BANGKOK -- Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha encouraged the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to become a partner in infrastructure development projects in ASEAN and ACMECS (Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy) regions, a government spokesman said here on Friday.

AIIB President Jin Liqun is visiting to Thailand to attend the 5th Bloomberg ASEAN Business Summit in Bangkok. During his meeting with Prayut, Jin expressed support in Thailand's efforts to enhance connectivity within the ASEAN region, deputy spokesman Werachon Sukondhapatipak said. (Thailand-AIIB-Investment)

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JAKARTA -- Death toll from the fire that razed a gas lighter factory in Indonesia's North Sumatra city of Binjai on Friday has risen to at least 30, local TV reported.

"At least 30 ones, 27 adults and three children, were killed in the fire," Head of Langkat regency Disaster Mitigation Office Irwan Sjahri said as quoted by MetroTV. (Indonesia-Factory Fire-Death)

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NEW DELHI -- At least 161 children have died due to encephalitis in India's eastern state of Bihar, the state-run broadcaster All India Radio (AIR) said Friday.

"In Bihar, the death toll due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) in Muzaffarpur district and its adjoining areas has touched 161," the broadcaster said. (India-Encephalitis-Death)

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TOKYO -- A Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) helicopter made a crash landing on the outskirts of Tokyo on Friday, GSDF officials said.

According to the officials, the two crew members aboard the helicopter, a pilot and a co-pilot, managed to escape from the wreckage unharmed and there were no injuries to personnel on the ground at Camp Tachikawa, the site of the crash in the suburbs of Tokyo. (Japan-Helicopter-Crash landing)

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SEOUL -- South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul said Friday that his country was ready to sit down for talks with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) at any time, according to Newsis news agency.

Kim made the remark during a symposium, hosted by the ruling Democratic Party in the National Assembly building, saying it would not be impossible to hold another inter-Korean summit by the end of June. (South Korea-DPRK-Talk) Enditem

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