World briefs

CHINA Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro is this year’s winner of the Confucius Peace Prize, China’s alternative to the Nobel Prize.

JAPAN A projected landslide victory for Japan’s ruling party in national elections Sunday could give Prime Minister Shinzo Abe political breathing space to push forward with his long-held nationalist agenda.

JAPAN  Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi announced more recalls for the same possibly defective Takata air bags that Toyota recalled earlier this month after one exploded during scrapping in Japan. Nissan Motor Co. said it’s recalling the Presage, X-Trail and other models totaling 83,000 vehicles in Japan, some 6,000 in China, another 49,000 in Europe and 14,000 in other regions. A recall is coming in North America, but details weren’t decided.

USA-N KOREA The United States has a tough message for officials running North Korea’s notorious network of prison and labor camps: We know who you are, we know what you are doing. U.S. assistant secretary of state, Tom Malinowski, shared a stage at the State Department with two young North Korean defectors to mark international human rights day.

PHILIPPINES A U.N. counterterrorism official says there is no evidence that Islamic State militants have gained a foothold in the Philippines but that the country can take more steps to help fight a group that has vowed to expand its reach. Filipino militants belonging to two small but violent Muslim insurgent groups in the southern Philippines, including the al-Qaida-inspired Abu Sayyaf, have publicly vowed support to the Islamic State group, sparking concerns among local security officials.

INDIA-RUSSIA Russian President Vladimir Putin is holding talks with Indian leaders to strengthen trade and energy cooperation with Asia’s third-largest economy as Western sanctions threaten to push his country’s economy to the brink of a recession.

RUSSIA The ruble has fallen to a new all-time low, tracking the dive in the price of oil and reflecting the overall weakness of the Russian economy. Russia’s currency traded at 55.02 rubles to the dollar in early trading yesterday, surpassing the previous low set on Dec. 3. The ruble also hit an all-time low against the euro of 68.47. The ruble has lost about 42 percent of its value since January

LIBYA The European Union has banned Libya’s seven airlines from operating in European skies, citing safety concerns linked to the ongoing fighting there. Violeta Bulc, EU commissioner for transport, said that “recent events in Libya have led to a situation whereby the civil aviation authority is no longer able to fulfil its international obligations with regard to the safety of the Libyan aviation sector.” The EU ban, effective immediately, covers Afriqiyah Airways, Air Libya, Buraq Air, Ghadames Air Transport, Global Aviation and Services, Libyan Airlines and Petro Air.

IVORY COAST The International Criminal Court has ordered Ivory Coast to turn over Simone Gbagbo, the country’s former first lady, to stand crimes against humanity charges in The Hague. Gbagbo’s husband, former President Laurent Gbagbo, is already in custody on charges including rape, murder and persecution of political opponents before his fall from power in 2011. Ivory Coast argued it has first right to prosecute Simone on similar charges. But ICC judges yesterday rejected that.

USA Sting plans to stay aboard his musical “The Last Ship” for longer than expected. Producers said yesterday that the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter will extend his stay in the show until Jan. 24, two weeks longer than his original announced run. He jumped into the show Tuesday night, playing a shipyard foreman.