Is Ryan Giggs the new Tiger Woods? Love-rat footballer faces exodus of sponsors like shamed golfer

Ryan Giggs could become the ‘new Tiger Woods’ as sponsors abandon him over his alleged philandering, marketing experts believe.

They predicted that the firms which have helped amass a £34million fortune would react unfavourably to the wrecking of his family-man image.And they warned that, unlike the golfer who still has a long career ahead of him, 37-year-old Giggs is unlikely to have enough time to rebuild his reputation before he ends his playing days.Giggs’s biggest deal, which has earned him £20million, is with the sportswear giant Reebok, but it declined to respond yesterday when asked by the Mail whether it would be standing by him.The Manchester United star’s downfall came after he was revealed to have taken out an injunction forbidding reporting of an alleged relationship with former Big Brother contestant Imogen Thomas.

Chinese Entrepreneurs Are Leaving China

China’s rich, primarily driven by a sense of insecurity, are taking money out of their country.  Many are actually preparing to move elsewhere. According to a new study, almost 60% of China’s “high net worth individuals,” defined as those possessing more than 10 million yuan in investable assets, are either considering emigration through investment programs or are completing the emigration process.  The survey, conducted by China Merchants Bank and Bain & Co., also reports that 27% of those with more than 100 million yuan in investable assets have already emigrated and 47% of them are thinking about leaving the Motherland. The stunning results correspond to reports that the U.S. Treasury unit monitoring illegal money flows has, since the beginning of last summer, detected a surge in hidden cash transfers out of China.“We can only hope the rich people stay out of patriotism,” says Xia Xueluan of Peking University.  Patriotism, these days, may be the only thing keeping Chinese entrepreneurs in China.nd, from the look of things, it is not enough.  The country’s wealthy are going on shopping tours for U.S. real estate and, if they have not done so already, are moving their families abroad.  There has, in the last five years, been a 73% increase in Chinese investment immigrants to the United States.  Countries, like Canada, are raising their minimum investment requirements for investment-immigrant candidates due to the sheer size of the tide of Chinese cash. Chinese cash is largely responsible for the third wave of buying from Asia into Vancouver.  In an “unprecedented” surge of business for brokerages in that city in February, Chinese buyers snapped up homes, townhouses, and condominiums as sales skyrocketed 70% over the preceding month.

Thousands celebrate on the streets of Yemen as president flees country to be treated for rocket wounds in Saudi Arabia

Thousands celebrated on the streets of Yemen after the country's authoritarian leader fled the country after an attack on his presidential palace.President Ali Abdullah Saleh flew to Saudi Arabia for urgent treatment after he was hurt in a rocket attack on a mosque in his compound in the country's capital, Sana'a.Saudi-owned television network Al-Arabiya reported he was was undergoing surgery, ut did not say for what. One of Mr Saleh's allies said the president, in his late 60s, was hit by jagged pieces of wood that splintered from the mosque pulpit when his compound was hit by a rocket on Friday.n Sana'a protesters danced, sang and slaughtered cows to celebrate Mr Saleh's departure.Some soldiers in their military uniforms joined those dancing and singing patriotic songs. Many in the jubilant crowd waved Yemeni flags, joyfully whistling and flashing the 'V' for victory signs.Women in black veils joined demonstrators carrying banners that hailed Mr Saleh's departure. One read: 'The oppressor is gone, but the people stay.'

Lamborghini Aventador - Lambo's Latest Rambo Has a Heart

ROME—This being a Latin country, we begin in media res: Somewhere between Turn Soratti and Turn Roma on the Autodromo Vallelunga, a charming little racetrack/killing field where Lamborghini has chosen to stage the media premiere of its new $400,000, V12-powered, all-wheel-drive supercar, the Aventador LP700-4. Cordite, lakes of fire, tower flybys, the sound of cats being shoveled into a furnace. You get the idea.

