South Korea’s stock market experienced a major decline on Wednesday following reports of a joint US-Israel military strike, prompting authorities to temporarily halt trading. The KOSPI index dropped more than 8 percent, triggering an automatic 20-minute suspension under the market’s safety mechanism. When trading resumed, the index fell further, losing over 10 percent. Officials said the circuit breaker could be reactivated if the market drops by 15 percent.

This was the first activation of the circuit breaker since August 2024. The mechanism is designed to prevent excessive volatility by pausing trading during sharp declines. The temporary halt was part of the exchange’s standard risk control measures.

Analysts noted that South Korea’s heavy dependence on Middle Eastern oil imports and its export-driven economy make it particularly vulnerable to geopolitical instability. Disruptions in energy supply or trade routes can quickly affect investor confidence and market performance.

The Government of Bangladesh has introduced changes to the official protocol followed during the Prime Minister’s foreign departures and returns. According to a regulation signed by Cabinet Secretary Dr. Nasimul Gani under the Ministry of Public Administration on Thursday, March 5, 2026, only four officials will now be present at the airport during these occasions. They include the senior-most minister of the cabinet, the Chief Whip of the National Parliament, the Cabinet Secretary, and the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister.

Previously, the protocol required attendance from cabinet members, chiefs of the armed forces, and senior officials from the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The new directive marks a significant reduction in the number of officials involved in these ceremonial proceedings.

The change reflects a formal decision by the government to streamline state protocol during the Prime Minister’s official and state visits abroad and upon return to the country.

Global digital operator VEON Limited has partnered with the GSMA Mobile for Development Foundation to jointly finance innovative digital projects in Bangladesh and Pakistan. The agreement was formalized through a memorandum of understanding signed during the 2026 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Present at the signing were GSMA’s Chief Regulatory Officer and Foundation President John Giusti, Jazz CEO Amir Ibrahim, and Banglalink CEO Erik Aas.

Under the agreement, Jazz and Banglalink will co-finance selected Bangladeshi and Pakistani startups during the 2026 funding round. In addition to financial support, VEON and its subsidiaries will contribute to ecosystem development and capacity building, enabling selected ventures to expand more rapidly.

The GSMA Innovation Fund identifies and supports startups in developing countries that address socioeconomic and environmental challenges. Projects are selected through a transparent and competitive process following each funding round announcement, with final selections made after rigorous evaluation by the GSMA Mobile for Development Foundation.

Lebanon’s health ministry reported that 77 people have been killed and 527 injured in Israeli attacks that have continued since Monday. The strikes, ongoing for four days, have caused significant casualties across multiple areas. According to Al Jazeera, at least eight people were killed on Thursday alone, including four members of one family.

The escalation marks a severe rise in violence between Israel and Lebanon, with civilian areas reportedly affected. The Lebanese health ministry’s figures highlight the growing humanitarian toll as the conflict continues. Media reports indicate that the attacks have persisted daily since the start of the week.

Further developments remain uncertain as the situation continues to evolve, with no immediate indication of de-escalation or ceasefire efforts mentioned in the available reports.

Netflix, Inc. announced its acquisition of InterPositive, a filmmaking technology company founded by Ben Affleck that develops AI-powered tools designed specifically for filmmakers. The acquisition brings InterPositive’s entire team into Netflix, with Affleck joining as Senior Advisor. Both companies share a mission to use emerging technology to protect and expand creative choice, aligning with Netflix’s long-standing belief that innovation should serve storytellers and the creative process.

Affleck founded InterPositive in 2022 after observing limitations in early AI production models. He and a small team of engineers, researchers, and creatives built proprietary datasets and models focused on filmmaking techniques rather than performances. Their tools are designed to preserve artistic judgment and creative intent while addressing real-world production challenges such as missing shots or lighting inconsistencies. Netflix executives Elizabeth Stone and Bela Bajaria emphasized that the partnership reflects a shared commitment to empowering creators rather than replacing them.

The collaboration aims to extend access to responsible, filmmaker-centered AI tools across Netflix’s creative community, reinforcing the company’s focus on innovation that enhances, rather than diminishes, human creativity.

Three officials, including Toyota Bangladesh Managing Director Premit Singh, have been granted bail after surrendering before a Dhaka court in a case alleging fraud and breach of trust. The other two officials are Akio Ogawa, Vice President of Toyota Tsusho Asia Pacific, and Asif Rahman, General Manager of Toyota Tsusho Corporation. The bail was granted on March 5, 2026, by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Joshita Islam, with each posting a bond of 1,000 taka.

