I first came across the word pen pal when I was a student of 4th grade. There was a very clichéd letter in the syllabus which was about describing your country to a foreign pen friend.

For over a year, and since the pandemic was with us, I started writing a diary of my days in quarantine. Looking back at what I wrote a couple of days back, I thought: why not share a few of the thoughts that came to me over the year in a concise way with Star Lifestyle readers?

To those who believe monsoon is for the dull and colourless, let me rectify the statement. It is indeed for the spontaneous and the most fashionable.

Most people unfortunately fail to consume the two recommended servings of fruits a day. Even if your daily midday summer treat consists of your favourite fruit,

The only reason you are not rioting about this sweltering summer heat is because it coincides with the season of the ‘King of fruits,’ Mangoes. Auspicious, fragrant, juicy, pulpy, having mangoes is nearly therapeutic. Sour or sweet, ripe or unripe, mangoes in any form never fails to hit your taste bud right.

Twenty more Bangladeshis, who got stuck in India due to travel embargo, returned home through Darshana check-point in Chuadanga yesterday.

Pakistan’s National Comm­and and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Saturday placed strict restrictions on travellers from Bangladesh and 25 other countries by placing them in C category.

Saudi Arabia has restricted the annual Hajj pilgrimage to citizens and residents and set a maximum of 60,000 pilgrims limit in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the state Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.

Twenty-two more Bangladeshis, who went to India for medical treatment and got stuck there due to travel embargo, returned home through Darshana check-point in Chuadanga yesterday evening.

Air travelers will have to pay more as Padma Oil Company Limited -- a subsidiary of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation -- increased jet fuel prices once again.

US-Bangla Airlines will resume flights on the Dubai-Dhaka route from June 18.

Let’s zero in on food safety! After all, it is World Food Safety Day today. And it is also a major issue to be dealt with in Bangladesh, as it is all across the world; during the pandemic, it is even more crucial.

The month of June celebrates something we all love — food! There have been many technologies innovated and introduced globally that serve to ensure that absolutely the safest and best food is delivered to consumers.

Time and again we have been reminded of the dire condition of food safety in Bangladesh. Although positive steps are being taken and some praiseworthy initiatives are in place, we still have a long way to go in ensuring safe food for all.

US-Bangla Airlines will resume flights on the Muscat-Dhaka route from June 5. During the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, it will operate four weekly flights on the route, following all health guidelines.

Uncertainty over the return of around 25,000 Bangladeshi expatriates to their workplaces in Oman and Kuwait is over as Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) has withdrawn restriction on the outgoing passengers to these countries.

An Australian court on Tuesday rejected a challenge to the federal government’s draconian power to prevent most citizens from leaving the country so that they don’t bring Covid-19 home.

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte yesterday extended a ban on inbound travel from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates until June 15, to prevent transmission of the coronavirus variant first discovered in India that is circulating widely in that country and the region.

As an illustrative form of self-expression, tattoos make one’s body their own personalised art gallery marked with creativity.

The popularity of hoop earrings continued from the ‘60s through the ‘90s, and till today, remains a classic for women of all ages. As one of the oldest fashioned pieces recorded in history, hoop earrings trace back to ancient Egypt all the way to modern times and have become an ultimate statement piece.