Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 1030 GMT, Sept. 23

South Korea's arms acquisition agency said Wednesday that drones will be deployed to frontline units for surveillance of military activity of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said in a statement that it held a celebration with local drone maker UCON System to mark the first delivery of unmanned aerial vehicle, developed by the company. (S. Korea-Drone Deployment)

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KUALA LUMPUR -- Malaysian police said Wednesday that they have arrested eight people with suspected links to the deadly blast in Bangkok last month.

"So far we have arrested 8 people, 4 of them are local. They were arrested for involving in human trafficking activities," deputy police chief Noor Rashid Ibrahim told reporters. (Malaysia- Bangkok Blast-Suspects)

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COLOMBO -- Sri Lankan investigators on Wednesday questioned former president Mahinda Rajapakse over losses incurred by state institutions during the presidential elections in January.

Rajapakse was questioned by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry at his residence in capital Colombo. (Sri Lanka-Former President-Probe)

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SINGAPORE -- Scientists from Singapore and the United States have invented a kit to test liver toxicity that can provide results in 30 minutes, and are working on a prototype that miniaturizes a test lab into the size of a needle, the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) said on Wednesday.

The "lab-in-a-needle" device, which is co-invented by researchers from NTU, A*STAR Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech) and the Houston Methodist Hospital Research Institute, can provide instant results on the health of a liver. ( Singapore-U.S.-Liver Toxicity) Endi