The trailer for 'Crew' is out. It is a comedy-adventure film featuring Tabu, Kareena Kapoor, and Kriti Sanon as air hostesses who embark on a dangerous journey to earn extra money. The trio plays three air hostesses, who are tired of their hectic jobs and poor pay. As they contemplate a way to get their unpaid dues, they stumble across gold biscuits strapped to the body of a fellow flight attendant. The new discovery makes them take on a dangerous and daring journey to earn a lot of money fast. However, the madcap adventure also has setbacks, one being Diljit Dosanjh. Now, Tabu, Kareena Kapoor and Kriti Sanon have to find a way to evade jail and continue earning the extra money. The official note of the trailer reads, “‘Crew’ is an entertaining and captivating comic adventure! Three ordinary air hostesses from Mumbai embark on a journey to pursue their dreams but find themselves caught up in unexpected misfortunes. This comic caper offers a delightful blend of humour, light-heartedness, and humanism, so sit back, and enjoy this entertaining and uplifting adventure! (sic)” Scheduled to hit the cinemas on March 29, 2024, 'Crew' promises to captivate audiences. Backed by Balaji Telefilms and Anil Kapoor Film and Communications Network, the film is helmed by Rajesh A Krishnan.   Source: BSS

At least two migrants including a baby died when their bank sank Saturday soon after leaving the coast of Tunisia, the coastguard said. The vessel, carrying 20 Tunisians, went down at 2:00 a.m. local time (0100 GMT) when it was just 120 meters (395 feet) from the shoreline in the southeastern province of Gabes. "Two bodies have been recovered, one of a 20-year-old man and the other of an infant," the coast guard said in a statement. Thirteen others were rescued, including the baby's parents. Five passengers were missing and search operations were ongoing, the statement added. A similar tragedy occurred off the Tunisian coast on Monday, when a boat carrying migrants sank near the eastern city of Sfax, leaving 11 people dead. Sfax serves as a launching port for migrants from African countries to begin their risky sea journeys to Europe, via the Italian island ofLampedusa. More than 1,800 people have died this year in shipwrecks on the central Mediterranean migration route, the world's deadliest — more than twice as many as last year, according to the International Organization for Migration. Migrant boat sinks in English Channel Once the migrants reach southern Europe, they sometimes head for wealthier countries such as Germany and the UK. The migrants may also take a dangerous journey from France to Britain. French maritime officials reported Saturday that a boat, overloaded with migrants and refugees, capsized in the English Channel, killing six people. UK media reported that the victims were all Afghan nationals, who had been in critical condition when found and were later pronounced dead. About 65 people were estimated to have boarded the boat for the UK and two people may still be lost at sea, the Maritime Prefecture of the Channel and the North Sea said. The English Channel is one of the world's busiest shipping lanes but at its narrowest point, separates France and Britain by just 20 miles (33 kilometers). This year, the number of migrants plying the Channel has fallen about 15% to 15,826 as of Thursday, partly as a result of a joint UK-French monitoring operation along the coast. But since 2018, more than 100,000 migrants have crossed the sea in small boats. Britain passed a new law earlier this year to try to stem the arrival of small boat migrants, which would deport those who arrive illegally back to their home country or a safe third country. But plans to fly some people to Rwanda have been shot down by an appeals court and are now being appealed by the Supreme Court. The passage of people trying to get into and around Europe is often facilitated by smugglers, who may take advantage of their desperation for a fee. The migrants are frequently put on overloaded, unseaworthy boats, which are prone to sinking, particularly in stormy conditions.    Hundreds of migrants saved by French charity French NGO SOS Mediterranee said Friday that its Ocean Viking vessel saved over 600 migrants trapped at sea over the previous two days. The rescue group said 623 people had been brought in on "unseaworthy small boats." Among those rescued were nationals of countries such as Sudan, Guinea and Bangladesh. Sudan in particular is witnessing armed conflict which has driven thousands of refugees out of the country.  The majority of the migrants were picked up by the ship on the sea route between Lampedusa and Sfax.

