IN BRIEF (Page 12)

United States

Bomber spent time back home

The US suicide bomber who blew himself up at an army post in northwest Syria spent several months back home after training as a militant, The New York Times reported on Wednesday. Moner Mohammad Abu Salha, alias Abu Hurayra al-Amriki, was believed to be the first US national to carry out such an attack in Syria's more than 3-year-old war.

Japan

Smoking rate to record low

Japan's smoking rate has dropped below 20 percent for the first time, according to a new survey, as a recent rise in cigarette prices helped to further discourage the habit. The proportion of adult smokers stood at 19.7 percent as of May, down 1.2 percentage points from a year earlier and the lowest rate since the survey started in 1965. The number of smokers in Japan stands at about 20.6 million, according to the study published on Wednesday, which is conducted by cigarette monopoly Japan Tobacco.

United Kingdom

Litvinenko's death probed

Russia has a case to answer over the death of a former spy poisoned with radioactive tea in London, a British judge said on Thursday as he opened a public inquiry into the highly sensitive affair. Alexander Litvinenko, an ex-agent in Russia's FSB intelligence agency who became a vocal Kremlin critic, died after ingesting polonium-210 at a London hotel in 2006. He was 43.

Czech Republic

German car toll opposed

The Czech and Austrian leaders say they oppose a plan by Germany to introduce a car toll targeting foreign drivers. Unlike many European countries, Germany has no car toll. Germany has announced plans to introduce toll stickers in 2016 for all cars using German roads, not just highways. All road users would pay, but German car owners would be compensated by a cut in a separate car tax.

AFP-AP

(China Daily 08/01/2014 page12)