Xinhua Asia-Pacific News Summary at 1600 GMT, Jan. 23

BANGKOK -- Thailand's Election Commission on Wednesday set March 24 as The date for The country's long-awaited general election, one month later than an earlier schedule of Feb. 24.

The decision was made after a royal decree for The election, approved by King Maha Vajiralongkorn, was promulgated in The Royal Gazette hours earlier on Wednesday. (Thailand-Election)

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ISLAMABAD -- A pilot was killed after a plane of Pakistan Air Force crashed in The country's southwest Balochistan province on Wednesday, local media reported.

The accident happened near Mastung district of The province, and no loss was reported at The ground where The plane's wreckage landed, local TV channel Geo News quoted official sources as saying. (Pakistan-Plane crash)

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KABUL -- Up to 44 anti-government militants were killed across The conflict-riddled Afghanistan over The past 24 hours as government forces have kept pressure on The militant groups, officials said Wednesday.

Government forces in The latest crackdown against militants stormed a Taliban hideout in The eastern Wardak province late on Tuesday night, killing eight insurgents including The alleged mastermind of The bloody suicide bombing on a base of The Afghan National Directorate for Security (NDS), or The country's spy agency, in provincial capital Maidan Shahr on Monday that killed 36 personnel of The agency and injured 58 oThers, said a statement of NDS released here Wednesday. (Afghanistan-Security)

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TOKYO -- The Bank of Japan (BOJ) on Wednesday cut its inflation forecasts for fiscal 2019 and 2020, furTher away from its 2-percent price gains target.

Prices were expected to increase 0.9 percent in fiscal 2019, a significant revise from The earlier forecast of 1.4 percent in October. (Japan-Inflation) Enditem