Japan extends tax breaks on fuel-efficient vehicles
Japan has extended tax breaks for fuel-efficient vehicles, in a bid to help its struggling domestic car industry.
Originally scheduled to expire in April, the incentive will continue until April 2015.
Japan's domestic car sector has been hit by natural disasters at home and abroad, as well as by the strength of the yen.
Tax breaks on green vehicles vary according to the model and type of car.
Although companies such as Toyota and Nissan are known around the world, Japan's overall domestic car market has grown very little in recent years.
Fuel-efficient vehicles have offered a bright spot within the sector.
The news from Japan came as negotiators at the United Nations climate change talks in Durban agreed for the first time to bring the world's biggest polluting countries into efforts to limit global warming.
Digicel’s revenues up 16 per cent
Digicel, the Caribbean’s largest mobile telephone service provider with operations also in Central America and the Pacific, reported strong financial performance for the six months ended September 30, 2011. Digicel Group Limited—which comprises the 30 markets of the Caribbean, El Salvador and the Pacific —reported revenues up 16 per cent year on year to US$1.24 billion for the first half of the fiscal year. EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) was up 15 per cent year on year to US$524 million for the six month period with the most recent quarter contributing US$270 million EBITDA.
With subscribers up 14 per cent year on year to 11.1 million across Digicel's 30 markets worldwide, performance has been strong across the board with revenue growth in all of Digicel's major markets including El Salvador, French West Indies, Haiti, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea and Trinidad and Tobago. Haiti in particular experienced rapid growth adding 830,000 new subscribers in the first six months of the financial year. Revenue earned from value-added-services like Web browsing and messaging, was up 47 per cent year on year, helped by strong demand for smartphones. Digicel has also signed an agreement to extend and upsize its senior credit facility, which will see US$282 million new funds committed.
Digicel Group CEO, Colm Delves said: "Our latest set of financial results reflect Digicel's ongoing strong growth and outperformance of our industry peers. I am pleased to report that we have seen growth across the board and are also continuing to diversify our revenue mix with significant increases in value added services. "The refinancing of our senior credit facility was well supported and provides us with further balance sheet flexibility. I would like to thank our customers and staff for their ongoing commitment to Digicel and to assure them of our continued focus on delivering best value, best service and best network - and to giving back to our communities." Speaking with Caribbean Business Report, Delves further added that as at the end of September and before the receipt of new funds, Digicel had over US$400 million in cash on its balance sheet.
Jamaica Observer
France election: De Villepin to stand for president
French former prime minister and centre-right politician Dominique de Villepin has announced he will stand for president in the 2012 election.
The long-time rival of incumbent President Nicolas Sarkozy made his announcement on French TV.
Mr Sarkozy himself has not formally declared a bid for re-election but is widely expected to do so.
France's Socialist opposition recently elected Francois Hollande as their candidate for the presidency.
Recent opinion polls suggested Mr de Villepin, 58, would only get 1 or 2% of the vote.
His candidacy will certainly annoy the president because he will take away precious votes in the first round of the election at the end of April, the BBC's Hugh Schofield reports from Paris.
But it is hard to see him as a serious contender as many of his former friends and allies have moved over to President Sarkozy's camp, our correspondent adds.
Furthermore, he has just been named in a corruption enquiry, accused of putting pressure on a businessman not to give information to the police that might implicate one of his friends.
Nadine Morano, the election chief of Mr Sarkozy's governing UMP party, called on Mr de Villepin to abandon his bid and "back Mr Sarkozy instead".
'Divided again'
Mr de Villepin is presenting himself as a candidate above party politics, correspondents say. He recently set up a new political movement, United Republic (French: Republique solidaire), which contains members of the UMP.
"I want to reunite all the French, those on the left, those on the right, and those in the centre," he told the TF1 channel.
"I intend to defend a certain idea of France," Mr de Villepin.
His words evoked a famous phrase of General de Gaulle, our correspondent says.
The former prime minister said he was "concerned" to see France "humiliated by the law of markets which encroaches further and further in austerity".
This was a clear reference to the deal in Europe just masterminded by Mr Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in order to save the euro, our correspondent says.
