Short takes

7 Koreans die in China bus crash
AFP, BEIJING: At least seven South Koreans were killed yesterday in a bus crash in northeastern China, state media said, while a government official in Seoul put the toll at 10.
The bus, carrying 26 South Koreans, swerved off a bridge in the northeastern Chinese city of Jian, Jilin province, falling into a river, a foreign ministry official in Seoul said. The ministry was trying to confirm the death toll and feared it could rise above 10, the unnamed official told South Korea's Yonhap news agency.

Rajapakse to run in general poll
AFP, MEDAMULANA: Sri Lanka's former president Mahinda Rajapakse announced yesterday he would lead an
opposition faction at upcoming general elections, months after being defeated at presidential polls following a decade in power.
Rajapakse, an autocratic ruler accused of siphoning off millions during his tenure, said he will spearhead a faction at parliamentary elections in August, but stopped short of saying whether he would contest a seat himself.

Gunmen kill 3 workers in Pakistan
AFP, QUETTA: Two assailants on a motorcycle yesterday shot dead three welders at a shop in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta, in what police said was an ethnically motivated attack.
The city is the capital of Baluchistan province, home to a long-running nationalist insurgency aimed at seeking greater control over the province's rich oil, gas and mineral resources.

Six die in Burundi gun battle
AFP, BUJUMBURA: Six people, including one police officer, were killed in gun battles Wednesday in a part of Burundi's capital that has led protests against the president's third-term bid, police said.
The violence, in Bujumbura's Cibitoke district, is the latest in weeks of unrest, and comes as Burundi awaits results from elections on Monday that were boycotted by the opposition and widely condemned internationally.

Short takes

7 Koreans die in China bus crash AFP, BEIJING: At least seven South Koreans were killed yesterday in a bus crash in northeastern China, state media said, while a government official in Seoul put the toll at 10. The bus, carrying 26 South Koreans, swerved off a bridge in the northeastern Chinese city of Jian, Jilin province, falling into a river, a foreign ministry official in Seoul said. The ministry was trying to confirm the death toll and feared it could rise above 10, the unnamed official told South Koreas Yonhap news agency. Rajapakse to run in general poll AFP, MEDAMULANA: Sri Lankas former president Mahinda Rajapakse announced yesterday he would lead an opposition faction at upcoming general elections, months after being defeated at presidential polls following a decade in power. Rajapakse, an autocratic ruler accused of siphoning off millions during his tenure, said he will spearhead a faction at parliamentary elections in August, but stopped short of saying whether he would contest a seat himself. Gunmen kill 3 workers in Pakistan AFP, QUETTA: Two assailants on a motorcycle yesterday shot dead three welders at a shop in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta, in what police said was an ethnically motivated attack. The city is the capital of Baluchistan province, home to a long-running nationalist insurgency aimed at seeking greater control over the provinces rich oil, gas and mineral resources. Six die in Burundi gun battle AFP, BUJUMBURA: Six people, including one police officer, were killed in gun battles Wednesday in a part of Burundis capital that has led protests against the presidents third-term bid, police said. The violence, in Bujumburas Cibitoke district, is the latest in weeks of unrest, and comes as Burundi awaits results from elections on Monday that were boycotted by the opposition and widely condemned internationally.