HONG KONG, Feb 26, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai won an appeal on Thursday over a 2022 fraud conviction, days after a court jailed him on separate national security charges. The ruling was a surprise win for Lai, the 78-year-old founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, who was sentenced to 20 years behind bars this month on collusion charges under a Beijing-imposed national security law. The fraud case grew out of a contractual dispute and was unrelated to the charges he faced under the security law. This was in breach of the terms of the lease Apple Daily signed with a government company and amounted to fraud, prosecutors said. Former Apple Daily executive Wong Wai-keung was also charged in the same case and jailed for 21 months.

Water Resources Minister Md. Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee today inspected the re-excavation of the Shubhadhya Canal and Ati Canal in Dhaka's Keraniganj. Photo: PIDDhaka, Feb 25, 2026 (BSS) - Water Resources Minister Md. Shahiduddin Chowdhury Aneetoday said canals will be recovered from illegal occupants. During the visit, the water resources minister inspected the Khejur Bagh,Jora Bridge, and Chunkutia areas of Shubhadhya Canal, as well as the Joynagararea of Ati Canal.

Carney heads to Asia to promote Canada trade as US ties falterTORONTO, Canada, Feb 26, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney flies to Asia on Thursday for a three-country tour with a first stop in India, where he hopes to double trade to offset the damage of his country's fracturing relations with the United States. US tariffs targeting specific sectors have hurt the Canadian economy over the past year. Carney has made boosting commerce with Europe and Asia cornerstones of his strategy to backstop Canada's economy, should free trade with Washington collapse. - Transnational repression -Carney's outreach to India is facing domestic scrutiny and his talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be closely watched. Former prime minister Justin Trudeau's government further charged India with directing a campaign of intimidation against Sikh activists across Canada.

WASHINGTON, United States, Feb 26, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - The US Justice Department announced the arrest on Wednesday of a former Air Force fighter pilot who allegedly trained Chinese military personnel without authorization. Gerald Brown, 65, was arrested in Indiana after having recently returned to the United States from China, where he had been since December 2023, a Justice Department statement said. He is accused of having "conspired with foreign nationals to provide combat aircraft training to pilots in the Chinese Air Force" without a required license from the US State Department, the statement said. Brown had a 24-year career in the US Air Force during which he "commanded sensitive units with responsibility for nuclear weapons delivery systems, led combat missions, and served as a fighter pilot instructor and simulator instructor on a variety of fighter and attack aircraft." Brown had retired from the military in 1996 and worked as a cargo pilot, the statement said, but he later began a role as a US defense contractor training pilots to fly the A-10 and state-of-the-art F-35 fighter jets.

KYIV, Ukraine, Feb 26, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Several explosions shook central Kyiv early Thursday, AFP journalists heard, after officials warned of air raids in the Ukrainian capital ahead of planned talks in Geneva with US representatives on ending the Russian war. The Ukrainian Air Force reported high-speed targets heading toward Kyiv shortly before Tymur Tkachenko, head of the capital's military administration, said Russia was attacking the city with strike drones and ballistic missiles. In the southeast, Zaporizhzhia regional chief Ivan Fedorov said the city had come under attack, reporting several explosions and at least one person wounded. In Kryvyi Rig, Oleksandr Ganzha, head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional administration, said a Russian strike wounded an 89-year-old man and sparked a fire that damaged a high-rise building. Ukraine has faced repeated overnight barrages in recent months as Russia targets cities with missiles and drones amid harsh winter conditions.

MEXICO CITY, Feb 26, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Mexican lawmakers on Wednesday approved a constitutional reform lowering the working week from 48 hours to 40 by 2030, although the opposition criticized it for giving workers only one day of rest for every six worked. The working day will first be reduced in 2027, when it will be brought down to 46 hours, and will be reduced by two hours each year until coming to 40 in 2030. Latin America's second-biggest economy joins a handful of countries in the region that have introduced 40-hour working weeks, including Chile, Ecuador and Venezuela. Despite the reform passing by 469 votes in favor to zero against, opposition lawmakers still assailed the reform for not guaranteeing two days of rest for every five days worked. "Under no circumstances should the reduction of the workday imply the lowering of pay-rates or salaries," the Congressional Chamber of Deputies said in a communique.