Describing Mr de Villepin as a "man on his own without financial means or a political movement", Ms Morano said she hoped he would not "make the mistake of [causing] a division in 2012".
She said he belonged to the "UMP family" and should stand in the French parliamentary election - which follows the presidential poll - instead.
A Socialist senator, Andre Vallini, said: "I don't think it's good news for us but it's bad news for Mr Sarkozy. The right is a bit more divided again."
Troubled career
Dominique Marie Francois Rene Galouzeau de Villepin, 58, was a protege of Mr Sarkozy's predecessor as president, Jacques Chirac.
As foreign minister in February 2003, Mr de Villepin opposed the invasion of Iraq at the United Nations.
As prime minister between May 2005 and May 2007, he saw his plans for labour reforms scrapped in the face of public protests and strikes.
He was later involved in a long and bitter legal battle centring on allegations that he had tried to smear Mr Sarkozy in the run-up to the 2007 presidential election through the Clearstream affair.
A French appeals court cleared him of complicity in September.
One French tweeter, Aure Lianna, quipped on Sunday: "At least it's certain he's not standing in order to negotiate a ministerial post from... Nicolas Sarkozy."
The new corruption case in which Mr de Villepin has been named relates to an embezzlement case against his friend Regis Bulot, former head of Relais & Chateaux, a French-based association of exclusive small hotels and gourmet restaurants.
"This case does not concern me," Mr de Villepin told TF1 on Sunday. "One may have a friend, friends, and not be implicated in their business dealings."
Obama Makes His Case for Second Term
U.S. President Barack Obama has made a case for his re-election by setting himself apart from his Republican challengers.
In an interview Sunday on American television (the CBS news show 60 Minutes), the president compared himself to a ship's captain in stormy waters. He said he did not expect the American people to feel satisfied with the state of the U.S. economy.
He said if the voters believe in the Republican agenda of lower taxes for the wealthy and weaker regulations, he will lose the next presidential election next year. But, he said, he does not think “that's where the American people are going to go.”
Instead, he said he is counting on the voters to give him credit for averting a second Great Depression, saving the auto industry and lowering health care costs.
He rejected Republican criticism that his policies amount to class warfare. He said he is trying to restore an America that builds the middle class and requires rich Americans to pay a little more.
Republican contenders for the presidency, including leading contenders Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich, have said Mr. Obama is not capable of steering the country out of the economic crisis.
US Military Vacates Pakistani Air Base
U.S. military vacated an air base in Pakistan's southwest Sunday, meeting a December 11 deadline set by Islamabad in response to NATO's November 26 air strike that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.
The Pakistani military said it took over the Shamsi base in Baluchistan province shortly after the last U.S. personnel departed.
The Pakistani government ordered the move as part of several punitive measures reflecting Pakistani anger about the deadly incident. Islamabad also closed its border crossings to trucks delivering supplies to NATO forces in land-locked Afghanistan and boycotted an international conference in Bonn on Afghanistan's future.
There was no immediate confirmation of the base withdrawal from U.S. officials.
Pakistan accused NATO forces of deliberately targeting Pakistani soldiers during an operation against militants on the border with Afghanistan. The U.S. military and NATO deny the charge and have launched investigations of the incident.
U.S. intelligence experts say the withdrawal from the Shamsi air base is not likely to have a major impact on the drone war in the border region because the U.S. military can fly the unmanned planes out of air fields in Afghanistan.
In another development, two prominent Pakistani Taliban members have denied claims by the group's deputy chief Maulvi Faqir Mohammad that the militants are engaged in peace talks with Islamabad.
Mohammad had announced Saturday that negotiations with the government were progressing well and could soon lead to an agreement. The Pakistani government has not confirmed any negotiations with the militants but officials have spoken of a need for dialogue.
The United States has long pressured Pakistan, a major U.S. aid recipient, to fight the Islamist militants who use bases in Pakistani tribal regions to attack U.S.-led NATO forces in Afghanistan.
