Xinhua Asia Pacific news summary at 1600 GMT, April 14

TOKYO -- Local residents on Saturday commemorated the deadly earthquakes two years ago that claimed hundreds of lives in Kumamoto and Oita prefectures in southwestern Japan.

A commemorative ceremony was held at the Kumamoto prefectural government office Saturday morning, with more than 300 people participating, including family members of those killed in the quakes. (Japan-Quake-Marking)

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DHAKA -- With great splendour, Bangladesh people in the capital and elsewhere in the country on Saturday celebrated the Bengali New Year 1425.

In the morning, thousands wearing masks and traditional dresses, mostly students of colleges and universities, in Dhaka joined a colorful procession -- the Mangal Shobha Jatra -- to welcome the New Year with good spirits. (Bangladesh-New Year-Celebration)

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HONG KONG -- The government of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has announced the closure of a pet bird market after the detection of bird flu virus in a bird shop.

A spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said Friday that H5 avian influenza virus had been detected in a swab sample taken from a hill myna in a bird cage at a pet bird shop in Yuen Po Street Bird Garden, a pet bird market in Mong Kok. (Hong Kong-Bird Flu Virus)

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NEW DELHI -- Five people are feared trapped under the debris after a hotel building collapsed Saturday in India's western state of Rajasthan, officials said.

So far no casualties have been reported in the building collapse.

The building collapsed in Kota, around 250 km south of Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan. (India-Buidling-Collapse)

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NEW DELHI -- As many as 100 militants of a banned rebel outfit have surrendered in northeastern Indian state of Mizoram, officials said Saturday.

"All the militants belonged to Hmar People's Convention-Democratic (HPC-D) rebel group. They laid down their arms at a place near state capital Aizawl Friday," a police official said.

"They laid down 44 sophisticated weapons and huge cache of ammunition," he said. (India-Rebels-Surrender) Enditem