United News of Bangladesh

Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong is set to request a 700 million baht (S$27.6 million) budget from the Cabinet for a domestic flight giveaway programme aimed at drawing at least 200,000 international tourists to destinations across the country. Sorawong on Wednesday said the Ministry of Tourism and Sports plans to submit a proposal to the Cabinet next week for the budget allocation to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). The programme, titled “Buy International, Free Thailand Domestic Flights,” is designed to encourage foreign visitors to explore locations beyond Thailand’s main tourist cities. Foreign couples rush to marry in Denmark, Copenhagen moves to prioritize locals The TAT will work with six domestic airlines—Thai AirAsia, Bangkok Airways, Nok Air, Thai Airways International (Thai), Thai Lion Air, and Thai VietJet—on joint promotional campaigns to strengthen Thailand’s tourism sector as a key driver of economic growth. “The government will support domestic flight tickets priced at 1,750 baht per one-way trip and 3,500 baht for round trips. The initiative aims to attract at least 200,000 foreign tourists, covering destinations across Thailand, with a particular focus on Unesco-designated cities, popular tourist spots, and key destinations nationwide,” Sorawong explained. “The total budget for this project is 700 million baht, which will run from August to December, with travel to take place from September to November.” Italy's Cala Goloritze Ranks Top among the World's 50 Best Beaches in 2025 International visitors purchasing standard airfares to Thailand—either through airline websites, multi-city options from Thai and Bangkok Airways, or fly-thru/check-through services from Thai AirAsia, Thai Lion Air, and Thai, or via online travel agents (OTAs)—will receive free round-trip domestic tickets along with a 20kg luggage allowance. The programme is expected to generate at least 8.81 billion baht in direct revenue from foreign tourist spending, with total economic benefits projected at 21.80 billion baht. The initiative is inspired by Japan’s “free domestic flights” campaign, which seeks to spread tourist traffic from major cities to secondary destinations. It supports the Thai government’s designation of 2025 as the “Amazing Thailand Grand Tourism and Sports Year.”

A special photography exhibition titled 'Shotoborshe Sultan' will begin on Friday evening at Bengal Shilpalay in Dhanmondi marking the birth centenary of legendary Bangladeshi artist SM Sultan. Bengal Foundation organised the exhibition in collaboration with HSBC Bangladesh. The exhibition will showcase a rare and intimate visual journey of artist Sultan through the lens of eminent photographer Nasir Ali, widely known as the 'Poet with the Camera.' It will feature portraits of the iconic artist alongside original negatives, handwritten letters, diary entries, drawings, and other memorabilia from Mamun’s private collection.  Many of these artifacts will be displayed publicly for the first time, offering an evocative glimpse into the extraordinary life of one of Bangladesh’s most visionary painters. Marking his 65th solo exhibition, Mamun described the initiative as a significant milestone in his artistic career.  “For the first time, items from my personal collection— including three of his teeth, handwritten letters, diary pages with writings and drawings, unpublished sketches, and original negatives—will be on public display. To mark the occasion, Bengal Foundation and HSBC Bangladesh are jointly publishing a 160-page catalogue titled 'Seeding the Soul' - and altogether, this will be an important exhibition,” Nasir told UNB. "It feels like the State has finally honored me with what I deserve:" Nasir Ali Mamun 'Shotoborshe Sultan' will remain open to visitors every day from 4 to 8 pm (except Sundays) until September 27 at Bengal Shilpalay, House 42, Road 27, Dhanmondi. The inauguration ceremony will be attended by distinguished artist Monirul Islam and Matiur Rahman, Editor of The Daily Prothom Alo, as Guests of Honour. Md Mahbub ur Rahman, Chief Executive Officer of HSBC Bangladesh, will also be present on the occasion.

