Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 1600 GMT, Feb. 4


PHNOM PENH -- A Chinese Culture Festival was organized here to celebrate the Chinese Spring Festival, enabling Cambodians to gain insights into China and its culture.

Featuring Chinese traditional arts performances, culture exhibitions and food, among others, the two-day fest at the Olympia Mall started on Saturday with free admission and attracted scores of visitors. (Cambodia-China-Spring Festival)

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COLOMBO -- Sri Lanka celebrated its 76th Independence Day on Sunday with a military parade.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe delivered his Independence Day message, inviting all Sri Lankans, at home and abroad, to contribute their utmost energy to rebuilding the country. (Sri Lanka-Independence Day)

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KUALA LUMPUR -- Malaysian Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad on Sunday called for wider efforts to tackle the rising number of cancer cases in the Southeast Asian country.

Dzulkefly said in a speech marking World Cancer Day that improving the population's access to health services is essential, citing the recorded cases in 2020 -- 48,639 new cancer cases and 29,530 cancer-related deaths with the numbers expected to double by 2040. (Malaysia-World Cancer Day)

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TOKYO -- A fire broke out in the vicinity of a Japan Railway (JR) station in Tokyo on Sunday, affecting train services on part of the JR Keihin-Tohoku Line, with 800 passengers evacuated, according to local media reports.

At around 10:10 a.m. local time, a fire was reported at a restaurant in Yamao, Ota Ward, Tokyo, near JR Oimori Station and one has been reported injured so far. (Japan-Fire-Railway)

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