Xinhua Asia-Pacific News Summary at 0600 GMT, Jan. 15

South Korea's central bank froze its policy rate Thursday at a record low of 2 percent, refraining from altering the rate for three straight months.

Bank of Korea (BOK) governor Lee Ju-yeol and six other policy board members decided to keep the benchmark seven-day repurchase rate on hold at 2 percent. The bank cut the rate by 25 basis points in August and October each in 2014.(S.Korea-Policy Rate- Freeze)

----

SEOUL -- South Korean central bank on Thursday revised down its 2015 growth outlook to 3.4 percent from an earlier forecast of 3.9 percent.

"The downward revision reflects unprecedented factors," Bank of Korea (BOK) Governor Lee Ju-yeol told reporters after the January monetary policy meeting. (S.Korea-Central Bank-Growth Outlook)

----

TOKYO -- Japan's core machinery orders in November last year rose a smaller-than expected 1.3 percent from the previous month to 788.0 billion yen (6.72 billion U.S. dollars), government data showed Thursday.

The orders, widely regarded as a leading indicator of capital spending, rose following a seasonally adjusted 6.4 percent fall in October and a 2.9 percent gain in September, the Cabinet Office said, suggesting companies are still cautious about capital expenditure due to worries about domestic demand.(Japan-Machinery Orders-Rise)

----

ISLAMABAD -- At least seven people were killed in a U.S. drone strike launched in Pakistan's northwestern tribal region of North Waziristan on Thursday morning, local Urdu TV channel Geo reported.

According to the local media reports, the U.S. unmanned aircraft fired two missiles at a house suspected of being a militant hideout in the Shawal area of North Waziristan, a restive area bordering Afghanistan. (Pakistan-U.S.-Air Strike) Endi