A Palestinian man in his 20s boarded a crowded bus heading downtown in Haifa, Israel, just after noon Sunday and handed the driver a five-shekel coin, worth about $1.20. Shortly thereafter, the man glanced back and triggered a bomb, killing himself and 15 passengers and injuring three dozen others.
The assault capped what Israeli television called the bloodiest 24 hours of terrorism in the country's history'at least a half-dozen serious attacks that left 26 Israelis dead.
The bombing occurred less than 12 hours after a pair of suicide bombers struck the heart of Jerusalem's night life district late Saturday, killing 10 people.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon cut short a trip to the United States to return home Sunday after a rescheduled meeting with President Bush.
