PARIS, France, March 31, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - French President Emmanuel Macron's office said Tuesday it was "surprised" by Donald Trump's criticism of France, stressing the country's position on US military overflights had not changed. Taking to his Truth Social platform, the US president lashed out at France, saying it did not let "planes headed to Israel, loaded up with military supplies, fly over French territory." "We are surprised by this tweet," the French presidency said, referring to Trump's post in which he accused France of being "very unhelpful" in the US-Israeli war on Iran. "France has not changed its position since day one," the presidency said. The French military said in early March that US military support jets had been allowed to use an air base in the south of France, adding it had "full guarantees" they were not involved in Iran strikes.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today listened to the grievances of a group of promotion-deprived BCS (Health) cadre officials during an unscheduled meeting at the Bangladesh Secretariat. Photo: PMODHAKA, March 31, 2026 (BSS) – Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today listened to the grievances of a group of promotion-deprived BCS (Health) cadre officials during an unscheduled meeting at the Bangladesh Secretariat here. During the informal interaction, Ruman said the officials shared their longstanding grievances, including administrative disparity, promotion complications and humanitarian concerns, with the Prime Minister. “The honourable Prime Minister listened to them attentively and assured that the matter would be considered with importance,” he added. According to the application submitted to the Prime Minister, a total of 1,821 officials from the BCS (Health) cadre have been facing prolonged promotion deprivation.

Iran Guards say will target US tech firms if more leaders killedTEHRAN, March 31, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Tuesday that they would target leading US technology firms like Apple, Google and Meta if more Iranian leaders were killed in "targeted assassinations". The Guards' statement said the US government and tech giants had "ignored our repeated warnings regarding the necessity" of halting operations targeting top Iranian officials, alleging that the tech firms are the "main element in designing and tracking assassination targets". "Companies that actively participate in terrorist designs will face reciprocal action for every targeted assassination," the statement said. The Islamic republic's powerful security chief, Ali Larijani, has also been killed, as have many other prominent figures. Israel and the United States say they have dealt a major blow to Iran by killing top officials, but some analysts say the Islamic republic is showing resilience and capacity to recover from the setbacks.

The icddr,b delegation included its Executive Director Dr. Tahmeed Ahmed, Senior Scientist Dr. Zubayer Chisti and Director of Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute Professor Dr. Md. At the meeting, icddr,b proposed the use of its locally developed and cost-effective "bubble CPAP" technology to address the ongoing measles outbreak and reduce child deaths from pneumonia complications. Professor Dr. Md. Mahbubul Haque and Professor Dr. Md. Joint Secretary of the Health Services Division Dr. Dr. Muhammad Mustafizur Rahman and Director (Hospital) of the Directorate General of Health Services Dr. Dr. Abu Hossain Md.

GENEVA, March 31, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Disruptions in global supply chains brought on by the war in the Middle East are impacting the delivery of tens of thousands of tonnes of food aid, the United Nations warned Tuesday. The World Food Programme said deliveries of desperately-need food for aid operations around the world were facing long delays and increasing costs. She said the UN agency currently had 70,000 metric tonnes of food impacted by the war in the Middle East. WFP does not ship cargo directly through the Strait of Hormuz, but Fleischer warned the agency was "impacted by the ripple effects of what's happening there". They are people who already spend between 50 and 70 percent of their income on food," Fleischer said.

LONDON, March 31, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - US and European stocks rose Tuesday on hopes for a quick end to the Middle East war, while oil prices traded mixed amid the continuing uncertainty. Investors who short stocks -- bet on a fall -- rush to purchase stocks if they believe prices will rise in order to avoid losses. O'Hare said oil prices would be the true indication of whether the off-ramp is real or a dead end. European stocks rose despite data showing eurozone inflation leapt in March because of surging energy prices caused by the conflict, hitting its highest level since January 2025. Consumer prices rose by 2.5 percent in March, sharply up from 1.9 percent in February, the EU's statistics agency said.

Haiti gang attack on weekend killed at least 70 people: UNUNITED NATIONS, United States, March 31, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - At least 70 people were killed in "brutal and coordinated" attacks on a town in central Haiti over the weekend, a UN official said Tuesday, giving the most reliable death toll to date. The attack late Saturday into Sunday happened in Petite Riviere de l'Artibonite, a town in central Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas. For years, Haiti has been in the throes of deadly gang violence, with frequent murders, rapes and kidnappings. Of those, at least 1,424 people were killed in violence by gangs, while 790 were wounded, according to the UN report. Meanwhile, attacks against gangs by self-defense groups caused at least 598 people to be killed and 76 injured.

Two more children displaying symptoms of measles have died at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) within the last 24 hours. He said that 98 children are currently undergoing treatment for measles symptoms at the hospital, 35 of whom have tested positive for the virus. During the same period, 14 children died at the facility from different ailments, two of whom were confirmed to have been suffering from measles. The highest number of children admitted with measles symptoms are from Chapainawabganj, where 47 children are currently being treated at RMCH. Moreover, 26 children from Rajshahi, four each from Naogaon, Natore and Pabna, 12 from Kushtia, and one from Meherpur have been admitted with measles symptoms.