The Cambridge Dictionary has added more than 6,000 new words this year, including social media-driven slang like “skibidi” and “tradwife.” “Internet culture is reshaping the English language, and it’s fascinating to capture these changes in the dictionary,” said Colin McIntosh, lexical program manager at Cambridge Dictionary, the world’s largest online dictionary. Skibidi — coined from an animated YouTube series — can mean “cool,” “bad,” or be used playfully with no specific meaning. Meanwhile, tradwife is short for “traditional wife,” describing a married woman who embraces homemaking and often shares her lifestyle online. Another addition, delulu (from “delusional”), refers to believing things that are not real, often by choice. Christian Ilbury, a sociolinguistics lecturer at the University of Edinburgh, noted that many of the new entries emerged on platforms like TikTok, where younger generations communicate. He added that terms such as delulu actually predate social media, but wider online use boosted their visibility. Other additions reflect broader trends: mouse jiggler — a gadget or software used to fake computer activity while not working, a term popularized by remote work — and forever chemical, describing persistent and harmful environmental pollutants. Students face arrests and office calls over AI surveillance false alarms Cambridge Dictionary said its decisions are guided by the Cambridge English Corpus, a database of over 2 billion written and spoken words, which helps track real-world usage. “A dictionary is a public record of how language is used,” Ilbury explained. “If people are saying skibidi or delulu, the dictionary should reflect that.” McIntosh stressed that only words with “staying power” were added. Source: Agency 

The 76th birth anniversary of eminent playwright and theatre personality Selim Al Deen, widely known as 'Natyacharya', is being celebrated across the country through theatre festivals, seminars, exhibitions, processions and commemorative programmes. On Monday morning, teachers, students and cultural organisations paid floral tributes at Selim Al Deen’s grave on the Jahangirnagar University (JU) campus. The JU Drama and Dramatics Department arranged daylong programmes featuring theatre songs, a photography exhibition, a commemorative rally, and a seminar where Dhaka University’s Theatre and Performance Studies teacher Sudip Chakraborty presented a keynote paper. Meanwhile, Dhaka Theatre and Gram Theatre jointly organised a four-day festival at Bangladesh Mahila Samity, which began on Friday with the staging of Deen’s Liberation War-based play 'Deyal'. The festival will conclude Monday evening with the Dhaka Theatre Awards ceremony and the staging of Deen’s play 'Nimmojon', directed by Nasiruddin Yousuff. Theatre troupe Swapnadal launched its two-day festival titled 'Natyacharya Selim Al Deen Janmotsab 2025' on Monday at Jahangirnagar University and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA). The programme features special stagings of Deen’s iconic plays 'Hargaj' and 'Chitrangada', directed by his student Zahid Repon. On Monday evening, 'Hargaj' will be staged for the 49th time at BSA’s Experimental Theatre Hall, while 'Chitrangada' will be staged on Tuesday evening to close the festival. In Gaibandha, Sarathi Theatre is hosting a three-day festival at Dariapur featuring tree plantations, art competitions, cultural performances, and the staging of Kalindir Git on Wednesday. Bogura Theatre is also marking the occasion with art competitions, recitations, and theatrical readings at its office premises. Separately, Selim Al Deen Sangrohashala arranged a two-day programme including a seminar on “Henrik Ibsen and Selim Al Deen: Eastern and Western Theatrical Forms and Modernity” at the National Theatre Hall, followed by a staging of 'Rupchan Sundarir Pala' by Bangalok. Born on August 18, 1949, in Senerkhil village of Feni’s Sonagazi upazila, Selim Al Deen studied Bangla literature at Dhaka University and later joined Jahangirnagar University, where he founded the Drama and Dramatics Department. A co-founder of Dhaka Theatre and Gram Theatre, he was awarded the Ekushey Padak in 2007, the Bangla Academy Award in 1984, and the National Film Award for Best Dialogue in 1994. Selim Al Deen passed away on January 14, 2008, and was laid to rest near the central mosque of Jahangirnagar University.

