Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 1000 GMT, Jan. 21

The Maldives government has replaced its defense minister in a controversial step with police uncovering weapons from his residence, local media reported Wednesday.

The details of the raid, previously withheld, came just hours after Mohamed Nazim's dismissal and subsequent replacement by Major General (retired) Moosa Ali Jaleel. (Sri Lanka-Maldives- Minister)

----

TOKYO -- The Bank of Japan (BOJ) on Wednesday cut its inflation forecast for the fiscal 2015 starting in April in the wake of recent plunge in oil price that has weighed down consumer prices, but it kept its policy of ultra-loose monetary easing.

Haruhiko Kuroda, Japan's central banker, said in a press conference Wednesday afternoon that the fast falling of oil price may affect the BOJ's move to achieve the 2 percent inflation goal. (Japan-Inflation Forecast)

----

SEOUL -- A South Korean teenager is estimated to have joined the Islamic State as Seoul police said Wednesday the 18-year-old has crossed the Turkish border into Syria.

The Seoul Metropolitan Policy Agency (SMPA) announced its investigation results into the teenager, identified by his surname Kim, saying he crossed the border into Syria voluntarily. (S.Korea- Teenager-IS)

----

MANILA -- The Philippines and the United States reiterated on Wednesday their commitment to the six-decade old defense treaty and the other recent defense pact despite a pending petition before the Supreme Court to declare it unconstitutional.

This was contained in a joint statement that the two countries released after the two-day Fifth Philippine-U.S. Bilateral Strategic Dialogue held in Manila. (Philippines-US-Defense Treaty) Endi