Xinhua Asia-Pacific News Summary at 0600 GMT, Feb. 13

WELLINGTON -- New Zealand's biggest opposition party leader Bill English announced here on Tuesday that he is determined to quit his job and politics later next month.

English quoted "personal" reason for his decision and intention to follow his predecessors to venture into businesses. (New Zealand-Opposition Leader-Quit)

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DHAKA -- Four transport workers have been sentenced to death by a court in central Bangladesh for fatally gang-raping a law student in a moving bus.

Acting judge of Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal in central Tangail district, some 97 km away from Dhaka, delivered the verdict on Monday. (Bangladesh-Gang Rape-Sentence)

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DHAKA -- Bangladesh's largest opposition party leaders and activists have formed human chains across the country protesting the jailing of its chief and also ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in a graft case.

Hundreds of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leaders and activists gathered in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka on Monday morning.(Bangladesh-Opposition-Protest)

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SYDNEY -- A major blaze broke out at the construction site of a high-rise building downtown of Australia's New South Wales state capital Sydney on Tuesday morning, with 20 fire crews deployed and 13 people treated for minor smoke inhalation, according to authorities.

Firefighters were alerted to the blaze at 08:43 (AEDT) at the black net-meshing covered building in the Circular Quay harborfront area and contained the fire, which was still active two hours later, a state fire and rescue spokeswoman told Xinhua. (Australia-Fire-Injuries) Enditem