Second big quake hits southern Japan; tsunami advisory lifted
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck southern Japan early on Saturday (April 16), triggering a tsunami advisory, though it was later lifted and no irregularities were reported at three nuclear power plants in the area, media reported.
It killed at least three people, injured many more and brought down buildings. The authorities warned of damage over a wide area, as reports came in of scores of people trapped in collapsed buildings, fires and power outages.
A quake in the same region of 6.4 magnitude on Thursday (April 14) evening killed nine people and injured at least 1,000.
Sri Lankan Airlines plane made to return to Singapore due to 'security reasons'; some passengers questioned
A Sri Lankan Airlines flight that took off from Singapore's Changi Airport was made to return to Singapore "due to security reasons" soon after take-off, according to a statement from the airline on Friday (April 15).
The statement, posted on the airline's website, said flight UL309, which took off on Thursday (April 14), later arrived in Sri Lankan capital Colombo past midnight on Friday after being delayed for three hours.
The airline said Singapore's police force requested for a number of passengers to disembark for questioning.
G-20 threatens penalties against tax havens after Panama Papers
Group of 20 economies threatened to penalise tax havens that do not share information on their banking clients, after the leak of the Panama Papers provoked a global uproar over tax evasion.
The G-20 will consider "defensive measures" against financial centers and jurisdictions that don't commit to an international standard that requires the exchange of information about account holders, the group's finance ministers and central bankers said on Friday (April 15) in a statement after meeting in Washington.
The group said it would work with the OECD to come up with criteria for identifying "non-cooperative jurisdictions," adding that improving the transparency on who controls legal tax entities is vital to the international financial system.
Honduras foreign minister resigns over police murder scandal
Honduran Foreign Minister Arturo Corrales resigned on Friday (April 15) after being mired in a scandal in which a cabal of corrupt top police officers reportedly ordered hits on anti-crime officials.
The office of President Juan Orlando Hernandez said the head of state "has today (Friday) accepted the resignation of the secretary for foreign affairs and international cooperation, Arturo Corrales."
Corrales was Orlando's security minister during an alleged cover-up of the police involvement, which came to light through recent reporting by the Honduran newspaper El Heraldo.
Doping: Moscow anti-doping lab has status revoked by WADA
A Moscow laboratory used for anti-doping tests had its accreditation revoked by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on Friday (April 15) after failing to comply with international standards.
The lab has been non-operational since WADA suspended it in November after an independent commission's report identified systematic failures within Russia's anti-doping programme.
WADA said a laboratory in Lisbon had also been suspended from carrying out anti-doping activities because it had failed to meet International Standard for Laboratories (ISL) standards.
