SUVA -- The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders have agreed to elevate the issue of sea level rise politically, including at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), and strongly called for the inclusion of sea-level rise as a standalone agenda item in the UNGA and other relevant UN processes, according to a communique issued by the PIF.

The five-day 53rd PIF Leaders' Meeting concluded on Friday in Nuku'alofa, the capital of Tonga, with climate change and resilience at the top of the agenda. (Tonga-PIF-Sea Level Rise)

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DHAKA -- Devastating floods of weeks this month in Bangladesh have killed at least 59 people, according to the National Disaster Response Coordination Center under the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief.

The center said in its latest update on Saturday that 59 people, including 41 men, six women and 12 children, died in the ongoing floods till Saturday. Most of the serious flooding has been in the country's southeastern Greater Noakhali region so far. (Bangladesh-Flood)

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TOKYO -- Japan's Ministry of Defense has submitted a record-breaking defense budget request of 8.54 trillion yen (about 59 billion U.S. dollars) for the fiscal year of 2025.

The request on Friday marked the first time the country's defense budget request has surpassed the 8-trillion-yen mark, reflecting the government's intensified focus on enhancing its military capabilities. (Japan-Defense Budget-Request)

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NEW DELHI -- India's economic growth rate reached 6.7 percent in the first quarter (April to June) of the 2024-25 fiscal year, according to government data released on Friday.

This marks a decline from the previous quarter (January to March), which recorded a growth rate of 7.8 percent. (India-GDP-Growth) Enditem

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