As the climate worsens and the world looks to find more sustainable ways of life, a musician here is leading the way towards a more eco-friendly future by using bamboo to manufacture a wide array of musical instruments. Composer-percussionist Subhasis Sabyasachi has turned to the fast-growing bamboo to manufacture musical instruments, including xylophone, tabla, pakhawaj, sitar, veena and guitar -- all traditionally made using woods like teak, rosewood, red cedar, mahogany, and poplar, among others. "If we continue cutting trees for any reason, we won't have any future for our children. The entire world is looking for ways to become plastic free. That is why I want to eliminate the use of wood in musical instruments and replace it with bamboo," Sabyasachi told PTI. It was Sabyasachi's guru and tabla maestro Brajen Biswas who first came up with 'Brojo Tarang', a bamboo xylophone. "After guru ji's demise I am taking this forward, our orchestra plays with all bamboo instruments, my mission is to convey a message about the climate, so that bamboo is used as a substitute," the Delhi-based musician said. He added that since bamboo is among the fastest-growing plants in the world and is widely used for climate change mitigation, it is ecological to use it for manufacturing musical instruments. It is generally the flute that is made using bamboo, but Sabyasachi's musical kitty packs dholak, pakhawaj, tabla, kanjira, guitar, sitar and veena among other instruments. "Every bamboo forest hides the instruments for a whole orchestra," he adds. But doesn't using bamboo instead of traditional wood affect the sound quality? Other than offering a simple 'no' in response to the question, Sabyasachi adds other benefits of using bamboo to the list. "Unlike other woods, bamboo is a hollow timber. You have to carve and cut through other material to create a hollow, which is naturally available with bamboo. And when it comes to sound, bamboo has a better resonance quality, creating better sound," the 41-year-old said, adding that the instruments made using bamboo are also comparatively lightweight. That said, though a cheaper alternative to expensive species of wood, creating an instrument out of bamboo cuts little from the overall costs. "Crafting bamboo instruments is a painstaking exercise as you have to use multiple pieces and different types of it to create a single part of an instrument. You also have to be extra careful that there is no leakage of sound," he said, explaining why the cost of the final product is more or less the same. Sabyasachi and his musical band, 'Tarang', recently held an exhibition of the bamboo instruments at the India International Centre here.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines has suspended its flight operations to seven international destinations until August 15. The information was delivered through a notice published on the website of Biman Bangladesh Airlines on Sunday. According to Biman sources, due to worldwide coronavirus situation, passenger crisis and travel ban imposed by different countries the flights have been suspended until 15 August. The international destinations are Manchester of UK, Madinah of KSA, Bangkok of Thailand, Kuwait City of Kuwait, Kathmandu of Nepal, Kolkata and Delhi of India. AH

Bangladesh and India today (Sunday) started regular operation of freight trains through the Haldibari-Chilahati rail route after 56 years. Indian Railways dispatched the first freight train loaded with stones from Damdim Station of Northeast Frontier Railway to Bangladesh today, according to a brief note issued by Indian High Commission in the capital.   After the partition in 1947, seven rail links were operational between India and the then East Pakistan till 1965 and the Haldibari-Chilahati rail link is one those routes. Apart from the Haldibari-Chilahati rail link, currently, there are four operational rail links between India and Bangladesh - Petrapole (India)-Benapole (Bangladesh), Gede (India)–Darshana (Bangladesh), Singhabad (India)-Rohanpur (Bangladesh) and Radhikapur (India)– Birol (Bangladesh). The leaderships of both India and Bangladesh are committed to revive all the pre-1965 railway links between the two countries, said the Indian mission. As per the commitment, the restoration work was undertaken by the railways of both the countries to revive this rail link. After the restoration, this railway link between Haldibari (India) and Chilahati (Bangladesh) was jointly inaugurated by the Prime Ministers of India and Bangladesh during the PM level virtual bilateral summit held in December last year. The Indian High Commission in Dhaka said the restored rail link, coming into operation today, will strengthen India-Bangladesh Rail Connectivity and bilateral trade. It will also enhance rail network accessibility to the main ports and dry ports to support the growth in regional trade and to encourage economic and social development of the region, it added.    The commodities that can be exported from India to Bangladesh through this rail route include stones and boulders, food grain, fresh fruits, chemical fertilizer, onion, chilies, garlic, ginger, fly ash, clay, lime stone, wood and timber. From Bangladesh to India, all exportable commodities are permitted, said the Indian mission. Source: BSS AH

