Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 1600 GMT, April 9

Some 70 people went missing in a landslide in a jade mining area in Phakant, Myanmar's northern Kachin ethnic state, local media reported on Thursday.

The bank of 15.25-meter-high jade mining burrow of Myayamone Co. ,Ltd collapsed on Wednesday near Lonekhin village in Phakant. ( Myanmar-Landslide)

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ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan confirmed on Thursday that it is procuring U.S. military equipment to meet its critical defense needs.

The U.S. State Department this week approved Pakistan's request for a billion U.S. dollars worth of military hardware and equipment. (Pakistan-U.S. Military Equipment-Procurement)

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ISLAMABAD-- Senior Pakistani Taliban leaders in a tribal region Thursday declared allegiance to the Islamic State, or Daish in another serious setback for the banned outfit at a time when it is under attack in their former strongholds.

The Chief of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan in Bajaur tribal region, Maulana Abu Bakar and his deputy Qari Zahid, parted ways with the Taliban and joined Daish, the Daish spokesman for the region Shahidullah Shahid said. (Pakistan-IS-Taliban)

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TOKYO -- Japan's parliament on Thursday enacted the nation's largest-ever budget of 96.34 trillion yen (803 billion U.S. dollars) for the fiscal year 2015, which started on April 1, targeted at revitalizing the economy and achieving fiscal rehabilitation without the need for fresh borrowing.

The enactment of the latest budget in the parliament's upper house was delayed due to last December's general election called by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to seek public approval for deferring a second unpopular consumption tax hike from 2015 until 2017. ( Japan-Budget) Endi