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Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 0600 GMT, April 13

Xinhua, April 13, 2017 Adjust font size:

South Korea's central bank on Thursday froze its benchmark interest rate at an all-time low of 1.25 percent despite positive signals from the export- driven economy.

Bank of Korea (BOK) Governor Lee Ju-yeol and six other policy board members refrained from altering the seven-day repurchase rate, which has been on hold at the current level since June last year. (South Korea-Interest Rate)

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SEOUL -- South Korea's central bank on Thursday revised up this year's growth forecast to 2.6 percent from the previous 2.5 percent estimated three months earlier, as both exports and private consumption showed signs of recovery.

Bank of Korea (BOK) Governor Lee Ju-yeol made the announcement after the monetary policy meeting. (South Korea-Growth Outlook)

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DHAKA -- Bangladesh on Wednesday executed three militants, including a ringleader, for the 2004 grenade attack on then British high commissioner to the country.

The ringleader was also a key suspect in the plotting to assassinate current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and blow up courts, secular institutions as well as shrines and churches. (Bangladesh-Militants-Execution)

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SINGAPORE -- The Singapore economy rose 2.5 percent year-on-year in the first quarter, easing from the 2.9 percent growth in the previous quarter, according to estimates released by the Ministry of Trade and Industry on Thursday.

Growth contracted by 1.9 percent on a quarter-on-quarter seasonally-adjusted annualized basis, after a strong rebound of 12.3 percent in the preceding quarter. (Singapore-Economy)

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CANBERRA -- Fifteen passengers on a Qantas flight from Melbourne to Hong Kong were injured after a "stick shaker" incident occurred on a Boeing 747 jet last week, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) confirmed on Thursday.

"Stick shaker" is a term used to describe when the control stick shudders to warn those in control of the plane that a stall could be imminent. It's a phenomenon one aviation expert described as "extremely rare" but "very serious." (Australia-Flight-Incident) Endit