Others

MNA Entertainment Desk: Actress Dakota Johnson admitted Saturday that she had to see a shrink after playing the lead in Oscar-winning director Luca Guadagnino’s new horror flick, “Suspiria”. The star of the sado-masochism-tinged “Fifty Shades of Grey” films made the confession as the movie was premiered at the Venice film festival. “When you’re working sometimes with dark subject matter it can stay with you,” she told reporters. “I absorb a lot of people’s feelings,” Johnson said. “Then you talk about it with someone very nice afterwards. It is a really nice to (help you) move on from the project and ...

MNA Feature Desk: Mustafa Monwar is a visionary when it comes to expressing art, and he does so rather ingeniously. His eminence glows through his work as a puppeteer, sculptor, painter, performer, producer, TV and radio programme director, reported news agency. He is also a professor of the Department of Drawing and Painting at the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka and currently the chairman of Bangladesh Shishu Academy. Today marks the 83rd birthday of one of the most beloved Bangladeshi figures. He has received national and international awards, including one for graphic design in an All India Fine ...

MNA Tech Desk: Apple Inc said it will host an event on 12 September at the Steve Jobs Theater in the company’s Cupertino, California, campus, where it is widely expected to unveil new iPhone models, reported news agency. Analysts believe Apple plans to release three new smartphones this year, including one with a larger display than previous models. Analysts also expect Apple to release an iPhone with a edge-to-edge display similar to the iPhone X but using less-costly LCD screen technology. Apple’s event invitation made heavy use of the colour gold, fueling speculation on social media that the company plans ...

MNA Life Style Desk: We are all obsessed with having long, thick, and beautiful hair and however, a lot of what we are doing to our hair to make it look its best is actually making it feel its worst. Hair will naturally thin out and look dull with age, but there are steps that anyone can take to stop or even reverse this problem. These are the most common mistakes that are made, but the good news is that they are easily fixable to bring your hair new life. Over-brushing You don’t need 100 brush strokes a day for ...

MNA Entertainment Desk: Akshay Kumar starrer ‘Gold’ will be the first Hindi film which will be releasing in Saudi Arabia, the National Award-winning actor says. An ‘excited’ Akshay tweeted on Thursday night: ‘The story of India’s first Gold medal victory for the first time in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Happy to share, ‘Gold’ is the first ever Bollywood movie to release in the Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia, in cinemas from today!’ A historical sports drama inspired by India’s first Olympic gold medal, ‘Gold’ traces the golden era of Indian hockey through the journey of Tapan Das, a young assistant ...

MNA Education Desk: Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC) has decided to publish the results of 39th (special) Bangladesh Civil Service’s (BCS) preliminary test and circular of 40th BCS in the second week of September. BPSC chairman Mohammad Sadiq confirmed this to media. The decisions regarding the 39th and 40th BCS recruitments were taken in a meeting of BPSC, he said. The BPSC chairman, however, did not disclose the dates. The preliminary test of the 39th special BCS was held on 3 August where 37,583 job-seekers vied for 4,542 assistant surgeon posts and 250 dental surgeon posts, according to BPSC. Public ...

MNA Education Desk: Some 38 students will appear in the tests for each seat to get admitted into first year honours courses under five units at Dhaka University (DU) for academic session 2018-19, reported news agency. A total of 272,512 admission-seekers have applied against 7,128 seats for the admissions into the university, a DU press release on Wednesday. A total of 82,970 admission-seekers will vie for 1,750 seats under ‘Ka’ unit while 36,250 for 2,378 seats under ‘Kha’ unit, 27,534 for 1,250 seats under ‘Ga’ unit, 100,614 for 1,615 seats under ‘Gha’ unit and 25,144 for 135 seats under ‘Cha’ ...

MNA Entertainment Desk: Fans of Michael Jackson honoured the “King of Pop” on what would have been his 60th birthday on Wednesday by gathering at a temporary monument in the shape of a crown erected in his honour in London. Braving the rain, fans imitated his famed dance and moonwalk moves around the 13-foot (4 metre) white, sparkling crown erected by record label Sony Music on the south bank of the River Thames. “The first time I saw him in person, I was 18 years old, he came to London and it was just manic,” said fan Mayah Thomas, now ...

MNA Science & Tech Desk: NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope, the youngest member of the “Great Observatory” programme, has completed 15 years in space. The Great Observatories are four big-ticket space telescopes — Spitzer, Hubble Space Telescope, the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO), and the Chandra X-ray Observatory — designed to view the universe in different and complementary wavelengths of light. Launched into solar orbit on 25 August 2003, Spitzer was initially scheduled for a minimum 2.5-year primary mission. But the space telescope has lasted far beyond its expected lifetime, the US space agency said in a statement. Celebrating Spitzer’s incredible ...

