News Desk

The Yomiuri Shimbun

Publication Date : 18-11-2014

Japan's gross domestic product in the July-September period marked an unexpected negative growth of 1.6 per cent on an annual basis, the Cabinet Office said Monday.

According to a preliminary report announced by the Cabinet Office, the GDP dropped 0.4 per cent from the previous April-June period in price-adjusted real terms for the second straight quarterly decline.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe believes it will be difficult to raise the consumption tax rate from 8 per cent to 10 per cent in October next year as planned. Abe is expected to delay the consumption tax hike by 18 months until April 2017 and dissolve the House of Representatives.

Abe will announce his decision to postpone the planned consumption tax hike and intention to dissolve the lower house at a press conference on Tuesday. December 14 is considered the most likely date for a general election, with official campaigning kicking off on December 2.

The annualised GDP figure in the July-September period was substantially below the average forecast of 2.5 per cent growth by private research institutes, clearly illustrating the economic stagnation after the consumption tax rate was raised from 5 per cent to 8 per cent in April.

Personal consumption, which accounts for about 60 per cent of the nations GDP, increased 0.4 per cent from the previous quarter. However, its recovery from the April-June period, which marked a 5 per cent decline a reaction to a last-minute surge in demand prior to the tax hike in the previous quarter was slow.

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Japan's GDP falls 1.6% on annual basis; tax hike delay certain

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(c) 2014, The Yomiuri Shimbun.

TOKYO The nations gross domestic product in the July-September period showed an unexpected negative growth of 1.6 percent on an annual basis, the Cabinet Office said Monday.

According to a preliminary report announced by the Cabinet Office, the GDP dropped 0.4 percent from the previous April-June period in price-adjusted real terms for the second straight quarterly decline.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe believes it will be difficult to raise the consumption tax rate from 8 percent to 10 percent in October next year as planned. Abe is expected to delay the consumption tax hike by 18 months until April 2017 and dissolve the House of Representatives.

Abe will announce his decision to postpone the planned consumption tax hike and intention to dissolve the lower house at a press conference on Tuesday. Dec. 14 is considered the most likely date for a general election, with official campaigning kicking off on Dec. 2.

The annualized GDP figure in the July-September period was substantially below the average forecast of 2.5 percent growth by private research institutes, clearly illustrating the economic stagnation after the consumption tax rate was raised from 5 percent to 8 percent in April.

Personal consumption, which accounts for about 60 percent of the nations GDP, increased 0.4 percent from the previous quarter. However, its recovery from the April-June period, which marked a 5 percent decline a reaction to a last-minute surge in demand prior to the tax hike in the previous quarter was slow.

Rises in income did not keep pace with a price increase of more than 3 percent, which includes the consumption tax hike. This made more consumers budget-minded, observers said. In addition, typhoons and heavy rain in July and August adversely affected the latest GDP figures. In particular, sales of automobiles and home electronics items whose replacement cycle is long were sluggish.

Meanwhile, capital investment in the July-September period fell 0.2 percent from the previous quarter, according the Cabinet Offices report. The corporate sectors performance was strong, but companies refrained from investment due to concerns over economic prospects following Aprils tax hike.

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GDP falls 1.6 percent on annual basis; tax hike delay certain

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KFVS) - ??Here is a list of road projects around the Heartland scheduled for Sunday, November 16.

Butler County, MO

Route 72 in Bollinger County will be reduced to one lane as Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform shoulders repairs. This section of roadway is located from Old Route 72 to Route B.

Existing lanes of Route 67 from CR 323 to Route 160/158 will be signed as Route C. The north end of Route C (existing Route 67) will remain closed for about two months as work is completed at the intersection of Route 67, Route C, and CR 323.

Cape Girardeau County, MO

Northbound Interstate 55 in Cape Girardeau County will be reduced with a width restriction of 16 feet as contractor crews perform pavement repairs.This section of roadway is located from MM 91 to MM 93.Weather permitting, work will take place Tuesday, Nov. 18 through Thursday, Nov. 20 from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. daily.

