United News of Bangladesh

As heatwaves sweep across China during the summer, the country's southwestern karst regions are turning their naturally cool caves into unconventional tourist attractions, offering visitors a respite from the heat while creating new business opportunities. Guided by a local expert, tourist Chang Ting recently entered a natural cave in Guizhou Province. After walking about 100 metres along a narrow, rocky passage, she lost mobile phone reception. “It felt like stepping into a crack in time, and all the noise faded away,” said Chang, who is from Xi'an, capital of northwestern Shaanxi Province. Cave exploration has emerged as a new summer tourism trend among young Chinese travellers. The growing interest is providing visitors with novel sightseeing experiences while helping boost local consumption. Videos featuring cave exploration in Guizhou have gone viral on major lifestyle and short-video platforms, collecting more than 5 million likes, while related topics have attracted hundreds of millions of views.

Li Chen-hsiu faced questions about her nationality, identity and loyalty to Taiwan just a day after taking her oath as a member of Taiwan's Legislature. Li, who was born in China and became a Taiwanese citizen through marriage, is known as a “mainland spouse.” She is among around 369,000 Chinese-born people in Taiwan whose status has come under greater scrutiny as tensions with China continue to rise. For two months, Li was the only China-born lawmaker in Taiwan who had moved to the island through marriage before she was forced to leave the legislature. “It’s only because of Taiwan, which has this free and democratic system, and the Taiwan People’s Party, which was willing to give a political newcomer a chance, that I could have this opportunity,” she told The Associated Press in July. But growing fears of a possible Chinese military attack have made life more difficult for mainland spouses. The group includes people from different generations and backgrounds, ranging from women who married former Chinese soldiers to younger and more educated people who married Taiwanese citizens after cross-strait travel restrictions eased. Decades of tensionChina and Taiwan split after a civil war in 1949, when the Nationalist government fled to the island. The two sides cut off most contact for decades until Taiwan allowed residents to visit relatives in China in 1987. Tensions have risen again since 2016, when independence-leaning President Tsai Ing-wen took office and Beijing ended official communication with Taipei. China now regularly sends military aircraft and naval vessels near Taiwan and has increased efforts to isolate the island diplomatically. Beijing has also kept Taiwan out of international organisations and used disinformation campaigns against it. The growing threat has intensified debate over who can be trusted in Taiwan. A New Taipei court on Tuesday sentenced Hsu Chun-ying, head of an organisation that supports mainland spouses, to seven years in prison for allegedly working for Beijing to spy on Taiwan and interfere in its politics. Older generation came to Taiwan after marriageMi Zhengrong, 72, is among the older generation of mainland spouses. She met her first husband through relatives in China's Hubei province. He was a former soldier who had fled to Taiwan during the civil war. After cross-strait visits were allowed, some veterans returned to China and married women there before bringing them to Taiwan. Mi married her husband and lived with him in China before they moved to Taiwan in 2002 because he missed the island. He died after 12 years of marriage. Mi later married a neighbour in Taiwan and cared for him for nearly a decade after he became paralysed. She is now seeking his military pension, but he died 13 days before their marriage reached the 10-year requirement. Although the military initially granted her the pension, it later withdrew it after finding that the couple had been married for less than 10 years. Mi now survives on about 10,000 New Taiwan dollars ($330) a month, with around one-third going toward rent. Despite her difficulties, she said she wants to remain in Taiwan. “How many of us want to go back?” she said. “No one wants to go back.” Taiwan had previously introduced measures to help mainland spouses integrate, including reducing the waiting period for citizenship and allowing them to work. But authorities have recently begun tightening those policies. Last spring, Taiwan deported three Chinese-born women who had used social media to advocate reunification with China by force. The Mainland Affairs Council said they posed repeated threats to Taiwan's national security and social stability. Immigration authorities have also asked around 12,000 mainland spouses who already hold Taiwanese citizenship to prove they had cancelled their household registrations in China. Those who fail to provide the documents could lose their Taiwanese citizenship. Li's case sparks debateLi