Dog Mountain in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, has become a beloved destination for dog lovers seeking nature, art, and a place to honor their pets. Anne Pace, visiting with her one-year-old border collie Tam, said, “I’ve wanted to see this place for years. I even left a note for my previous border collie—he was my best buddy.” The 150-acre park was founded 25 years ago by Vermont folk artist Stephen Huneck and his wife, Gwen. It features hiking trails, swimming ponds, an art gallery, and a Dog Chapel where visitors leave photos and messages for their pets. Gallery manager Pam McCann described it as “a pilgrimage place and a sanctuary.” Czech Zoo celebrates birth of 4 rare Barbary Lion cubs, extinct in the wild Huneck’s art—sculptures, prints, and furniture—adorns the park, including the chapel, which showcases his love for dogs through detailed carvings and stained-glass images of his own dog, Sally. Visitors like Scott and Julie Ritchie, traveling the U.S. with three large dogs, call it a rare and beautiful experience worth revisiting. Source: Agency 

As summer temperatures soar, frozen drinks like milkshakes, malts, frappes and concretes offer a refreshing escape, but their names and recipes vary across regions and eateries in the U.S. Milkshakes, the most iconic of the bunch, are typically made by blending ice cream with milk and flavorings such as syrups, extracts or fruit. At Manhattan’s century-old Lexington Candy Shop, vanilla remains the most popular flavor, followed by chocolate, coffee and strawberry, according to co-owner John Philis. Specialty shakes include the black and white (vanilla and chocolate) and the Broadway (coffee ice cream with chocolate syrup). Malts are milkshakes enriched with malted milk powder, which combines malted barley, wheat flour and evaporated milk, giving a toasted, nutty flavor reminiscent of 1950s diners. How to know when your garden vegetables are ready to harvest Frappes differ by region. In Massachusetts, a frappe resembles a milkshake, sometimes just flavored milk. Coffee-based frappes, popularized by chains like Starbucks, are blended icy drinks topped with whipped cream. Other frozen treats include concretes — ultra-thick frozen custard blended with mix-ins like cookies or candy, requiring a spoon to eat. Ice cream floats mix ice cream with soda for a bubbly dessert, while ice cream sodas are made with syrup and seltzer, then topped with ice cream. Smoothies, often viewed as a healthier option, combine fruit, yogurt or juice and sometimes ice, though rich ingredients can make them high in sugar and calories. From creamy shakes to frothy floats, frozen drinks offer a variety of flavors and textures for summer indulgence.

Alliance Française de Dhaka (AFD) on Thursday inaugurated 'Troubling Rain', a solo photography exhibition by award-winning photographer and educator Abir Abdullah, at its La Galerie in the capital’s Dhanmondi. The opening ceremony was attended by prominent artist Dhali Al Mamoon, architect Saif Ul Haque, Ekhon TV editorial head Tushar Abdullah, and art critic Moinuddin Khaled. In the exhibition, Abir captures the contrasting faces of Dhaka’s monsoon season — celebrated in Bengali literature for its beauty and romance, yet marked by disruption and hardship. Shot over two decades, his images portray flooded streets, overturned umbrellas, and fragile urban infrastructure under relentless rain, offering intimate glimpses into the resilience of the city’s residents. Abir Abdullah, currently the Photography Workshop Coordinator at AFD, studied at the Bangladesh Photographic Institute and Pathshala, later advancing his skills through global workshops and documentary projects. His career has been recognised with prestigious honours including the Mother Jones International Fund for Documentary Photography and the Alexia Foundation professional grant. His works have been published in The New York Times, Asiaweek, and TIME, and exhibited in cities including London, Amsterdam, San Francisco, Perpignan, Quebec, and Sharjah. 'Troubling Rain' will remain open to visitors until August 23, from Monday to Saturday between 3 pm and 9 pm, at La Galerie, Alliance Française de Dhaka.