Property owners adjacent to the bridge will have access to their properties. A marked detour is proposed here:

From the north: Route 61 south to Route KK, west on KK to I-55, south on I-55 to Route E, then east on Route E to Route 61. From the south: Route 61 north to Route E, east on Route E to I-55, north on I-55 to Route KK, then east on KK to Route 61. Maps are available at MoDOT's Sikeston Office on N. Main St. Property owners can request a hearing in writing if affected.

Reynolds County, MO

As a both a safety measure and to prepare for the winter snow season, the Missouri Department of Transportation will begin tree trimming will begin Monday, Dec. 15 through Friday, Feb. 13, 2015 on Route 106 in Reynolds and Shannon Counties. Once work begins, tree trimming will take place during the hours of 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday on Route 106 from Route 19 in Eminence to Route 21 in Ellington.

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Heartland road projects for 11/16

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KFVS) - ??Here is a list of road projects around the Heartland scheduled for Sunday, November 16.

Butler County, MO

Route 72 in Bollinger County will be reduced to one lane as Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform shoulders repairs. This section of roadway is located from Old Route 72 to Route B.

Existing lanes of Route 67 from CR 323 to Route 160/158 will be signed as Route C. The north end of Route C (existing Route 67) will remain closed for about two months as work is completed at the intersection of Route 67, Route C, and CR 323.

Cape Girardeau County, MO

Northbound Interstate 55 in Cape Girardeau County will be reduced with a width restriction of 16 feet as contractor crews perform pavement repairs.This section of roadway is located from MM 91 to MM 93.Weather permitting, work will take place Tuesday, Nov. 18 through Thursday, Nov. 20 from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. daily.

Property owners adjacent to the bridge will have access to their properties. A marked detour is proposed here:

From the north: Route 61 south to Route KK, west on KK to I-55, south on I-55 to Route E, then east on Route E to Route 61. From the south: Route 61 north to Route E, east on Route E to I-55, north on I-55 to Route KK, then east on KK to Route 61. Maps are available at MoDOT's Sikeston Office on N. Main St. Property owners can request a hearing in writing if affected.

Reynolds County, MO

As a both a safety measure and to prepare for the winter snow season, the Missouri Department of Transportation will begin tree trimming will begin Monday, Dec. 15 through Friday, Feb. 13, 2015 on Route 106 in Reynolds and Shannon Counties. Once work begins, tree trimming will take place during the hours of 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday on Route 106 from Route 19 in Eminence to Route 21 in Ellington.

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Heartland road projects for 11/15

Auburn Hills, MI (PRWEB) November 12, 2014

LEID Products, LLC., the leader of electronic locker and cabinet storage with biometric asset protection and control, today announced that it has been hired to upgrade electronic components and software for electronic mail lockers at the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) with its Access.it Asset Management System. Keeping locker hardware and just replacing electronic components will cost just a fraction of full electronic locker and control system replacement.

LEID Products Access.it Asset Management System equips the older electronic lockers with new electronic components, controls and software. The new Access.it tracking software will track all activity, validate entry codes and/or card (badge) and provides secure web-based reports. Users and admins are able to access and manage the lockers through an LCD-keypad and/or card reader interface, or remotely via a remote web-based administration platform. Beyond initial installation and warranty period, LEID Products offers ongoing service contracts for continued support throughout the newly extended life of the equipment.

There are many legacy electronic locker systems fielded in government agencies and in the private sector, when they begin failing, finding replacement parts and technical support is problematic, said Sam Hoff, president, LEID Products. When DTRA and DLA began experiencing problems they were proactive in finding a viable solution without having to replace everything, our Access.it technology will make their antiquated system function like a brand new installation with more advanced functionality.

LEID Products offers free consultations to users of legacy electronic lockers systems to review whether and an Access.it upgrade is possible. LEID also provides contracts for professional support services to maintain new and legacy electronic locker systems. For additional information, fill out the LEID Products request for information form: http://www.leidproducts.com/contact-us-for-more-information/

About LEID Products: Law Enforcement Intelligent Devices (LEID), LLC is the manufacturing leader of electronic locker and cabinet storage with biometric asset protection and control. Originally founded to assist police departments in securing guns, weapons, radios, etc. through an electronic tracking and fingerprinting system, LEID products are also utilized to track books within a library system, medical supplies, laptops and even business documents to selected personnel. Their Biometric Access Control Systems (BACS) streamlines operations and provides full accountability for critical business assets. For more information and demonstrations of our products, visit http://www.leidproducts.com.