The Taliban's capture of a key Afghan-Pakistan border post has sent trucking costs soaring, with insurgents and government officials separately taxing traders, and bandits demanding bribes to allow safe passage of goods. Thousands of vehicles cross daily from Chaman in southwestern Pakistan to Spin Boldak on the other side, carrying goods destined for Kandahar, Afghanistan's second-biggest city. On the way back they usually ferry agricultural produce bound for Pakistan's markets or ports. The bilateral trade worth hundreds of millions of dollars a year if not more ground to a halt earlier this month after the Taliban seized the dusty border town, but resumed this week with the insurgents seemingly firmly in charge. They have captured a vast swath of the country since early May after launching a series of offensives to capitalize on the final stages of the withdrawal of foreign troops. While they have not yet taken any provincial capitals, they have captured a string of key border posts -- with Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Pakistan -- which provide vital revenue from customs duties on goods arriving in the landlocked country. "We loaded grapes in Kandahar and on the way we have been extorted at least three times," trucker Hidayatullah Khan told AFP at Chaman. "Sometimes they charge 3,000 rupees ($20), somewhere else 2,000 rupees, and in some other place 1,000 rupees," he said. That was on top of the taxes he had to pay Taliban officials in Spin Boldak and Afghan government customs officials who have opened shop in Kandahar. Imran Kakar, vice president of the Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce, gave one example of a truck carrying fabric from Karachi destined for Kandahar. The Taliban charged the driver 150,000 rupees (about $1,000) as duty in Spin Boldak, but when the vehicle reached Kandahar government officials were also waiting. "We had to pay even higher customs duties as they don't acknowledge the payments made to Taliban," said Kakar. The scenes were reminiscent of Afghanistan during its brutal civil war in the 1990s, when a patchwork of militias held stretches of key trade routes and extorted truckers and residents using the roads at will. Source: France24 BM

Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association, Bangladesh Truck-Bus Owners Association and Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation have demanded to start passenger and goods laden transport service abiding by the health protocols. The demand came in at a joint press conference at National Press Club at 11 am on Saturday. Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation president Shajahan Khan read out the written speech at the press conference. He said, the government has decided to start public transport within the metropolitan areas and districts after relaxing the lockdown from May 6. But dissatisfaction has been seen among the owners and workers for stopping the long route public transports. Although people are moving boarded on bus-minibuses and CNG autorickshaws. So after abiding by the health guidelines long route public transport and commodity laden transport service have to be started. AH

Biman Bangladesh Airlines has decided to resume flights on Dhaka-Doha-Dhaka route on September 7 next. Confirming the information on Thursday, Biman’s spokesperson Tahera Khondokar said, intending travelers are advised to contact helpline number- 01777715613-16 for air tickets. On June 16, flight operations on international routes from Bangladesh resumed after three months of suspension due to Covid-19 pandemic. On June 1, the Civil Aviation Authority permitted the operations of all domestic flights maintaining social distancing and following health guidelines. Bangladesh suspended flights on all routes of the Middle East amid the global outbreak of coronavirus in March last. Source: UNB AH

Flight operations on Dhaka-London-Dhaka route resumed on Sunday after over two months of suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic.   “A Biman flight carrying 187 passengers left Dhaka for London at 12:02pm,” said Tahera Khandaker, deputy general manager (PR) of Biman Bangladesh Airlines.   A scheduled flight will leave Dhaka every week on Sunday  and another will come from London on each Monday, she added.   Earlier on June 18, Mokabbir Hossain, managing director and CEO, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, said Biman flights would be operated once a week on Dhaka-London-Dhaka route from Sunday. Intending travelers are advised to contact helpline number- 01777715613-16.   On June 16, flight operations on international routes from Bangladesh resumed after over two months of suspension.   A flight of Qatar Airways left Dhaka while another flight from Doha arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Tuesday, Group Captain AHM Towhidul Ahsan, Director of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport told UNB.   On June 1, Civil Aviation authority permitted operation of all domestic flights maintaining social distancing and following health guidelines. Source: UNB AH

The road transport and bridges ministry has ordered to cancel the registration and route permit for the public transport if people related to the transport sector do not obey the health guidelines and would charge excess bur fares during the ongoing corona situation. A letter has been issued on Tuesday on behalf of the road transport and highways division giving the directions to the Chairman of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA). Public transport movement has resumed on June 1 after increasing 60 percent fares. But there were widespread allegations of charging excess bus fares and about not following the government approved health guidelines. In this context the letter was issued where it was said that limited plying of public transport began under some conditions set by the government. Recently some news media reported that excess bus fares are charged and also health guidelines are not followed. The letter mentioned reports of a national daily and said that these are violation of Road Transport Act-2018 and also punishable offences. In this situation BRTA Chairman was asked to take action under the act by initiating mobile courts and cancelling registration and route permit for the public transports. On the other hand Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Tuesday at a program said, those who charge excess fares in this crisis moment will be treated as the public enemy. AH