Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 1000 GMT, Jan. 10

TOKYO -- Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga on Wednesday rebuked remarks made by the U.S. military, which claimed that the decision of two helicopter pilots to make emergency landings in Okinawa, Japan's southernmost Prefecture, were correct.

U.S. Pacific Command chief Adm. Harry Harris had said that he was satisfied that the helicopter crews' decisions to make emergency landings on a sandy beach close to a residential home and at a waste disposal site near a resort hotel were correct. (Japan-Okinawa-U.S. Military)

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COLOMBO -- A tense situation erupted in the Sri Lankan parliament on Wednesday as Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe read a statement to the House over a Treasury bond scam committed at the Central Bank.

Opposition legislators launched a protest in the middle of the House as Wickremesinghe read his statement, calling for the parliament speaker to divulge the details of the Treasury bond scam which had been probed by a special presidential commission. (Sri Lanka-Parliament-Chaos)

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PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia -- A U.S. exploration firm was mandated by the Malaysian government on Wednesday to resume search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 aircraft, possibly the last attempt to solve one of the biggest mysteries in aviation history.

At a press conference following a signing ceremony between Malaysia's Ministry of Transport and U.S. firm Ocean Infinity, Malaysia's Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said the search operation will be at an area of 25,000 square km within the priority search area in Southern Indian Ocean based on a "no cure, no fee" basis within a 90-day timeframe. (Malaysia-MH370-Search)

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SEOUL -- South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Wednesday started a normal operation of military hotline for direct dialogue between the military authorities.

Seoul's defense ministry was quoted by Yonhap news agency as saying the two Koreas test-communicated via the restored military hotline for five minutes from 8:00 a.m. local time (2300 GMT Tuesday). (S. Korea-DPRK-Military Hotline)

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SEOUL -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Wednesday that he is open to meet with Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), if it is necessary to improve inter-Korean relations.

Moon, who took office in May last year, said in his first New Year's press conference that if conditions are met, he will be able to hold an inter-Korean summit meeting at any time. (S. Korea-DPRK-Ties) Enditem