United News of Bangladesh

British fashion designer Stella McCartney used her Paris Fashion Week show Wednesday to criticize the fishing industry and draw attention to the impact of seafood production on marine life. The show marked 25 years of McCartney's fashion label, which has never used leather, fur or feathers. It was held in the rain-soaked gardens of the British ambassador's residence, with actress and singer Jennifer Lopez among those watching from the front row. McCartney said the language people use to describe marine animals changes depending on whether they are being admired or eaten. “Who makes that decision?” she asked backstage, referring to the use of terms such as “sea life” and “seafood.” She was more direct when discussing the fishing industry. “It's war. We're at war with the oceans,” she said. McCartney said fishing nets can bring up dolphins and octopuses along with fish, with much of the unwanted catch thrown back into the sea dead. Models walked through the gardens to PJ Harvey's song “Down by the Water.” Juliette Binoche sat near Lopez, while Karlie Kloss and Miranda Kerr were among the models on the runway. Sea-inspired designsThe collection reflected the theme through its colors and flowing designs. The palette included seafoam, sage, coral, blush and chocolate. The tailoring, influenced by Savile Row designer Edward Sexton, was relaxed and designed to move like water. Oversized blazers featured drawstrings inspired by rain jackets, while peplums returned in rounded shapes around the hips. Sheer layers revealed bandeaus and short shorts as part of the growing trend of wearing underwear as outerwear. McCartney also brought her signature sportswear style into the collection, pairing fitted leggings with boxy technical jackets. T-shirts featured dolphins appearing to leap through the air. Kloss wore a minidress decorated with small waves across one shoulder, while Kerr appeared in a seafoam-colored gown tied at the waist. Evening gowns wrapped around the body before falling in long, straight shapes inspired by designer Madame Grès. Ruffles at the hems suggested breaking waves. “It's really, really important to want to wear the clothes,” McCartney said. “For me, that's the main thing.” Focus on sustainable materialsThe fashion house described the ready-to-wear collection as “100% responsible,” using recycled cotton denim, organic cotton and silk. It also used a black pigment made from algae instead of oil-based materials. McCartney said the certified wool used by the brand can be traced back to the farms where it is produced. Since 2026, the company has also used Brewed Protein, a wool alternative made through fermentation by Japanese biotechnology company Spiber. A week before the show, McCartney co-founded the Climate Pledge Fashion Coalition with Amazon and forest conservation group Canopy. The initiative brings together orders from more than 60 companies in an effort to help sustainable materials reach large-scale production. McCartney bought back LVMH's minority stake in her fashion label last year but continues to advise LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault on sustainability issues. “I'm advising him on so many things in sustainability,” she said. McCartney ended the show wearing jeans, a white T-shirt and a loose blazer before taking her bow and leaving the runway. Backstage, when questions shifted from ocean conservation to fashion, she asked: “You mean you want to talk about the clothes?” After 25 years, the clothes remain central to her message.

Rihanna, Jennifer Lawrence, Rosalía and Cynthia Erivo were among the stars in the front row Tuesday as Dior designer Jonathan Anderson presented 65 looks for spring on a runway built across a pond in Paris’ Tuileries Garden. The collection explored a deliberately unfinished style, with the idea that luxury can sometimes come from leaving clothes partly undone. Trees rose from the water while artificial fog covered the runway as Paris temperatures reached 82 degrees Fahrenheit (28 degrees Celsius). The opening outfit set the tone: a white pinstriped double-breasted jacket worn over a striped shirt and short cream skirt. The shirt was left untucked and the outfit appeared loosely put together. Bras were visible beneath open jackets, shirts were buttoned unevenly, and pajama-style piping appeared along the edges of tailored pieces. Even the hems looked as if they had been blown by the wind. A relaxed take on DiorThe collection was a major departure from the style established by Christian Dior, who founded the fashion house in 1946 and introduced the iconic New Look a year later. The look featured fitted Bar jackets with tightly defined waists and full skirts. Anderson took charge of Dior’s womenswear, menswear and couture in 2025, becoming the first designer since Dior himself to oversee all three areas. Since then, he has pushed the house toward a more relaxed style. The show notes asked, “how light can a dress be?” The collection answered by treating traditional tailoring more like soft drapery. Bar jackets appeared softer, with their waist flounces falling naturally rather than holding a structured shape. One jacket was combined with a barn coat. Houndstooth, a traditional Dior pattern, appeared in sheer chiffon. The 1952 La Cigale dress was also reworked in strapless pink pleated tulle, with its shape inspired by the insect it was named after. The collection drew heavily on Dior’s archives while presenting familiar pieces in new forms. The deliberately untidy styling reflected a wider trend seen during fashion month, including at Prada and other major fashion houses. Luxury details appeared in subtle places, including Murano glass buttons and faux fur hidden under jacket lapels. At the same time, some outfits made a much bigger visual statement, with jackets and miniskirts decorated with hundreds of hand-cut petals that moved as models walked. Bronze, silver and mint-green trousers added color to a mainly black, white and gray collection. The saddle bag, a popular design from the John Galliano era at Dior, also returned. A collection with a familiar feelGuests received a pair of wenwan walnuts with their invitations. The traditional Chinese walnuts are rolled in the palm for years until they develop a smooth polish, a process that echoed the collection’s focus on worn and crumpled textures. But the idea also highlighted one of the collection’s possible weaknesses. This was Anderson’s 10th Dior collection in just over a year, and some of its key features balloon-shaped chiffon minidresses, sheer tailoring and single dangling earrings have already become familiar. The collection’s central question, therefore, was whether Anderson’s refined and deliberately unfinished style still offers enough surprise for Dior. After 10 collections, the designer’s approach has become increasingly recognisable suggesting either that Dior has found a new identity or that Anderson has settled into a formula.