Also Sunday, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani denied reports that President Asif Ali Zardari suffered a stroke and offered to resign. Mr. Zardari flew to the United Arab Emirates Tuesday after falling ill. Medics say the president likely suffered a transient ischemic attack, which can produce stroke-like symptoms but no lasting damage to the brain.
Mr. Gilani said the president was making good progress and needs to rest for two more weeks before returning home.
Russia’s Medvedev Orders Probe Into Alleged Election Fraud
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Sunday ordered an investigation into the allegations of electoral fraud during last week's parliamentary vote.
The announcement came a day after tens of thousands of people rallied in Moscow and other cities to demand the December 4 polls won by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's ruling United Russia party be annulled and rerun.
In a post on the social media site Facebook, Mr. Medvedev said that “although he does not agree with any slogans or speeches made at the rallies, he has given instructions to check all information from polling station regarding compliance with the election laws.”
Within minutes of his statement, Mr. Medvedev had received over 1,000 comments on his Facebook site, most of them angry and some disrespectful. “Shame!” and “We do not believe you!” were the most common.
Neither the president nor Putin has appeared in public in recent days, as protest organizers sought to harness opposition to the outcome of the polls. Critics accuse Mr. Putin's ruling United Russia party of complicity in widespread vote rigging and other irregularities.
Saturday's rallies in Moscow, St. Petersburg and the Far Eastern cities of Khabarovsk and Vladivostok were the largest to hit Russia since the tumultuous 1990s and were largely peaceful. However, protests in Moscow and St. Petersburg last week triggered a massive police presence and the arrests of hundreds of demonstrators.
French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe on Sunday urged Russia's leaders “to hold a dialogue, to avoid violence, and to let the opposition demonstrate and learn the lessons for the organization of the next presidential elections.”
Juppe also criticized Putin's plan to return to the presidency by swapping places with Mr. Medvedev. He said people do not like it very much when one plays with the democratic process. “To say that I am prime minister and you can have the presidency — and vice-versa — that is something that ends up angering people,” Juppe added.
Last month, Mr. Putin formally accepted his party's nomination to return to the presidency — a post that analysts have said he is certain to win. He announced his intentions in September, confirming a deal under which he would appoint President Medvedev as his prime minister.
The planned job swap has angered many in Russia, who said it would strengthen authoritarian rule and clear the way for Mr. Putin to become Russia's longest-serving leader since communist times.
If he regains the presidency, the 59-year-old Mr. Putin could serve two more 6-year terms and remain in power until 2024. He was first elected president in 2000
Chinese fishermen 'stab South Korean coast guards'
A South Korean coast guard has been stabbed to death by Chinese fishermen after stopping their boat on suspicion of illegal fishing, officials say.
The Korean coast guard agency said another of its staff was injured in the fight, in the Yellow Sea off Incheon.
Some nine Chinese sailors have been detained over the clash. Beijing has not yet commented on the incident.
Chinese crews are regularly caught fishing in Korean waters. They are usually released after paying a fine.
The coast guard said it has seized about 430 Chinese ships for illegal fishing in the Yellow Sea so far this year, up from 370 last year.
Arrests
Previous attempts to intercept Chinese fishing boats have also ended in violence.
In October the coast guard said it had used tear gas and rubber bullets to subdue Chinese fishermen wielding clubs and shovels.
There have also been a number of incidents involving Chinese sailors and the authorities of other countries.
Last month, the crew of a Chinese fishing boat was briefly detained by Japan for entering its coastal waters.
Similar arrests last year in disputed waters sparked a major diplomatic confrontation between Japan and China.
And in the South China Sea, Chinese vessels have several times angered the authorities of other countries with apparent incursions.
Tom Cruise 'working on' Top Gun sequel
Mission: Impossible star Tom Cruise has confirmed he is involved in the forthcoming Top Gun sequel.
Plans for a follow-up to the hit 1986 film were announced last year, but it was not known if and how much the star would be involved.
Speaking to MTV, Cruise said he was in talks with director Tony Scott and would go ahead provided they could "find a story that we all want to do".
"I hope we can figure this out to do it again," he said.
Scott directed Cruise in the first Top Gun film, which propelled him to fame as fighter pilot Maverick.