entered the legislature in February with the Taiwan People's Party but quickly faced strong opposition. Taiwan's interior minister said she could not serve because she had not provided documents showing she had given up her Chinese citizenship. The Mainland Affairs Council also said she failed to provide proof on time that she had held only one nationality for the previous 10 years. Li argued that she had been a Taiwanese citizen since 1999 and had cancelled her Chinese household registration that year, which she said fulfilled the requirements. The dispute remained unresolved until April, when her party expelled her. The government subsequently tightened requirements for Chinese-born lawmakers. A spokesperson for the Mainland Affairs Council said the decision was based on legal requirements, not politics. Some legal experts, however, accused the government of applying the rules selectively. Bruce Liao, a law professor and immigration law expert at National Chengchi University, said some laws were being interpreted in a distorted way. Others defended the government's approach as necessary for national security. Yen-Tu Su, a researcher at Academia Sinica, said the government has a strong interest in protecting the country and should have some authority to determine whether a foreign-born resident poses a threat to public safety. Different rules for Chinese-born spousesEven before the latest controversy, Chinese-born spouses faced different rules from spouses from other countries. Mainland spouses can apply for Taiwanese citizenship after six years, compared with four years for foreign spouses. They must also hold Taiwanese citizenship for 10 years before applying for government jobs, while foreign spouses can apply for most lower-level government positions soon after becoming citizens. The different treatment is largely linked to concerns over loyalty and China's security threats. Shangguanluan, a Chinese writer and activist who moved to Taiwan with her Taiwanese husband in 2021, said she often faces questions about whether she is working for China's Communist Party or could be a spy. She acknowledged that Beijing actively seeks information but said mainland spouses are unlikely to be its most valuable targets. “If they want some core secrets,” she said, they are more likely to target people with direct access to sensitive information, such as defence officials, technology experts, academics or senior business figures. “There’s no room for ‘mainland spouses’” among the most valuable targets for such information, she said.

Sara Tendulkar has described her brother Arjun Tendulkar's wedding as a "trial round" that helped her understand what she would and would not want for her own wedding in the future. Arjun Tendulkar married Saaniya Chandhok on March 5, with Sara sharing several moments from the celebrations with her followers on social media. In a recent interview with Vogue, Sara said attending her brother's wedding gave her a chance to think about her own preferences. "I feel like that was a great trial round for me. Now I know what I want and what I don't want," she said. Sara said she had imagined herself as a bride in pastel colours while growing up and once dreamed of a large and lavish wedding. Her preferences have changed with time, however. She now leans towards a smaller, more intimate celebration and said she might even choose a traditional red bridal outfit. "I'm a Libra, very indecisive. Who knows? Maybe I'll go with green," she joked. Sara also shared her views on relationships and marriage, saying she believes members of Gen Z are willing to walk away from relationships that no longer feel right. She said some people may realise during their engagement or before their wedding that they cannot continue with their partner or the partner's family. "I think walking away before you're married is a great step," Sara said, adding that younger people are more confident about standing up for themselves when a relationship is not working. Sara also spoke about her parents, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and Anjali Tendulkar, who married in 1995 after being in a relationship for several years. She said their friendship and sense of humour are qualities she would like to have in her own future relationship. "My parents are very good friends before anything else. They have this really fun banter at home, and that's definitely something I would want in my future partner," she said. Sara also admired the way her parents maintained their relationship despite periods of long distance, noting that communication was more difficult before smartphones and apps such as WhatsApp and FaceTime became common. Asked whether she considers love to be closely connected with friendship, Sara replied, "Exactly." She said she would like to believe that romantic soulmates exist, but considers her closest friends to be her soulmates. Sara, the elder child of Sachin and Anjali Tendulkar, was born in Mumbai on October 12, 1997.

