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Xinhua Asia-Pacific News Summary at 1600GMT, July 8

Xinhua, July 9, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Nepalese government on Wednesday announced to hold the local body elections within a year after a hiatus of 17 years.

The elections should have been held in every five years but due to political instability, have been halted since 1998.(Nepal- Elections)

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TOKYO -- The opposition Japan Innovation Party and the Democratic Party of Japan both submitted bills to parliament Wednesday to counter Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)-led coalition's contentious security legislation, which is set to be put to the vote in the lower house next week.

Abe's security legislation package has drawn flak from opposition parties, constitutional scholars, the public and the international community for being unconstitutional, yet still being forced through an LDP-controled bicameral parliament, where once enacted into law will grant Japan's Self Defense-Forces (SDF) the right to proactively take part in missions in active theaters without geographical limitations.(Japan-Security bill)

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SINGAPORE -- Singapore will increase scrutiny of foreign work pass applications in a bid to strengthen its "Singaporean core", said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in a press release on Wednesday.

MOM said that the government will enhance support for Singaporean professionals, managers and executives (PMEs), which form a critical and growing core of the workforce for the city- state. Among the measures to be taken, one is to step up scrutiny of EP applications for selected firms which "have a weaker Singaporean core of PMEs".(Singapore-Foreign work pass)

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YANGON -- Myanmar's parliament on Wednesday voted in favor of some sub-sections of the constitution amendment bill under Section 436 (b) dealing with power sharing between the central government and region or state governments, agreeing to increase power to the region or state level administration.

The secret voting came several days after debate as a follow-up done on other sections of the amendment on June 25.(Myanmar- Constitution amendment) Endi