Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 1600 GMT, April 7

KUALA LUMPUR -- Malaysia's ruling coalition Barisan Nasional (BN), or National Front, which Prime Minister Najib Razak serves as chairman, released its campaign manifesto on Saturday, which include cash handouts and other kinds of benefits to voters.

During a grandiose campaign event at an indoor stadium in suburb Kuala Lumpur, Najib promised more than 40,000 attendees that he wanted to lower their cost of living, create more jobs for the young and make "a greater Malaysia with BN." (Malaysia-Election)

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NEW DELHI -- A Russian aircraft with 344 passengers on board made an emergency landing at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport on Saturday evening, Delhi-based news agency Asian News International (ANI) reported.

All passengers and the crew members are reportedly safe. (India-Emergency landing)

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FAIZABAD, Afghanistan -- At least eight militants have been killed and two Taliban hideouts destroyed by Afghan army in northern province of Badakhshan, an army source said Saturday.

No civilian was injured during the operation, the army source noted. (Afghanistan-Air Strike)

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SEOUL -- South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Saturday held a working-level talks to discuss setting up a hotline between leaders of the two countries, Seoul's presidential Blue House said.

Three working-level officials from the Blue House and the unification ministry held talks with their DPRK counterparts for about three hours from 10:00 a.m. local time (0100 GMT) at Tongilgak, a DPRK building at the border village of Panmunjom. (S. Korea-DPRK-Talks) Enditem