SEOUL -- South Korean banks' mortgage loan posted the biggest January growth in 16 years amid the record-low policy rate, central bank data showed Tuesday.

Home-backed loans, extended by banks to households, expanded 4.3 trillion won (3.6 billion U.S. dollars) in January, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK). It was the highest January increase since the BOK began compiling the data in 2004. (S. Korea-Mortgage Loan)

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HANOI -- Vietnam's central Thanh Hoa province has culled more than 23,000 poultry, mostly ducks and chickens in its two A/H5N6 bird flu-hit districts, Vietnam News Agency reported Tuesday.

As of Tuesday, the A/H5N6 bird flu outbreak has been detected in 10 households in three communes of Nong Cong and Quang Xuong districts, the first two in Thanh Hoa province so far this year, the news agency quoted the provincial Department of Livestock and Animal Health as reporting. (Vietnam-Bird Flu)

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MANILA -- The Philippines has officially notified the United States about its termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between Manila and Washington, Philippines's top diplomat said on Tuesday.

"The Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of the United States has received the notice of termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement. As a diplomatic courtesy, there will be no further factual announcements following this self-explanatory development," Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin tweeted. (Philippines-U.S.-Forces)

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KABUL -- A suicide bomb explosion rocked outside a military university in western part of Kabul, Afghanistan on Tuesday morning, causing casualties in the snowy day, Interior Ministry spokesman said.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet. (Afghanistan-Blast) Enditem

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