MNA Life Style Desk: If your child spends more than one to two hours on screen-based devices such as computers, phones, tablets, video games or TV, they may be at a higher risk of developing obesity, warns American Heart Association in an advisory. The new scientific statement, published in the journal Circulation, says that screen-based devices are associated with an increased amount of sedentary behaviour in children and teenagers. “Although the mechanisms linking screen time to obesity are not entirely clear, there are real concerns that screens influence eating behaviours, possibly because children ‘tune out’ and do not notice when ...

MNA Feature Desk: The International Day Against Nuclear Tests is being observed across the world today with an aim to raise awareness about the effects of nuclear weapon test explosions or any other nuclear explosions. Since nuclear weapons testing began in the mid-twentieth century, nearly 2,000 tests have taken place across the globe. Established in 2009, the International Day Against Nuclear Tests has raised the profile of the devastating effects that nuclear testing has on human life. The International Day Against Nuclear Tests fosters ideas of a future free of nuclear weapons and testing. While there have been visible signs ...

MNA Education Desk: A Dhaka court yesterday granted bail to quota reform leader Lutfun Nahar Luma in a case filed over “spreading rumours on social media and instigating violence” during the recent road safety movement. Metropolitan Magistrate Subrata Ghosh Shuvo passed the order after her lawyer had submitted a petition seeking bail. Luma, a joint convener of quota reform movement’s central committee and also a student of Eden College, was picked up from her grandfather’s house in Belkuchi upazila of Sirajganj on August 15. She was shown arrested in a case filed with Ramna police on August 5 under the ...

MNA Science Tech Desk: Facebook said on Monday it was removing certain Myanmar military officials from the social media website and an Instagram account to prevent the spread of “hate and misinformation” after reviewing the content. “Specifically, we are banning 20 Burmese individuals and organizations from Facebook — including Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and the military’s Myawady television network,” Facebook said. “We’re removing a total of 18 Facebook accounts, one Instagram account and 52 Facebook Pages, followed by almost 12 million people,” Facebook said in a blog post. The world’s largest social media networking ...

MNA Entertainment Desk: The Bangladesh government has chosen Indian film director Shyam Benegal to helm a Bangla film on the life and works of Bangladesh’s Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. State Minister for Information Tarana Halim told the media at her Secretariat office, “Shyam Benegal has made a biographical movie on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose [2004 film Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero]. We have selected him considering his work.” She informed that though India proposed the names of Goutam Ghose and Kaushik Ganguly apart from Shyam Benegal, Bangladesh selected Benegal, who is the recipient of ...

MNA Feature Desk: The 42nd death anniversary of national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam is being observed on Monday, reports news agency. Nazrul, revered as Bidrohi Kobi (a rebel poet) for his activism for political and social justice, breathed his last in Dhaka on 12th Bhadro of Bangla calendar year 1383 (29 August 1976) at the age of 77. He was buried with full state honours beside the Dhaka University Central Mosque. Nazrul produced a large body of poetry and music with themes that included religious devotion and spiritual rebellion against all sorts of oppression. Different socio-cultural and political organizations have ...

MNA Entertainment Desk: Hollywood actor Vincent Cassel, 51, married 21-year-old model Tina Kunakey in a low-key ceremony in his native France, reported news agency. The actor, who appeared in “Black Swan” and two of the “Ocean’s” series of heist films, shot to fame in the mid-1990s as the troubled young man from the Parisian suburbs in the critically acclaimed “La Haine”. Cassel, wearing dark sunglasses, a cream jacket and open-necked pink shirt, tied the knot with Kunakey in front of around 100 guests in Bidart, a small coastal village near Biarritz in southwestern France. His bride wore a white tulle ...

MNA Education Desk: A 8-day long Youth4SDG (Youth for Sustainable Development Goal) Asia Leadership Program 2018 was organized by Youthink Center, China at Ashulia Permanent Campus of Daffodil International University (DIU) Bangladesh on 8 – 16 August 2018. Around 16 students from different grades of China attended this programme, where the young leaders worked to create the social business plan after surveying different case studies. Professor Dr Yousuf Mahbubul Islam, Vice -Chancellor of DIU graced the occasion as chief guest and handed over the certificates among the participants. Prof Dr Masum Iqbal, Dean, Faculty of Business and Entrepreneurship, was present ...

MNA Tech Desk: Twitter Inc’s chief executive will testify before a US House of Representatives committee on 5 September, the panel said, after some Republicans raised concerns about social media companies removing content from conservatives. The House Energy and Commerce Committee “intends to ask tough questions about how Twitter monitors and polices content,” Republican Representative Greg Walden, the panel’s chairman, said in a statement. “We look forward to Mr. Dorsey being forthright and transparent regarding the complex processes behind the company’s algorithms and content judgment calls,” Walden said. US president Donald Trump accused social media companies of silencing “millions of ...

