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Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 0645 GMT, Jan. 14

Xinhua, January 14, 2015 Adjust font size:

Japan's Cabinet approved a record 96.34 trillion yen ( about 814 billion U.S. dollars) government budget for fiscal 2015 beginning in April to accommodate rising spending for social security and defense, local media reported.

The budget draft, the third since Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took power, marks a rise from this fiscal year's initial 95.88 trillion yen, said Kyodo News Agency. (Japan-Defense-Budget)

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HONG KONG -- Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying on Wednesday morning underlined rule of law while delivering his policy address for the year of 2015.

It is Leung's third policy address since he was sworn in on July 1, 2012. (HK-Policy Address)

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DHAKA -- With the death of four more people Wednesday, the number of deaths reached 17 on the ninth day of the opposition-led indefinite blockade in Bangladesh.

Four people were burnt alive, including a child, in blockade violence in Mithapukur of Bangladesh's northern Rangpur district early Wednesday, police said. (Bangladesh-Blockade Violence)

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SEOUL -- South Korea on Wednesday urged the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) once again to respond to its dialogue offer.

Unification Ministry spokesman Lim Byeong-cheol told a press briefing that the ministry has no plan to send an additional proposal to the DPRK for inter-Korean talks and is to wait for response from the DPRK. (S.Korea-DPRK) Endi