Gourd cultivation and handicraft production are thriving in Tangyi Town of Liaocheng City in east China’s Shandong Province, where the traditional industry is supporting rural development. The local government has been promoting the gourd industry as part of its rural revitalization efforts, helping expand cultivation and develop a wider range of gourd-based products. The area under gourd cultivation in Tangyi has now exceeded 10,000 mu, or about 667 hectares. Local artisans have also developed more than 10 categories of gourd-processing crafts, turning the traditional crop into a variety of cultural and creative products. Visitors to the town can see and purchase gourd artworks and other handmade products, while workers continue processing the gourds into decorative and artistic items.

“God reigns and the Son shines.” The message appeared on the electronic sign of Resurrection Lutheran Church in mid-September, drawing attention from drivers passing along a road running between expanding residential areas and cornfields in a Twin Cities suburb. The church regularly changes its sign, posting messages that range from humorous and practical to thoughtful, in an effort to inspire people and catch the attention of motorists and passersby. Heather Hultgren, who oversees the daily messages, said the purpose is to remind people that they matter and are loved by God. Posting messages outside churches is a long-standing tradition, but U.S. churches have increasingly turned to creative and humorous signs in recent decades. The messages are intended to brighten commuters’ days, encourage reflection and possibly reconnect people who have drifted away from Christianity. “It’s a way to bring something lighter in the world,” said the Rev. Karna Moskalik of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Stillwater, Minnesota. Moskalik favors welcoming messages, including the familiar “CH - - CH What’s missing? U R!” Some humorous church signs have become popular on social media. Messages created by an Our Savior’s pastor in the early 2000s were collected in a book titled “If there were no Lutherans, would there still be green Jell-O?” At Madison Avenue Baptist Church in New York City, a heatwave-inspired message read, “Lord, whatever you’re baking, it’s done.” Elizabeth Pustinger said people sometimes stop to ask about the historic church’s sign and later attend services. The Rev. Susan Sparks called such signs “a very powerful ministry,” citing her favorite: “Honk if you love Jesus, text if you want to meet him.” Rolf Jacobson, a professor of Old Testament at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, said humor can help people cope with tragedy and explore difficult questions. “God’s business is turning mourning into gladness, Good Friday into Easter Sunday,” he said. One perennial favorite puts the message more bluntly: “Too hot to keep changing sign. Sin bad. Jesus good. Details inside.”

Two giant pandas arrived in Atlanta on Sunday as part of a new agreement between the Chinese and US governments, bringing the animals back to the city after a two-year absence. Ping Ping and Fu Shuang left Chengdu in southwestern China early Sunday aboard a specially designated “FedEx Panda Express” Boeing 777, officials said. Under an agreement between Zoo Atlanta and the China Wildlife Conservation Association, Atlanta is now one of three US zoos housing giant pandas. The others are the San Diego Zoo in California and the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C. “This is a thrilling day for Zoo Atlanta and a historic moment for the City of Atlanta, the state of Georgia, and beyond,” Zoo Atlanta President and CEO Raymond B. King said in a statement. The pandas will not immediately be available for public viewing. Zoo officials said they will spend about a month in quarantine inside a biosecure area of the wildlife park’s new giant panda complex. A specific date for their public debut has not yet been announced. Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the pandas’ arrival during a three-day summit with US President Donald Trump. The agreement was among the few concrete outcomes from the state visit, which featured expressions of goodwill but did not resolve longstanding differences between the two countries. Atlanta’s previous giant pandas left the city in 2024. The latest 10-year loan agreement was announced in April, although no arrival date was initially given. Both pandas were born in 2020 and were raised at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. Ping Ping is male and has distinctive dark circles around his eyes, while Fu Shuang is female and has a slightly protruding forehead, according to China’s Xinhua News Agency. China has long used giant pandas in international diplomacy, lending the animals to foreign zoos as a symbol of goodwill and allowing agreements to expire when relations become strained. Xi has described the panda program as an expression of “friendship between the Chinese and Americans.”

