News Headlines - 26 December 2012

▽Shinzo Abe Chosen as Japan's Next Prime Minister - WSJ.com

He has made economic recovery his top priority, calling for aggressive monetary easing together with fiscal stimulus. Financial markets have already welcomed his policy goals by pushing the yen down to a 20-month low against the U.S dollar and lifting Tokyo share prices about 17% since mid-November.

▽New hope for FTA with Japan | The Australian

Mr Motegi is a former journalist and management consultant, while Mr Hayashi served on the staff of a US senator before entering Japanese political life and was defence minister and economic and fiscal policy minister in 2008 and 2009. Some pundits see their appointments as a sign Japan will also join negotiations for the US-backed free trade bloc known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, although this would involve staring down the farm lobby, a key LDP constituency.

▽Bargain hunters set to spend ￡3bn as Boxing Day sales get under way - The Independent

Bargain mad shoppers queued overnight and stormed the high street and shopping malls this morning as the traditional Boxing Day sales got under way.

▽AFP: Russia ban on US adoptions clears parliament

Russia's upper house of parliament on Wednesday unanimously backed a bill barring Americans from adopting Russian children, leaving the controversial measure in the hands of President Vladimir Putin. The rubber-stamp vote was the last legislative hurdle for a bill representing one of the toughest pieces of anti-US legislation to emerge during Putin's 13 years in power.

▽BBC News - Landslide and rockfall warning for south-west England

A rare landslide and rockfall warning has been issued for south-west England by the British Geological Survey (BGS).