BEIJING, March 20, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - China's top diplomat told a French presidential adviser on Friday that both countries should work together towards resolving the crisis in the Middle East. "The right way out of the crisis remains dialogue and negotiation", he said, according to a readout from Beijing's foreign ministry. "China and France should work together to that end," he added. The war, triggered by US and Israeli strikes on Iran, has threatened global energy security as well as China's oil supplies. Foreign minister Wang recently said that the war "should never have happened" and called for an end to fighting.

WASHINGTON, United States, March 20, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - US President Donald Trump on Friday branded NATO allies "cowards" for not heeding his demand for military assistance against Iran to control the Strait of Hormuz shipping route. Trump has recently veered between saying that Washington needs no help to secure the vital waterway for oil tankers, and then lashing out at other countries for failing to help. "They didn't want to join the fight to stop a Nuclear Powered Iran. The 79-year-old Republican, a long-term skeptic of the Western military alliance, has launched a series of diatribes against NATO in recent days. None of the countries Trump has called on to help was consulted before the US-Israeli mission started.

Behind the BTS comeback, the dark side of K-popSEOUL, March 20, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - K-pop oozes with talent, flair and hard work, but the spectacularly successful South Korean music industry also has a dark side -- sometimes with tragic results. "We can't help those who were given an opportunity for self-improvement but couldn't keep up with the others," Blitzers manager Oh Chang-seok told AFP in 2021. The balance of power between labels and K-pop stars was once heavily skewed, with "slave contracts" mandating unequal profit-sharing and binding artists for well over a decade. "Fans have come to occupy the role not of simple consumers but of participants who invest their emotions and time," Kim told AFP. Unlike many groups elsewhere, K-pop bands are assembled by agencies that invest time and capital to train them in a top-down system.

In the midst of the roar of distant missiles and the uncertainty of war, 31 Bangladeshi sailors aboard the MV Banglar Joyjatra have marked Eid by praying in the narrow passages of their ship. The crew could not gather on deck due to adverse weather on Friday, instead, they performed the Eid congregation inside the vessel. The vessel, waiting to cross the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, has dropped anchor 80 nautical miles (approximately 150km) from Sharjah Port amid fears of attack. It rained this morning, so it wasn’t possible to pray on the deck.”“A total of 29 Muslim sailors and crew prayed in the passage. Even as they observed Eid, the sailors remained in touch with worried family members back home, the captain said.

CAPE CANAVERAL, March 20, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - NASA on Thursday began returning its towering SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft to its Florida launch pad ahead of a planned flyby of the Moon, after completing necessary repairs. The immense orange and white Space Launch System rocket and the Orion vessel were to be slowly wheeled out of the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and painstakingly moved four miles (6.5 kilometers) to Launch Pad 39B. If the tests are satisfactory, three Americans and one Canadian will head to the Moon as soon as early April to fly around Earth's satellite. Before that setback, NASA had found technical problems including a liquid hydrogen leak that cut short a so-called wet dress rehearsal for the launch. Meanwhile the Artemis 2 astronaut crew entered quarantine on Wednesday in Houston as they prepare for the eventual historic journey.

Amid the escalating strikes by the United States and Israel, Bangladesh is bringing home 280 of its citizens stranded in Iran. The evacuees are expected to reach Dhaka at 1:30am on Saturday aboard a special Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight from Baku, Azerbaijan, after crossing the border. On Friday, the foreign ministry said State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam, the Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Advisor Humayun Kabir, and Secretary Asad Alam Siam will receive them at the airport.

Nearly a year after assuming his post in New Delhi, Bangladesh’s High Commissioner Riaz Hamidullah has met Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar for a courtesy visit. Jaishankar wrote: “Met with High Commissioner Hamidullah Riaz of Bangladesh. Since then, he had not met the Indian foreign minister in a formal courtesy capacity. His only prior interaction at that level had been with Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. Jaishankar subsequently visited Dhaka and met political leaders, including Tarique Rahman.

Leader of the Opposition in the Jatiya Sangsad and Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Dr. Shafiqur Rahman. File PhotoDHAKA, March 20, 2026 (BSS) - The Leader of the opposition in Parliament and Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman has extended greetings to the countrymen on the occasion of the holy Eid-ul-Fitr. In a message on Thursday, he said after a long month of sacred fasting, the holy Eid-ul-Fitr has arrived at the doorstep with a message of joy. Shafiqur called upon both the government and the opposition to work unitedly to quickly implement the aspirations of July and fulfill the expectations of the masses. The opposition leader said after a month of fasting, Eid-ul-Fitr brings a message of peace and joy to Muslims.