As schools reopen after the summer break, experts emphasize the importance of proper sleep to help children stay focused and attentive in class. Pediatricians advise easing students back into a routine ahead of the new academic year. “Good sleep is essential for learning and overall daily functioning,” said Dr. Gabrina Dixon, a pediatrician. Children’s sleep needs vary by age: preschoolers require up to 13 hours, tweens need 9 to 12 hours, and teenagers perform best with 8 to 10 hours of rest. Australia bans YouTube accounts for children under 16 from December Experts recommend setting earlier bedtimes a week or two before school begins or gradually advancing bedtime by 15 to 30 minutes each night. Heavy meals and screen time should be avoided at least two hours before bed, while relaxing activities such as reading or taking a shower can help children wind down. Exposure to morning daylight can also train the brain to wake up more effectively. Sleep quality is as important as duration. Anxiety about returning to school can make it difficult for children to fall asleep. Parents are encouraged to discuss their children’s worries and, where possible, prepare them for first-day challenges by visiting the school or familiarizing them with classmates. “Take a deep breath and start the schedule gradually,” Dr. Dixon advised, noting that children will adjust over time with consistent routines.   Source: Agency

For gardeners, late summer often means it’s nearly time to enjoy the rewards of months of planting and care. While some crops — like tomatoes, which should display a uniform red, yellow, or orange hue — clearly signal ripeness, others require a closer look. Key signs for popular vegetablesZucchini should be picked at 6–8 inches (15–20 cm) for best tenderness; oversized squash can become tough. Green beans are ready when about pencil-thick — harvesting every couple of days encourages more production. Green peppers can be picked anytime, but are fully mature (and sweeter) when red. Cucumbers are edible at all sizes but should be harvested before their skin becomes too smooth to avoid bitterness. Sweet corn is ready when its silk turns brown, and kernels release a milky fluid when pierced. Cantaloupes will detach easily from the vine when ripe, honeydew melons soften at the bottom, and watermelons are ready when their undersides turn creamy white. Crème fraîche creates a creamy broth in this recipe for briny-sweet steamed clams Root crops’ readinessGarlic bulbs mature when only about five leaves remain green. Onions are ready once their tops flop and brown. Beets are best at 1½–3 inches (3.8–5 cm) wide; larger roots may become woody. Standard potatoes are fully ready when foliage dies back, while “new” potatoes can be dug two to three weeks after blooming. Carrots can be harvested once their tops emerge above the soil and can remain in the ground for extended storage. Source: Agency 