Gouri Kunj, the iconic Mumbai bungalow once owned by legendary singer and actor Kishore Kumar, has entered a new chapter as part of the property now houses Indian cricketer Virat Kohli’s One8 Commune restaurant. Located in the upscale seaside neighbourhood of Juhu, the bungalow has long been associated with Kishore Kumar, one of Hindi cinema’s most celebrated singers and actors. Named after his mother, Gouri Devi, Gouri Kunj was much more than a home for Kishore Kumar. It was a private retreat where he composed music, met friends and colleagues and enjoyed time away from the busy film industry. The property was surrounded by greenery, lawns and courtyards, reflecting Kumar’s love for nature and privacy. A peaceful retreatBuilt during the height of Kishore Kumar’s career in the mid-20th century, the bungalow was designed as a quiet escape rather than a grand display of wealth. Its open spaces, natural light and garden surroundings created a relaxed atmosphere. The setting also reflected Kumar’s preference for a private and informal lifestyle despite his immense fame. The bungalow became closely linked to some of the singer’s well-known eccentricities. In a widely cited 1985 interview, Kumar reportedly said he considered the trees in his garden among his closest companions and had given names to some of them. He was also known for his strong desire for privacy. A sign outside the entrance reportedly carried the words, “Beware of Kishore.” A meeting place for music loversGouri Kunj was also associated with Kumar’s passion for music. Friends from the film industry, composers and other collaborators often visited the residence. The spacious gardens and relaxed surroundings offered a setting where Kumar could spend time with people from the industry without the formal atmosphere often associated with celebrity homes. From heritage bungalow to modern restaurantPart of Gouri Kunj was leased for Virat Kohli’s One8 Commune in 2022, bringing a modern restaurant into a property with a rich connection to Hindi cinema. The restaurant’s design retains elements that echo the bungalow’s original character, including an emphasis on natural light, greenery and open spaces. Warm wooden finishes, brass details and large glass panels are combined with indoor plants and vertical greenery, creating a contemporary setting while maintaining the property's connection with nature. The transformation has given part of Gouri Kunj a new purpose while keeping the historic property connected to Kishore Kumar’s legacy. For visitors, the site now offers a glimpse of how a landmark associated with one of Indian cinema’s most beloved artists has evolved while retaining traces of its past. Source: NDTV

Sydney Towle, a social media creator who openly documented her life with a rare form of cancer while maintaining an optimistic outlook, has died at the age of 26, her family said. Towle was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, a rare and aggressive cancer affecting the bile ducts, in August 2023. Her mother, Elizabeth Morrow, and brother, Austin Towle, announced her death in a video posted to her TikTok account. Her brother said Towle died peacefully after an almost three-year battle with the disease. He said the family was proud of her strength and grateful for the support she received from her followers. Her mother also thanked people for their messages and said her daughter would not be forgotten. The family described Towle as “an endless ray of sunshine” and someone who had been a friend to many. Towle was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts, on Nov. 15, 1999, and grew up in Hobe Sound, Florida, according to The New York Times. She died at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, the newspaper reported. Towle was already active on social media before her diagnosis, sharing videos about her daily life, including her love of the beach and outdoors. She was also an avid surfer and runner. After being diagnosed at 23, she began sharing an honest account of her illness and treatment while continuing to enjoy her hobbies, friendships, travel and personal style. Her TikTok account eventually attracted more than 1 million followers. Shortly after her diagnosis, Towle posted a video saying she was in good spirits and that the experience had made her appreciate life even more. That positive outlook became a central part of her online presence. Her posts showed her running, traveling and spending time with friends alongside updates from hospital rooms and chemotherapy appointments. In February, her mother wrote about the need for greater research funding for the rare cancer and said her daughter had become “a beacon of hope for so many.” She said people regularly told Towle that her openness about her experience had helped them through their own difficulties. Towle graduated from Dartmouth College in 2022 with degrees in government and environmental studies. She later worked as a social media manager at Epic Games. She had also planned to run the 2026 New York City Marathon in November to raise funds for the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation. She had already raised more than $10,000 for the organization, which supports cancer research and provides resources to patients and caregivers. In a LinkedIn post, Towle acknowledged that running a marathon while dealing with cancer might seem unrealistic but said hope had been an important part of her experience. Towle is survived by her mother and brother. Her father, Philip Towle, died in 2016.

