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Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 0630 GMT, Aug. 25

Xinhua, August 25, 2015 Adjust font size:

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill is rolling out drought relief to the country's worst affected areas as the pacific nation faces its worst drought in close to 20 years.

Frost had destroyed crops in PNG's high altitude areas of the highland provinces as well as parts of Morobe Providence and Central Province, O'Neill said in a statement. (Papua New Guinea- Drought)

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SEOUL -- South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Tuesday expressed hopes that the country can resolve all issues with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) based on inter-Korean trust following the agreement to defuse tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

Park's comments came after top-level military aides to the leaders of the two Koreas reached a six-point agreement during a 43-hour marathon dialogue at the truce village of Panmunjom. (S. Korea-DPRK-Ties)

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SEOUL -- South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will lift the order of their militaries on the highest alert from noon Tuesday, Seoul's defense ministry said.

Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok told a regular press briefing Tuesday morning that the South Korean military would take proportionate actions and closely monitor the move of DPRK forces as the DPRK agreed to release the order of its troops into a state of war from noon. (S.Korea-DPRK-Ties)

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HERAT, Afghanistan -- At least 11 people were killed while 18 others wounded after a reservoir of liquefied gas caught fire in Herat city, capital of western Afghanistan's Herat province overnight Monday, sources said on Tuesday.

"The incident took place in a reservoir of a gas company in the northern part of the city late Monday night after a gas truck exploded near the complex. The death toll may further rise as the fire caused huge damages to the nearby residential areas," a local police told Xinhua anonymously. (Afghanistan-Fire)

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TOKYO -- Tokyo stocks plunged 3.96 percent on Tuesday, with its benchmark Nikkei stock index falling below 18,000 line for the first time in six months after deep losses in overseas markets. ( Japan-Stocks) Endi