It's a lovely day. At the moment I'm making a slight left-hand turn over a low brow of asphalt in 3rd gear, well in excess of 100 mph, with the afterburners on. Dis car, she's a prestissimo, all right. With the pushrod, inboard suspension, body roll is beyond minimal. I'm tightly belted into the recumbent driver's seat, but the escalating lateral g-forces are sloshing my organs around like squid in a cooler.The wick is turned up, which is to say, the car's dynamics system is set to "Corsa," or "Race" (the more relaxed driving modes are "Strada" and "Sport"). In Corsa mode, the car's slew of computers permit significant rear slip angle; direct most of the 509 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels through the Haldex center diff; quicken the steering and the shift-response of the seven-speed automated manual. The Aventador can accelerate from a dead stop to 186 mph in 24 seconds so, you know, respect.And yet, nothing overly dramatic here, no I-see-Vishnu moment. The Aventador is settled, sorted, safe, predictable, progressive…. I'm sorry. I was told there would be Lamborghinis.As the animated-graphics tach needle sweeps toward the 8,500-rpm redline and it sounds like something tender is well and truly caught in the wringer, I grab for 4th gear. POW! 

What is an Aventador? Well, first you must understand Lamborghini's product strategy. The bank is in the company's collection of mid-engine, all-wheel-drive, V10-powered berlinettas and spyders, the Gallardo line. It's widely expected that the company will also soon offer a four-seater, perhaps a latter-day Espada, and/or a four-door.But the company's halo cars are its nutty, narcissistic, testosterone-addled V12-powered starships. To name them since the 1970s: Countach, Diablo and Murcielago. The car the Aventador replaces, the Murcielago, set the modern standard for dysfunctional supercar love: ferocious, belt-high, chthonic, a car so pagan you should use a reindeer cape as a car cover.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304066504576341703138819670.html?mod=mktw

Tallying Up The Market Advantages Of An Amazon Tablet

ill Amazon’s (supposedly-in-the-works) tablet be the real iPad killer when it finally launches? That’s what a new research note from CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets suggests.Few will hit the mark, says CLSA analyst Avi Silver.ecent reports have even raised the possibility of two different sized Amazon tablets — a 7-inch and a 10-inch model.

Here are the five reasons Silver thinks an Amazon tablet could be particularly competitive:

• Broad user base

Through its retail operations Amazon already has 137 million user accounts. Apple, in comparison, has more than 200 million iTunes accounts.

• Comprehensive ecosystem

Amazon’s business of selling music, movies and TV shows means it boasts a “vast library of media content,” notes Silver. The company also operates a sophisticated payment system and has years of consumer insights from doing things like publishing user recommendations.

These capabilities set Amazon apart from any other device provider, including behemoths like Samsung, HP and Dell, says Silver. He also contends that content is an especially important advantage for Amazon because it is a lack of compelling media that has been the “most significant hurdle” for most non-Apple tablets.

• Affordable price

An Amazon tablet has a good chance of being affordable, says Silver. Since Amazon’s main business is e-commerce and it sells media/content, it does not need to make money on hardware, he theorizes. The Kindle supports this theory. It debuted in November 2007 at about $400 and now costs as little as $114 when packaged with ads. The device’s low price, says Silver, is believed to be below cost.

Amazon’s ability to be aggressive on price is particularly useful for tablets, which typically generate lower margins than smartphones. Silver estimates that Apple makes a gross margin of about 35% on its iPads compared to a 55% margin on its iPhones. These lower margins could be a challenge for tablet makers like Motorola and Research In Motion, who hail from the smartphone industry, Silver adds.

• Solid track record

While Amazon has never sold its own branded tablet, it has proven – with the Kindle — its ability to introduce, support and update a “homegrown” consumer electronics device, says Silver.  Though Amazon has never disclosed Kindle device sales, research firms have concluded that its probable share of the e-reader market qualifies the device as a success. IDC pegs Kindle’s 2010 market share at 48% — a figure not much smaller than Silver’s estimate (61%) of Apple’s share of the 2011 tablet market.

• Cloud capabilities

Cloud computing isn’t a major feature in today’s tablets but is believed to soon become one given Apple’s planned “iCloud” announcement next week. The service, which will be unveiled at Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 6, is anticipated to be a way to let users access their files and media from any Apple device regardless of location.

Amazon already has a cloud-based storage service called Cloud Drive and a cloud music service called Cloud Player. In addition, its Amazon Web Services (AWS) business has established it as a “cloud computing leader to businesses” over the years, notes Silver.Of course, until an Amazon tablet is actually introduced, any market assessment of one is completely speculative. But these perceived assets mean the introduction of an Amazon tablet would “significantly impact the tablet wars,” according to Silver.

