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Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 1600 GMT, April 20

Xinhua, April 21, 2015 Adjust font size:

South Korean Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo offered to President Park Geun-hye his resignation as the second-highest administrative post amid the growing suspicion that he was involved in a bribery scandal, Yonhap News Agency reported Tuesday citing a senior official of the ruling Saenuri Party.

The official was quoted as saying that Lee expressed his resignation offer to President Park who is on her trip to Latin American nations, after deep considerations as his resignation may cause vacuum in state affairs management while the president is on a state visit. (S.Korea-PM-Resignation)

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GARDEZ, Afghanistan -- Unknown armed abducted 19 de-miners of a mine clearing agency in Afghan province of Paktia with Gardez as its capital 100 km south of Kabul on Sunday, deputy to provincial police chief, Mohammad Zaman, said Monday. "The gruesome incident took place on Gardez-Zarmat road and the unidentified armed men took 19 people working for a land mine clearance agency to unknown location," Zaman told Xinhua.( Afghanistan-Abduction)

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JAKARTA -- Indonesia has been mulling to propose setting up a business council to strengthen trade ties between Asian and African business communities.

The Jakarta Post reported on Monday that the planned platform, dubbed the Asia Africa Business Council (AABC), is aimed at providing more regular meetings between key business players in the two continents. (Indonesia-Bandung Conference-Trade Ties)

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KUNDUZ, Afghanistan -- Seven persons, all civilians, sustained injuries as a bomb blast rocked the northern Kunduz provincial capital Kunduz city 250 km north of Kabul on Monday, police spokesman in the province, Sayed Sarwar Hussaini said.

"A sticky bomb attached on a police vehicle exploded at around 04:30 p.m. local time today in Kunduz city, leaving seven passersby including two women injured," Hussaini told Xinhua. ( Afghanistan-Blast)

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SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir -- The border guards of India and Pakistan violated ceasefire on International Border (IB) in Kashmir and targeted each other's positions, India's official broadcaster - All India Radio (AIR) said Monday.

The two sides exchanged fire along forward posts in Hiranagar area of Kathua district, about 345 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir. (India-Pakistan- Kashmir Fire) Endi