POLICE OFFICIAL ASSASSINATED A suicide bomber wearing 20 pounds of explosives assassinated the prominent leader of a Pakistani security force and three other people Wednesday afternoon at a busy intersection in northwest Pakistan, security officials said. A spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack against the principal victim, Safwat Ghayur, the commander of Pakistan's Frontier Constabulary, a force controlled by the Interior Ministry that has carried out campaigns against militants in Pakistan's semiautonomous tribal areas. 4 REPORTED DEAD IN CHINA SCHOOL ATTACK Three children and at least one teacher were reported Wednesday to have died in an afternoon knife attack a day earlier at a kindergarten in eastern China, the sixth in a string of school assaults this year that has stunned the nation and sent government officials scrambling to suppress public outrage. The latest attack, in the city of Zibo in Shandong province, also was reported to have injured 11 other people, including two seriously wounded children, according to accounts of the attack on Chinese websites. NEW CONSTITUTION NEARS APPROVAL IN KENYA Kenya's new constitution, written to alleviate longstanding problems that have undermined good governance there for decades, appeared headed toward approval Wednesday after a peaceful nationwide referendum. As election officials tallied ballots by lamplight, the pro-constitution votes were leading 66 percent to 34 percent with about half the votes counted. The new constitution is expected to be a crucial turning point in this country's postcolonial history by finally addressing many of the political issues that have dogged the East African powerhouse since independence. SINGER WYCLEF JEAN CONFIRMS PLANS TO SEEK HAITIAN PRESIDENCY Wyclef Jean, a Haitian-American hip-hop artist who left his homeland for Brooklyn at the age of 9, confirmed Wednesday that he plans to run for president of Haiti. Jean, 40, said in a telephone interview Wednesday night that he felt compelled by the urgency of his country's situation to interrupt his life as a musician and make a bid for the presidency. Although Jean has not yet made any announcement in Haiti -- he plans to do so Thursday -- Haiti is already abuzz with anticipation. VIOLENCE SAID TO BE RISING IN SUDAN'S DARFUR REGION Violence in Sudan's turbulent Darfur region has spiked over the past several months, Alain Le Roy, the head of U.N. peacekeeping operations, said Wednesday. He attributed the increase to a combination of factors including fitful peace talks, renewed tribal rivalries and overall tension in Africa's largest nation. Calling the situation a 'bleak picture,' Le Roy said at a news conference that security had deteriorated significantly as optimism for a cease-fire in 2009 faded. Recent U.N. statistics indicated that killings this year already rivaled the 832 violent deaths recorded for all of 2009. 