Li Na makes history with French Open triumph

CNN) -- China's Li Na became the first Asian tennis player to win a grand slam singles title as she defeated defending champion Francesca Schiavone in the final of the French Open on Saturday.The 29-year-old triumphed 6-4 7-6 (7-0) against the Italian, having been the first player from her country to reach the final of the clay-court tournament.The victory will push her up to a career-high fourth in the world rankings, equaling the best by an Asian player set by Japan's Kimiko Date Krumm back in 1995.

"I was nervous but I didn't want to show my opponent. I think everyone in China will be so excited," she told reporters. "I got a text message from my friend saying they were crying in China because they saw the national flag coming up.

EA cuts out middleman, launches video game download service

t might be a few days before a stampede of people will storm into the LA convention center to catch the video game industry’s latest wares but EA wasted no time in getting out the word about its new digital download service, dubbed “Origin.”“Origin”, which EA announced on Friday, lets consumers buy and download PC games directly from the publisher online, as well as track all of their games across different platforms.Publishers like digital delivery of games to consumers because they offer higher margins than games sold in brick and mortar stores like GameStop.  EA has been pushing its digital strategy hard to investors and its digital business is now growing faster than the company’s overall business.Sales of online games, including digital downloads, Facebook games, online subscriptions and other forms, is expected to grow to $18 billion by the end of this year, according to DFC Intelligence, while regular sales of games sold in stores is expected to slip.Users can find games on Origin the same time they come out in stores.While there are other ways to download PC titles on services such as Steam, EA is offering exclusive titles on the new service. It will be the only place to find a digital version of “Star Wars: The Old Republic,” the highly-anticipated massive multiplayer game that will come out later thi

'I will never go back to Manchester,' says City's Argentine star Carlos Tevez - on £286,000 a week

They chant his name, cheer his goals and pay him a wage said to be as high as £286,000 every week, so you might expect footballer Carlos Tevez to be grateful for everything he gets in Manchester. But the controversial Manchester City player has launched an astonishing attack on the city – where he was also worshipped by Manchester United fans – by saying it has nothing to offer and that when he leaves he will never go back.
The 27-year-old Argentinian, thought to be the highest-paid player in English football history, added that he would rather be in Marbella. His comments came during a television interview broadcast in his home country Argentina. The player said he lived in a rented house in Manchester because there was no point buying there. Asked if it was the weather that made the city so bad, he told Susana Gimenez, the Argentine Oprah Winfrey: 'The weather, everything. It has nothing.' 'You can buy a holiday house in Marbella. But I'm never going back to Manchester, not even on holiday, not for anything. Of course I would buy a house in Marbella.' He went on: 'For example, in Marbella you can buy a house by the beach, relax there and later you can go there on holiday and everything. 'But a house in Manchester costs six or seven million pounds. It is better to rent.'

Facebook hacker held: Arrested Briton faces extradition to U.S. in echo of McKinnon case

A Briton has been arrested on suspicion of trying to steal the personal information of millions of Facebook users.Officers swooped on the 26-year-old man’s home after being tipped off by the FBI.
He is believed to be the first person to be detained in this country for trying such a large-scale attack on the social network.It is understood that the dramatic arrest by Scotland Yard’s e-crime unit followed a major investigation by specialist detectives in the U.S.They had been alerted by staff at Facebook, which boasts more than 600million users, who had detected attempts to breach its systems.
The man, who has a background in computing, was arrested in York on Thursday evening. His computer and other electronic devices were seized and will be examined by forensic experts.The suspect could ultimately face extradition to the U.S., where he could face charges which carry a potential ten-year jail sentence. One source close to the inquiry said it was a ‘cloak and dagger’ operation that followed extensive discussions between the Metropolitan Police and the FBI.

Should F1 take the risk of racing in Bahrain?