Long before Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon, he was a teenager building model airplanes in his family home in Ohio. That house, where Armstrong developed his early interest in aviation, is now up for sale for the first time in nearly 40 years. The two-story home at 601 W. Benton St. in Wapakoneta has remained largely unchanged over the years. Its future is uncertain, but its current owner hopes whoever buys it will preserve its connection to one of the most important moments in space history. Inside the house, Armstrong’s childhood bedroom sits at the top of a creaky staircase. As a boy, he used to launch model airplanes from the rear window to see how far they could fly. The room now displays photographs signed by astronauts who have visited the house to see where Armstrong’s journey to the moon began. Armstrong’s family moved into the house when he was a young teenager. He built model planes using balsa wood and glue in the dining room and set up a wind tunnel in the basement to test them. He also rode his bicycle from the house to a nearby airstrip for flying lessons. At 16, Armstrong made his first solo flight and earned his pilot’s license. Two decades later, he went into space for the first time. In 1969, he became the first person to walk on the moon during NASA’s Apollo 11 mission. After the historic moon landing, Armstrong taught at the University of Cincinnati. Astronauts have visited the houseThe house is sometimes visited by people coming to Wapakoneta’s Armstrong Air and Space Museum, although it is not open for regular tours. Karen Mikesell bought the property in 1988. At the time, she did not know that Armstrong had once lived there until another teacher told her. Mikesell, a former history teacher and school principal, decided to preserve the house as closely as possible to how the Armstrong family had kept it. Over the years, she has welcomed nine astronauts, including Buzz Aldrin, who traveled to the moon with Armstrong and Michael Collins in 1969. Mikesell recalled Aldrin visiting Armstrong’s old bedroom several years after Armstrong died in 2012. She has also received a moon rock and a piece of gold foil that once covered the Apollo 11 command module. Several astronauts have signed photographs for her with personal messages thanking her for caring for Armstrong’s childhood home. “You can read books, but you can never have those kinds of experiences that I was able to have because I lived here,” Mikesell said. A house filled with Armstrong memoriesArmstrong’s family bought the house in 1944 after his father’s government job had forced the family to move many times. Armstrong, the oldest of three children, was born at a farmhouse near Wapakoneta, a city now home to fewer than 10,000 people. The Benton Street house still looks much as it did from the outside, with its large front porch. The interior layout has also remained largely the same, although some updates have been made. A garage built by Armstrong and his father using scrap wood still stands in the backyard. A nearby chicken coop, where Armstrong and his friends once held Boy Scout meetings, is no longer there. His old bedroom is now filled with photographs and paintings related to the moon landing. A model of the Wright brothers’ first production airplane hangs from the ceiling. The aviation pioneers, who were from nearby Dayton, inspired Armstrong. Mikesell never met Armstrong, who was known for keeping his private life out of the public eye. But she spoke with his parents, siblings and children about the house and its role in his upbringing. A piece of history on the marketMikesell, 82, hopes the house can eventually be preserved as part of Armstrong’s legacy. She would like to see someone buy the property and donate it to the Armstrong Air and Space Museum. However, museum spokesperson Logan Rex said the museum does not have enough money to purchase the house. The property, listed at $430,000, is not legally protected from changes by future owners. Mikesell hopes, however, that the next owner will recognize its historical value, whether the house remains a private residence or is turned into a place where visitors can stay. “It’s time to let someone else have the opportunity to be as blessed as I’ve been,” she said, while expressing hope that the new owner will care for the house and preserve it as part of history.