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Government Agencies at U.S. Armys Fort Belvoir in Virginia Hire LEID Products to Upgrade Legacy Electronic Locker ...

JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Enlarge Image

Premier Greg Selinger

Premier Greg Selinger appears to have temporarily stamped out the fire that's been raging over his leadership.

His five dissident ministers have been silenced -- for now -- by their resignations from cabinet and their speedy replacement.

Selinger and his remaining supporters are soldiering on with the tasks of government, making spending and policy announcements. The Nov. 20 throne speech will, no doubt, be full of language that the NDP government means business.

In their view, they've got until April 2016 to right the ship, despite engine problems, leaks and a captain who saw a mutiny by what many once considered his closest crew mates.

Left unresolved is where five former high-ranking ministers -- Erin Selby, Andrew Swan, Stan Struthers, Theresa Oswald and Jennifer Howard -- will sit in the legislative assembly when the throne speech is presented. Will he remove them from the NDP caucus as he did with Christine Melnick, another discordant MLA? Will they suffer the indignity of sitting as independents on the other side of the floor, next to the Opposition Progressive Conservatives and the lone Liberal MLA? Will they be allowed by Selinger to run again in the next election to represent the NDP? Or do any of them have other plans, such as running as NDP candidates in the next federal election? Or retiring from politics altogether?

Whatever happens in the days ahead, it's also clear Selinger isn't completely safe. He may have pulled the knife from his back, but the wound is far from healed. And others, too, could soon unsheathe their own weapons.

Here's what's in store for him:

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Which way will Selinger go?

New Delhi: With a Cabinet expansion likely on Sunday, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar is likely to move to the capital soon. As reports of him taking charge as the Defence Minister come to the fore, Parrikar is likely to resign as Goa Chief Minister after meeting the state Cabinet on Friday evening.

He is scheduled to meet Goa MLAs on Friday to decide his replacement in the state. RSS backed BJP leaders - Health Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and Speaker of Legislative Assembly Rajendra Arlekar are being seen as front runners for the top post.

Parrikar is likely to take charge of the Defence Ministry which is currently held by Arun Jaitley as an additional charge along with the Finance Ministry portfolio.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also reached out to TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu on who should be inducted into the Cabinet from his party. Naidu reportedly, has proposed the name of party MP in Rajya Sabha YS Chowdhury for inclusion in the Union Council of ministers.

Other probables in the Cabinet are Haziribagh MP and son of veteran BJP leader Yaswant Sinha, Jayant Sinha. A BJP leader from Rajasthan and a Jat leader from Haryana could also be inducted. BJP leader Hansraj Ahir who exposed the coal block allocation scam could also find a seat when the expansion takes place.

The BJP-led NDA government is also keen to make Shiv Sena leader Suresh Prabhu a minister at the Centre but Shiv Sena has conveyed that the leader cannot be sent to to Parliament till 2016 and has put forward Anil Desai's candidature for Rajya Sabha.

The Union Cabinet is likely to be expanded on Sunday and the swearing-in ceremony of the new ministers in likely to take place on Sunday evening.

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Parrikar may resign as Goa CM today, discussions on his replacement underway

Panaji, Goa: Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has said he will resign on Saturday and a new chief minister will take oath the same day. He is headed to Delhi and is tipped to become Defence Minister in an expansion of the Narendra Modi cabinet likely on Sunday.

Mr Parrikar said this morning that he will brief Goa's 21 BJP legislators about the fast-paced developments of the last few days at a meeting now on. The process of electing his successor and his swearing in would happen after 12 pm on Saturday, he said.

The top contenders to replace Mr Parrikar are Deputy Chief Minister Francis D'Souza, the state's Health Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and the state's Speaker Rajendra Arlekar. The party's central leaders BS Yeddyurappa and Rajiv Pratap Rudy will be in Goa tomorrow as observers at the meeting to elect the new Chief Minister.

