Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 0600 GMT, March 18

Heavy fighting went on in Kokang region of Myanmar as the government troops shelled hilly bases of the Kokang ethnic army near Laukkai on Tuesday, according to the military-run media, Myawaddy, Wednesday.

During the heavy clashes in three separate places near Laukkai, three from Myanmar military were killed with four others being wounded, the report said, adding that the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) left three bodies and some small arms and ammunition. (Myanmar-Kokang-Fighting)

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JAKARTA -- A shallow undersea quake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale jolted North Maluku province in eastern Indonesia earlier Wednesday, the Indonesian Meteorology and Geophysics Agency said, with no tsunami warning issued.

The quake struck at 05:12 a.m. Jakarta time (22:12 GMT Tuesday) and the epicenter, with a depth of 10 km under seabed, was determined some 115 km northwest of Halmahera Barat regency, an official of the agency told Xinhua over the phone. (Indonesia- Quake)

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SEOUL -- South Korea's jobless rate rose in February to the highest in five years amid the slow growth of job creation, a government report showed Wednesday.

Unemployment rate gained 0.1 percentage point from a year earlier to 4.6 percent in February, the highest since February 2010 when it recorded 4.9 percent, according to Statistics Korea. (South Korea-Employment)

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SINGAPORE -- Singapore's former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew remains critically ill in the ICU and has deteriorated further, said the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Wednesday.

This is the seventh statement on Lee Kuan Yew's condition within a month. Singapore's PMO said the condition of PM Lee has worsen on Tuesday. (Singapore-Lee Kuan Yew) Endi