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Here are top five news articles of the week:
1– India unveils record $85bn defence budget
India has announced its largest-ever defence and infrastructure spending in the new federal budget. The budget was presented in parliament by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday. The government has allocated about $85 billion for defence. This marks a sharp increase compared to last year. Infrastructure spending has also been raised to nearly $133 billion. India’s loosing of fighter jets to Pakistan many be a factor behind Raise in budget.
Link: https://minutemirror.com.pk/india-unveils-record-85bn-defence-budget-499803/
2- – This election will be a challenging one: Dhaka-19 BNP candidate
BNP candidate for Dhaka-19 constituency Dr. Dewan Md. Salauddin Babu has said the
upcoming 13th Jatiya Sangsad election will be a challenging one.
“After the last three or four elections, this is the first time voters are dreaming of being able
to go to polling centers and cast their votes for their preferred candidates—something that
was not a case before,” he said in an interview with BSS ahead of the national election.
https://www.bssnews.net/national-parlament-election-2026/357381
3- India-US Trade Deal With 18% Tariff Reduction Expected by Mid-March
India and the United States are expected to sign a new trade agreement by mid-March that will reduce reciprocal tariffs to 18 per cent, a move both governments say is intended to deepen economic ties and significantly expand bilateral trade.
4- Suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque on Islamabad’s outskirts kills at least 31 and wounds scores
A suicide bomber targeted a Shiite mosque on the outskirts of Islamabad during Friday prayers, killing 31 people and wounding at least 169 others, officials said, a rare bombing in Pakistan’s capital as its Western-allied government struggles to rein in a surge in militant attacks across the country.
- 5- Bangladesh signs first economic partnership deal with Japan
Bangladesh signed the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Japan today, marking the country’s first-ever EPA with any nation. Commerce Adviser of Bangladesh, Sk. Bashir Uddin, and Japan’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, HORII Iwao, signed the agreement in Tokyo at 3:00 pm Japan Standard Time, Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman told The Daily Star over the phone after the signing.