TOKYO, Feb 26, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - North Korea's women's football team didn't play for four years because of Covid but they are among the favourites to win the Asian Cup after enjoying massive age-level success. Now their senior team are preparing for the Women's Asian Cup in Australia, which kicks off on Sunday. - Youth movement -North Korea are one of Asia's most successful women's teams and have won the continental title three times, all in the 2000s. North Korea are likely to field a blend of youth and experience as they make their first Asian Cup appearance since finishing as runners-up in 2010. "At the same time, North Korea will consider it as another achievement in sport diplomacy as well, because those kind of victories attract positive international attention."

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SYDNEY, Feb 26, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Australia's Qantas Airways said Thursday new fuel-efficient aircraft and strong demand for travel helped to drive up sales and deliver a steady half-year profit. Fuel-efficient, low-maintenance planes were attractive to passengers but also allowed the company to open up new routes, it said. Passengers were showing strong demand for premium seats on Qantas while budget offshoot Jetstar was flying more people to holiday destinations, she said. Jetstar's new fleet was delivering better fuel efficiency, lower maintenance costs, and providing the flexibility to open new routes, Hudson said. Qantas forecast strong travel demand in the rest of the financial year across its business, adding that it would be monitoring the "evolving economic environment" in the United States.

DHAKA, Feb 25, 2026 (BSS)- Bangladesh pacer Shoriful Islam has expressed hisdelight after his teammate Nahid Rana secured a team in the Pakistan SuperLeague (PSL). Nahid was picked up by Peshawar Zalmi at the end of the auction for 60 lakhPakistani rupees. He joins fellow Bangladesh players Mustafizur Rahman,Parvez Hossain Emon and Rishad Hossain in this year's PSL. "I am delighted that he got a team in the PSL," Shoriful told reporters atthe Rajshahi Divisional Stadium. Nahid is my teammate, so I am really happy for him," added Shoriful,who did not find any takers in the PSL auction.

Photo: BSSDHAKA, Feb 25, 2026 (BSS)- Suktara Jubo Sangsad earned a hard-fought solitary goal victory over BRTC Sports Club in the Bangladesh Championship League (BCL) football held at Bashundhara Kings arena practice ground today (Wednesday). After the barren first half, Asif finally broke the deadlock scoring the all-important goal for Suktara in the 90+2nd minute of the match. With this win, Suktara improved their tally with 13 points from eight matches while BRTC remained with their previous collection of seven points playing the same number of matches.

DHAKA, Feb 25, 2026 (BSS) - Bangladesh's foreign exchange reserves have stoodat $35.03 billion. However, as per the International Monetary Fund (IMF) methodology under theBalance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual(BPM6),Bangladesh's foreign exchange reserves stood at $30.27 billion, according tothe latest data of the Bangladesh Bank (BB) released here today.

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen met with Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir at his office at Bangladesh Secretariat today. Photo: PIDDHAKA, Feb 25, 2026 (BSS) - Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen met with Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir at his office at Bangladesh Secretariat today. He requested the Ambassador to encourage increased Chinese investment in Bangladesh in the coming years, said a Commerce Ministry press release. In his capacity as Textiles and Jute Minister, Muktadir also invited Chinese investors to invest in Bangladesh’s closed jute mills. The Chinese Ambassador congratulated the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) for securing an absolute mandate in the 13th parliamentary election and congratulated Muktadir on assuming office as Commerce Minister.

Despite various challenges, the Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2026 is set to begin on Thursday. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will inaugurate the fair at 2pm and present the Bangla Academy Literary Awards 2025 during the opening ceremony. According to Bangla Academy, both the Academy and participating organizations will sell books at a 25% commission, while government institutions will follow their own commission rates. ‘Zero waste book fair’This year’s fair aims to be environmentally conscious, branded as a “Zero Waste Book Fair.” The grounds will be polythene-free and smoke-free. New awardsSeveral awards will be presented, including: Chittaranjan Saha Memorial Award for the best book among 2025 publications, Munier Chowdhury Memorial Award (three institutions) for best book design, Roknuzzaman Khan Dadabhai Memorial Award for children’s books, and Qayyum Chowdhury Memorial Award for best stall design.

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