7 killed as passengers were shot after being taken off a bus in Pakistan

Seven bus passengers were killed in an attack by gunmen in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province on Tuesday. The attack took place in the Barkhan area of ​​Balochistan province. A senior local administrative official, Khurshid Alam, told Reuters that about 40 unidentified gunmen stopped several buses and started checking the identity cards of passengers. Then, seven […]

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Sri Lanka sets aside $10M in budget for 2025 digital transformation strategy

The Sri Lankan government has set aside US $10 million (3 billion Sri Lankan rupees) for digital transformation strategies this year, aspiring to generate US $15 billion in revenue through the digital economy in five years with a unique digital ID and new legislation for digital services after the launch of a governing digital body. […]

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Maldives aims to plant 2 million trees in 2025

The Maldivian government is aiming to plant 2 million trees before the end of 2025 as part of its Five Million Tree Plantation Program. The tree plantation program, launched by President Mohamed Muizzu, aims to combat climate change, enhance biodiversity and protect endangered native tree species. The initiative focuses on planting native tree varieties that […]

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Will Starlink disrupt Bhutan’s local internet market?

Starlink’s recent entry into the country promises high-speed connectivity, potentially disrupting the market long dominated by Bhutan Telecom and TashiCell—the two major telecom companies and internet service providers in Bhutan. Starlink Services Private Limited announced its launch in Bhutan on February 11 via X, formerly Twitter, nearly seven months after the government initiated talks to […]

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Nepal’s US-backed infra plan in jeopardy as Trump freezes foreign aid

Nepal’s ambitious infrastructure expansion, backed by a $500 million grant from the United States, has been cast into uncertainty following the Trump administration’s decision to suspend foreign aid. The move, which comes as part of a broader freeze on international funding, has sparked concerns in Kathmandu, where leaders fear the setback could strengthen China’s influence […]

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Vietnam parliament to approve plan for leaner government

The assembly earlier on Tuesday passed an amendment to a Law on Organising the Government, paving the way for a cull of 15% to 20% of the state apparatus that will include five ministries, four agencies and five state television channels, among other cuts. Vietnam’s National Assembly will on Tuesday approve a bold bureaucratic reform […]

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No need for one state to control chip industry: Taiwan

Taiwan’s top technology official Wu Cheng-wen said there is no need for a single country to control the semiconductor industry. He made the comments after US President-elect Donald Trump criticized Taiwan for its dominance in the chip industry. Wu Cheng-wen said the semiconductor industry is very complex and requires the division of labor and expertise […]

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Singapore can expect spending to rise to 20% of GDP by 2030: PM Wong

Wong says he expects to end with a surplus of $6.4 billion or 0.9% of Singapore’s GDP. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong warned that Singapore’s expenditure will continue to increase due to its need to invest more in workers and to better support a rapidly ageing population. At Budget 2025 on Feb 18, Wong noted that […]

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