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.

Collected photoANTALYA, Turkey, March 31, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - FIFA president Gianni Infantino attended a friendly in Turkey between Iran, whose participation in this year's World Cup is in doubt, and Costa Rica on Tuesday. The Iranian football federation has said it is "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. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said that her country is prepared to host Iran's first-round matches at the 2026 World Cup if needed. Infantino initially said that Trump had given assurances that the Iranian team -- scheduled to face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles, followed by Egypt in Seattle -- would still be welcome. Iran hit back at Trump's comments, saying that "no one can exclude Iran's national team from the World Cup".

Trump says other countries should 'just take' the Strait of HormuzUS President Donald Trump. Photo: CollectedWASHINGTON, United States, March 31, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - US President Donald Trump said Tuesday the countries that have not joined the Middle East war but are struggling with fuel shortages should "go get your own oil" in the Strait of Hormuz. In a Truth Social post, Trump said countries "that refused to get involved" should "build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT," adding that the United States would not help them. "If we needed to, we could execute those options on behalf of the president of the United States and this department. The United States "continues to destroy Iran's ballistic missile and (drone) capabilities.

AMMAN, March 31, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - The war sparked by the joint US-Israeli attack on Iran and which has spread across the Middle East has cost Arab countries $186 billion, a top UN official said Tuesday, as he called for an immediate halt to the fighting. Al Dardari, who is also a top UN official for the Arab region, said the countries of the oil-rich Gulf were shouldering the heaviest burden. The war that erupted with a US-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28 spread quickly across the region, as Iran launched retaliatory attacks targeting Gulf countries and Israel. "The Arab economy relies on virtually a single commodity; even countries that do not export oil depend on remittances from expatriates in oil-exporting countries and on aid from those same countries, while the oil-exporting countries themselves rely on a single product," he said. "This fragility in the Arab economy is demonstrated by recent events, which prove that it is unsustainable."

DHAKA, March 31, 2026 (BSS) - Bangladesh leg-spinner Rishad Hossain wasnominated for the Tasmania Big Bash Player of the year after a stand outperformance in the tournament in his debut season. Rishad took 15 wickets in the tournament, playing an important role in HobartHurricanes strong season. Nikhil Chaudhary, Nathan Elis and Chris Jordan arethe other three players in the short-list alongside Rishad to fight for theprestigious award. "In his first year in purple, Bangladeshi leg-spinner Rishad Hossain had abreakout season," Cricket Tasmania wrote in their website, explaining thereason behind Rishad's nomination. Cricket Tasmania will celebrate its annual awards night, recognisingoutstanding performances across the 2025-26 season on April 1.

BAGHDAD, March 31, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - A strike in western Iraq killed two fighters from the former paramilitary coalition Hashed al-Shaabi on Tuesday, the alliance said, blaming the US and Israel. "This heinous attack resulted in the martyrdom of two fighters and the wounding of four others," the statement said, of the strike that targeted a checkpoint in Anbar province. The alliance is also known as the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), and is now part of Iraq's regular armed forces although it also contains pro-Iran factions.