Xinhua Asia-Pacific News Summary at 1600 GMT, Jan. 5

TOKYO -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday urged business leaders to raise wages by 3 percent in 2018 in an attempt to boost consumption.

"To create a virtuous cycle of the economy, I ask you to hike wages by 3 percent," Abe reportedly said in a speech at a New Year party co-organized by the Japan Business Federation, the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Japan Association of Corporate Executives. (Japan-Economy)

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PHNOM PENH -- Cambodia will host the 2nd Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Leaders' Meeting on Jan. 10, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said in a statement on Friday.

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will co-chair the meeting in Phnom Penh, which will also bring together Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, and Myanmar Vice President Myint Swe, the statement said. (Cambodia-LMC)

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SEOUL -- The number of surviving South Korean victims to Japan's wartime sex slavery fell to 31 as one victim died of old age Friday.

The victim, identified only by her surname Lim, passed away earlier in the day after being hospitalized the previous day for bad health conditions, according to the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan, a local advocacy group supporting the victims. (South Korea-Wartime sex slavery victims)

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NEW DELHI -- Four people have died due to cold wave in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, officials said on Friday.

"All the deaths took place in the state's Muzaffarnagar and Shamli districts in the past 12 hours. Parts of the state bordering the Indian capital recorded as low as 3.4 degrees Celsius between late Thursday night and early Friday morning," an official said. (India-Cold wave) Enditem