SEOUL, Feb 24, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - North Korea's ruling party has elevated leader Kim Jong Un's powerful younger sister to a top position, state media said Tuesday, a sign of her far-reaching influence within the reclusive nation. "Kim Yo Jong is one of the very few people Kim Jong Un can trust and rely on," said Ahn Chan-il, a researcher originally from North Korea. - Rapid rise -Remarkably little is known about Kim Yo Jong given her prominent role in North Korea's dealings with the outside world. There is keen interest in whether the congress might also promote leader Kim Jong Un's teenage daughter Kim Ju Ae. But the North Korean leader has so far largely shunned efforts to resume top-level diplomatic dialogue.

LAGOS, Feb 24, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - A fire broke out Monday afternoon at Lagos' Murtala Muhammed International Airport, injuring six people and causing a temporary suspension of flights, Nigerian airport authorities said. The fire, which affected control tower operations, was brought under control and traffic resumed shortly afterwards, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said. Fourteen people trapped in the control tower were rescued unharmed after emergency teams deployed a crane to evacuate them, according to FAAN. FAAN Managing Director Olubunmi Kuku said a temporary control tower had been activated to restore operations. An Air France flight that left Paris for Lagos at around 3:00 pm (1400 GMT) turned back to the French capital.

DHAKA, Feb 24, 2026 (BSS) - The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has introduced a new facility enabling Bangladeshi taxpayers residing abroad to receive One-Time Passwords (OTP) through their registered email addresses instead of mobile phones to facilitate submission of online income tax returns. Under the new system, expatriate taxpayers seeking email verification must apply to the NBR by sending an email to [email protected] from their own email address. Upon verification of the submitted documents and information, the NBR will approve the email verification request. Taxpayers will then be able to use the OTP sent to their verified email address to reset passwords, complete registration and perform other e-return related activities smoothly. The revenue authority has urged all individual taxpayers to submit their income tax returns for the 2025-2026 tax year through the e-return system by February 28.

KATHMANDU, Feb 24, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Nepal's police said Tuesday that three foreign nationals -- British, Chinese and Indian citizens -- were among the 19 people who died a day earlier in a Himalayan bus crash. Police on Monday confirmed 19 were killed, but on Tuesday released more details of the dead, saying a 24-year-old British tourist, a Chinese woman and an Indian man were among the victims. There were 44 people on board at the time of the accident, including five foreigners. In July 2024, two buses with more than 50 people on board were swept off the highway into the same river after a landslide. Deadly crashes are relatively common in the Himalayan republic because of poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.

New US tariffs take effect after Supreme Court rulingWASHINGTON, United States, Feb 24, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Fresh US tariffs on imported goods came into effect Tuesday, as President Donald Trump moved to rebuild his trade agenda after the Supreme Court ruled against a swath of his global duties. His sector-specific tariffs on goods like steel and autos remain intact, but the ruling sets the stage for a complex fight for refunds elsewhere. US Customs and Border Protection has said it would stop collecting tariffs struck down by the court starting Tuesday, too. The conservative-majority court ruled six to three that Trump had exceeded his authority in using a 1977 law to impose sudden tariffs on individual countries. "The Trump tariffs amounted to an average tax increase per US household of $1,000 in 2025," she added.

MIAMI, Feb 24, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - French World Cup-winning striker Antoine Griezmann is in talks to join Major League Soccer's Orlando City, a source close to the talks told AFP Monday. Orlando owns Griezmann's "discovery rights" -- an MLS mechanism giving one team the priority to negotiate a player's transfer -- the source said, confirming a report by The Athletic. Though Griezmann is no longer a guaranteed starter for Atletico Madrid, he has already scored 12 goals in 35 appearances this season. The MLS season began on Saturday, and its transfer window is open until late March, before re-opening mid-season during the summer. Orlando City failed to qualify for the last MLS playoffs, but has a history of big-name signings, with former players including Ballon d'Or winner Kaka.

MUMBAI, India, Feb 24, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Seven people were killed when a chartered air ambulance crashed in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand, officials said Tuesday. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the Beechcraft C90 operating a "medical evacuation (Air Ambulance) flight" crashed Monday in the Kasaria area of the eastern state of Jharkahand. Rescue and medical teams rushed to the site of the crash, which local media said was deep inside a difficult-to-access forest. "The team of doctors found them, and declared them dead," local administrative official Keerthishree G told reporters, adding that two of the seven people killed were crew members. In January, a state leader from the western Maharashtra state and four others were killed when their chartered aircraft crashed while landing at the city of Baramati.

HONG KONG, Feb 24, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Equities swung in Asian trade on Tuesday as investors weighed fresh AI fears and the US Supreme Court's decision to strike down a large part of Donald Trump's tariffs policy. Observers said 2026 could see more tariff-based friction but they did not expect it to be as painful for markets as last year's upheaval. "While the legal 'means' through which tariffs are implemented may change, the macroeconomic 'ends' will remain largely the same," said Michael Brown at Pepperstone. The releases come after Anthropic earlier this month unveiled a model that could replace numerous software tools, including for legal work and data marketing. Still, while all three main indexes on Wall Street sank at least one percent, Asia fared slightly better, though there were nerves.

