The world in brief

Thursday, December 27, 2012

— QUOTE OF THE DAY “I agree with hundreds of thousands of Russians who want

children removed from political debate. Saddened by Federal Council vote today.” Michael McFaul,

The U.S. ambassador, on a Russian bill to ban adoptions

of Russian children by U.S.

citizens Article, this pageAbe resumes post as Japan premier

TOKYO - Shinzo Abe took office as Japan’s seventh prime minister in six years Wednesday and vowed to overcome the deep-rooted economic and diplomatic crises facing his country.

Abe was elected as Japan’s leader hours earlier Wednesday, bringing back to power the conservative, pro-business Liberal Democratic Party that governed for most of the post-World War II era.

It replaces the liberal-leaning government of the Democratic Party of Japan that lasted three years.

“A strong economy is the source of energy for Japan.

Without regaining a strong economy, there is no future for Japan,” Abe said at his first news conference after becoming prime minister for the second time.

Calling his administration a “crisis breakthrough Cabinet,” Abe promised to launch bold economic measures to pull Japan out of deflation.

He also vowed to step up an alliance with the United States to stabilize Japan’s diplomacy, shaken by increasing territorial threats from its neighbors.

Abe was also prime minister in 2006-2007 before resigning for health reasons that he said are no longer an issue.

Afghan bomb kills attacker, 3 others

KABUL - A vehicle driven by a suicide bomber exploded at the gate of a major U.S. military base in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing the attacker and three Afghans, Afghan police said.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

Police Gen. Abdul Qayum Baqizai said a local guard who questioned the vehicle driver at the gate of Camp Chapman was killed along with two civilians and the assailant. The camp is adjacent to the airport of the capital of Khost province, which borders Pakistan. Chapman and nearby Camp Salerno had been frequently targeted by militants in the past, but violence has decreased considerably in recent months.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in an e-mail that the bomber targeted Afghan police manning the gate and Afghans working for the Americans entering the base. He claimed high casualties were inflicted.

NATO operates with more than 100,000 troops in the country, including some 66,000 American forces.

Emirates: Planners of strikes arrested

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - United Arab Emirates’ security forces arrested members of a cell that was planning to carry out terrorist attacks in the region, the country’s official news agency said.

Security authorities said members of the group had obtained equipment and materials to carry out their attacks, the WAM news agency said. Saudi Arabia assisted in uncovering the terrorist cell, WAM said.

Officials arrested “a cell from the deviant group, comprising citizens from both countries, that was planning on carrying out actions that infringe on the national security of both countries and sisterly nations,” the official news agency said.

Saudi Arabia commonly refers to al-Qaida affiliated militants as being part of the so-called deviant group.

Front Section, Pages 7 on 12/27/2012