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Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 0600 GMT, March 16

Xinhua, March 16, 2015 Adjust font size:

A strong and shallow undersea quake jolted Sulawesi Island in the central part of Indonesia earlier Monday, but no tsunami warning was issued, the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency said here.

The quake struck at 6:17 a.m. Jakarta time Monday (2317 GMT Sunday) with epicenter at 58 km northeast Bangai district of Central Sulawesi province and with the depth at 10 km under sea bed, an official of the agency told Xinhua via phone. (Indonesia- Quake)

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COTABATO CITY, Philippines -- A leader of breakaway rebel group and four of his followers were arrested Sunday night in the southern Philipoine city of General Santos, the military said on Monday.

Joan Petinglay, spokesperson for the Philippine army's 6th division, confirmed the arrest of Mohammad Ali Tambako, founder of Justice Islamic Movement, a breakaway of Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters. (Philippines-Rebel-Leader)

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YANGON -- A Myanmar military convoy has been ambushed by the Kokang ethnic army near Lonhtan, Laukkai in the northeastern Shan state over the weekend, the ruling party's Union Daily reported Monday.

During the engagement, three from the government troops were wounded, while 10 from the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) died, the report said. (Myanmar-Kokang-Ambush)

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HONG KONG -- A 6.2-magnitude earthquake occurred in the New Britain Region, Papua New Guinea at 11:00 a.m. Beijing time (0300 GMT) on Monday, the Hong Kong Observatory said.

The epicenter was near 4.2 degrees south latitude and 152.1 degrees east longitude, about 790 kilometers northeast of Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea, said the observatory. ( HK-PNG-Quake)

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WELLINGTON --- Remote communities on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island were evacuated Monday as Tropical Cyclone Pam brought gales, torrential rains and huge waves to coastal areas.

The storm had passed through the north of the North Island and the biggest city of Auckland with little impact, but it had been reclassified as "an intense tropical cyclone" early on Monday, said a statement from the government's MetService weather bureau. (NZ-Cyclone) Endi