The costume designers of the upcoming film Ramayana have responded to criticism and online trolling over the looks of Sai Pallavi as Sita and Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi. Since the trailer was released, the film’s costumes have become a major topic of discussion on social media. While some viewers questioned the modern styling of certain characters, others posted memes comparing Lara Dutta’s Kaikeyi with characters from popular television serials. Costume designers Rimple and Harpreet Narula said they had expected different reactions to their work, given the cultural importance of the Ramayana. “We knew conversations and comparisons were inevitable. An epic like the Ramayana has lived in our collective consciousness for generations,” Rimple said. She said viewers would naturally have different opinions about the casting, costumes and visual effects. “What has kept us grounded is our honesty towards our craft,” she said. Why Sita’s costume was designed that wayRimple also explained the thinking behind Sita’s blouse, which has drawn criticism online. She said the design was a deliberate choice based on her personal understanding of Sita rather than an attempt to recreate historical or archaeological clothing. “When I close my eyes and think of Goddess Sita, I don't think about archaeological authenticity. I wanted my Goddess, the one sitting in my mandir, to look like the image that has lived in my consciousness,” she said. Symbolism behind Kaikeyi’s lookHarpreet, meanwhile, explained the thought behind Kaikeyi’s costume, which has also faced criticism online. He said the colours were chosen to represent different aspects of the character. “The green in her costume represents motherhood, while the deep maroon reflects the emotional strength and darkness of the decision she has to make,” he said. He added that Kaikeyi is caught between her own son and Rama, and every colour in her costume was selected for a reason. “Sometimes people react too quickly before understanding the thought behind it,” he said. Harpreet urged viewers to watch the film before reaching a final judgment about its visual choices. “This is our attempt to make an ancient epic speak visually to a new generation. There's thought behind every thread,” he said. “We want to appeal to viewers: don't decide before you see it. Watch it, experience it and then form your opinion.” The Ramayana trailer was released on July 30. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor as Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Ravi Dubey as Lakshman and Yash as Ravana. Arun Govil plays King Dasharatha, Lara Dutta plays Kaikeyi, Rakul Preet Singh plays Shurpanakha, Shobana plays Kaikesi and Vivek Oberoi plays Vidyutjihva. Jatayu also appears in the trailer. However, Sunny Deol’s Hanuman, along with characters such as Bharat, Shatrughan and Kausalya, does not appear in the trailer. Source: NDTV

Actor Sai Pallavi has said she turned down a reported Rs 2 crore endorsement deal for a fairness cream because she did not want to promote products that could make people feel insecure about their skin colour. The actor, who will play Sita in Ramayana: Part 1, said she believes people should feel confident about their natural appearance rather than try to meet society's beauty standards. Speaking in an earlier interview with Bollywood Hungama, Sai Pallavi said she has never endorsed beauty products because she rarely uses makeup and prefers to appear naturally on screen. "You need to be confident about who you are and your skin colour," she said. The actor explained that her decision was also influenced by her younger sister's experiences. She recalled that her sister was often encouraged to eat certain foods with the belief that they would make her fairer, which deeply upset her. "I felt I needed to stand up for that, at least for my sister's sake. Otherwise, what would I do with all that money?" Sai Pallavi said. She also shared that she had struggled with acne before entering the film industry and had tried many skincare products because she felt self-conscious about her appearance. "I didn't want to leave home because I thought people would only notice my pimples," she said. However, after making her acting debut in the 2015 Malayalam film Premam, she realised audiences accepted her despite her acne, which gave her greater confidence. Sai Pallavi said many young people later told her they felt encouraged after seeing someone succeed without hiding such skin conditions. She added that this inspired her to avoid promoting products that might make people question their appearance or feel less confident about themselves. While explaining her decision, the actor said she respects those who choose to endorse such brands but wanted to remain true to her own beliefs. Source: NDTV