SIRAJGANJ, March 20, 2026 (BSS) - More than 45,000 vehicles have crossed the Jamuna Bridge on the fourth day of Eid travel, generating over Taka 3.27 crore in toll revenue. Executive Engineer of the Jamuna Bridge Maintenance and Operation Division, Syed Riaz Uddin, revealed the information this morning. He said a total of 45,610 vehicles used the bridge, resulting in toll collections amounting to Taka over Taka 3.27 crore. Riaz Uddin said that since the beginning of Eid travel, traffic on the bridge has increased two to two-and-a-half times the normal level. To manage the additional pressure, two extra toll booths have been installed at each end of the bridge, increasing the total number of booths from 14 to 18.

SEOUL, March 20, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - A fire at a car parts plant in South Korea on Friday seriously injured at least 21 people and left 14 others missing, authorities said. Authorities issued an order typically reserved for blazes that exceed the firefighting capacity of local governments, according to Seoul's Yonhap news agency. BSS/AFP/SSS/1433 hrsZCZCBFF-22SKOREA-FIRE-ACCIDENT14 missing in South Korea car plant fire: authoritiesSEOUL, March 20, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - A fire at a car parts plant in South Korea on Friday seriously injured at least 21 people and left 14 others missing, authorities said. Authorities issued an order typically reserved for blazes that exceed the firefighting capacity of local governments, according to Seoul's Yonhap news agency. "Around 14 people are still believed to be missing."

Anadolu state news agency said the woman was pregnant. The deaths occurred as Turkey began marking the three-day Bayram holiday to mark the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Antalya Governor Hulusi Sahin said the fire ripped through several containers where greenhouse workers were living in Kepez, just north of Antalya. According to the Anadolu state news agency, the mother was pregnant at the time. Although the cause was not immediately clear, Sahin said it appeared someone had been having a barbecue on a burner outside the containers.

PARIS, France, March 20, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - FIFA fined the Israeli Football Association (IFA) 150,000 Swiss francs ($190,700) on Thursday for "multiple breaches" of its anti-discrimination obligations. In October 2024, the Palestine Football Association reported allegations of discrimination by the IFA to FIFA, which began an investigation. FIFA did not opt for the sanction requested by the Palestinian FA, which argued that the IFA should be suspended. - 'No action' over Israeli teams in West Bank -After a separate investigation, FIFA announced no action would be taken against the IFA over allegations that Israeli clubs based in the occupied West Bank were taking part in Israel's leagues. In addition to roughly three million Palestinians, more than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements and outposts in the West Bank, which are illegal under international law.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin. File PhotoDHAKA, March 20, 2026 (BSS) – President Mohammed Shahabuddin has greeted the countrymen on the eve of the holy Eid-ul-Fitr. In a message on Thursday, the President said the lessons of holy Eid-ul-Fitr would bring new enthusiasm and inspiration to all in the journey of building a new Bangladesh. Describing Eid-ul-Fitr as the greatest religious festival of the Muslims, the President said the festival arrives with immense joy and happiness after a month-long fasting. He also said the rich and the poor stand in the same row and share the happiness of Eid alike.

COLOMBO, March 20, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Sri Lanka refused permission to the United States to station two of its warplanes at a civilian airport in the island's south in early March, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said on Friday. He said the United States made the request on February 26. "We were still considering the Iranian request to bring the three ships to Colombo from March 9 to 13. Had we said 'yes' to Iran, we would have had to say 'yes' to the US too," he said. Sri Lanka maintains close ties with both the United States, the island's main export market, and Iran, the main buyer of Sri Lankan tea.

KUALA LUMPUR, March 20, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Asian football bosses said Friday they were stopping the bidding process to host the 2031 and 2035 Asian Cups after a FIFA request to move the continental showpiece to even-numbered years. Several countries including Australia, Japan and South Korea had thrown their hats into the ring to stage the 2031 and 2035 tournaments. The announcement comes after the Asian Football Confederation recently met FIFA "concerning a potential revision to the international match calendar", the AFC said. Six bids were put in to host the 2031 showpiece: Australia, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Kuwait, as well as a joint effort by Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. "Although unexpected variables have occurred, the association's will to host the Asian Cup remains unchanged," the KFA said on Friday.