Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 0600 GMT, Feb. 26

CANBERRA -- Conservative Michael McCormack has seen off a late challenge to be elected leader of the National Party of Australia and Deputy Prime Minister.

Nationals' Members of Parliament (MPs) voted for McCormack as their new leader at a party room meeting after former leader Barnaby Joyce tendered his resignation over his affair with a former staffer and sexual harassment allegations. (Australia-Deputy PM)

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TOKYO -- A Malaysian budget carrier AirAsia X plane made an emergency landing Monday at Okinawa's Naha airport following engine trouble, the transport ministry here said.

According to the ministry, none of the 379 passengers and crew members aboard the flight bound for Kuala Lumpur were injured in the emergency landing. (Japan-AirAsia X-Emergency landing)

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SYDNEY -- A powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake has struck 96 km south-west of Mendi, in the Southern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea, the U.S. Geological Survey reported on Monday.

The earthquake, which occurred at 1744 GMT Sunday, was determined to be at 6.149 degrees south latitude and 142.766 degrees east longitude at a depth of 35 km. (Papua New Guinea-Earthquake)

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SEOUL -- South Korea's unification ministry on Monday expressed its anticipation of the launch of "constructive" talks between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States as Pyongyang showed willingness to talk with Washington.

Baik Tae-hyun, unification ministry spokesman, told a routine press briefing that South Korea anticipated the start of constructive talks between Pyongyang and Washington through an appropriate opportunity. (South Korea-DPRK-Politics) Enditem