News in Brief-(20-03-2018)

Death toll in India's forest fire hits 17
NEW DELHI, Mar 19: The death toll in last Sunday's forest fire in the southern state of Tamil Nadu has risen to 17, with three more critically injured trekkers succumbing to their burn injuries in the hospital in the past 24 hours, police said Monday. The massive fire broke out last Sunday evening when a group of nearly 40 people, mostly college students, went trekking in Kurangini hills in Tamil Nadu's Theni district, some 540 kms from state capital Chennai. While 10 people-seven women and three men-initially died in the fire, 30 others were rescued by Indian Air Force. "Of those rescued, some sustained severe burns. Seven of them have so far died during treatment at a government hospital," a senior police official said. — Xinhua

China names ex-missile force commander Defence minister
BEIJING, Mar 19: China has appointed a former missile force commander as its new Defence minister. Lt. Gen. Wei Fenghe's naming as the international face of China's rapid military modernization was among a series of appointments undertaken by the ceremonial legislature on Monday. Foreign Minister Wang Yi was reappointed to that position and also promoted to state counselor, while Zhao Kezhi was confirmed as minister of public security in charge of the police. — AP

Bomb attack near Afghan rally kills four
JALALABAD, Mar 19: A bomb on a motorcycle exploded near a political rally in eastern Afghanistan on Monday, killing at least four people and wounding 10 others, officials said. The blast happened as supporters of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a notorious warlord and former prime minister, were leaving the rally at a football stadium in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province. Hekmatyar, who returned to public life last year after signing a controversial peace deal with the Afghan government, was at the gathering but it was not clear if he or his supporters were the target of the attack. — AFP

45 in hospital after gas leak in Lankan RMG factory
COLOMBO, Mar 19: At least 45 employees of a garment factory in Ja-Ela on the outskirts of capital Colombo were hospitalized after inhaling a poisonous gas on Monday, local police said. Preliminary investigations revealed there had been a gas leakage on the factory premises. Those affected were rushed to a nearby state hospital. The majority of them are women. An investigation has been launched into the incident. — Xinhua