The decision to take Formula One back to Bahrain this season has prompted a heated online debate, as more than 300,000 people signed an online petition calling for the race to be scrapped.But you’d never have known that the F1 community itself had a view on it. Twitter, normally abuzz with comments from drivers and teams, was silent on this issue all day. Red Bull’s Australian driver Mark Webber was the only one to speak out,saying before the announcement:“When people in a country are being hurt, the issues are bigger than sport. Let's hope the right decision is made.”Sources within F1 tell me that many of the drivers are ambivalent, but those with a strong opinion on such a controversial issue will only speak off the record. Webber has been the exception, and he could be risking his future in F1 by saying much more.At last week’s Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) meeting in Monaco, the teams made it clear that they were against a race in Bahrain. It’s now crunch time for FOTA and word from the sport’s top team, Red Bull, suggests that the teams could well oppose the decision.“We will go through the correct channels and discuss this decision within the appropriate forum with the other F1 teams and our fellow FOTA members,” read a statement. It doesn’t sound like champagne corks were being popped in Milton Keynes at the decision to race in Bahrain.Quite apart from the moral implications of traveling there and being seen to endorse a country with a questionable human rights record, the season will likely be extended until at least a week into December and there may very well be insurance concerns.One of the reasons the race was scrapped in March was because it could have been a magnet for violent protests. Bahrainis have been contacting the teams directly and asking them not to come. So is the situation much different now?Given that there may be legitimate concerns about the possibility of kidnap, injury, or worse, who will underwrite the teams to travel with their hundreds of employees and superstar drivers?Today’s decision has been long awaited. But it could just be the beginning and not the end of the story.

MI6 attacks al-Qaeda in 'Operation Cupcake'

British intelligence has hacked into an al-Qaeda online magazine and replaced bomb-making instructions with a recipe for cupcakes.
The cyber-warfare operation was launched by MI6 and GCHQ in an attempt to disrupt efforts by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsular to recruit “lone-wolf” terrorists with a new English-language magazine, the Daily Telegraph understands. When followers tried to download the 67-page colour magazine, instead of instructions about how to “Make a bomb in the Kitchen of your Mom” by “The AQ Chef” they were greeted with garbled computer code. The code, which had been inserted into the original magazine by the British intelligence hackers, was actually a web page of recipes for “The Best Cupcakes in America” published by the Ellen DeGeneres chat show. Written by Dulcy Israel and produced by Main Street Cupcakes in Hudson, Ohio, it said “the little cupcake is big again” adding: “Self-contained and satisfying, it summons memories of childhood even as it's updated for today’s sweet-toothed hipsters.” It included a recipe for the Mojito Cupcake – “made of white rum cake and draped in vanilla buttercream”- and the Rocky Road Cupcake – “warning: sugar rush ahead!” By contrast, the original magazine featured a recipe showing how to make a lethal pipe bomb using sugar, match heads and a miniature lightbulb, attached to a timer. The cyber attack also removed articles by Osama bin Laden, his deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri and a piece called “What to expect in Jihad.” British and US intelligence planned separate attacks after learning that the magazine was about to be issued in June last year. They have both developed a variety of cyber-weapons such as computer viruses, to use against both enemy states and terrorists.
A Pentagon operation, backed by Gen Keith Alexander, the head of US Cyber Command, was blocked by the CIA which argued that it would expose sources and methods and disrupt an important source of intelligence, according to a report in America. Al-Qaeda was able to reissue the magazine two weeks later and has gone on to produce four further editions but one source said British intelligence was continuing to target online outlets publishing the magazine because it is viewed as such a powerful propaganda tool. The magazine is produced by the radical preacher Anwar al-Awlaki, one of the leaders of AQAP who has lived in Britain and the US, and his associate Samir Khan from North Carolina. Both men who are thought to be in Yemen, have associated with radicals connected to Rajib Karim, a British resident jailed for 30 years in March for plotting to smuggle a bomb onto a trans-Atlantic aircraft.

For APPLE iCloud Users The First Hit Is Free, Then It’s $25 Annually

Apple will let users store their music in its iCloud digital media service, before charging a subscription fee of about $25 a year for the service, Alex Pham at the Los Angeles Times’s Company Town blog reported Thursday.
Apple struck a deal Thursday with four major record labels, Pham reports. Revenues from the new service will be split between Apple, which will get 18% of revenues; record labels, which will get 70% of revenues; and music publishers, who will get the remaining 12%.
Apple said earlier this week Apple Chief Steve Jobs will detail the new iCloud service at its Worldwide Developers Conference Monday, June 6. The service will face competition from Amazon, Google, and Spotify.

