Fig: Dr Nalinda Somasiri

AI, Energy, Health, and Integrity: South Asia’s New Frontline Against Procurement Corruption

South Asia’s future depends on reliable infrastructure and trustworthy public services. Artificial intelligence—especially advanced technologies such as Graph Attention Networks—offers governments a powerful tool to reduce corruption in procurement, improve healthcare delivery, strengthen energy security and enhance public trust.

Technology and War: Shaping Future Wars, Battles, and Conflicts

The battlefield is no longer defined by geography alone. It extends into space, into networks, into supply chains, and into the human mind. Conflict today is as much about disruption as it is about destruction; as much about perception as it is about position. Lines are blurred, between soldier and system, between civilian and combatant, between war and peace.

From Crisis Management to Crisis Prevention: South Asian Research Collective Working on AI-Driven Solutions

Together, the team conducts collaborative research and policy development initiatives across four  South Asian countries - Sri Lanka, India, Nepal and Bangladesh. Their work aims to strengthen national preparedness, improve crisis response systems, and support governments in building resilient, technology-enabled public safety infrastructure. Together, these researchers represent a growing national capability in applying Artificial Intelligence to real-world challenges.

AI and Children: Proper Teaching of AI in Schools a Must to Fire Creativity

Recent evidence also suggests that AI chatbots are being used by teens to plan violence and other harmful activities. Like all technologies, AI is a double-edged sword. It can either be used for very creative work or destructive activities. Thus, there is a tremendous responsibility for teachers to teach the children and youngsters about the positive aspects of AI.

More on AI and Innovation

Serum Institute of India confirms timely delivery of vaccines to Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan authorities denied reports of delay in procurement of one million Covishield vaccines from Serum Institute of India and said the vaccines will arrive in the country by March and April

ANSA Merchant Bank acquires Bank of Baroda, Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad conglomerate ANSA Merchant Bank has finally taken over  Bank of Baroda (Trinidad and Tobago) Limited on March 1. The bank will continue to function as Bank of Baroda until month-end

Bhutan's orange export to Bangladesh, India booms

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Adani Ports' investment in Sri Lanka's WCT: Indian HC says not involved

Days after the Sri Lanka Cabinet announced the proposal to clear an investment by India’s Adani Ports to jointly develop the West Container Terminal Port in Colombo, Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka said they were not involved in clearing any such proposal

Sri Lanka to develop West Container Terminal with India's Adani Ports

A month after scrapping the 2019 East Container Terminal deal with India and Japan, Sri Lanka has approved a proposal to jointly develop the West Container Terminal of Colombo Port in Sri Lanka with India’s Adani Ports, the Daily Mirror reported

Pakistan signs ten-year contract with Qatar for LNG

Pakistan and Qatar have signed a long-term Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) supply deal for additional 200 million cubic feet a day (MMCFD), reported Dawn

Chinese Railway says pending payments an impediment to completing Bangladesh project

China Railway Group Ltd (CREC) - the Chinese construction company in charge of the Padma Bridge Rail Link Project in Bangladesh - has alleged mismanagement and said that pending payments is slowing the project, a press release by Forethought PR Limited, the CREC's communication agent in Bangladesh, said

Modi's self-reliance doctrine energises dying small-scale industries

Several dying small-scale industries in India are looking at a comeback with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's thrust on Aatmanirbhar Bharat that also focuses on self reliance and import reduction

Envoy seeks more Indian investment in Bangladesh

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Vikram Doraiswami, said on Tuesday that Bangladesh can export edible oil to India at 20 per cent value addition to the product, as he urged the business communities of both countries to convince the governments to upgrade goods transportation facilities

US to continue oil, gas exports to India despite climate-change prioritization

US to continue oil, gas exports to India despite climate-change prioritization 

Modi invites India's private sector into defence manufacturing

In his fresh call to make India 'Aatmanirbhar' (self-reliant) in the defence sector, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday invited the private sector to come forward in manufacturing as well as in the design and development of defence items to spread the country's glory worldwide

PayPro, Pakistan's digital payment platform, gets $46K funding from USAID

PayPro, a fintech digital payment platform in Pakistan, said that it had received grant assistance of $46,643 from USAID

Bangladesh auto sector to surpass Pakistan

Bangladesh is set to announce its maiden automotive policy draft for vehicle assembly and auto parts manufacturing to achieve 10 percent of GDP ($30 billion) by the year 2030. Experts say the country’s auto sector may soon surpass Pakistan in volume

Ambani and Adani: Easy prey for motivated critics in India

The names Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani is frequently mentioned by motivated critics and activists in India in an attempt to paint these two industrialists as exploiters or even as anti-nationals

Cancer drugmaker in India hit with $50M fine, forfeiture in US for irregularities

A cancer drugmaker in India has admitted to destroying and concealing records before an inspection of its plant in West Bengal by US authorities and agreed to pay $50 million in fines and forfeitures, according to the Justice Department