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Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 0600 GMT, April 4

Xinhua, April 4, 2017 Adjust font size:

At least 20 shops and five residential houses were gutted in a devastating fire Tuesday in Indian-controlled Kashmir, officials said.

The fire broke out late Monday night in the Awoora area of Kupwara district, about 95 km northwest of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Kashmir.

No loss of life was reported in the incident. (Kashmir-Fire)

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WELLINGTON -- One person has died and 15 have been hospitalized with typhoid in New Zealand's biggest city, health authorities said Tuesday, as legislators asked questions about the handling of the outbreak.

The woman who died had been hospitalized with some serious health issues and the typhoid infection had been a "complicating factor," Auckland Regional Public Health Service (ARPHS) clinical director Dr Julia Peters said in a statement. (New Zealand-Typhoid)

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SEOUL -- South Korean prosecutors on Tuesday grilled former President Park Geun-hye, who has been taken into custody over corruption allegations.

Park has been held in detention at a detention center outside Seoul since March 31 when a Seoul court issued an arrest warrant for the former leader.

The special investigation headquarters of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, tasked with the probe into the corruption scandal embroiling Park, said via text message that the grilling of Park kicked off at about 10 a.m.. (South Korea-Park-Scandal)

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WELLINGTON -- New Zealand and Singapore are to step up economic links and defense cooperation, foreign ministers of the two countries announced in Wellington Tuesday.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully and Singaporean counterpart Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan released a joint statement after holding talks in the New Zealand capital.

The two countries would pursue an enhanced partnership that would significantly boost collaboration in the areas of trade and economics, security and defense, people-to-people links and research, technology and innovation, and in ways that would set an example of integration in the Asia-Pacific region. (New Zealand-Singapore-Ties)

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SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir -- At least three people including an infant girl were killed and seven others injured Monday after being hit by a landslide in Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said.

The landslide triggered near Drabshalla area of mountainous Kishtwar district, about 231 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir. (Kashmir-Landslide)

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SYDNEY -- The Australian Government has announced a major crackdown on foreign bribery.

Speaking at the headquarters of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) in Melbourne on Tuesday, Australia's Justice Minister Michael Keenan announced tough new laws to ensure that perpetrators bribing foreign officials faced the full force of the law. (Australia-Foreign Bribery) Endit