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Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 1000 GMT, April 22

Xinhua, April 22, 2015 Adjust font size:

More than 30 people were killed and over 100 others injured in a storm that hit the eastern Indian state of Bihar late Tuesday night, a senior police officer said Wednesday.

The state government has started rescue operations in the two districts since this morning and senior officials have rushed to the areas while a compensation of 400,000 rupees (8,000 U.S. dollars) for each of the families of those killed has been announced. (India-Storm-Casualties)

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ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan on Wednesday welcomed an end to the airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.

"Pakistan welcomes the announcement by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia regarding the end of air campaign in Yemen. This will pave the way for political solution of the crisis in Yemen," the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said.

"We share the desire of Saudi Arabia for peaceful settlement of the crisis," the ministry said in a statement. (Pakistan-Yemen- Airstrike)

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TOKYO -- Former Prime Minister of Japan Tomiichi Murayama has criticized a statement made by Shinzo Abe that he will not repeat the wordings of "apology" and "aggression" in the 70th anniversary of WWII statement in August.

Abe does not want to recognize Japan's colonial rule and aggression in his deep mind, Murayama said, adding "That's the reason why he wants to refrain from repeating those wordings, as well as why people closely watch the tone of the statement." ( Japan-Murayama-Abe)

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HONG KONG -- The Hong Kong government on Wednesday revealed a constitutional reform package designed for election of the Special Administrative Region's next top leader by universal suffrage in 2017. (Hong Kong-Constitutional Reform)

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KABUL -- Taliban militants fighting the Afghan government to regain power announced on Wednesday to launch their annual spring offensive, dubbed "Azm" meaning "Resolution", from Friday. "Although the foreign occupying forces announced late last year the end of war mission in Afghanistan, still they control the land and air space of the country and the command of war is in their hands," a Taliban statement said, adding if the foreign occupiers want the end of war in Afghanistan, they should withdraw completely. (Afghanistan-Taliban-Offensive)

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SEOUL -- South Korea and the United States on Wednesday revised the 42-year-old civil nuclear energy cooperation pact, opening a door for Seoul to reprocess spent nuclear fuel sometime in the future.

The two countries initialed the revised accord on the bilateral civil nuclear cooperation after four and a half years of negotiations, Seoul's foreign ministry said. (South Korea-U.S.- Nuclear Energy) Endi