Manohar Parrikar, 58, is expected to take over in Delhi from Arun Jaitley, who has held dual charge of two critical portfolios Finance and Defence, for the five months since the Narendra Modi cabinet took oath in May this year.

To be a central minister he has to be a member of Parliament. A Goa minister said today that the party could nominate Mr Parrikar to the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh.

"I give you a guarantee that if I do get the Defence Ministry, I will be clean, transparent and open. On November 9, I will complete 20 years in politics, without a single stain or allegation against me," Mr Parrikar told NDTV on Thursday evening.

He said he had not been officially informed what ministry he would be allotted. However, he did confirm that he got a call from BJP president Amit Shah. "He told me to be ready as there was a possibility that I could move to the Centre," said Mr Parrikar, adding that he has never been too interested in national politics but had agreed as a disciplined party worker.

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Manohar Parrikar, Headed to Delhi, to Resign Today as Goa Chief Minister

Panaji, Goa: Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has said he will resign on Saturday and a new chief minister will take oath the same day. He is headed to Delhi and is tipped to become Defence Minister in an expansion of the Narendra Modi cabinet likely on Sunday.

Mr Parrikar said this morning that he will brief Goa's 21 BJP legislators about the fast-paced developments of the last few days at a meeting now on. The process of electing his successor and his swearing in would happen after 12 pm on Saturday, he said.

The top contenders to replace Mr Parrikar are Deputy Chief Minister Francis D'Souza, the state's Health Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and the state's Speaker Rajendra Arlekar. The party's central leaders BS Yeddyurappa and Rajiv Pratap Rudy will be in Goa tomorrow as observers at the meeting to elect the new Chief Minister.

Manohar Parrikar, 58, is expected to take over in Delhi from Arun Jaitley, who has held dual charge of two critical portfolios Finance and Defence, for the five months since the Narendra Modi cabinet took oath in May this year.

To be a central minister he has to be a member of Parliament. A Goa minister said today that the party could nominate Mr Parrikar to the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh.

"I give you a guarantee that if I do get the Defence Ministry, I will be clean, transparent and open. On November 9, I will complete 20 years in politics, without a single stain or allegation against me," Mr Parrikar told NDTV on Thursday evening.

He said he had not been officially informed what ministry he would be allotted. However, he did confirm that he got a call from BJP president Amit Shah. "He told me to be ready as there was a possibility that I could move to the Centre," said Mr Parrikar, adding that he has never been too interested in national politics but had agreed as a disciplined party worker.

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Manohar Parrikar, Headed to Delhi, Likely to Resign Today as Goa Chief Minister

NAIROBI, KENYA

Somalia's political leaders are at loggerheads once again over the reorganization of the cabinet, prompting a warning from the United Nations to focus on building credible institutions to move the country forward. Analysts say the next year will be crucial for solidifying Somalias recent gains after decades of lawlessness.

The controversy began Monday, when U.N. envoy to Somalia, Nicholas Kay, said he was concerned about allegations that lawmakers were being bribed in exchange for votes to oust the prime minister.

In a statement, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud acknowledged the U.N.'s concern, but called for the international community to respect Somalia's right to determine its own future, and allow Somali leaders to resolve their differences.

Political fault lines

The political bickering between the president and Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed began two weeks ago after the premier made a cabinet reshuffle. Among those affected was the presidents close ally and Minister of Livestock and Husbandry Farah Sheikh Abdulkadir.

The president termed the changes null and void, setting off an increasingly public dispute between the two leaders and their supporters in the parliament.

This is the kind of division that has plagued Somali politics for years. But Somali lawmaker and former constitution minister Abdirahman Hosh said it is good for Somali leaders to negotiate, calling it part of the democratic process. He added that ultimately, the politicians must settle their disputes.

"Top leaders' political wrangling is good thing for us. Leaders who agree on everything is not good for the country. The politics itself is about people with different views coming together, but when there is a division, then a solution has to be found to solve the differences," said Hosh.

Contentious stability

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No End in Sight for Somali Political Bickering