Xinhua world news summary at 1530 GMT, Jan. 16

COLOMBO -- The Sri Lankan Navy on Tuesday arrested 16 Indian fishermen for poaching illegally in the island's northern seas, Sri Lankan navy media unit said in a statement.

Four fishing trawlers belonging to the Indian fishermen were also taken into custody.(Sri Lanka-India-Fishing Disputes)

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TOKYO -- Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said on Tuesday that a new land-based missile defense system that the government here plans to introduce is "purely" for defensive purposes.

Japan's increased defense spending, specifically the introduction of the Lockheed Martin Corp.-developed system into Japan, along with the U.S. military's pivot to Asia, has raised concern over regional peace and stability.(Japan-Aegis Ashore)

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MANILA -- A total of 16 people were killed in the tail-end of a cold front affecting the Philippines recently, a government official said on Tuesday.

Parts of the Philippines have been experiencing cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms since Wednesday due to the tail end of a cold front which caused floods and landslides.(Philippines-Cold Front-Toll)

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ADEN, Yemen -- Saudi-led warplanes fired missiles at a farm on Tuesday in the western port city of Hodeidah, killing eight civilians, a security official told Xinhua.

"The Saudi-led warplanes mistakenly attacked an agricultural area in the Houthi-controlled province of Hodeidah, leaving about eight civilians killed inside their farm," the local security source said on condition of anonymity.(Yemen-Saudi Airstrikes)

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MAIMANA, Afghanistan -- Five civilians were killed and 45 others wounded in an insurgent's mortar shelling on a local bazaar in Afghanistan's northern province of Faryab on Tuesday, local police said.

The incident occurred roughly at 10:00 a.m. local time as insurgents fired three rounds of mortars against Khwaja Sabz Posh district's bazaar, provincial police spokesman Karim Youresh told Xinhua.(Afghanistan-Shelling-Toll) Enditem