He made the call while taking part in a discussion on the motion for summoning the session of the Constitution Reform Council in parliament today. Opposition Leader Dr Shafiqur Rahman placed the motion in the House under the Section 62 of the Rules of Procedure for summoning the session of the Constitution Reform Council in line with July National Charter (Constitution Reform) Implementation Order, 2025. The Home Minister said BNP supports constitutional reforms but believes such reforms must be carried out through democratic procedures, parliamentary consensus and constitutional provisions rather than through executive orders or unconstitutional mechanisms. The Home Minister finally proposed forming a parliamentary special committee for constitutional amendments consisting of members from all political parties and independent lawmakers to prepare reform proposals and place constitutional amendment bills in parliament for approval. The minister said BNP is committed to democratic constitutional amendments and pledged to implement reforms through parliamentary dialogue, consensus and constitutional procedures to meet public expectations and uphold democratic values.

At least 16 killed in Haiti gang attackPORT-AU-PRINCE, March 31, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - A gang attack on a town in Haiti killed at least 16 people over the weekend, police said, as the UN chief warned Monday that the estimated death toll could be as high as 80 people. The attack from late Saturday into Sunday happened in Petite Riviere de l'Artibonite, a town in central Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas. Dujarric told reporters in New York that estimates of the death toll vary, ranging from 10 to up to 80 people killed. Francois said he feared a higher death toll because the attack was carried out during a local festival. For years, Haiti has been in the throes of deadly gang violence, with frequent murders, rapes and kidnappings.

NBR to introduce quarterly Tax filing with incentives for early submissionDHAKA, March 31, 2026 (BSS) – The National Board of Revenue (NBR) is going to introduce a year-round, quarterly tax return submission system starting from the upcoming fiscal year 2026-27 as part of a comprehensive reform suite designed to drive Bangladesh’s transition into a welfare state. He emphasized that the reintroduction of wealth tax is specifically intended to ensure those with a greater ability to pay contribute more to the national exchequer. “A critical component involves connecting the tax system with the banking sector to automatically populate returns with closing balances, profit information, and Tax Deducted at Source (TDS). Regarding current performance metrics, he said that the NBR reported that 4.25 million taxpayers have already submitted returns online. He argued that the current tax burden on advertisement revenue is unsustainable for electronic media outlets that are not yet profitable.

Bangladesh Jatiya Party Chairman Andaleeve Rahman, MP spoke today in the Jatiya Sangsad session. Photo: Video ScreenshotSANGSAD BHABAN, March 31, 2026 (BSS) – Bangladesh Jatiya Party Chairman Andaleeve Rahman, MP (Bhola-1) today said both the Constitution and the July National Charter should be respected, stressing the need for national unity and balanced political approach to move the country forward. He said while taking part in a discussion on the motion for summoning the session of the Constitution Reform Council in parliament today. Opposition Leader Dr Shafiqur Rahman placed the motion in the House under the Section 62 of the Rules of Procedure for summoning the session of the Constitution Reform Council in line with July National Charter (Constitution Reform) Implementation Order, 2025. The lawmaker emphasized that politicians must respect both the Constitution and the July National Charter while working towards reforms.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino. Photo: CollectedANTALYA, Turkey, March 31, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - FIFA president Gianni Infantino told AFP Tuesday that Iran "will be at the World Cup" despite the Middle East war. "Iran will be at the World Cup... That's why we're here. The Iranian football federation said earlier this month it was "negotiating" with FIFA to relocate the country's World Cup matches from the United States to Mexico, due to the US and Israel's war with Iran. The World Cup, being hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, gets under way on June 11, with Iran set to play their first Group G game against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15.

BEIJING, March 31, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - China and Pakistan called on Tuesday for an immediate end to the war in the Middle East, and for peace talks as soon as possible, as they agreed to boost their cooperation on Iran. The two countries outlined a joint initiative "for restoring peace and stability in the Gulf and Middle East region", after a visit from senior Pakistani officials to Beijing. Dar's ministry later said the two sides had agreed on a five-point plan, starting with the "immediate cessation of hostilities" and the "start of peace talks as soon as possible". "China and Pakistan support the relevant parties in initiating talks, with all parties committing to peaceful resolution of disputes, and refraining from the use or the threat of use of force during peace talks," it added. The plan also calls for an end to attacks on civilians and non-military targets, such as energy infrastructure and desalination plants.

Bangladesh is increasing fuel imports from multiple countries to avoid any supply disruption despite mounting pressure from Middle East tensions, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam has said. Against this backdrop, the state minister said her ministry is working closely with the energy ministry to secure imports from alternative sources. “We are making every effort to diversify our energy sources,” she said. The minister said efforts are under way to secure fuel from alternative suppliers as imports from some sources have been affected by the war. “Wherever we can secure supplies easily, we are making arrangements, keeping the economy and people in mind,” she said.