Beijing, June 29 (IANS) China on Saturday issued a red alert for rainstorms, the most severe in its four-tier weather warning system. It also warned about possible geological disasters occurring in some rain-hit regions.

Some areas in Anhui, Jiangsu, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi and Guizhou provinces should expect downpours, with some regions likely to experience heavy rain of up to 280 mm within 24 hours until 2 p.m. local time on Sunday, according to the National Meteorological Center forecast.

The national observatory also issued a blue alert, the lowest level in the warning system, for convective weather such as thunder, strong wind and hailstorms, which is expected to hit many regions, including Beijing, Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Hubei, Anhui and Jiangsu during the period, reports Xinhua news agency.

On Saturday, the country’s top meteorological authority and the Ministry of Natural Resources jointly issued alerts for geological disasters, warning that there will be a high risk of geological disasters in some regions in Anhui and Hubei on Saturday and Sunday, while parts of Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Henan, Hunan and Guizhou should also guard against possible rain-induced geological disasters.

–IANS

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Sydney, June 29 (IANS) A man has been arrested after a woman’s body was located in Australia’s eastern state of New South Wales (NSW), local police said on Saturday.

At about 2:30 a.m. local time on Saturday, police attended a home on Johnston Street, Casino, in the state’s north following reports of a concern for welfare, NSW Police said in a statement.

Officers attached to Richmond Police District arrived and assisted the woman, who is believed to be aged in her 40s. However, she died at the scene, reports Xinhua news agency citing the police statement.

A 31-year-old man, believed to be known to the woman, was arrested at the scene and taken to Lismore Police Station, where he is assisting police with inquiries, according to the police statement.

A crime scene has been established, and a critical incident team from Tweed/Byron Police District will now investigate all circumstances surrounding the incident, including all aspects of the response from NSW Police.

–IANS

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Kathmandu, June 29 (IANS) Seven people were killed in two landslides in western Nepal on Saturday, local officials said.

Five members of one family died after their house was swept away in a landslide in Malika Rural Municipality of Gulmi District.

Devi Ram Aryal, Chairman of the municipality, told Xinhua news agency that heavy rain triggered the fatal landslide, and all the bodies had been recovered.

In Phedikhola Rural Municipality of Syangja District, a mother and daughter were killed in a landslide, according to Indra Bahadur Rana, spokesperson for the district police, reports Xinhua news agency.

The monsoon season set in Nepal on June 10, and with fresh fatalities, the death toll in rain-related incidents has reached 34.

–IANS

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Seoul, June 29 (IANS) South Korea’s exports of pharmaceutical and biotechnologies surged from a year earlier in the first half of the year, data showed on Saturday.

In the first six months of the year, the country exported 4.5 trillion won ($3.26 billion) worth of pharmaceutical and biotechnologies, up 55 per cent from 2.9 trillion won (about $2.09 billion) for the same period last year, according to the data from the Korea Pharmaceutical and Bio-Pharma Manufacturers Association.

The number of export deals dropped to seven from 12 over the cited period, but the amount of each deal grew sharply, the association noted, adding that each of the three deals signed this month was worth over 500 billion won, reports Yonhap News Agency.

At the current rate, the country’s annual total is expected to reach 8 trillion won, according to the association.

“This means the competitiveness of our country’s pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical technologies have significantly improved,” an association official said.

–IANS

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La Paz, June 29 (IANS) A Bolivian court sentenced General Juan Jose Zuniga and two other former military chiefs to six-month preventative detention over a failed coup against Bolivian President Luis Arce, said the local authorities.

While the investigation continues, the former commanders, who are charged with crimes of terrorism and armed rebellion, are being held in custody in the maximum security prison of Chonchocoro in the Department of La Paz, Xinhua news agency reported.

The prosecution team on Friday argued that the danger of escape and the possibility that the accused would hinder the investigation were reasons for their detention.

Earlier on Thursday, as many as 17 people, mostly members of the military, were arrested in Bolivia for their role in a failed coup, Government Minister Eduardo Del Castillo has said.

On Wednesday, hundreds of soldiers led by General Juan Jose Zuniga marched on Murillo Square, the epicentre of Bolivia’s political power. They forced their way into the old Government Palace in a failed bid to oust President Luis Arce from office.

Immediate measures by the new army commander, Jose Sanchez, who ordered the troops to return to their units and reaffirmed support for the government, were crucial to stabilising the situation.

Additionally, President Arce on Wednesday denounced the attempted coup, emphasising that “democracy must be respected.”

–IANS

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