A one-of-a kind white gown worn by the late Carrie Fisher in the first Star Wars film has not found a buyer, despite auctioneers hoping to get nearly $2 million. Auctioneers in the US have failed to sell an iconic white gown worn by Carrie Fisher in her role as Princess Leia in the first "Star Wars" film "A New Hope" from 1977. Propstore — a Los Angeles company which sells film and TV props and costumes — had been hoping the iconic garment would fetch $1.96 million (€1.8 million) at Wednesday's auction.  Iconic gown previously thought to have been lost "This historically significant piece is the only Princess Leia costume known to still exist from the original film," Propstore noted in its auction lot description. The long white dress — which Fisher wore in the popular film's final scene where she awards Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford) medals — was long thought to have disappeared. The auction house said that the gown — created by British costume designer John Mollo — had been stored for years in a London attic until it was rediscovered and restored over an 8-month period. The costume had to be cleaned by hand to remove accumulated dust while in storage. Propstore said that the dress was restored with "archival precision" and that a special type of gauze was used on tiny holes. Propstore cited Mollo as having said that it was his belief only a single ceremonial dress was created for the film, and there was no evidence to suggest otherwise Mollo would go on to win an Oscar for Best Costume Design for Star Wars at the 50th annual Academy Awards in March 1978. Star Wars blockbuster status not enough to secure sale Star Wars is one of the world's biggest franchises and films of the series are considered to be among the first blockbuster movies in the 1970s, hauling in billions of dollars from audiences. However, its stellar status was not enough to persuade punters into parting with money. Other props auctioned on Wednesday did better than expected and managed to sell far above their estimated prices. A clown doll from the horror film "Poltergeist" fetched more than $656,000, while a grotesque spider-like head prop from John Carpenter's horror movie "The Thing from Another World" (1982) raked in more than $587,000. Russell Crowe's General Maximus costume from Gladiator sold for $125,000 after a fierce bidding contest, with the auction house saying "we were all entertained."  Other items included an outfit which Harrison Ford wore as Rick Deckard in 1982's "Blade Runner," selling for $287,000 and a costume from "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" which sold for $100,000.

In a major achievement, Jammu and Kashmir has become the first region in the country to issue Quick Response (QR) labels for its 13 different GI and non-GI registered handicrafts. The QR code labels are a step towards providing global recognition of the traditional arts and crafts of the Himalayan region. The government has been aiming to make J-K products popular across the globe through special marketing strategies and schemes. As a result of this, the products are being sold like 'hotcakes' in the international markets due to their uniqueness, master craftsmanship and branding. Right after J-K's transition into a Union Territory in 2019, the government has been aiming to restore the pristine glory of handicrafts. Initially, nine products, Kani Shawl, Kashmir Pashmina, Kashmir Sozini Craft, Kashmir Papier-Macihe, Kashmir Walnut Wood Carving, Khatamband, Kashmiri Hand Knotted Carpets and Kashmir Saffron and Basmati were issued Geographical Indication (GI) tags to fight counter branding. Notably, the Pakistan-sponsored insurgency that broke out in the valley in 1990, had paralysed the handicrafts sector, as the gun-toting terrorists sent by Pakistan disrupted the daily chores which led to the closure of handicraft and handloom shops and units in J-K. The artisans and weavers had given up hope of returning to their traditional crafts. Tourism and exports being hit further worsened the situation. Some normalcy returned to J-K as elections were held, and a government came headed by National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah. In 2002, the Peoples Democratic Party led by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed entered into a coalition with the Congress Party and formed a government. In 2005, veteran Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad became the J-K Chief Minister.  In 2009, National Conference returned to power, and in 2014 PDP made a comeback in coalition with BJP. In 22 years, J-K got five chief ministers. Though all of them promised to promote handicrafts and languishing crafts they fell short of fulfilling their pledges. On August 5, 2019, the regime led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced its decision to abrogate J-K's special status and bifurcate it into two Union Territories. It was promised that this decision will lead to the end of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism once and for all. They have remained true to the words as terrorism in J-K is on its last legs. J-K's reorganisation led to all the centrally sponsored schemes reaching out to the people in the state. Several schemes were launched, under which craftsmen and artisans were provided with incentives. Many initiatives have been taken to improve the wage earnings of the craftsmen and create linkages with producer organizations to inculcate skills and aptitude in the trainees. As a result of this, young craftsmen and artisans have turned entrepreneurs and are working hard to popularize the brand J-K. The government has also roped in several corporations to explore the possibilities of tie-ups with the Jammu and Kashmir  Entrepreneurship Development Institute (JKEDI). The branding, quality certificates, and marketing of Jammu and Kashmir-based products have also been undertaken. Many youngsters and aspiring entrepreneurs have undertaken start-ups financially viable and revenue-generating units. Many traditional art forms that were at risk of turning extinct have been revived. The branding of handicraft and handloom items, organizing exhibitions and marketing events have helped the people associated with the industry to make a comeback. The GI tags and QR coding have turned J-K handicrafts into international products. They are part of the multiple steps taken by the government to promote local products for greater economic benefits to artisans, weavers and craftsmen. Recently J-K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha launched QR-Code-based labels of 13 different GI and non-GI registered crafts of J-K. The QR-Code labels would help to authenticate the origin and quality of the crafts, improve the quality assurance in both national and international markets and benefit craftsmen, traders and exporters. It will also ensure product quality, and genuineness and boost global demand for products made in J-K. Steps that have been taken in the recent past have made the handicraft sector more productive and financially attractive. Product diversification, brand promotion and new marketing strategies are connecting buyers with artisans directly. As a result of these steps, the art and craft of Jammu and Kashmir are on the revival path. 

