Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 1600 GMT, Nov. 12

DHAKA -- Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Saturday inaugurated the construction of a mega China-funded elevated expressway project.

Joining from her official residence Ganabhaban in Dhaka, she opened the construction work virtually for the 24-km Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway.

The project, involving an estimated cost of 175.53 billion taka (1.72 billion U.S. dollars), was approved in a bid to e