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Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 1700 GMT, Jan. 8

Xinhua, February 9, 2015 Adjust font size:

Thai military junta has rejected a request from former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to travel abroad, citing she is in the process of being indicted in the Supreme Court, a junta spokesman said Sunday.

The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), which staged a coup to topple Yingluck's government last May, turned down the request because the legal process of the case in which Yingluck has been accused of dereliction of duty in a controversial rice- pledging scheme has started, NCPO spokesman Winthai Suwaree was quoted by Bangkok Post as saying. (Thailand-Yingluck-Travel)

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SEOUL -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea fired five short-range projectiles, presumed to be tactical missiles, into east waters Sunday afternoon, reported Yonhap News Agency citing the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The five projectiles were fired off between 4:20 p.m. and 5:10 p.m. local time from Wonsan area in eastern DPRK into a northeasterly direction. Those are estimated to have flown about 200 km. (South Korea-DPRK-Projectiles)

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MANILA -- Indonesian President Joko Widodo arrived Sunday afternoon in the Philippines for his introductory state visit.

Philippine Vice President Jejomar Binay and Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario welcomed the Indonesian president at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City, Metro Manila.

Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III and Widodo will meet on Monday discussing matters of mutual concern, including migrant workers issues, maritime cooperation, defense, trade and investment, as well as people-to-people exchanges, among others, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has said. (Indonesia- Philippines-Visit)

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ISLAMABAD -- Top Pakistani Taliban commander, Omar Khalid Khorasani, has been wounded in a joint operation by the Afghan and NATO forces on the Afghan side of the border, a spokesman for Khorasani said on Sunday.

Khorasani is the supreme commander of the splinter group Tehrik- e-Taliban Pakistan Jamaat-ul-Ahrar that is blamed for several deadly attacks in Pakistan. (Pakistan-Taliban-Commander) Endi