United News of Bangladesh

Chennai Super Kings became the first team eliminated from playoff contention in this year’s Indian Premier League following a four-wicket defeat to Punjab Kings on Wednesday, highlighted by a stunning hat trick from Yuzvendra Chahal. Punjab chased down the target with confidence, powered by half-centuries from skipper Shreyas Iyer (72) and opener Prabhsimran Singh (54), reaching 194-6 and moving up to second place on the points table with 13 points. Chahal turned the game in Punjab’s favor during the penultimate over, claiming all four of his wickets in that spell to finish with figures of 4-32. Chennai, in response, were bowled out for 190 in 19.2 overs. It’s been a disappointing campaign for the five-time IPL champions, who have now missed the playoffs three times in the last four seasons. Despite a promising start with a win over Mumbai Indians, Chennai’s season quickly unraveled with five consecutive home defeats. After briefly halting their slump by beating Lucknow Super Giants, they slumped again with three more losses and have managed just four points from 10 matches. Barcelona and Inter Milan draw 3-3 in thrilling first leg of their Champions League semifinal Iyer anchors Punjab’s solid chase Iyer smartly controlled Punjab’s solid run-chase in the company of Singh with both batters hitting 10 fours and seven sixes in between them. Priyansh Arya (23) provided a brisk start of 44 off 28 balls before he was caught behind of a short ball from Khaleel Ahmed in the fifth over. Chennai struck back briefly in the middle overs when Singh slog swept spinner Noor Ahmad and was caught at mid-wicket and Maheesh Pathirana dismissed Nehal Wadhera in the 15th over. But Iyer upped the ante by smacking 20 runs in Pathirana’s next over that featured two straight sixes. Shashank Singh smashed two sixes in his 12-ball knock of 23 before he was spectacularly caught by Dewald Brevis at deep mid-wicket. Barcelona’s attack meets Inter defence in UCL semifinals With only three required for victory Punjab lost two more wickets before Marco Jansen raised the victory with a winning boundary. Iyer dragged Pathirana’s full pitched delivery back onto his stumps which ended a scintillating 41-ball knock and Suryansh Shedge was caught at mid-wicket against Ahmed.    

Biman Bangladesh Airlines is working to expand its international routes to enhance air connectivity for Bangladeshi passengers, Managing Director and CEO of the national flag carrier, Shafiul Azim, has said. “We have taken initiatives to operate flights on some important routes across the globe including to New York, Chennai, Bengaluru, Los Angeles, Rome, Male, and Guangzhou.” The Biman CEO shared the information during an exclusive interview with UNB “Gradually we will be able to start flights on these routes. We are evaluating and working on how to start flights on each of these routes within the shortest possible time,” he added. Biman currently operates regular flights to 19 destinations around the world. “We have a fleet of 21 aircraft including Dreamliners. Ten new aircraft are being purchased from Airbus,” he added. New aircraft from Airbus will facilitate the expansion of routes and will open up new directions in coordination with other countries, the Biman CEO hoped. Read: Biman Bangladesh Airlines and Gulf Air forge strategic partnership for enhanced travel connectivity With the addition of the new aircraft, the number of flights on popular routes can also be increased, which would in turn create a more competitive market and help in reducing ticket prices. The Biman CEO said, “We are working on expanding our network not only in Asia but also in western countries, especially in Europe.” Besides, Biman has already done everything to launch direct flights from Dhaka to New York, he said. He further said some formal work is going on with Civil Aviation, Federal Aviation Authority and their Department of Transport. If everything goes well, all activities regarding flight operations on the new routes, including New York, are scheduled to be completed by the end of this year. He said that Biman Bangladesh Airlines and Gulf Air have recently started a partnership – set to revolutionise travel between Bangladesh and the Gulf region. As a result, passengers can travel from Dhaka to Bahrain and Bahrain to Dhaka with onward connection to Chattogram and Sylhet via both airlines (Biman and Gulf Air). Read: Biman Bangladesh Airlines launches online travel date change service In addition, it will benefit both airlines through enhanced operational efficiency and shared expertise in the aviation industry, he added. “We are starting flights to Narita (Tokyo), Japan from September 1. Chennai is also being considered as a destination. Apart from this, we are going to resume flights to Guangzhou in China by the middle of September. Besides, we are trying to establish communication and code sharing with other countries through Narita in Japan,” the Biman CEO said. Regarding the launch of flights to Japan, he said that Bangladesh has very good bilateral relations with Japan, and they have investments here. “We are launching a direct Dhaka-Narita (Tokyo) flight from September 1, 2023 and it is a major achievement for us,” the Biman Bangladesh Airlines CEO said, adding, “Bangladeshi students are going to study in Japan and Japanese businessmen are coming here. Besides, many people travel to Japan from neighbouring countries. We have a good air network with the West compared to the East. Through Dhaka-Narita (Tokyo) direct flights, a new horizon will open,” CEO Azim added. Besides, Biman will take initiative for improvement of the Bangladesh-Japan tourism sector. Read more: 2 flights of Biman Bangladesh Airlines on Friday cancelled At the same time, “we are moving forward with marketing strategies so that passengers from neighbouring countries can travel to and from Japan via Dhaka,” the Biman Bangladesh Airlines CEO said.

Formerly known as Madras, Chennai is the capital city of the Southern Indian state Tamil Nadu. The city is known for its ancient temples, natural wonders, thriving arts, and culinary traditions. The city has a rich history that dates back around a thousand years. Over the centuries, Chennai stood tall, being at the center of South Indian dynasties. The city attracts tourists from all over the world who wish to take a peek at the ancient history of India. This year, Chennai will also host several games of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, making it the perfect time to visit the city. Let’s look at 11 of the top tourist attractions in Chennai and things to consider before going there.  Top 11 Must-Visit Places in Chennai  Marina Beach  While Chennai is mostly a heritage tourism city, it also offers a relaxing retreat at the heart of the city in Marina Beach. Being a southern city on the edge of the Bay of Bengal, the 3.7 km-long Marina Beach is easily accessible by bus and taxi from the city center. It will cost about 100 to 200 INR (BDT 132 to 264.60, at 1 INR = 1.32 BDT) based on bargaining ability (make sure to bargain about everything while in Chennai!).  Take a walk along the sea to experience the gentle breeze on a hot summer day. There are vendors all over the beach selling different items — from foods to trinkets to even massage on the go. Make sure to explore the lighthouse on the southern end of the beach for a fabulous view of the sunset.  Read more: Best Rustic Resorts and Campsites near Dhaka Kapaleeshwarar Temple  Kapaleeshwarar Temple is located in Mylapore of Chennai. Getting to Mylapore is quite easy on either an auto-rickshaw or a public bus.