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Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 1100 GMT, May 16

Xinhua, May 16, 2017 Adjust font size:

South Korea and the United States have agreed to hold a summit meeting in late June in Washington, the presidential Blue House said Tuesday.

Senior presidential press secretary Yoon Young-chan told a press briefing that the summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump will be held in late June in the U.S. capital. (S.Korea-U.S.-Meeting)

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BANGKOK -- A record haul of 2.2 million methamphetamine tablets was seized aboard a cement truck in southern Thailand on Tuesday, police said.

An estimated 2.2 million methamphetamine pills were contained in some 1,100 backpacks hidden inside a trailer truck which normally carry powdered cement in Chumporn province, about 470 km south of Bangkok. (Thailand-Drugs)

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ASSADABAD, Afghanistan -- At least two civilians have been confirmed dead after a rocket fired by Taliban militants struck Kunar's provincial capital Assadabad in Afghanistan, 180 km east of Kabul, on Tuesday, provincial police chief Juma Gul Hemat said.

"A rocket fired by Taliban rebels struck Assadabad city at around 9 a.m. local time today, leaving two civilians dead on the spot," Hemat told reporters. (Afghanistan-Taliban-Rocket)

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HONG KONG -- Australia and China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) on Tuesday announced the official launch of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiation.

The announcement was jointly made here by Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the Government of the Hong Kong SAR Gregory So Kam-Leung and Australia's Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Steven Ciobo. (HK-Australia-Free Trade)

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HANOI -- Vietnam will for the first time participate in the 70th Cannes Film Festival slated for May 17-22 in France and introducd a regional award-winning feature film, authorities said on Tuesday.

The feature film "Dao cua dan ngu cu" (The Island of Aliens) by woman director Hong Anh, has recently won three prizes at the ASEAN International Film Festival & Awards 2017 in Malaysia, including the best film, best actor and best director of photography, the Cinema Department under the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said on Tuesday. (Vietnam-Cannes Film Festival) Endit