School yearbook puts Bush and Cheney on list of 'worst 5 people of all time' (alongside Hitler, Bin Laden and Charles Manson)

A middle school yearbook has listed former President George W. Bush and former Vice President Dick Cheney among the 'worst people of all time' - ranking them alongside Adolf Hitler, Osama Bin Laden and Charles Manson.Printed in the yearbook for students at Russellville Middle School in Arkansas, the list has prompted furious responses from parents and staff.Faculty members stuck black tape across the offending page in a last ditch attempt to save face but parents are furious about the gaffe, which aligns the former president with some of the most evil men of all time.
Nazi leader Adolf Hitler topped the list, followed closely by former Al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden, who was killed last month by U.S. troops in Pakistan.Third worst of all time was notorious serial killer Charles Manson, with George W. Bush in fourth and Dick Cheney trailing in fifth place.

Does Britain really need a new Playboy club? Hugh Hefner touches down with his bunny girls

With his new Playboy Club about to open in London's exclusive Park Lane, Hugh Hefner clearly wants his business venture to begin with a bang.But a club in classy Mayfair, replete with gambling rooms and scantily-dressed women in bunny outfits is clearly not enough of an impact for him.
The 85-year-old Playboy mogul definitely turned heads on his arrival to England, as he touched down at Stansted Airport with ten of his Playboy Bunnies clutching each other - with Mr Hefner in the middle, obviously.The group of girls - or perhaps that should be a colony of bunnies - looked stunning as they linked arms and tottered alongside the millionaire in their skyscraper heels.Mr Hefner had left the smoking jacket at home and had donned a pilot's cap and a bright orange shirt for the occasion.Perhaps to show just what sort of variety his club will offer, Mr Hefner had selected a diverse range of beautiful girls, with redheads, blondes and brunettes parading up and down the runway.For those interested (and with enough cash) the new club, which brands itself an 'adult's playground' has enough to turn even the most sensible head.
According to its website, it boasts gaming rooms dedicated to a an 'exciting contemporary casino', roulette machines, poker games and slot machines.Visitors can visit the Cottontail Lounge, which is designed for the 'louche and mysterious' who will be waited on by the beautiful cocktail waitresses - all dressed in their obligatory costume of bunny ears, cuffs and collars, revealing bodysuits and high heels.
They can also wander around a restaurant, barbershop and terrace.
The club is due to open on June 4 - much to the anger of feminist groups who claim the opening is demeaning to women.

Mutant E.coli is in Britain: Seven victims in UK have new contagious strain that's killed 18 and now spread to U.S

A mutant strain of E.coli which has killed at least 18 people has reached Britain, health officials confirmed yesterday.Seven people in the UK have been infected by the food poisoning outbreak, three Britons and four German nationals.All are understood to have been infected in Germany, the centre of the outbreak. So far, 1,600 people have fallen ill in 11 countries across Europe and the U.S.
E.coli can be contagious and is spread person to person when infected people fail to take proper hygiene measures, such as washing their hands.The bacterium responsible for the current outbreak is a completely new strain and carries genes that make it resistant to many common antibiotics. It produces powerful toxins which can cause kidney failure.Health officials said the ‘unique’ strain had ‘characteristics that make it more virulent and toxin-producing’, and therefore more dangerous, and warned that this could result in one of the deadliest E.coli outbreaks ever seen.
As well as Britain, the World Health Organisation has been notified of cases in Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the U.S.All the victims except two had recently visited northern Germany or, in one case, had contact with a visitor from that area.
The E.coli outbreak is already the third largest in recent world history.

Here’s The Fake Gmail Site Chinese Hackers Used To Steal U.S., Activist Data

Look at the two Gmail login pages in the image below and ask yourself: Would you have spotted the difference?

On Tuesday, Google revealed on its official blog that it had been the target of a phishing campaign seemingly originating in Jinan, China, and aimed at gaining access to the accounts of senior officials in the U.S., Korea and other governments, as well as those of Chinese activists.

The attack worked–at least in part–by sending the victims spoofed emails, often from accounts that appeared to belong to coworkers, family or friends. Those emails contained links to the spoofed Gmail sites, which harvested the usernames and passwords of anyone fooled by their realistic appearance.
The hackers then used those login details to forward all mail coming into the account to a third party, or in some cases gathered information about contacts to use in other phishing scams.
Google is suggesting that users watch for suspicious forwarding settings that might indicate an intruder is copying their mail, as well as a red warning at the top of the page that indicates Google has detected “suspicious activity” that might signal a hacker has gained access to the account.

