Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 1600 GMT, Jan. 15

HONG KONG -- China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR)'s Chief Executive Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on Monday underlined strengthened ties with the mainland and innovation to ensure the SAR's growth and competitiveness.

Lam made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the 11th Asian Financial Forum, which is themed "steering growth and pioneering innovation: Asia and beyond." (Hong Kong-Asian Financial Forum)

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ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan lodged a formal protest with Indian Deputy High Commissioner J.P. Singh on Monday over the recent "unprovoked ceasefire violations" in the disputed Kashmir region by the Indian forces, which killed four Pakistani soldiers.

A Foreign Ministry statement said the Indian forces "used heavy mortars" on Jan. 15 along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jandrot sub sector of Kotli Sector in Kashmir, resulting in the killing of four Pakistani soldiers, while injuring five others. (Pakistan-India-Firing)

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NEW DELHI -- India and Israel on Monday signed as many as nine agreements in areas such as cyber security, science and technology, air transport, film production, oil and natural gas, solar thermal technologies, space technology and homeopathic medicine.

The agreements were inked in the presence of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his visiting Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu in Delhi. This is Netanyahu's first state visit to India, after Modi visited Israel last year. (India-Israel-Deals)

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SEOUL -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) agreed with South Korea Monday to send a 140-member orchestra to the South Korea-hosted Winter Olympics, Seoul's unification ministry said.

The agreement came after delegates from the two countries held working-level talks at Tongilgak, a DPRK building in the truce village of Panmunjom which straddles the heavily guarded inter-Korean land border. (South Korea-DPRK-Art Troupe) Enditem