Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 1600 GMT, Feb. 5

MALE -- Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen on Monday evening declared a state of emergency amid political crisis.

Yameen officially announced that the Maldives was under a state of emergency for the duration of 15 days starting from Monday night. (Maldives-State of emergency)

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TOKYO -- Two crew members aboard a Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) attack helicopter are feared dead as the chopper crashed into a residential area Monday and set a house ablaze in Saga Prefecture, southwestern Japan.

According to Japan's public broadcaster NHK, citing local police, one person, believed to be a crew member, was killed in the crash and another was found without vital signs. (Japan-Helicopter crash)

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SEOUL -- Controversy was triggered in South Korea over Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong's release from prison by an appeals court, which dropped most of bribery charges found guilty by a lower court.

A judge at the Seoul High Court sentenced Lee, an heir apparent of Samsung Group, the country's biggest family-controlled conglomerate, to two and a half years in prison with a stay of execution for four years. (South Korea-Samsung)

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KABUL -- The Afghan government has increased air strikes against armed groups' oppositions and 37 militants have been killed since Saturday, officials said Monday.

In the latest air strikes against anti-government militants, the government forces' warplanes targeted a Taliban hideout in Sangar village of Alinegar district of the eastern Laghman province in the wee hours of Monday, killing eight armed insurgents and injuring three others, the 0Interior Ministry said in a statement. (Afghanistan-Militants) Enditem