Cocktail parties, private jets and Tiffany jewellery on £7m EU taxpayer-funded gravy train

European chiefs have landed taxpayers with a ‘grotesque’ expenses bill running into millions of pounds that highlights once again the culture of excess in Brussels.
Private jets, luxury hotels, cocktail parties and even Tiffany jewellery were among the items claimed. MPs last night called for an inquiry following the release of astonishing details of commissioners’ lavish lifestyles.
In one case Jose Manuel Barroso, the European Commission president, ran up a £24,600 hotel bill during a luxury four-day stay in New York.
The figures reveal that the EU’s 27 commissioners clocked up a £6.6million bill for hiring private jets in the four years to 2010.
With extra expenses, the bill for their high life comes to £6.99million – but the sum is likely to be far higher.
The figures, extracted from official releases and answers to Parliamentary questions, provide a snapshot of the culture of excess – but sources say they represent only the ‘tip of the iceberg’. The full extent is unlikely ever to be revealed as the figures are not routinely released.
Britain’s commissioners during the period were Peter Mandelson and Baroness Ashton. In 2009 alone, the Commission billed taxpayers £265,000 for cocktail parties.
Events included a £11,638 bill for a cocktail party for TV weathermen from across Europe, and two cocktail parties to celebrate Europe Day, at a total cost of £9,597.
The Commission also ran up a £66,000 bill for a ‘science’ event in Amsterdam which boasted a ‘night filled with wonder like no other… state-of-the-art technology, challenging art, combined with trendy cocktails, surprising performances and top DJs’.
Further figures reveal it spent £17,741 over three years on luxury jewellery for VIPs who agreed to appear at EU events. Figures included spending at the renowned jewellers Tiffany.
The Commission is bidding for a five per cent increase in its £117 billion-a-year budget.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1393341/EU-Commission-expense-scandal-Private-jets-Tiffany-jewellery-parties.html#ixzz1O761oBq1

Terrifying moment a crazed father threatened to impale his tiny daughter with a Samurai sword

This was the dramatic moment when a crazed motorist staged a tense stand off with cops - by threatening his own daughter with a razor sharp samurai sword.
The horrific scene was captured after Zhang Gang, 34, caused an accident with another car and instead of stopping to exchange details tried to speed off.
But police who were in the area chased the hit and run motorist - finally stopping him 15 minutes later just outside a farmer's market at Yongren country, in Yunan province.
Zhang, who was with his wife Lu and daughter May in the car, refused to surrender and demanded police get out of the way.Local farmer Lu Yin said: 'I heard the car coming at speed and then slam on the brakes when two police cars blocked the road. 'Then this man leapt out carrying a huge sword and waving what I thought was a doll.
'But then I realised it was a little child. She seemed shocked but then she started crying when she heard her daddy shouting.
'He had the razor sharp sword at her chest the whole time and was shouting 'Let me go or I'll kill her I swear it - I will show no mercy.'
'Then he climbed back in the car with the kid and still with the sword at her chest demanded he be allowed to drive off.'But a trained police negotiator was soon on the scene and started speaking to the road rage dad and several of his relatives were also sent over - allowing specially trained officers to get into position and storm the vehicle - freeing the little girl unharmed.Witness Lu Yin said: 'They were talking to him for an hour to calm him down - but the operation to free the girl was over in seconds.'

Ikea stores in France, Belgium and Holland attacked with fireworks

Ikea stores in three European countries have been hit by fireworks attacks.
Shops in Holland, France and Belgium were all victims of small explosions yesterday evening.
No serious injuries were reported and the stores were scheduled to re-open earlier today.One of the explosions took place in Son en Breugel, near Eindhoven, Holland, and destroyed a rubbish bin shortly before the store was due to close.A suspicious package was also destroyed at the store but it turned out not to have been an explosive.
In the Belgian city of Ghent, newspaper De Standaard cited a police spokesman as saying there were two explosions inside the store around 6pm.Around 250 people were evacuated to a nearby hotel, with eyewitnesses quoted as comparing the explosions to large firecrackers. An employee and a security guard complained of minor ear injuries as a result of the noise.Meanwhile the furniture retailer's store in Lomme, near Lille, France, was also targeted but no further details were reported.
Ikea spokeswoman Ylva Magnusson, speaking from Helsingborg, Sweden, said yesterday's explosions were all caused by 'small firework devices'.She added that Ikea has received no threats in connection with the incidents.

Flying high: Jetpack invention reaches 5,000ft as futuristic transport gets ever-closer to commercial use