A treadmill can be a simple way to stay active and support overall fitness. It is easy to use and widely available in gyms. Regular treadmill exercise can help improve cardiovascular fitness, support heart health, lift mood and keep the body active. A fitness coach has shared a 30-minute treadmill routine that gradually increases and decreases the incline. According to Usamaa, who uses the name usamaa.fitness on Instagram, following a structured routine can make treadmill workouts easier to maintain. The workout begins with five minutes at incline 5 as a warm-up. The incline is then increased to 8 for another five minutes, followed by incline 10 for five minutes and incline 12 for the next five minutes. After reaching the highest incline, the routine gradually becomes easier. The incline is lowered to 8 for five minutes before finishing with another five minutes at incline 5. The full workout takes 30 minutes. “It burns calories without wrecking your recovery. You’ll feel it, but you won’t dread coming back tomorrow, and you can actually stay consistent with it,” the trainer said. The coach recommends maintaining consistency while also allowing enough time for rest and recovery. For a balanced fitness routine, treadmill workouts can be combined with age-appropriate strength and other physical activities. Eating regular, nutritious meals and getting enough protein and other essential nutrients are also important for supporting an active lifestyle. Anyone starting a new exercise routine should choose an intensity that feels comfortable and gradually build up as their fitness improves. Source: NDTV

Workers at one of Europe’s last remaining bell foundries are using modern technology alongside centuries-old techniques to keep the traditional craft alive. Wearing protective gear against the intense heat of molten bronze, workers at the Grassmayr Bell Foundry in Innsbruck carefully pour the metal into specially shaped molds to cast bells weighing several tons. The foundry is currently producing 12 bells for churches in Italy, Germany and Romania. Founded in 1599, the family-run foundry has survived wars, famines, epidemics and economic difficulties. Today, brothers Johannes and Peter Grassmayr run the business. Hundreds of bell makers operated across Europe during the Renaissance, but only a few remain today. The Grassmayrs say their survival has depended on persistence and innovation, including the use of 3D printing, scanning, lasers and computer simulation applications. “Certain things are just like they were 400 years ago. But we innovated a lot. Especially within the last 20 years, we've changed a lot,” Johannes Grassmayr told The Associated Press. Producing a bell takes three to four months. In the past, cleaning and polishing a newly cast bell accounted for about 30% of the production time. Modern equipment has reduced that process to roughly one-tenth of the time. The company keeps some of its production methods secret, including a special chamber where bells are cleaned using high-pressure sandblasting. It also uses specially developed applications to calculate the sound of individual bells. Despite the technological advances, designing and preparing molds for large bells can still take up to six months. “The important thing is that you have calculate, form and then cast the bell as a musical instrument,” Johannes said. One of the biggest challenges is ensuring the mold can withstand the pressure created by molten metal. When a bell weighing several tons is cast, liquid bronze can exert up to 125 metric tons (137 tons) of pressure inside the mold. To protect the molds, the foundry uses only high-quality clay, which is reinforced with steel sleeves capable of handling the extreme pressure. However, production challenges are not the only concern for the business. The traditional bell-making industry is under pressure as fewer churches are being built, changing demand for new bells. Higher energy costs linked to the war in Ukraine have added to the difficulties, while labor costs have risen by about 30% since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. Still, materials remain the biggest expense. High-quality bells are made from bronze containing 80% copper and 20% tin. Johannes said bronze cost about 8 euros ($9.23) per kilogram a few years ago but now costs around 23 euros ($26.17). “That’s why I can’t even say how much a bell is going to cost in a year. I just hope the metal price is going to come down again,” he said. To sustain the business, the family has increasingly focused on restoring old bells, often using modern technology. According to the company, hundreds of damaged bells from 12 European countries have been restored at the Grassmayr foundry. Grassmayr bells are installed in more than 100 countries, from Japan to the United States. One of the largest bells produced by the brothers was made for Romania’s National Cathedral in Bucharest. Cast in 2016, it stands 3.3 meters (10.8 feet) tall and weighs more than 25 metric tons (27.5 tons). Another bell weighing 15 metric tons (16.5 tons) hangs at a church on Mount Tabor in Israel. Johannes recently showed AP several newly cast bells that were being left to cool for a week before being removed from their molds. The detailed imprint of the mold could still be seen in the clay. “This bell is for the church in Zethau, in Germany,” he said. “I’m very happy with the casting. I’m especially happy that the innovations of the past decades helped a lot to make the bells ever more beautiful and better.”