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Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 0600 GMT, Feb. 3

Xinhua, February 3, 2015 Adjust font size:

At least seven passengers were burnt to death and 16 others were either injured or burnt early on Tuesday as miscreants hurled a bomb at a bus in Bangladesh's eastern Comilla district during opposition alliance enforced countrywide non-stop blockade, said a local police officer.

"Miscreants hurled the petrol bomb at a Dhaka-bound bus from key tourist destination Cox's Bazaar when it reached Comilla district at around 3:30 a.m. (local time), leaving seven passengers dead on the spot and 16 others injured, " said the police officer who preferred to be unnamed. (Bangladesh-Bombing)

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SYDNEY -- One person was killed and three others were injured in an explosion on Tuesday at the Perth shopping center in Western Australia.

Police said the explosion occurred at 9:30 a.m. local time as the result of faulty transformer, confirming that one person was dead and three people were burned seriously. (Australia-Explosion)

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WELLINGTON -- Visiting British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond on Tuesday said he expected New Zealand to join an international coalition to fight Islamic State insurgents in the Middle East.

Hammond said at a televised press conference in Parliament that New Zealand was expected to join the coalition against militant Islamism as "part of the family." (New Zealand-Britain-IS)

- - - - COTABATO, Philippines -- At least two people were hurt in a bomb explosion Tuesday inside a public market in southern Philippine province of Sultan Kudarat.

Diosdado Pallasigue, Isulan town mayor, said the blast around 11:20 noon occurred at the town's public market. (The Philippines- Bombing) Endi