IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Korean Peninsula

ROK vows to send aid to DPRK quickly

The Republic of Korea vowed on Monday to move quickly on its plans to provide $8 million worth of humanitarian aid to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. It is considering sending more food to the country that says it's suffering its worst drought in decades. Lee Sang-min, spokesman for Seoul's Unification Ministry, said the government will discuss its plans with the UN World Food Program and the UNICEF, through which the aid would be distributed so that it reaches DPRK children and pregnant women quickly. The government of ROK President Moon Jae-in announced a plan in 2017 to provide $8 million worth of aid to its northern neighbor through international organizations, but it had been stalled due to international sanctions against Pyongyang.

Switzerland

Voters approve tighter gun laws

Voters on Sunday approved a measure to tighten the Alpine nation's gun laws, bringing the country in line with many of its European partners despite the objections of local gun owners, official results showed. The Federal Chancellery said provisional results showed nearly 64 percent of voters nationwide agreed to align with European Union firearms rules adopted two years ago after deadly attacks in France, Belgium, Germany and Britain. Switzerland is not a member state of the EU. The vote was the result of one of Switzerland's regular referendums that give citizens a direct say in policymaking. The question had stoked passions in a country with long, proud traditions of gun ownership and sport and target shooting.

Tajikistan

IS militants riot in prison, 32 killed

Three prison guards and 29 inmates have been killed in a high-security prison in Tajikistan after convicted Islamic State militants started a riot, the Central Asian nation's Justice Ministry said on Monday. The ministry said the riot broke out late on Sunday in the prison in the city of Vakhdat, 10 kilometers east of the capital Dushanbe. Militants armed themselves with knives and killed three guards and five fellow prisoners. Security forces have killed 24 militants and restored order in the prison which has 1,500 inmates, the ministry added.

Egypt

Blast hits tourist bus near pyramids

A bomb blast hit a tourist bus near the famed Giza pyramids on Sunday, wounding some of the tourists. It was the latest blow to the country's tourism industry. The roadside bomb went off as the bus was being driven in Giza, also causing injuries to Egyptians in a nearby car, medical and security sources said. Security and medical sources in Egypt said 17 people were injured, without giving a breakdown of their nationalities. No deaths were reported.

Xinhua - Ap - Afp - Reuters

(China Daily 05/21/2019 page12)