CANBERRA -- Ding Zhongli, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC), called for cooperation and mutual understanding at the 28th annual summit of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum in the Australian capital.

He led a Chinese delegation to attend the forum which ran from Monday to Wednesday. In his speech, Ding noted that in the year 2020 China will achieve its first centenary goal of building a well-off society shared by all. (Australia-China-Parliamentary Forum)

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SYDNEY -- Flights in and out of Australia's Melbourne airport were interrupted on Wednesday due to dense bushfire smoke reducing visibility and creating dangerous conditions.

Smoke drifting across from bushfires in Victoria State's East Gippsland region forced traffic controllers to close one of the airports runways, leading to the cancellation of 50 domestic flights. (Australia-Bushfire-Flights)

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TOKYO -- A woman was held hostage for 18 hours by a knife-wielding man at the headquarters of a transportation company in Shimane Prefecture, western Japan, before being released unharmed on Wednesday, local police said.

Kaisei Nakao, 23, who entered the premises of Ueda Cold Corp. in Izumo City a day earlier at around 2:20 p.m. local time wielding a bladed instrument, told staff he wanted to see the firm's president and went on to barricade himself inside the premises. (Japan-Hostage)

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HANOI -- Song Tao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has stressed to promote the development of China-Vietnam relations in the new era.

Song made the remarks during his visit to Vietnam from Monday to Wednesday, ahead of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Vietnam. (Vietnam-China-Relations) Enditem

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