ISLAMABAD -- Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday reaffirmed the country's commitment to taking practical and effective measures to eradicate poverty, reduce inequality and ensure equal development opportunities.
In a message marking the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, Sharif said protecting the social and economic rights of citizens, safeguarding their dignity and ensuring equal opportunities for economic well-being were fundamental human rights. (Pakistan-Poverty)
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KUALA LUMPUR -- Malaysia is eyeing an expansion of its cocoa production for higher-value chocolate products and to reduce import dependence, an official said on Saturday.
Expanding cocoa cultivation in the northern Borneo states of Sarawak and Sabah, the country's main cocoa-producing states, could increase local raw material supplies, Shari Fuddin Sha'ari, acting director-general of the Malaysian Cocoa Board, said at the launch of "A Malaysian Cocoa Affair 2026." (Malaysia-Cocoa)
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COLOMBO -- Sri Lanka's power transmission system has been fully restored following a nationwide outage earlier on Saturday, the National System Operator (NSO) said.
The NSO said electricity supply had already been restored to most areas and was expected to return to normal across the country soon. (Sri Lanka-Electricity)
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PHNOM PENH -- Cambodian authorities are closely tracking a herd of six wild elephants, including a calf, after the animals moved from Choam Ksan district toward Kulen district in Preah Vihear province.
The Ministry of Environment announced on Saturday that local authorities and wildlife experts located and traced the movement of the elephants using aerial drone surveillance across the Kulen Promtep Wildlife Sanctuary. (Cambodia-Wild Elephant) ■
