United News of Bangladesh

Pop superstar Taylor Swift attended Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference finals on Saturday night alongside her fiancé Travis Kelce as the Cleveland Cavaliers hosted the New York Knicks. The celebrity couple arrived courtside at Rocket Arena shortly before tipoff, drawing loud reactions from fans as cameras focused on them during the game. Kelce, a Cleveland native and longtime Cavaliers supporter, appeared highly engaged throughout the contest, enthusiastically cheering for the home team. During the third quarter, with Cleveland trailing 91-82, the pair appeared on the arena’s giant video board, prompting another wave of cheers from spectators. Kelce showed off his Cavaliers cap and team-colored shirt before chugging a beer, while Swift reacted playfully by covering her mouth in mock surprise. Swift has frequently attended NFL games since beginning her relationship with Kelce several years ago and has also accompanied him to other major sporting events, including a 2024 American League Championship Series game at Yankee Stadium. Kelce, who recently signed a three-year, $54 million contract extension with the Kansas City Chiefs, has regularly attended Cavaliers games over the years. In 2024, he and his brother Jason Kelce were honored by the Cavaliers with a special bobblehead giveaway. The couple announced their engagement last year, with media reports suggesting they may marry later this summer. The Knicks currently lead the best-of-seven playoff series 2-0 after winning the opening two games in New York.

Veteran Hollywood actor Bruce Dern received a warm tribute at the Cannes Film Festival this week as a new documentary on his life and career premiered at the festival. The documentary, titled Dernsie: The Amazing Life of Bruce Dern, looks back at Dern’s decades-long journey in Hollywood. The actor, who turns 90 next month, attended the premiere on Thursday. Speaking at Cannes alongside his daughter, actress Laura Dern, Bruce Dern reflected on his long career in films. He recalled that acting legends Elia Kazan and Lee Strasberg once warned him that he was unlikely to become a leading man in Hollywood. Instead, they advised him to become “the most honest and unique fifth cowboy on the right.” Dern said he accepted that challenge and focused on building a lasting career. The actor first visited Cannes with legendary filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock during the release of Marnie. In 2013, he won the festival’s Best Actor award for his performance in Nebraska directed by Alexander Payne. Laura Dern, who has often accompanied her father throughout his career, joined him once again at Cannes. She said many people used to tell her they “loved to hate” her father because of the memorable villain roles he played on screen. Bruce Dern became famous for portraying intense and unpredictable characters in films such as The Cowboys, where he shot John Wayne, and Black Sunday, in which he played a troubled Vietnam War veteran planning an attack on the Super Bowl. Acclaimed filmmaker Quentin Tarantino praised Dern in the documentary, calling him “one of the finest and most entertaining examples of great American acting.” The documentary was directed by Mike Mendez, who described Dern as energetic and unpredictable during interviews, often moving from one story to another without warning. Dern also spoke about his famous improvisations on film sets, which friends and colleagues nicknamed “Dernsies.” He credited actor Jack Nicholson for creating the term after noticing one of Dern’s spontaneous acting moments in the film Drive, He Said. He also shared a memory from the set of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, saying actor Brad Pitt became emotional after one of his improvised lines during filming. Despite his age, Dern said he has no plans to retire and wants to continue acting for as long as possible. Over his career, Bruce Dern has appeared in more than 150 productions, including The Great Gatsby, Coming Home, The Hateful Eight and The 'Burbs. He has also received two Academy Award nominations.

Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Hollywood actress Eva Longoria shared a warm moment at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival, and the video has quickly gone viral on social media. Aishwarya, who made her much-awaited appearance at the festival, was seen greeting Eva Longoria with cheek kisses on the red carpet. The two stars, who have known each other for years, also posed together for photographs during the event, which concludes on May 23. Eva later shared the moment on her Instagram Stories by reposting a video from Galafr. Dressed in white, she was seen walking the red carpet before meeting Aishwarya. The Hollywood actress also posted several pictures from the event with the caption: “All white for the Palais.” Eva Longoria also met Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez during the festival. Jacqueline praised Eva’s efforts through the Global Gift Foundation, saying the organisation promotes hope, dignity, inclusion and equal opportunity. Sharing her experience on Instagram, Jacqueline thanked Eva Longoria and María Bravo for inviting her to co-chair the Global Gift Foundation event in Cannes. She described the experience as “powerful and inspiring” and said the foundation combines awareness with meaningful action and long-term impact. Meanwhile, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan turned heads in a custom-made outfit designed by Amit Aggarwal. The designer shared details of the look on social media, saying the dress featured “Crystal Vein embroidery” with thousands of crystal embellishments arranged in sculptural patterns. According to the designer, the abyss blue gown, inspired by cosmic light and infinite space, took more than 1,500 hours of craftsmanship to complete. Source: NDTV