International air flights connecting flights offer broader route options and competitive fares. However, for first-time flyers, navigating unfamiliar airports and managing transit procedures can be overwhelming. From booking to baggage, every step demands informed choices. This guide aims to simplify that journey by covering all essential aspects of multi-leg flights for beginners. Here’s a professional walkthrough for travelling globally through international air travel with connecting flights and layovers. Essential Tips for Connecting International Flights with Layovers . Pre-Booking Considerations Selecting the right flight involves more than just picking the lowest fare. Direct flights offer convenience and time savings but are often more expensive. Connecting flights, on the other hand, open access to competitive pricing and flexible routes, though they demand careful planning. Always prioritise a safe buffer between flights, preferably 2 to 4 hours for international connections. It's helpful to be proactive about potential delays, immigration checks, and terminal changes. Understanding visa and transit requirements is equally vital. In certain countries, a transit visa may be required even when the traveller remains within the airport's international zone. European hubs under the Schengen Zone often have specific rules that can surprise unprepared travellers. Read more: Shopping in Dubai: What to Buy, Where to Buy from Use tools like Skyscanner for price comparisons, FlightConnections for route mapping, and SeatGuru for aircraft layouts. For first-time travellers, airports with efficient signage and clear terminal layouts, such as Changi, Doha, or Munich, can make a noticeable difference. Booking Tips and Smart Planning When booking international flights with connections, the platform you use matters significantly. Direct airline websites often provide greater reliability, transparent policies, and easier support in case of delays or changes. While third-party portals may offer marginal savings, they can complicate refund or rescheduling processes. Most importantly, always ensure all legs of your journey are issued under a single ticket to secure your connection rights if a delay occurs. Your seat choice can also influence your transit ease. If your layover is short, seats near the front of the aircraft can reduce disembarking time. For critical schedules, business class may offer faster immigration clearance, priority boarding, and lounge access. Avoid tightly scheduled layovers, particularly during peak hours or late-night slots when airport services may be limited. Larger airports with complex terminal systems require longer transit windows. Read more: Shopping in Hong Kong: What to Buy, Where to Buy from Offline Assistance: Local Airline Offices For beginners, visiting the local office of an airline can provide clarity that online platforms often lack. These offices offer face-to-face guidance on booking complexities, baggage allowances, and layover arrangements. Printed itineraries, verified baggage details, and tailored layover advice make these visits particularly useful for first-time international travellers. Staff can also explain stopover hotel eligibility and suggest suitable travel insurance. They can even walk travellers through rechecking procedures during connections. Before visiting, travellers should prepare specific questions in advance on layover durations, visa implications, baggage handling, and airline-provided accommodations. Airport Navigation During Connection Upon arrival at a layover airport, following signage marked “Connecting Flights” is essential to maintaining the scheduled transfer. Depending on the airport's infrastructure, an additional security screening may be required even if the traveller remains within the international zone. Terminal changes are a critical aspect of many large hub connections. Identifying the mode of terminal transfer is best achieved through official airport apps or terminal maps. It usually applies particularly in complex airports such as Heathrow, Dubai, or Changi. Read more: Trip to Bali: A Comprehensive Travel Guide Transit procedures vary by location. In some cases, international passengers may be required to clear immigration before proceeding to the next gate, even without exiting the airport. A clear understanding of these processes contributes significantly to a smooth onwards journey. Baggage Transfer Rules Understanding baggage transfer protocols is essential when planning journeys involving connecting flights. When tickets are issued under a single booking, baggage is typically through-checked to the final destination. This eliminates the need to collect and recheck luggage during transit. However, bookings involving separate airlines, particularly those outside major alliances, often require travellers to claim and reprocess their bags at each stop. Given such uncertainties, a well-packed carry-on becomes crucial. Essential items such as medications, travel documents, a change of clothes, and valuables should remain easily accessible. Additionally, international regulations must be observed – liquid limits, electronic device screenings, and prohibited items vary by region. Strategic packing prepares for baggage mishandling while ensuring compliance with aviation regulations. Dealing with Flight Delays and Missed Connections In the event of delays, rebooking and compensation depend on jurisdiction and ticket structure. Under regulations, passengers are entitled to assistance and compensation when delays or missed connections result from the airline’s fault. However, when connections are missed due to short layovers or separately booked itineraries, responsibility often shifts to the traveller. Read more: Thai e-Visa for Bangladeshis: Step-by-Step Guide to Apply Online Comprehensive travel insurance can significantly mitigate these risks. Coverage for delays, missed onwards flights, and baggage issues offers both financial protection and access to emergency support. Familiarity with policy terms and claim procedures ensures timely assistance when disruptions occur. Punctuality and Being Concerned Efficient time management is fundamental to successful transit. For domestic-to-domestic connections, a layover of at least 60–90 minutes is generally sufficient. However, international connections, especially those requiring terminal changes, demand a minimum of 2 to 4 hours. Upon landing, adjusting the phone or watch to the local time zone helps maintain alignment with airport schedules and departure times. Information desks, real-time flight display monitors, and airport Wi-Fi services can provide critical updates and assistance. Boarding gates are occasionally changed, and announcements may not always be repeated. Maintaining personal well-being and safety enhances comfort during longer waits. Many major airports offer lounges, rest zones, and prayer facilities. Valuables, passports, and essential documents should never be left unattended, particularly during overnight layovers or crowded peak hours. Read more: Top 10 Online Platforms to Book International Flights from Bangladesh Wrap Up This beginner’s guide to international air travel with connecting flights has covered every critical phase. It spans from pre-booking decisions and offline assistance to baggage handling, transit procedures, and time management. Each step presents unique challenges, but with structured preparation, even complex itineraries can unfold with confidence. Staying informed about airline rules, visa requirements, and airport layouts can significantly reduce stress. A well-packed carry-on, timely bookings, and awareness of passenger rights further support smoother travel experiences.