The Jerry Bruckheimer-produced film, which also starred Kelly McGillis and Val Kilmer, was nominated for four Oscars and won the best song Academy Award for Take My Breath Away.
Cruise said: "I said to Tony, I want to make another movie with him. He and I haven't made a film since Days Of Thunder."
"Tony and I and Jerry, we never thought that we would do it again. Then they started to come to us with these ideas and I thought, wow, that would be what we could do now.
"We all want to make a film that is in the same kind of tone as the other one and shoot it in the same way as we shot Top Gun," he added.
It had been rumoured that Cruise's character would return in the sequel as an instructor for a new class of Top Gun recruits.
But when asked what his role would be in a new film, the actor said: "I don't know - we're working on it."
Cruise will next be seen on screen in a fourth Mission: Impossible film, Ghost Protocol.
Prodigy Is Working On Collaboration Album With The Alchemist
Queens rap duo Mobb Deep have announced that Prodigy will be working on an untitled album with producer The Alchemist.
While the group offered little details about the album, reps for the rappers said The Alchemist would be responsible for all of the production, in addition to securing the guest releases.
The news of the collaboration with Mobb Deep and The Alchemist marks the start of a busy release schedule for the group’s label, Infamous Records.
The label is preparing a new album by Prodigy, in addition to Mobb Deep’s untitled 9th album.
Prodigy is also working on his second book since releasing his controversial memoirs “My Infamous Life.”
Prodigy’s album is due in stores before the Summer of 2012, while his untitled second book in early 2012.
Mobb Deep’s new EP Black Cocaine is in stores now.
LMFAO song Party Rock Anthem top track on iTunes UK
LMFAO track Party Rock Anthem was the best-selling song on the UK version of iTunes this year.
Adele's Someone Like You finished second with Maroon 5's Moves Like Jagger in third place.
Making up the top five are Jessie J with Price Tag and Pitbull with Give Me Everything.
Adele's album 21 was the most downloaded of the year after being named the biggest-selling album of the century earlier this week.
Her debut album 19 was also the 11th biggest seller of the year, almost three years after its release.
The British star, who is recovering from throat surgery, was also named artist of the year by the iTunes editorial team.
She said: "I'm thrilled to top the iTunes album chart of 2011 and to be iTunes artist of the year is just amazing."
Ed Sheeran was named new artist of the year.
American iTunes
There was more success for Adele in America after it was announced she had the top-selling single (Rolling in the Deep) and top-selling album of the year on the US version of iTunes.
She beat the likes of Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, LMFAO and Cee Lo Green to the singles title.
Foo Fighters' seventh studio album Wasting Light was named US album of the year, while rapper Nicki Minaj was given the breakthrough artist of the year prize.
LA indie rockers Foster The People were handed song of the year for Pumped Up Kicks.
Meanwhile, David Fincher's 2010 film The Social Network topped the best-selling film list, while Doctor Who was the top-selling television series.
Angry Birds was named top-selling paid app for the iPhone and iPad.
Biggest-selling iTunes singles of 2011 in the UK:
1. LMFAO - Party Rock Anthem (feat Lauren Bennett & GoonRock)
2. Adele - Someone Like You
3. Maroon 5 - Moves Like Jagger
4. Jessie J - Price Tag (feat. B.o.B.)
5. Pitbull - Give Me Everything (feat. Ne-Yo)
6. Bruno Mars - Grenade
7. Adele - Rolling In The Deep
8. Jennifer Lopez - On The Floor
9. Drake - What's My Name?
10. Rihanna - We Found Love (feat. Calvin Harris)
Biggest-selling iTunes albums of 2011 in the UK:
1. Adele - 21
2. Rihanna - Loud
3. Bruno Mars - Doo-Wops & Hooligans
4. Ed Sheeran - + (Deluxe Version)
5. Chase & Status - No More Idols
6. Jessie J - Who You Are (Platinum Edition)
7. Lady Gaga - Born This Way
8. Tinie Tempah - Disc-Overy
9. Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto
10. Various Artists - Now That's What I Call Music! 79