Every year on the final Thursday of the Cannes Film Festival, celebrities, business tycoons and socialites leave the famous Croisette and travel to the luxurious Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes for the annual amfAR Gala, one of the festival’s most glamorous charity events. The gala raises funds for AIDS research. This year’s event is hosted by Geena Davis, with performances expected from Robbie Williams, Lizzo and Zara Larsson. Since 1985, amfAR has raised nearly $950 million (841 million euros) for AIDS-related programmes and funded more than 3,800 research grants worldwide. The Associated Press has been covering the event for more than 10 years and will livestream arrivals from the gala on Thursday from 1600 GMT on YouTube and APNews.com. Getting to the exclusive venue is no easy task. Guests need special car passes to approach the hotel, while taxis and limousines slowly move through narrow French coastal roads before reaching the famous gates. Visitors are repeatedly reminded not to leave their cars and walk the final stretch to the venue. After entering, guests receive wristbands and assigned table numbers before joining another line for the red carpet, where celebrities and invited guests pose together for photographers. Others quietly skip the spotlight and enter from the back. Beyond the red carpet, guests move to the hotel’s scenic lawn overlooking the sea, with yachts visible offshore as the sun sets. Bars serve Champagne, cocktails and wine, while waiters offer snacks and DJs play soft music. Celebrity encounters are common throughout the evening. Last year, Spike Lee and Adrien Brody were seen chatting over Champagne. Inside the gala, artworks are displayed before being auctioned later in the evening to raise money for charity. At around 8 pm, organisers begin calling guests into the dinner tent, though many continue socialising and taking photos before finally heading inside. Last year, Jeff Bezos drew attention as he moved between tables greeting guests. Dinner continues late into the night alongside the charity auction. This year’s auction items include a walk-on role in season six of the hit TV show Emily in Paris, a seven-day Arctic adventure with explorer Inge Solheim, and artworks by Tracey Emin and Andy Warhol. One of last year’s most expensive items was a Dodge Charger driven by Vin Diesel in the movie Fast X, which sold for 475,000 euros. Music performances are another major attraction during the dinner. Last year, Ciara opened the event, while Adam Lambert performed alongside Duran Duran, encouraging guests to sing along to popular songs including Notorious and A View to a Kill. Fashion also plays a major role at the gala. Last year, a James Bond-inspired fashion collection curated by Carine Roitfeld raised 450,000 euros for the charity. After dinner, the auction and live performances, guests head to the hotel’s poolside after-party, where celebrations continue until early morning.

Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu stumbles in its transition to the big screen, delivering a disjointed and uneven expansion of the popular Disney+ series that fails to match the scale and ambition of earlier Star Wars films, according to a review. The film, directed by Jon Favreau, brings the bounty hunter Mandalorian from television to cinemas as part of a summer tentpole release. However, the story is described as overlong and cluttered, leaning heavily on computer-generated visuals and action sequences that feel repetitive rather than expansive. Pedro Pascal returns as the masked warrior, portrayed as a relentless fighter moving from one mission to another. The review notes that the character’s personal depth is largely absent, while the tone shifts mid-film to give more focus to Grogu, the small Force-sensitive companion whose presence remains the emotional center of the franchise. Sigourney Weaver appears as a New Republic colonel who criticizes the Mandalorian’s violent methods, a sentiment echoed by the film’s own uneven handling of action and tone. The plot follows a straightforward bounty mission involving a former Imperial commander and a detour tied to Jabba the Hutt’s criminal family, introducing a new character voiced by Jeremy Allen White. The narrative is filled with chase scenes, space battles, and creature-filled set pieces, but the review suggests these elements feel formulaic and overly familiar to genre audiences. The film also includes unexpected cameos and voice roles, including one by Martin Scorsese, but the reviewer argues that such additions do little to elevate the overall experience. Musically, the score by Ludwig Göransson is described as inconsistent, while the visual design is said to rely too heavily on digital effects that weaken the tactile charm associated with earlier Star Wars storytelling. Ultimately, the review concludes that the film lacks narrative stakes, as it avoids galaxy-shaping conflicts and instead focuses on a smaller, less compelling mission. While fans may still enjoy familiar Star Wars imagery and characters, the overall execution is described as underwhelming, leaving the galaxy feeling less magical than before.

