China says hopes to boost trade cooperation with USBEIJING, March 27, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - China wishes to strengthen economic cooperation with the United States to avoid "vicious competition", commerce minister Wang Wentao told US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, according to a readout released on Friday. "China is willing to strengthen multilateral and regional economic and trade cooperation with the United States," Wang told Greer, according to a statement by the Beijing's Ministry of Commerce. The two powers must "properly handle the relationship between competition and cooperation" and "avoid vicious competition," he said. Wang expressed "grave concerns" on Thursday regarding recently announced US trade investigations signaling the possibility of fresh tariffs. Washington's trade investigations target 60 economies, including China, and will look into "failures to take action on forced labor" and whether these burden or restrict US commerce.

LOS ANGELES, United States, March 27, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - The Oscars will leave Hollywood after celebrating their centenary, organizers said Thursday, as they announced a long-term deal to hold the gala in central Los Angeles. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said the ceremony, the most important night of the year for the global film industry, would leave the Dolby Theatre on the Hollywood Walk of Fame after 2028. The 2029 edition will instead be held at The Peacock Theater, part of the vast LA LIVE complex, next to the Crypto.com Arena, home to the Los Angeles Lakers. The 10-year deal with AEG comes as the ceremony leaves network television in the United States, to be broadcast instead worldwide by YouTube. While Hollywood is synonymous with the Oscars, the ceremony has not always been held there.

WASHINGTON, United States, March 27, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - US President Donald Trump said Thursday he would sign an order instructing the Department of Homeland Security to pay airport security officers who have been working without salary amid a budget standoff on Capitol Hill. Many Transportation Security Administration (TSA) staff at the nation's airports have gone weeks without full pay. "I am going to sign an Order instructing the Secretary of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin, to immediately pay our TSA Agents in order to address this Emergency Situation, and to quickly stop the Democrat Chaos at the Airports," Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

SEOUL, March 27, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - The leaders of North Korea and Belarus have signed a cooperation treaty, Pyongyang's state news agency confirmed Friday, as Alexander Lukashenko wrapped up his visit to the reclusive Asian nation. "At the end of the talks, the Treaty on Friendship and Cooperation between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Belarus was signed with due ceremony," the Korean Central News Agency reported, confirming earlier reports by Belarus' state media.

GENEVA, March 27, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - War crimes and crimes against humanitymight have been committed when brutal violence tore through Syria's southernSweida province last year, killing more than 1,700, UN investigators saidFriday. The violence rapidly escalated and drew in government forces and fightersfrom other parts of Syria. "Serious violations carried out by government forces and Druze armed groupsmay amount to war crimes," commissioner Fionnuala Ni Aolain said in astatement. It detailed "three overlapping waves of violence" in Sweida between July 14and 19 last year. - 'Murder, torture' -The violence killed more than 1,700 people and forced nearly 200,000 fromtheir homes, it said.

US weighs sending up to 10,000 troops to Middle East: reportsWASHINGTON, United States, March 27, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - The United States isweighing sending up to 10,000 extra troops to the Middle East, US mediareported Friday, as speculation grows that Washington may be preparing aground operation in Iran. The Wall Street Journal reported that the move would aim to provide Trumpwith "more military options" in the Middle East, engulfed by war since US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. The troops would join thousands of paratroopers and Marines who have alreadybeen ordered to the region. "It is unclear where precisely forces will go in the Middle East, but theywill likely be within striking distance of Iran and Kharg Island, a crucialoil export hub off Iran's coast," the Journal said. Trump has pushed back his deadline for strikes on Iran's energy assets,assuring that talks on ending the war were "going very well."

Iran Guards say carried out attacks on Israel and US forces in GulfTEHRAN, March 27, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Friday they had carried out missile and drone strikes the previous day targeting sites in Israel and military facilities in the Gulf used by US forces. The strikes involved long- and medium-range missiles and "destructive and roaming drones", and targeted sites in Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain, the Guards said in a statement carried by the IRNA and Fars news agencies. The statement said a maintenance facility for US air defence system Patriot was targeted in Bahrain.

Photo: CollectedDHAKA, March 27, 2026 (BSS) - Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir hasunderscored the importance of undertaking reforms in the World TradeOrganization (WTO) with caution, ensuring that its fundamental principlesremain intact. "While WTO reform is necessary in the current global context, it must notcompromise the core foundations of the multilateral trading system," he said. He stressed that the global economy continues to rely heavily on this rules-based system, and any reform initiative must preserve its integrity. The Minister called for a careful, balanced, and inclusive reform processthat safeguards past gains while ensuring development-oriented outcomes forall WTO members. It may be noted that the WTO Ministerial Conference is the highest decision-making body of the organization, where key global trade policies aredeliberated and adopted.

Austria says will ban social media for children under 14VIENNA, March 27, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Austria is going to ban social media forchildren up to the age of 14 following lengthy negotiations within the rulingcoalition, the Austrian news agency APA said Friday. The details of this ban will be fleshed out at a press conference laterFriday, the government said in a statement.

WASHINGTON, United States, March 27, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Russian lawmakers held talks Thursday with members of the US Congress, a Florida representative and the State Department said -- the first such meeting in several years and one that was welcomed by the Kremlin. Luna's post included photographs of the Russian delegation alongside her and other colleagues as they met in Washington at the headquarters of the United States Institute of Peace, a building recently renamed for Trump. The Kremlin had earlier announced the visit by the Russian lawmakers and said its aim was to help revive ties between Moscow and Washington. All Russian lawmakers of the rubber-stamp parliament are loyal to the Kremlin and support the war in Ukraine. Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin had set the "main directives" for the trip and would be "thoroughly briefed" after their meetings in the United States.

A leader of the United People’s Democratic Front (Democratic) has been shot dead in Khagrachhari’s Panchhari. The deceased, Nitidutta Chakma, was the Upazila coordinator of the UPDF (Democratic). However, locals had already taken the injured Nitidutta to Khagrachhari Sadar Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. Meanwhile, leaders of the UPDF (Democratic) have blamed a faction of the UPDF led by Prasit Khisa for the killing. Our organisation is not involved in any way.”Khagrachhari Sadar Police Station OC Md Kai Kislu said, “Nitidutta Chakma’s body is at Khagrachhari Sadar Hospital.

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