Xinhua Asia-Pacific News Summary at 1000GMT, Aug. 24

An Indian Air Force (IAF) MiG-21 crashed Monday in Indian-controlled Kashmir, officials said.

According to officials, both the pilot and a co-pilot on board managed to eject safely prior to the crash.

The MiG-21 fighter jet of IAF crashed in a paddy field in village Soibugh of Budgam district, about 14 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.(Indian- Controlled Kashimir-MiG-21-Crash)

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BANGKOK -- Thai police on Monday found an undetonated bomb in downtown Bangkok, but said it was not related to the recent bombing attack that left at least 20 people dead, local media reported.

A Cambodian worker found a suspicious object while digging a hole at a construction site in Soi Sukhumvit 81, which later turned out to be an unexploded hand grenade, Spring News reported.

It is an old grenade and has no connection with the bomb blast at Erawan Shrine in downtown Bangkok on Aug. 17, which killed at least 20 people and injured more than 120 others, police at the Phrakanong police station was quoted as saying.(Thailand-Bomb- Attack)

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ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will visit Kazakhstan on August 25-26 at the invitation of President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Abishevich Nazarbayev, the Foreign Ministry said Monday.

During the visit to Astana, the prime minister will hold meetings with President Nursultan Abishevich Nazarbayev and Prime Minister Karim Massimov, it said.(Pakistan-Kazakhstan-Visit)

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BANGKOK -- Newly-appointed deputy premier Somkid Jatusripitak on Monday pledged to bolster Thailand's grassroots economy, especially in the agricultural sector.

The former finance minister admitted that the country had been hit by stagflation which, he said, had resulted from world economic recessions and sustained decline in export industry. ( Thailand-New Deputy Premier-Economy) Endi