The case was filed on July 9, 2025, by Shafiul Islam on behalf of Navana Limited, accusing the officials of engaging in fraudulent activities that harmed Navana’s business interests. According to the complaint, the accused allegedly presented biased reports on market conditions and performance to undermine Navana’s exclusive distributorship of Toyota vehicles in Bangladesh. The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) later confirmed the allegations in its report.

The PBI report stated that the accused intentionally delayed vehicle production and withheld mandatory manufacturer invoices, disrupting Navana’s import and supply operations and causing financial and reputational damage to the company.

Microsoft announced Thursday that it will continue using Anthropic’s artificial intelligence models in its products for clients, excluding the U.S. Department of War. The decision follows the Pentagon’s move earlier in the day to label Anthropic a supply-chain risk, a designation the startup plans to challenge in court. Microsoft confirmed that Anthropic’s Claude models will remain available through platforms such as Microsoft 365, GitHub, and AI Foundry for non-defense projects.

The announcement comes after U.S. President Donald Trump urged federal agencies to stop using Anthropic’s technology, and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the company’s Pentagon services would end within six months. Talks between Anthropic and the Department of War reportedly collapsed over issues related to mass domestic surveillance and autonomous weapons. Meanwhile, rival OpenAI reached an agreement for its models to be used in classified Pentagon workloads.

Microsoft’s stance makes it the first major company to maintain collaboration with Anthropic following the federal blacklist. The two firms have significant financial ties, including Anthropic’s commitment to spend $30 billion on Microsoft’s Azure cloud and Microsoft’s pledge to invest up to $5 billion in Anthropic.

OpenAI has introduced ChatGPT for Excel in beta, an add-in that embeds ChatGPT directly into spreadsheets to help users build, update, and analyze models using natural language. Powered by the GPT‑5.4 model, the tool enables teams to automate financial modeling, scenario analysis, and data reconciliation within Excel workbooks. The beta version is available to ChatGPT Business, Enterprise, Edu, Teachers, Pro, and Plus users in the U.S., Canada, and Australia, with Google Sheets support coming soon.

Alongside the Excel integration, OpenAI announced new financial data connections for ChatGPT, including integrations with FactSet, Dow Jones Factiva, LSEG, Daloopa, S&P Global, Moody’s, MSCI, Third Bridge, and MT Newswire. These additions allow users to access trusted market and company data directly within ChatGPT, streamlining research, valuation, and due diligence workflows. GPT‑5.4, optimized for finance, shows improved performance on internal benchmarks for financial reasoning and modeling tasks.

OpenAI emphasized enterprise-grade security and governance features in ChatGPT Enterprise, including encryption, role-based access control, and compliance tools. The company is collaborating with financial institutions to apply these capabilities across research, underwriting, auditing, and client engagement.

The Cabinet Division has issued an 11-point directive instructing all government offices to conserve electricity and fuel amid the current global crisis. The circular, sent on Thursday to all senior secretaries, divisional commissioners, and deputy commissioners, mandates that air conditioners be set at 25 degrees Celsius or above and that all decorative lighting be avoided. It also calls for responsible energy use by officials and employees across government, autonomous, statutory, and corporate offices.

The directive emphasizes maximizing natural light during daytime, using only half of existing lighting, and switching off unnecessary electrical devices such as fans, air conditioners, and computers when not in use. It further requires that all electrical equipment be turned off after office hours and that energy-efficient devices be prioritized. The use of official vehicles should be limited to save fuel.

The Cabinet Division requested all relevant authorities to ensure that these measures are implemented across their respective offices and agencies to promote national energy conservation.

The government of Bangladesh has announced that bus operators charging fares above the approved rate will have their route permits canceled. The decision was made at an inter-ministerial meeting held at the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges ahead of the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr holidays, when around 15 million people are expected to travel from Dhaka to rural areas. The measures aim to ensure smooth and safe travel during the holiday period.

Transport Minister Sheikh Robiul Alam said that heavy vehicles will be banned on highways from three days before Eid until three days after. Mobile courts will monitor fare compliance, prevent extortion, and enforce road discipline. Repairs on national highways and key city roads must be completed ten days before Eid, and 207 traffic congestion points identified by highway police will be addressed in advance.

