing Western cultural influence against the veil. The 195 members of the 290-strong parliament who signed the letter in part blamed satellite television for feeding the trend, ISNA news agency reported on Sunday, according to AFP.

A defining feature of Iran's interpretation of Islamic law since the 1979 revolution, hijab obliges women to cover their hair and much of their body in loose clothing when outside, regardless of their religion.

Libya: four killed, 14 wounded in fresh clashes in Benghazi

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A renegade Libyan general Khalifa Haftar launched an offensive on Sunday against Islamist militants in the eastern city of Benghazi, that left four people killed and 14 wounded, medical officials said on Sunday, according to Reuters. Dozens of families had to flee the port city in the latest bout of turmoil to hit the North African oil-producing nation.

Power went off in the port city after rockets hit the Benina electricity plant which supplies Benghazi and neighboring towns, residents and state news agency LANA said.

Businessman Kiska inaugurated as Slovakia's president

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Millionaire businessman Andrej Kiska was Sunday inaugurated as Slovakia's president. He takes over from Ivan Gasparovic, who has served his constitutional limit of two terms in office.

The 51-year-old Kiska, an independent and political novice, won the March presidential runoff over Prime Minister Robert Fico, coming in at 59.4 per cent of the vote to the latter's 40.6 per cent.He was little known to Slovakians except for his charitable work, before mounting an expensive, two-year political campaign.
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5.7 quakes near Japan's Fukushima

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Two moderate earthquakes struck off Japan's eastern coast near Fukushima in the early hours of Monday, the US Geological Survey said, predicting a low chance of any major damage being caused.

The epicenter of the first quake, with a magnitude measuring 5.7, was located some 91 kilometers (56 miles) off the coast of Honshu, Japan's largest and most populated island, at a depth of 22 kilometers shortly after 3:00am local time (1800 GMT Sunday).

Pakistan military launches 'comprehensive operation' against militants

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Pakistan's military said Sunday it has launched a "comprehensive operation" to eliminate Taliban and al-Qaeda militants and their sanctuaries in its restive northwest, AFP reports.

"On the directions of the Government, Armed forces of Pakistan have launched a comprehensive operation against foreign and local terrorists who are hiding in sanctuaries in North Waziristan" tribal region, a military statement said.

Continuous clashes in Northern Iraq reasoned by Iraq denial of Iran help

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Fighting between the Iraqi military and radical Sunni Muslims spread Sunday to a new centre in northern Iraq as an aide of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki denied that Iranian forces had come to the beleaguered premier's aide.

Fierce clashes erupted between government troops and fighters from the jihadist Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which attempted to capture the town of Tel Afar west of the rebel-held city of Mosul, informs DPA.

Ukraine is to close frontier with Russia next week – Defense Minister of Ukraine

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Ukraine is going to close its border with Russia next week, said Ukraine’s acting Defense Minister Mikhail Koval on Sunday.

"The military forces jointly with the border guards have already closed 250 kilometers of the Ukrainian-Russian border. It will take several days more to close the entire border,” he said.
"Ukraine’s supreme commander-in-chief, its president has already set clear tasks regarding the closure of the eastern border. We are fulfilling these tasks. Next week we will be through with them. We have practically closed almost 250 kilometers of the state border. Our people are deployed near the state border along with border guards", added the Defense Minister, according to ITAR-TASS.

About 100 killed during fighting in Lugansk region of Ukraine during last 24 hours

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The leader of the Lugansk People's Republic said on Sunday that about 100 people had been killed in clashes between the local militia and government forces near Lugansk city during the past 24 hours, according to Interfax.

"About 100 people have been killed in total, both civilians and members of the militia," Valery Bolotov said during a news conference. "After the Ukrainian army took control of the city of Schastye (Happiness), they just started shooting at civilians, mostly at men."

#3 of 10 World’s Highest-Paid Athletes In 2014 And How They Made Their Money

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#3 LeBron James Total Earnings: $72.3 million Salary/winnings: $19.3 million Endorsements: $53 million 

James is the NBA’s biggest endorsement star, thanks to deals with Nike, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Upper Deck and others. Sales of his signature Nike shoes were tops among active players at $300 million in the U.S. during 2013. James also made millions through his small stake in Beats when it was sold to Apple for $3 billion. 

   

#4 of 10 World’s Highest-Paid Athletes In 2014 And How They Made Their Money

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#4 Lionel Messi Total Earnings: $64.7 million Salary/winnings: $41.7 million Endorsements: $23 million 

Sponsors like Adidas, who launched his signature shoe last year, and Turkish Airlines, who paired him with NBA superstar Kobe Bryant, have invested heavily in Barcelona’s most prolific goal scorer. In May, he signed his 7th contract in 11 years that will pay him $50 million a year and extend his stay at Camp Nou until 2019. 

   

Worshippers escape death threat in Owerri as police uncover explosives in Church

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According to a breaking news report on Premium Times, two Improvised Explosive Devices was discovered at a church, Winners Chapel on Port Harcourt road in Owerri, Imo state today June 15th. The police detonated the bomb after detecting them. The Commissioner of Police in Imo state, Abdumajid Ali, said they have arrested six suspects during the discovery of the explosives.

The police say they believe the explosives were planted on Saturday night and timed to explode after worshippers had gathered for worship today. Thankfully it had been discovered on time. Details later. 

Two Super powers: US-Russia row harmful to global security - expert

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US-Russia relations have reached a new low since the end of the Cold War, which is a huge disappointment for those who recognize how tension between these two world powers undermine global security and stability, says Edward Lozansky, President of the American University in Moscow and co-organizer of an upcoming roundtable in Washington that aims to brainstorm a solution to the problem.

U.S. blocks Christian governor from Nigeria peace talks

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The United States Institute for Peace recently brought together the governors of Nigeria’s mostly Muslim northern states for a conference in the U.S., but the State Department blocked the visa of the region’s only Christian governor, an ordained minister, citing “administrative” problems.


The visa of Plateau State Gov. Jonah David Jang, has been held up by the Obama administration for more than a year, according to Ann Buwalda of the Jubilee Project, which focuses on Nigerian human rights.

Check out pics from APC Convention held yesterday in Abuja

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Below are a few photos from the All Progressive Congress (APC) Convention that held yesterday, June 13th at the Eagle Square in Abuja.

The delegates elected former Edo state governor John Oyegun as its National Chairman while Mai Mala Buni from Yobe state was elected the party's National Secretary. Former governor of Ekiti State Segun Oni who defected from PDP to APC in May was elected Deputy National Chairman (South) while former National Secretary of the defunct ACN, Lawal Shuaibu, was elected Deputy National Chairman (North). Current Interim spokesperson of the party, Lai Mohammed, was returned unopposed because the National Publicity Secretary.

See more pics from the convention after the break.