IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Sri Lanka

Bomb suspected in bus explosion

Nineteen people, including 12 military personnel, were injured on Wednesday in an explosion on a bus in Sri Lanka, said the military, adding that they do not know the cause but suspect it may be a bomb or grenade. "There are some fragments on the body of the bus. We suspect it as a bomb blast," military spokesman Sumith Atapattu said. Atapattu said seven army and five air force personnel along with seven civilians were injured in a fire following the explosion on the vehicle, which was operating from northern Jaffna peninsula to central town of Diyathalawa, where one of the main military training centers is located.

India

10 killed after truck hits house

At least 10 people have been killed and several others injured after a speeding truck crashed into a house and a tea shop in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday, police said. The accident occurred in Barela area in Jabalpur, about 300 kilometers from the state capital Bhopal. Police said the truck first hit the tea stall and then rammed into the house after the driver lost control of the vehicle. Local television channels reported that an angry mob protested on the road and set fire to a police vehicle to vent their anger, prompting officers to resort to baton charges to disperse the crowd. A search is on for the truck's driver, who fled the scene.

Japan

Russian bombers conduct air patrol

Two Russian strategic bombers conducted an air patrol over the Sea of Japan, local news reported on Wednesday, quoting the Russian Defense Ministry. Two Tu-95MS strategic bombers conducted the patrol over the Sea of Japan and the western part of the Pacific Ocean, the ministry said. They were escorted by Japanese F-4, F-15 and F-16 fighter jets, it said. The operation was carried out in accordance with international regulations on the use of airspace over neutral waters, it added.

(China Daily 02/22/2018 page12)