SEOUL -- South Korea's joint military-police investigative body on Tuesday raided 18 locations in its probe into allegations of South Korea's unauthorized civilian drone flights into the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), according to Yonhap news agency.
Military and police investigators launched simultaneous raids on 18 sites, including the Defense Intelligence Command and the National Intelligence Service (NIS), from about 9 a.m. local time. (South Korea-Drone Flights-DPRK)
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HONG KONG -- China on Tuesday released a white paper on Hong Kong's efforts in safeguarding national security, which has been welcomed by central government agencies in Hong Kong and local authorities.
The white paper, titled "Hong Kong: Safeguarding China's National Security Under the Framework of One Country, Two Systems," was issued by China's State Council Information Office on Tuesday. (Hong Kong-National Security-White Paper)
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DHAKA -- Bangladesh is all set for Thursday's general elections in which more than 127 million voters are expected to cast their ballots at over 42,000 polling stations across the country, a senior official said Tuesday.
All election preparations are now complete, Akhtar Ahmed, Bangladeshi Election Commission's senior secretary, said. (Bangladesh-General-Election)
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KATHMANDU -- Ten people were killed after a passenger bus fell into a river in central Nepal's Ramechhap district on Tuesday, a senior police officer said.
The bus, en route to Okhaldhunga from Kathmandu, veered off the highway and plunged into the Tamakoshi River, injuring seven others. "While six people died at the site, four others died during treatment," Bishnu Prasad Bhatta, spokesperson for the Nepali Armed Police Force, told Xinhua. "Seven others are receiving treatment at a hospital." (Nepal-Bus Accident)
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COLOMBO -- Sri Lanka's health authorities have intensified precautionary measures in response to reports of Nipah virus cases in India and Bangladesh, according to Cabinet spokesperson and Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa.
Addressing the issue at the weekly Cabinet media briefing on Tuesday, the minister said the health ministry has activated preventive protocols at airports and other entry points, citing the steady increase in tourist arrivals to the country. He noted that monitoring mechanisms have been strengthened to reduce the risk of potential transmission through inbound travel. (Sri Lanka-Nipah Virus-Prevention) ■