The government will also install CCTV and searchlights at five major Dhaka terminals and link them to control rooms. Additional steps include banning unfit vehicles, preventing overloading, keeping toll plazas operational, and ensuring uninterrupted fuel supply during the holiday period.

Following recent attacks by the United States and Israel, pro-government rallies have emerged across several Iranian cities. According to analysts, many Iranian citizens are gathering around the national flag as a symbol of patriotism and expressing support for the country’s political system in response to the external assaults.

Abbas Aslani, a senior research fellow at the Tehran-based Center for Middle East Strategic Studies, told Al Jazeera that instead of protesting against Iran’s leaders, many people are now taking to the streets to denounce the US and Israeli attacks and to show solidarity with the government. He noted that some Iranians who were previously dissatisfied with the economic and political situation had once hoped for US assistance, but now realize that such support is not forthcoming.

Analysts suggest that external military pressure often temporarily suppresses internal political divisions, prompting segments of the population to rally around the government as a symbol of national unity.

A Dhaka court has granted a two-day remand for Abdur Razzak Bin Sulaiman Riyad, former leader of the anti-discrimination student movement, in connection with an attempted murder case filed at Gulshan Police Station. The order was issued on Thursday, 5 February, by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md. Sefatullah. The court rejected both remand and bail petitions for three other accused—Presidency University students Md. Riyadul Hawlader, Md. Alif Ahmed Ashiq, and Sayem Shikder—and ordered them to be sent to jail.

According to the case statement, the incident occurred on 26 February at Presidency University, where the accused allegedly attacked student Nirjon Sardar Bandhan following a prior dispute. Riyad is accused of instructing others to assault the victim, who sustained serious injuries. Police arrested the suspects that night, and they were initially sent to jail on 27 February. Investigators later sought a five-day remand, leading to the current court hearing.

The case remains under investigation by Gulshan Police, with further proceedings expected following the remand period.

The government of Bangladesh has decided to confer the 2026 Independence Award on former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and 19 other individuals and institutions for their contributions to nation-building. Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Gani announced the decision on Thursday, March 5, following a cabinet meeting at the Secretariat. The award, the country’s highest civilian honor, recognizes outstanding contributions in various fields of national life.

According to the announcement, Khaleda Zia, a three-time former prime minister and BNP chairperson, has been selected posthumously for her contributions to independence, democracy, and women’s education. In total, 15 individuals and 5 organizations will receive the award this year. The Independence Award, also known as the Independence Day Award, has been presented annually since 1977 to honor exceptional service to the nation.

The award commemorates the martyrs of Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War and is traditionally presented on March 26, the country’s Independence Day.

Six people were injured in Abu Dhabi when debris from a downed drone fell in the ICAD-2 district, according to the Abu Dhabi Media Office. The incident occurred as Iran launched retaliatory actions following joint strikes by US and Israeli forces. Emergency teams quickly reached the affected sites and brought the situation under control.

Authorities confirmed that the injured individuals were citizens of Pakistan and Nepal, sustaining minor to moderate injuries. They received necessary medical treatment, and officials stated that the situation is being closely monitored.

The event comes amid heightened regional tensions linked to Iran’s response to recent attacks, with reports of widespread damage and casualties in multiple areas.

A meeting at the Ministry of Water Resources discussed the implementation of a nationwide program for excavation and re-excavation of rivers, canals, and reservoirs. The meeting was chaired by the Prime Minister’s Political Adviser Mirza Abbas Uddin Ahmed and attended by Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie, State Minister Farhad Hossain Azad, and other senior officials. It was announced that the Prime Minister will inaugurate the canal excavation program before Eid at Sahapara Canal in Bororampur, Kaharol upazila of Dinajpur, while ministers, advisers, and MPs will inaugurate similar projects in 63 districts.

During the meeting, Mirza Abbas highlighted the historical significance of canal excavation and urged all concerned to work together to accelerate the program. Minister Annie Chowdhury emphasized that the lack of canal excavation over the years has worsened irrigation shortages and waterlogging, increasing public suffering. He assured that the government, as an elected body, will take all necessary measures for public welfare. State Minister Azad noted growing public enthusiasm and said the government aims to excavate 20,000 kilometers of canals over the next five years under a 180-day implementation plan.

Senior secretaries from the Land, Disaster Management, and Local Government ministries, along with the Director General of the Water Development Board, were also present at the meeting.