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Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 1000 GMT, Jan. 8

Xinhua, January 8, 2015 Adjust font size:

South Korea refuted the call from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Thursday to stop anti-DPRK leaflet spread and joint military exercises with the United States.

"North Korea (DPRK) should not repeat claims inconducive to the south-north dialogue and rapidly come to the dialogue table for actual progress in inter-Korean relations," South Korea's Ministry of Unification said in a brief statement after the DPRK's National Defense Commission issued a statement condemning South Korea on Wednesday night. (S.Korea-DPRK-Ties)

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COLOMBO -- Sri Lankan police have begun investigations into a grenade attack in the north as millions of voters turned out in droves to elect a new president on Thursday.

Brisk voting was observed from all areas of the country with election monitors predicting a turnout of over 70 percent if the current trends continue. (Sri Lanka-Polls)

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SEOUL -- South Korean prosecutors said on Thursday they have demanded the deportation of a Korean American woman who had made remarks sympathetic to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea ( DPRK) during a series of talk shows.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office asked the Justice Ministry to deport Shin Eun-mi for her pro-DPRK activity in violation of the National Security Law, which bans any activity to praise, encourage and glorify the DPRK regime. (S.Korea-Woman- Deportation)

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BANGKOK -- About 24.7 million tourists visited Thailand throughout 2014, down 6.6 percent from a year earlier, a tourism official said Thursday.

The drop resulted from the country's political chaos in the first half of 2014 as well as international economic factors like Russian ruble depreciation, Minister of Tourism and Sports Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul was quoted by Bangkok Post as saying. (Thailand- Tourism) Endi