ABUJA, Nigeria

Blast blamed on Islamic extremists leaves 21 dead

An explosion blamed on Islamic extremists rocked a shopping mall in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, and police said 21 people were killed.

The blast came as Nigerians were preparing to watch their country’s Super Eagles play Argentina at the World Cup in Brazil. Many shops at the mall have TV screens but it was unclear if the explosion was timed to coincide with the match, which started an hour later.

Witnesses said body parts were scattered around the exit to Emab Plaza, in Abuja’s upscale Wuse 2 suburb. One witness said he thought the bomb was dropped at the entrance to the mall by a motorcyclist. All spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

Soldiers shot and killed one suspect as he tried to escape on a power bike and police detained a second suspect, Mike Omeri, the government spokesman for the insurgency, said in a statement.

Police Superintendent Frank Mba said 17 people were wounded and 21 bodies were recovered.

SEOUL, South Korea

North Korea warns film’s release would be ‘act of war’

North Korea is warning that the release of a new American comedy about a plot to assassinate leader Kim Jong Un would be an “act of war.”

If the U.S. government doesn’t block the movie’s release, it will face “stern” and “merciless” retaliation, an unidentified spokesman for North Korea’s Foreign Ministry said in state media Wednesday.

He didn’t mention the movie by name but was clearly referring to “The Interview,” which stars Seth Rogen and James Franco as a producer and talk-show host who land an exclusive interview with the North Korean dictator and are then asked by the CIA to assassinate him.

The film’s release would be considered an “act of war that we will never tolerate,” he said.

WASHINGTON

House to vote on authorizing lawsuit against Obama

The House will vote next month on legislation authorizing a campaign-season lawsuit accusing President Obama of failing to carry out the laws passed by Congress, Speaker John Boehner announced on Wednesday.

In a memo distributed to House members, Boehner, R-Ohio, accused Obama of “aggressive unilateralism” and said if left unchecked, it would give the president “king-like authority at the expense of the American people and their elected legislators.”

White House press secretary Josh Earnest dismissed any suggestion that the president has failed to act within the law in issuing executive orders or taking other actions.

– From news service reports

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