PARIS, France, Feb 24, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - France moved on Monday to block US envoy Charles Kushner from having access to government ministers, after he failed to show up to explain comments about a killed far-right activist. Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot summoned Kushner after the US embassy in Paris reposted comments by the Trump administration in Washington about slain far-right activist Quentin Deranque. Barrot denounced on Sunday any attempts to exploit the killing "for political ends" and summoned Kushner for a meeting at 7:00 pm (1800 GMT) the following day. But a diplomatic source told AFP the ambassador cited "personal commitments" and sent a senior embassy official instead. Kushner would, however, be permitted to continue his diplomatic duties and have "exchanges" with officials, it added in a statement.

LOS ANGELES, United States, Feb 24, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Victor Wembanyama led a defensive masterclass as the San Antonio Spurs out-muscled the Detroit Pistons 114-103 Monday in an intense and aggressive clash between the NBA's two most in-form teams. While the Pistons' shooting was at times sloppy, Devin Vassell led the Spurs' offense, with 28 points including seven three-pointers -- as many as the entire Detroit team managed collectively. But the Pistons' defense kept them in the game, putting Wembanyama under particular pressure. Jalen Duren led a late Pistons fightback, finishing with 25 points, but it ultimately fizzled as a resolute San Antonio saw out the game. The hard-fought victory puts the Spurs at 41-16, still trailing the West-leading defending champions Oklahoma City Thunder, at 44-14.

Gunmen in military-style uniforms kill seven in EcuadorQUITO, Feb 24, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Gunmen dressed in military-style uniforms killed seven people Monday in western Ecuador, police said, as the country continues to grapple with drug violence. Attacks by individuals dressed as soldiers are frequent in the South American nation, where drug trafficking gangs with connections to international cartels are fighting over turf. Monday's massacre occurred at a ranch in Manabi, which has been under a state of emergency -- along with eight other provinces -- since January. Monday's attack occurred in the early morning and "left seven people dead from gunshot wounds," police said. Before killing them, the attackers took the victims to a courtyard, interrogated them, and then opened fire with rifles and handguns.

Carney will leave on Thursday for India, on a visit that will be closely watched as he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi try to repair ties that effectively ruptured in 2024. "In a more uncertain world, Canada is focused on what we can control," Carney said in a statement announcing the trip. - 'New challenges' -India is a key target and Carney says he wants to more than double bilateral trade, eyeing a target of CAN$70 billion ($51 billion) by 2030. "As our countries face new challenges and opportunities, we must deepen our cooperation with partners to promote our national interests," the Australian prime minister said. Carney will wrap up his tour in Japan, where he will hold talks with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed spoke to journalists today at the Bangladesh Secretariat. Photo: BSSDHAKA, Feb 23, 2026 (BSS) – Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed today said that he has instructed authorities concerned to take prompt and appropriate measures to end the sufferings of individuals who were irrationally accused in cases filed after the August 5, 2024. Some opportunists filed the cases against those who were in no way involved in the incident. The minister emphasized that the government is committed to ensuring that innocent people are not harassed through false litigation. Reaffirming the government’s commitment to the rule of law, the Home Minister said steps are being taken to prevent misuse of legal processes and to protect citizens from unjust harassment.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed spoke to journalists today after a meeting with the chiefs of forces under the Home Ministry at the Bangladesh Secretariat. Photo: BSSDHAKA, Feb 23, 2026 (BSS)- Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has said the government will constitute a commission to reinvestigate the 2009 BDR carnage inside Pilkhana in the capital. “We will constitute another enquiry commission to investigate the BDR carnage as per our decision to ensure justice,” he said. BDR mutiny took place on February 25-26 in 2009 at the headquarters of the BDR paramilitary force in Pilkhana, Dhaka. The mutineers in 33 hour upheaval killed 74 people, including BDR DG and his wife, 57 army officers, two of their wives, and 15 others.

Photo: Embassy of Bangladesh in AnkaraDHAKA, Feb 23, 2026 (BSS) - Bangladesh Consulate General, Istanbul has observed Shaheed Dibosh and International Mother Language Day 2026 with due respect and solemnity, recalling the historic Language Movement and its enduring legacy against discrimination. A discussion meeting highlighting the significance of the day was later held, said an official handout here today. In his keynote address, the Consul General said the Language Movement was fundamentally an anti-discrimination movement, whose continuity was reflected in the successful struggles of the people of Bangladesh against discrimination in 1971 and again in 2024. The programme concluded with special prayers seeking eternal peace for the souls of the language martyrs of 1952 and continued peace and prosperity for the people of Bangladesh. Bangladeshi expatriates from various professions living in Istanbul, along with officers and staff of the Consulate General and their family members, attended the event.