Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 0600 GMT, Feb. 27

SEOUL -- South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Tuesday held working-level talks to discuss the DPRK's participation in the Winter Paralympics, Seoul's unification ministry said.

The working-level dialogue kicked off at 10 a.m. local time (0100 GMT) as scheduled at Tongilgak, a DPRK building in the truce village of Panmunjom that straddles the two sides. (S. Korea-DPRK-Winter Paralympics)

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YANGON -- Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi has called for exploring diverse ways of surmounting the country's challenges, while looking to friends across the world to join in the country's ventures and adventures.

Aung San Suu Kyi, in her capacity as the chairperson of the Development Assistance Coordination Unit (DACU), made the call in her opening address at the Development Effectiveness Roundtable held in Nay Pyi Taw Monday, Myanmar News Agency reported Tuesday. (Myanmar-Challenges)

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CANBERRA -- The Commissioner of the Australian Border Force (ABF) has been on paid leave for nine months while an investigation into his personal conduct takes place, it has been revealed.

Roman Quaedvlieg, who has been Commissioner of the ABF since it was created in 2015, agreed to take paid leave in May 2017 while the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity (ACLEI) investigated allegations that Quaedvlieg tried to intervene on behalf of his partner who had applied for a job at Sydney Airport. (Australia-Investigation)

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SYDNEY -- A huge fire has torn through a retail warehouse in the western Australian city of Perth on Monday evening, with a chemical warning sparking a mass evacuation of houses in the area.

More than 100 firefighters fought the 80 metre high blaze at the Bunnings Warehouse Hardware facility in Inglewood as blinding orange fireballs lit up the night sky. (Autralia-Fire) Enditem