Bangladeshi adventurer Najmun Nahar has been honoured with the “Bangladesh Flag Voyager Gold Medal” in recognition of her global journey carrying Bangladesh’s national flag and her humanitarian initiatives. The award was presented by Multi Talent World at the Bangla Talent Global Summit 2026, held on September 19 at Nya Rågsved Folkets Hus in Stockholm, Sweden. Nahar is the first Bangladeshi and the first woman in the world to travel to 185 countries carrying her national flag. The award recognises Nahar’s extraordinary global journey and her commitment to promoting peace, humanity, environmental protection, women’s empowerment and children’s rights. The citation accompanying the medal highlights her courage, perseverance and patriotism in carrying Bangladesh’s red-and-green flag across continents and cultures. Nahar’s humanitarian initiatives, including her advocacy for peace, environmental responsibility and the rights of disadvantaged and war-affected children, were also recognised. She has received more than 70 national and international awards and honours, including the Peace Torch Bearer Award in the United States. The Gold Medal was presented by Salahuddin Zico, managing director of Multi Talent World, in the presence of Swedish parliamentarians Stefan Nelson and Farzana Khan, academics, media professionals and Bangladeshi community leaders from across Europe. Nahar also served as the keynote speaker at the summit, where she shared experiences from her 26-year global journey, the challenges of travelling with Bangladesh’s national flag, and her message of peace, solidarity and humanity. Her latest honour adds another significant chapter to a remarkable journey defined by one flag, one global expedition and one message for humanity.

Jennifer Lopez brought celebrity glamour to Dolce & Gabbana's Spring-Summer 2027 runway show in Milan on Saturday, drawing crowds of fans who gathered outside the venue hoping to catch a glimpse of the singer and actress. Lopez attended the show from the front row dressed in a dark velvet suit with a matching cap and equestrian-style boots. She has maintained a relationship with the Italian fashion house for decades. The latest collection by designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana revisited the brand's traditional Sicilian aesthetic while giving it a contemporary, younger feel. The designers presented the collection as a form of family inheritance passed between generations, incorporating updated versions of classic Italian-inspired pieces. Tweed suits featured leopard-print details, while checked tablecloth patterns appeared on youthful bloomers and bra tops paired with sheer stockings. Lace slips were decorated with fringe and beads. Crocheted doilies, traditionally associated with Italian homes and markets, were transformed into skirts and dresses. The designers also targeted younger consumers by combining embellished denim with gardening-style boots, while retaining some of the fashion house's familiar signatures, including black dresses, lingerie-inspired designs and animal prints. Fans outside the venue held signs for K-pop star Choi San and Japanese actor Hikaru Iwamoto, but many were particularly excited about Lopez's appearance, chanting her nickname, “J-Lo,” as guests left the show. Earlier this week, Lopez attended Vogue World wearing a strapless black Dolce & Gabbana tulle gown featuring sequins. During Saturday's runway presentation, she watched the models closely, with a dramatic animal-print hooded cape featuring gold detailing and faux-fur trim emerging as one of the standout pieces. The cape was styled over loose-fitting jeans.