The New York Times has filed a second lawsuit against the United States Department of Defense in five months, challenging a policy that requires journalists to be accompanied by escorts while inside the Pentagon. The newspaper argues that the rule violates the First Amendment of the US Constitution, which protects freedom of the press. “The policy is an unconstitutional attempt by the Pentagon to block independent reporting on military affairs,” Times spokesperson Charlie Stadtlander said. He said the American public has the right to know how the government and military are operating using taxpayers’ money. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell rejected the claim, saying in a post on X that the lawsuit was an attempt to gain easier access to classified information. The case marks the latest chapter in an ongoing dispute between the media and President Donald Trump’s second administration. The Times first sued the Pentagon in December after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth introduced new rules for journalists seeking access to the building. In March, US District Judge Paul L. Friedman struck down those restrictions, ruling that they violated the rights of Times reporter Julian E. Barnes and the newspaper. After the ruling, the Pentagon introduced an interim policy requiring reporters to be escorted at all times while inside the building. In April, Judge Friedman said the new policy also violated his earlier order. However, the escort rule remained in place after an appeals court temporarily suspended part of the judge’s decision while the government challenges it. The new lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Washington, directly challenges the escort requirement on constitutional grounds. The Times said the rule is part of a broader effort to limit access for journalists who are unwilling to report only what Pentagon officials approve. The newspaper called the policy “clearly unconstitutional.” In its earlier lawsuit, the Times and several other news organizations refused to accept the Pentagon’s new terms for obtaining press credentials and left their workspaces inside the building. They continue to cover the US military from outside the Pentagon, while journalists approved under the new rules now occupy the press offices. Parnell said the escort policy is lawful and narrowly designed to protect national security information from unauthorized disclosure.

Ella Langley was the biggest winner at this year’s Academy of Country Music Awards, taking home four major awards, while Cody Johnson won the night’s top prize, entertainer of the year. Langley started the evening by winning song of the year for her hit “Choosin’ Texas.” She later picked up single of the year for the same song, music event of the year with Riley Green for their duet “Don’t Mind If I Do,” and female artist of the year. Accepting her awards, Langley thanked her fans and said she was overwhelmed by the support she has received, especially from women in the industry. Johnson, meanwhile, won both male artist of the year and entertainer of the year. In his acceptance speech, he said music allows him to express emotion and dedicated his top award to Luke Combs. The 61st annual ACM Awards took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, after being held in Texas for the previous three years. Shania Twain hosted the show for the first time. She opened with her iconic hit “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” and praised the growing influence of women in country music. The ceremony featured performances by some of country music’s biggest stars, including Lainey Wilson, Miranda Lambert, Thomas Rhett, Kacey Musgraves, Blake Shelton and Kane Brown. The Red Clay Strays won group of the year, while Brooks & Dunn were named duo of the year. Parker McCollum won album of the year for his self-titled 2025 release, beating strong competition from Morgan Wallen and others. Before the main ceremony, Langley was also named artist-songwriter of the year. Jessie Jo Dillon won songwriter of the year for the third consecutive year.

The third namaz-e-janaza of content creator and actress Kaarina Kaisar was held at the Central Shaheed Minar on Sunday night, with a large number of colleagues, supporters and admirers gathering to pay their last respects. The namaz-e-janaza took place around 10:30pm and was attended by leaders and activists of various political parties and organisations, including National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam, Dhaka city Jamaat Secretary General Dr Shafiqul Islam Masud, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal President Rakibul Islam Rakib and General Secretary Nasir Uddin Nasir.    

The first namaz-e-janaza of popular content creator Kaarina Kaisar was held after Maghrib prayers at around 7:00 pm on Sunday at Banani DOHS Jame Mosque. Earlier, her body arrived in Dhaka from Chennai, India, at around 5:00 pm. The second namaz-e-janaza will be held at 8:30 pm at Banani Darbar Sharif Mosque, followed by the third at 10:00 pm at the Central Shaheed Minar, said Kaarina’s father and former national football team captain Kaisar Hamid after the first janaza. After attending the first janaza, NCP Convener Nahid Islam urged people across the country and July movement activists to attend Kaarina’s namaz-e-janaza at the Shaheed Minar. He said Kaarina had been a fellow activist during the July uprising. “We deeply mourn her death and pray for her departed soul,” he said. The fourth funeral prayer will be held on Monday after Fajr prayers at 7:00 am in Gazaria Upazila of Munshiganj. She will then be buried at the family graveyard. Kaarina passed away on Saturday while undergoing treatment in Chennai due to liver-related complications. She was 32.

The body of popular content creator Kaarina Kaisar who died in Chennai, India, due to liver-related complications will arrive in Dhaka on Sunday afternoon. Later, she will be laid to rest in Munshiganj on Monday. “Karina’s body will return to the country around 5:00 pm on Sunday. Many thanks to US-Bangla Airlines for waiving the cargo fee. I would also like to thank Deputy Secretary Hafizur Rahman Sajal, a well-wisher of our family, for his wholehearted support,” Kaarina’s father and former national football team captain Kaisar Hamid wrote on Facebook early Sunday. Her first namaz-e-janaza will be held after Maghrib prayers at 7:00 pm at Banani DOHS Jame Mosque. The second prayer will take place at 8:30 pm at Banani Darbar Sharif Mosque, followed by the third at 10:00 pm at the Central Shaheed Minar, he added. The fourth funeral prayer will be held on Monday after Fajr prayers at 7:00 am in Munshiganj's Abdullapur. She will then be buried at the family graveyard. Earlier, Kaarina passed away on Saturday while undergoing treatment in Chennai due to liver-related complications. She was 31.