MNA Entertainment Desk: Just over three months after marrying actor Angad Bedi, Neha Dhupia on Friday announced she is expecting her first child. The couple is looking forward to the new beginning, reported news agency. The actress made the announcement on social media on Friday. “Here’s to new beginnings… #3 of Us,” she posted, sharing a series of photographs where the happy couple is posing. Neha glows as she proudly flaunts the baby bump. In one of the images, Angad is cradling the bump, and in one image, he is pointing at it. The announcement comes after months of speculation, ...

MNA Life & Style Desk: Your newborn is home now, and you’re settling into a daily routine for skin glowing. Keeping your baby warm and nourished is tops on your list. Baby skin care is just as important. Here are some natural and practical baby fairness tips that can make your little one’s skin fair, supple, and glowing: Fruit Juice A good home remedy to enhance your baby’s complexion is feeding him grape juice. Natural fruit extracts help cleanse the epidermis and make your baby’s skin soft and fair. Some other nutritious fruits that boost your baby’s skin tone are ...

MNA Feature Desk: International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition, August 23 of each year, the day designated by UNESCO to memorialize the transatlantic slave trade. UNESCO Member States organize events every year on that date, inviting participation from young people, educators, artists and intellectuals. As part of the goals of the intercultural UNESCO project, “The Slave Route”, it is an opportunity for collective recognition and focus on the “historic causes, the methods and the consequences” of slavery. Additionally, it sets the stage for analysis and dialogue of the interactions which gave rise to the ...

MNA Entertainment Desk: A Dhaka court on Tuesday issued bail to actress Quazi Nawshaba Ahmed who was earlier denied bail in a case relating to spreading rumours. She was sued under the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act, reports news agency. Dhaka metropolitan magistrate Debabrata Biswas granted the bail upon a bond of TK 5,000 after hearing on a bail petition, said sub-inspector Mokbul Hossain, general recording officer of the court. On Monday, metropolitan magistrate Mahmuda Akhter denied her bail after being produced before it on completion of her treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH). Later, she was sent ...

MNA Feature Desk: The 14th anniversary of the August 21 grenade attack on an Awami League rally is being observed today in a sombre mood, reported news agency. Awami League and its associate bodies are observing the day across the country through various programmes including rallies, discussions and doa and milad mahfil. On this day in 2004, the grisly grenade attack was carried out on an anti-terrorism rally arranged by Awami League at Bangabandhu Avenue in the city during the rule of BNP- Jamaat alliance government. The main target of the heinous attack was current prime minister and the then ...

MNA Tech Desk: Bangladesh’s first app-based medical ambulance service – URAL EMS – has been launched recently, reported news agency. With a slogan “Be a Champion, Save a Life”, URAL EMS, a health tech startup, already started its operation in Dhaka, said a press release on Sunday. Ural EMS provides a standardised ambulance service through their app and call centre (01969906555). The app is available on Google Play Store. Using a smartphone device, a patient can get a hassle free and cost effective ambulance service within a short time. A patient can also call to its call centre to arrange ...

MNA Education Desk: A total of 12 Jahangirnagar University (JU) students with financial difficulties have been awarded scholarships, reported news agency. Jahangirnagar University Alumni Association in the United Kingdom (JUAAUK), an organisation of former JU students living in the UK, donated the stipend money for the financially insolvent students. On Thursday, convener of JUAAUK Stipend Fund of Bangladesh unit professor Md Kamrul Hasan handed over the stipend money to the students at a function held at the seminar room of JU Philosophy department, said a press release on Saturday. Member of the organisation professor Md Farhad Hossain of Statistics department ...

MNA Feature Desk: World figures have been paying tribute to former UN secretary-general and Nobel laureate Kofi Annan, who has died at the age of 80, reported news agency. Current UN chief Antonio Guterres hailed him as “a guiding force for good” and Russian President Vladimir Putin described a “remarkable person”. Ex-US President Barack Obama said Annan had always pursued “a better world”. The Ghanaian national served as UN chief from 1997 to 2006 and is the only black African ever to hold the post. Since then he has served as the UN special envoy for Syria, leading efforts to ...

MNA Entertainment Desk: Indian actor Priyanka Chopra and American musician and actor Nick Jonas have gotten engaged a few months after confirming their relationship. The couple, both wearing traditional Indian attire, were engaged at a private ceremony in Mumbai on Saturday. Nick Jonas is a Texan singer and a former member of the Jonas Brothers and is known for his singing, acting, song-writing and production work. No date has yet been announced for the wedding, according to news agency. The couple shared several identical photos from the ceremony on their respective Instagram pages, with Jonas calling Chopra the “future Mrs ...