IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Japan

US F-15 fighter jet crashes into sea

A US military F15 fighter jet crashed in waters off Okinawa, where the bulk of US forces in Japan are based, during a routine training mission on Monday, US Forces Japan said. The pilot, the only person in the aircraft, ejected safely and was recovered by search and rescue crews, the statement said. Many residents of Okinawa associate the US military bases with crime, accidents and pollution and want them moved off the island. A series of emergency landings and parts falling from US military aircraft have highlighted safety concerns.

Cuba

'Lack of evidence' for alleged attacks

Havana reiterated on Sunday the lack of evidence related to the alleged sonic attacks suffered by US diplomats in the country. More than 20 US officials posted in Havana have suffered problems consistent with brain injury, which the US has said could have been the result of a "health attack". Washington has drastically reduced its personnel in Cuba and expelled Cuban diplomats from the United States, besides issuing travel alerts against Cuba. Havana has said that, after more than a year of investigations, there are no scientific conclusions to justify the actions taken by the US to the detriment of bilateral relations.

Dr Congo

Ebola outbreak could end soon

The director general of the World Health Organization, Doctor Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said on Sunday he believed a swift end could be put to the outbreak of Ebola in northwestern DR Congo, which has lasted 21 days and left 27 people dead. His comments come after the WHO and NGOs since May 21 began helping the Democratic Republic of Congo immunize front-line workers with a vaccine that has shown to be highly effective in trials, though it still awaits regulatory approval.

United Kingdom

UK to offer Stephen Hawking fellowships

Exceptional students in mathematics and physics can compete for research fellowships in honor of the late British physicist Stephen Hawking, who died in March, the government announced on Monday. Up to 10 fellowships will be awarded each year for the next five years to candidates completing doctoral studies in maths, physics and computer sciences, according to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. The 50 recipients will receive financial support allowing them to continue their work in any British institution for up to three years, it said.

Reuters - Xinhua - China Daily - Afp

(China Daily 06/12/2018 page12)