DHAKA -- The Bangladeshi government has launched large-scale campaigns to grow palmyra palm trees as a natural defense against fatal lightning strikes.
Bangladeshi Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu on Thursday inaugurated the campaign in a northern district of Bangladesh by planting seeds of tall palmyra palm trees that can divert lightning strikes away from people, specifically farmers working under the open sky. (Bangladesh-Palmyra Palms)
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VIENTIANE -- Laos has launched Lao Digital Week 2026, highlighting the country's efforts to accelerate digital transformation and lay a strong foundation for the sustainable development of its digital economy and society.
The event is being held in Lao capital Vientiane from Wednesday to Sunday under the theme "Accelerating Digital Government, Cultivating a Digital Workforce, and Driving Innovation into the AI Era." (Laos-Digital Transformation)
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ULAN BATOR -- Mongolia's National Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring on Thursday issued warnings of blizzards and dust storms expected to reduce visibility across parts of the country.
As of Thursday afternoon, blizzards were affecting five provinces, including Khuvsgul in the north and Govi-Altai and Zavkhan in the west. (Mongolia-Blizzards-Warning)
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NEW DELHI -- At least six persons, including two women and a girl, were killed and 25 others were injured when the bus they were travelling in hit a roadside tree in India's central state of Chhattisgarh on Thursday, local police confirmed.
The accident reportedly occurred under the limits of Kelhari police station in the Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur (MCB) district, while the bus was moving from Manendragarh area to Kelhari town at a very high speed. (India-Bus Accident-Deaths) ■
