Xinhua Asia-Pacific News Summary at 1000 GMT, May 7

TOKYO -- The now-obsolete opposition Democratic Party of Japan and the Party of Hope joined forces again Monday under the new single party name Democratic Party for the People.

Kohei Otsuka, an upper house lawmaker who led the Democratic Party, and Yuichiro Tamaki, a lower house member who led the Party of Hope, attended the new party's inauguration ceremony on Monday. (Japan-Opposition-Ally)

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SYDNEY -- The New South Wales (NSW) State government in Australia has announced a 45 million Australian dollars (33.81 million U.S. dollars) plan on Monday, to protect the country's declining koala population.

As part of the new strategy, 25,000 hectares of State forest will be set aside for the beloved animal, and a new koala hospital will open to care for the cuddly critters. (Australia-Koala-Protection)

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MANILA -- The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) unveiled on Monday plans to buy more weapons, including pistols, machine guns and water assets this year to beef up their fighting capability at sea.

PCG spokesman Capt. Armand Balilo said the weapons and water assets will cost the government about 1 billion pesos (around 20 million U.S. dollars). (Philippines-Weapon-Plan)

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PHNOM PENH -- At least 11 villagers were killed and 138 others hospitalized in eastern Cambodia's Kratie province after drinking tainted rice wine and suspected contaminated water, the Ministry of Health said in a statement on Monday.

The incident occurred at Sre Non and Aloch villages in Kantuot commune of Chitborey district last week after villagers reportedly drank rice wine and water collected from a canal, the statement said, adding that the victims had the same symptoms such as stomach ache, vomit, sore throat, fatigue, dizziness, and breathing difficulty. (Cambodia-Food Poisoning) Enditem