Lao
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Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 1600 GMT, Nov. 23

KABUL -- Five members of a family were shot dead and another was injured in a shooting inside a mosque in Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Wednesday, Kabul police spokesman, Khalid Zadran confirmed.

An armed man carrying a pistol opened fire on worshippers inside a mosque in Kabul on Wednesday morning, killing five people, all members of the same family, Zadran confirmed in talks with Xinhua. (Afghanistan-Mosque Shooting)

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JAKARTA -- The death toll from a strong earthquake hitting west Indonesia rose to 271 on Wednesday with 40 others still missing, officials said.

"The number of casualties is recorded at 271 people and 40 others went missing," head of the National Disaster Management Agency Suharyanto told a joint press conference on Wednesday. (Indonesia-Earthquake-Death Toll)

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SIEM REAP, Cambodia -- ASEAN-Plus defense ministers on Wednesday adopted here a joint declaration on defense cooperation to strengthen solidarity for harmonized security.

The joint declaration was adopted at the ninth ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus, which took part by defense ministers from ASEAN and its dialogue partners including Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the United States. (Cambodia-ASEAN-Defense Ministers)

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VIENTIANE -- A launching ceremony for China contributing food and nutrition assistance, through the United Nations World Food Programme, to school children in Laos was held here Tuesday.

As the first Global Development Initiative project in Laos, around 930 tons of rice and 120 tons of canned fish are to be procured by the WFP with the support of China's Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund for lunches of some 130,000 students in 1,400 primary schools of Laos' eight provinces, a press release from the Chinese embassy in Laos said on Wednesday. (Laos-China-Assistance)