Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 1600 GMT, March 8

TOKYO -- A cut-price land deal scandal involving Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has resurfaced recently after local media reported that the Finance Ministry documents about the dubious deal appeared to have been revised before they were submitted to parliament for scrutiny last year.

The Asahi Shimbun, a well-read liberal newspaper in Japan, reported last week that some Finance Ministry documents related to the dubious deal implicating Abe and private-school operator Moritomo Gakuen, appeared to have been revised before they were submitted to the Diet for scrutiny after the scandal emerged last year. (Japan-PM-Scandal)

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COLOMBO -- A total of 81 people, including the main suspect, had been arrested for triggering deadly communal clashes in Sri Lanka's central Kandy region, police said Thursday.

"We have arrested the main suspect along with nine others. A thorough probe will be conducted and tight security will remain in place throughout the district," a police official told Xinhua. (Sri Lanka-Clash-Arrest)

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ISLAMABAD -- Pakistani security officials have confirmed that a U.S. pilotless aircraft fired missile on a camp of Pakistani militants in Afghanistan's border region and killed 21 militants.

Intelligence officials said on Thursday that a U.S. drone fired two missiles on the militants of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Shaltan area of Kunar province of Afghanistan on Wednesday. (U.S.-TTP-Drone Kill)

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SEOUL -- Two South Korean special envoys, who visited the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) earlier this week, left for the United States Thursday to explain the result of their two-day visit to the DPRK, the Blue House of South Korea said.

Chung Eui-yong, top security adviser for President Moon Jae-in, and Suh Hoon, director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), left for Washington to stay there till Saturday morning. (S.Korea-U.S.-DPRK) Enditem