Legendary folk singer Sharda Sinha’s iconic Chhath song Pahile Pahil Hum Kayin has struck an emotional chord with audiences after featuring in Tamannaah Bhatia-starrer Vvaan: Forest of the Forrest. For people in Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh, Chhath is more than a festival. It is deeply connected to their cultural identity, with families coming together for the four-day celebration and Sharda Sinha’s songs often forming part of the festivities. Vvaan: Forest of the Forrest, starring Tamannaah Bhatia, Shweta Tiwari, Sidharth Malhotra, Sunil Grover and Anup Soni, was released on Sept. 25. Although the film received mixed reviews, its Chhath-related sequence featuring Sinha’s song drew strong appreciation from audiences. Some social media users had earlier suggested that the film’s Chhath song would have been more effective in Bhojpuri. However, the filmmakers kept Sinha’s song as a surprise for viewers. Directed by Arunabh Kumar and Deepak Kumar Mishra, the film features Pahile Pahil Hum Kayin during a scene showing Shweta Tiwari and Anup Soni preparing for the festival. Nishant Singh, a filmmaker associated with The Viral Fever, shared a video of the scene and wrote, "What an experience it was to listen to Ma Sharda in a theatre. Do not miss this in theatres if you love Chhath Puja." The scene prompted an emotional response from social media users. One user wrote that the film would work because of "Chhathi Maiya," while another said the song gave them "goosebumps." "Chhath and Sharda Sinha's voice are always a goosebump moment, every single time," another user commented. A fourth user, who said they were not originally from Bihar, described the song as having a "magical quality" that gave them goosebumps whenever they heard it. Another recalled childhood memories associated with the song and said it made them emotional every time they heard it. "It's not just a feeling, it's culture," an Instagram user wrote. Sharda Sinha’s legacy Sharda Sinha, widely known as the "Voice of Chhath" and "Bihar's Kokila," was one of Bihar's most celebrated folk singers. She contributed to Hindi, Maithili, Magahi and Bhojpuri music. Her Chhath songs, particularly Pahile Pahil Hum Kayin, have become closely associated with the festival and continue to be heard during celebrations and on social media. Sinha received the Padma Shri in 1991 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2000 for her contribution to music. She was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2018. Born in Supaul district of Bihar, Sinha also lent her voice to popular songs including Kahe Toh Se Sajna from Maine Pyar Kiya and Taar Bijli from Gangs of Wasseypur Part 2. However, she remained particularly popular for her devotional Chhath songs, which captured the festival’s traditions and connected with listeners across generations. Sinha was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2017 and died at AIIMS Delhi in November 2024 at the age of 72. Her songs continue to remain an important part of Chhath celebrations and her musical legacy. Source: NDTV

Popular singer-songwriter Miftah Zaman returned to the solo stage after nearly two years on Friday with his concert ‘Otopor Odhora’, taking the audience through a three-hour musical journey featuring his popular originals, Bengali classics and songs from dramas. The concert began at 6:30 pm at the National Art Gallery Auditorium of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy and continued until around 9:30 pm, with Miftah frequently interacting with the audience, sharing stories behind his songs and inviting fans to join him in familiar numbers. The singer opened the evening with ‘Borsha Raatey’ and went on to perform ‘Tomar Akash Dekhbo Bole’, ‘Tumi Ar Nei Shei Tumi’, ‘Koshtoguloke Shukote De Na’ and ‘Shihoron’. His fan-favourite track ‘Shihoron’ was performed in two versions, including its rock arrangement and a slower rendition with audience participation.

With no mountains nearby to practice in, Austrian yodeling enthusiasts have found an unusual alternative — an underground parking garage that creates echoes similar to those heard in the Alps. “It’s not too dissimilar to the high mountains,” yodeling teacher Anna Maria Gutschi said while leading a group of about 30 people through an empty parking garage earlier this week. “You have wide hallways; you have walls that reflect a lot.” Gutschi works for the Styrian Volksliedwerk, a cultural organization that promotes traditional folk music in Graz, a city in southeastern Austria. Although Graz is not located in the high mountains, it sits in a flat basin surrounded by hills and low mountain ranges on the edge of the Alps. The organization has been offering yodeling courses in unusual locations as a way of keeping the traditional art alive in modern times. The sessions can be held in places ranging from underground car parks and canals to gas stations, as long as the acoustics are suitable. Up to 30 people can take part in each session. “It’s a form of communication from mountain to mountain — just like that, without the need for a phone,” Gutschi said as she demonstrated the rising and falling sounds of yodeling. “And it’s not as boring as writing an SMS. Sounds much better, too,” she added. Gutschi described yodeling as a musical tradition in which the sound builds upward through different notes. “The energy is rising, it’s rising and rising,” she told her students. “Ever higher and then it wants out on top and there it goes.” For more than an hour, the group walked through Graz’s largest underground parking garage, practicing until they reached its deepest section, where the acoustics created the strongest echoes. Some participants were experienced yodelers, while others were trying it for the first time. Jamey Sohn, a South Korean student studying sustainable development in Graz, joined the course to experience Austrian culture. “When I actually came here, it was a lot more — well, I wouldn’t say easy per se, but it’s a lot more approachable than I first expected,” Sohn said. From Alpine communication to musical traditionYodeling developed centuries ago in the Alps as a way for people to communicate across long distances. It was also used between people and animals. Cattle could recognize their owners’ voices and return to the stable from a distance. Over time, the traditional form of singing developed into a musical genre and gained international popularity, particularly through the American musical film “The Sound of Music.” For Thomas Button, a yodeling teacher originally from New York state, the practice is “like a form of meditation. Singing meditation.” Local yodeling enthusiast Rudolf Schmidhofer said performing together creates a strong sense of energy and connection. “It’s hard to describe how much power you get from yodeling together, the energy from within,” he said. “The togetherness, the polyphonic kind of yodeling where you must listen to each other.” “I’m still a student when it comes to this, but I like it very much,” he added.