Writing to his sweetheart Barbara Ann Hewitt, a young man then named Robert Zimmerman discussed his dream to sell a million records one day. He would go on to sell 125 million. A collection of personal letters written by a young Bob Dylan to a high school girlfriend has fetched almost $670,000 (around €650,000) at auction this week.  A renowned Portuguese book shop, the Livraria Lello in Porto, bought the collection of 42 handwritten letters totaling 150 pages. It plans to keep the archive available for Dylan fans and scholars to study, auctioneer RR Auction said in a statement on Friday. The sale was completed on Thursday, with the letters the centerpiece and most expensive lot among a series of young-Dylan effects and memorabilia sold.  Letters from 1957-59, as Zimmerman became Dylan Dylan, a native of Hibbing, Minnesota, wrote the letters to Barbara Ann Hewitt between 1957 and 1959. At the time he was still known as Bob Zimmerman. They provide an insight into a period of his life of which not much is known.  RR Auctions' executive vice president, Bobby Livingstone, said you could see in the letters "the transformation of Bob Zimmerman into Bob Dylan."  Dylan discusses his plans to change his name and his dream of selling a million records in some of the letters. The 81-year-old Nobel Literature Prize laureate has sold roughly 125 million in a career lasting more than six decades.  Letters discovered after Hewitt's death The young musician often expresses his affection for Hewitt, invites her to a Buddy Holly concert, shares fragments of his poetry, and discusses issues ranging from cars to clothes and music.  Hewitt's daughter found the letters after her mother died in 2020. Each letter was accompanied by a handwritten envelope usually including the name Bob.  Other items auctioned this week included a selection of 24 poems Dylan wrote while studying at the University of Minnesota, which fetched almost $250,000, and one of the earliest known signed photographs of the singer that went for more than $24,000. 

The federal judge said the case sounded like the plot of a crime novel or a spy movie, before sentencing the US Navy engineer and his wife to roughly 20 years for putting the country at risk. A US district federal judge handed down long prison sentences on Wednesday to a US Navy engineer and his wife for their scheme to sell confidential information about US nuclear submarines to representatives of a foreign government. Judge Gina Groh called the couple a "great danger" to US national security. What happened in court? Based in Annapolis, Maryland, the couple was first charged and arrested for the crime in October of 2021. Jonathan Toebbe, 44 tried to sell details about the design and performance of nuclear submarines to someone he believed was a foreign government agent for $100,000 (€99,761.5) in cryptocurrency. His wife, Diana, acted as a lookout during the several "dead drops" of information to what turned out to be an undercover FBI agent. "This is an exceptional story, right out of the movies," Groh said, sentencing Jonathan Toebbe to over 19 years in prison and his wife to nearly 22 years behind bars. "(Their) actions and greedy self-serving intentions placed military service members at sea and every citizen of this country in a vulnerable position and at risk of harm from adversaries," the judge said in court. Groh had earlier rejected their plea for reduced punishments. The defendants described the couple's struggles with mental health and alcohol, adding that they were anxious about the political climate of the country and believed US democracy was in danger. This belief overwhelmed Jonathan Toebbe and pushed him to take "precipitous action" to save his children from harm. Groh enhanced the couple's punishment, exceeding the previously agreed range of up to 17 years for the engineer and a mere 3 years for his wife. The judge noted that earlier sentencing range was "strikingly deficient" considering the seriousness of the case. 'Like a crime novel' Documents from the court revealed that Diana, a teacher at a private school in Maryland, acted as a lookout during drops where they would conceal memory cards full of information into objects like chewing gum wrappers and peanut butter sandwiches. They were arrested during one such drop in Jefferson County, West Virginia in 2021. The documents on the Virginia-class submarines did not fall under the "top secret" or "secret" category, but were rather in the "confidential" bracket. In one message to the undercover FBI agent, Jonathan Toebbe said he had been considering these actions for several years and was happy to work with a "reliable professional partner." He also wrote that he had divided the information into 51 packages which he would sell for $100,000 (€99,700). In a hearing last December, prosecutors argued that the couple was looking to flee the country due to their contempt for then US President Donald Trump. On searching the couple's home, federal agents found a trash bag of shredded documents, thousands of dollars in cash, passports and a "go-bag" with a USB flashdrive and latex gloves.  During the five-hour combined hearing on Wednesday, Diana Toebbe admitted that she tried to send two letters to her husband while in jail. The letters were intercepted and read out in court. In it, she directed he husband to lie about her involvement in the plot and say she "didn't know anything about any of this." She also directed him to flush the letter after reading it. Judge Groh noted that Diana Toebbe lacked genuine remorse about her actions. Brice Miller, a special agent with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service said the couple had put the country at risk in their attempt to contact a foreign government with sensitive information. "The Toebbes betrayed the American people and put our national security at significant risk," he said in a statement.

Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi today (Wednesday) said the state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) would sell essential items to some one crore low-income group people at low prices ahead of the forthcoming holy month of Ramadan. "This time, TCB will come to the market increasing its capacity around four times. Essential items of the TCB will be reached to one crore people within the next one or one and a half months. I think, around five crore people will be benefited through the initiative," he said.  The minister said this while speaking at a press conference after a meeting held at the Secretariat on keeping the commodities prices in check during the month of Ramadan.  Tipu Munshi informed that the government has decided to stop the sale of non-bottled soybean oil after 31 May and sale of non-bottled palm oil after 31 December.  "Only bottled or packed soybean and palm oil will be allowed to be sold in retail shops. It is not possible to ensure that non-bottled oil is sold at a fixed price. Therefore, edible oil will be sold in a softly-packaged system. The Commerce Ministry is working with the Industries Ministry to ensure the packaging systems," he said.  He also said the government will take stern action against dishonest businessmen who are illegally stocking and hoarding edible oils.  "Some of them sell bottled oil illegally as non-bottled to make a profit," he added.  To control the unusual price situation, the minister said law enforcement and intelligence agencies, deputy commissioners, consumer rights protection department, competition commission and other agencies have been instructed to conduct drives in the market. However, Tipu Munshi said there is no possibility of crisis of essential commodities during the upcoming holy month of Ramadan across the country as there is enough stock of the items. "There will be no shortage of essential commodities in the country during the Ramadan ... the country has sufficient stock of essential commodities," he said. Source: BSS AH

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said, production cost will be less if India produces corona vaccine. But it should not be expected that we will get the vaccine at the price of their production cost. He said this on Wednesday after presiding over the meeting of ministerial committee on government purchase through online. Replying to a question the minister said, if India produces vaccine then it will be cheaper. While selling that they would calculate the production cost and profit. But we will see that what is the price of vaccine in the international market and in which rate we are getting this. We will try to control that. Because many countries will produce corona vaccines. We will certainly try to go to another country if the price is excess. Mustafa Kamal said, the Prime Minister expects that all the countrymen including the population who are unable to pay, will be vaccinated. It will not happen in one day. Country’s 17 crore people cannot be vaccinated in one day. Certainly there will be some phases. AH   

The price of potatoes is increasing keeping pace with the price of onions in this coronavirus pandemic situation. As a result commerce ministry’s autonomous organization Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) is going to sell potatoes along with onions, edible oil and lentils. Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi has said that TCB is going to sell potatoes throughout the country at 25 taka per kilogram from next Wednesday. The Commerce Minister held a meeting with the owners of cold storages at the ministry office as an unease situation is prevailing in the market over the price of potatoes. After the meeting the minister told the newsmen that agriculture marketing directorate has fixed the prices of potatoes in three levels and it will be strictly implemented. Those who would not sell potatoes in these fixed prices, action will be taken against them.  AH

State-owned Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will sell onion at Tk 35 per kilogram from tomorrow. TCB spokesman Humayun Kabir on Sunday said they decided to reduce the price after observing the market situation. “Each kg onion will be sold at Tk 35 from Monday from trucks until further announcement. We used to sell the imported bulb at Tk 45 in the capital to control its prices,” he said. According to TCB market observation, each kg imported onion was being sold at Tk 60-120 and the local variety at Tk 90-110 on Sunday. Onion prices started surging after India banned its export on September 29 for “improving domestic availability”. The supply crunch pushed up the price of the common kitchen item by as much as 557.8 percent year-on-year rise, according to TCB. The price started coming down in recent weeks after imported onion and the local varieties hit the market. Source: UNB AH

Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will engage 187 trucks in selling of different essential commodities such as sugar, pulses, oil, gram and dates at division and district level across the country during the holy month of Ramadan. Reports BSS. It was informed during a meeting of the parliamentary standing committee on the commerce ministry held at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban in the capital on Thursday, said a press release.   The meeting was informed that the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection will beef up its market monitoring activities to keep the prices of essential commodities stable during Ramadan.  As per the TCB's plan steps have already been taken to collect 2000 tonnes of sugar, 1500 tonnes of mushur dal, 1000 tonnes of edible oil, 1,995 tones of gram and 100 tonnes of dates ahead of Ramadan. The imported gram and mushur dal will soon reach Chattogram port from Australia.  Committee chairman Md Tajul Islam Chowdhury chaired the meeting while its members commerce minister Tofail Ahmed, Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun, Md Sanwar Hossain, Laila Arjuman Banu and Mohammad Hasan Imam Khan attended the meeting.  Secretary of the commerce ministry, chairman of TCB and high officials of the ministry and the Jatiya Sangsad were present at the meeting. AH