Xinhua Asia-Pacific News Summary at 1000 GMT, May 23

WELLINGTON -- New Zealand Defense Minister Ron Mark on Wednesday announced that a further person will join the country's current contribution of four personnel to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan.

The New Zealand Defense Force Brigadier will undertake the chief of staff role in the mission and will assume the role this week. The term is for one year. The UN mission is currently led by New Zealander David Shearer. (New Zealand-UN mission)

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SEOUL -- Former South Korean President Lee Myung-bak on Wednesday appeared at the first trial over corruption charges, including bribery and embezzlement.

The conservative president was charged with taking about 10 million U.S. dollars in bribes and embezzling tens of millions of U.S. dollars in DAS, a local auto parts manufacturer which prosecutors believed is actually owned by Lee under the borrowed name of his brother. (S. Korea-Lee Myung-bak-Trial)

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KABUL -- At least four militants of the Islamic State (IS) outfit were killed after the Afghan air force launched airstrikes in eastern province of Nangarhar, the country's Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.

The IS group, which emerged in Nangarhar in early 2015, has yet to make comments on the report. (Afghanistan-IS-Airstrikes)

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KUALA LUMPUR -- Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Wednesday announced a 10- percent pay cut for ministers in his cabinet, in a bid to control spending as the new government deals with high-level debt, the 92-year-old leader said exceeded more than 1 trillion ringgit (251.5 billion U.S. dollars).

Mahathir made the announcement at the first cabinet meeting which was attended by more than a dozen of the newly sworn-in ministers. "We are concerned about the country's financial problem," Mahathir told reporters after the meeting. (Malaysia-Cabinet salary) Enditem