South Korea considers conducting survey on BTS members' military duty exemptions

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Russia will not be sending an official Oscar candidate for the upcoming international feature film race, Variety has confirmed. The news, which was reported by the news outlet AFP, was announced by the Russian film academy on Monday evening (Sept. 27). The decision appears to be an act of boycott against the Academy Awards, reflecting the rising tensions between the U.S. and Russia which has been at war with Ukraine since Feb. 24. Russia recently accused the U.S. administration of having a direct role in the war in Ukraine and has threatened to cut ties with the country.

Amy Robach was feeling incredibly proud at the start of the week as she shone a light on her daughters and mom.MORE: Amy Robach provides running update ahead of challenging raceThe Good Morning America co-anchor was marking National Daughters Day, and chose to post a family photo featuring herself with children Ava and Annie, and her lookalike mom Joanie."Happy National Daughters Day, to the loves of my life," Amy wrote alongside the image.VIDEO: Amy Robach receives sweet surprise from David MuirThe TV star shares her children with ex-husband Tim McIntosh. She went on to marry actor Andrew Shue, and is stepmom to his three sons.MORE: David Muir and Amy Robach are picture-perfect in new photo fans can't get enough ofMORE: GMA's Amy Robach looks sensational in string bikini during time offThe news anchor and her husband are slowly becoming empty nesters now that their children are flying the nest.The star's oldest daughter Ava left home last September to attend university, and she recently admitted that they are now getting used to doing family traditions without any of the children, including apple picking last autumn.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Documentary festival IDFA will host the international premieres of Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi’s music film “Personality Crisis: One Night Only” and Barbara Kopple’s “Gumbo Coalition” as part of its Masters program, as well as the world premiere of Coco Schrijber’s “Look What You Made Me Do.” The selection includes the work of several renowned directors who have reinvented their cinematic language. Patricio Guzmán breaks from his poetic approach to adopt a more direct, political form of filmmaking with “My Imaginary Country,” centering on the October 2019 protests in Santiago. Gianfranco Rosi directs his first archive-based film “In viaggio,” which sees Pope Francis’ journeys as a map of the human condition. Jørgen Leth and Andreas Koefoed co-direct a film together for the first time with “Music for Black Pigeons,” a reflection on aging through jazz music, and Ruth Beckermann’s “Mutzenbacher” takes a look at a controversial erotic novel through an elaborate casting call.

Rylan Clark has detailed how his “almost step-parents”, Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford, visited him during a particularly dark period following his split from husband, Dan Neal. Rylan’s new book, Ten: The Decade That Changed My Future, catalogues a series of events that would ultimately lead to hospitalisation. Rylan had woken up one day and decided to tell his boyfriend Dan that he had cheated “years ago.” But when dan subsequently left him, Rylan was distraught but acknowledged that he was the only one “who could physically dig my nails into that mud and try and pull myself up.” “I sat Mum down and told her I needed to be locked up,” Rylan admitted in the book.

When Ashley Cain's beloved daughter Azaylia passed away at the age of eight months in April 2021, the dad-of-one was left in pieces. Spending every day with his family, he struggled to come to terms with the gaping hole left behind by his baby girl. Less than a year later, he was dealt yet another blow as he was told his grandmother had died, joining "the angels in paradise", just minutes before he was due to head into the very first Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins challenge.

Charlotte Crosby reignited her feud with Vicky Pattison by revealing they were "never really friends" after starring on Geordie Shore together 11 years ago. And now, pals Sophie Kasaei, 32, and Holly Hagan, 30, have shed some light on the situation, backing Charlotte's words. Sophie told OK!: "I have to be the pillar of the community in that I’m civil with everyone.

A beautiful new photograph of the late Her Majesty the Queen has been released. In the black and white picture is a young Queen Elizabeth looking up at the camera.The portrait was taken by Dorothy Wilding, and was the first official sitting of the late monarch after she took the throne.The release of the photo comes as the Royal Family return to their duties today, Tuesday 27 September.

Fans of Gogglebox were treated to a rare snap from Pete Sandiford’s wife as the couple cosied up by the seaside. While the nation knows the Gogglebox stars like their extended family, many series regulars keep famously private lives outside their living rooms. One such star is Pete Sandiford, who rarely shares his life beyond the Gogglebox couch, though luckily, his wife Paige shared a recent snap on Instagram.

Millions around the world have paid their respects following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, as Britain’s longest reigning monarch was officially laid to rest earlier this month. It marked a significant milestone in British history, with magazines and newspapers worldwide covering the emotional mourning period.

Chrishell Stause still uses her ex Jason Oppenheim's HBO login and "screws up" his account when she is "mad" at him. The 'Selling Sunset' co-stars split in December last year, and real estate broker Jason, 45, has told how the 41-year-old real estate agent loves to mess up his shows on the streaming service if they have a disagreement. He said: "I was texting her last night jokingly because I logged on to my HBO and I saw that somebody had started this show.

Alec Baldwin's lawyer insists it is "premature" to discuss the actor potentially being charged in the 'Rust' shooting case. The investigation is still ongoing into the 'Rust' shooting which led to the tragic death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins when Baldwin, 64, was holding the gun that discharged, while he has maintained he didn't pull the trigger. Luke Kikas of Quinn Emanual told PEOPLE magazine: "The DA has made clear that she has not received the sheriff's report or made any decisions about who, if anyone, might be charged in this case.

Maisie Williams had a "traumatic" relationship with her father which cast a shadow over her childhood. The former 'Game of Thrones' star's mother "escaped" the relationship when she was "about four months old", but the 25-year-old actress still went through a lot of "pain [and] fear" while not realising the behaviour she was exposed to was "wrong". She said: "“Well, I, as a young child before the age of, like, eight, had a traumatic relationship with my dad.

I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! fans are in for a massive treat as ITV bosses are working on not one but two brand new series of the show - and one of them is being filmed right now. Ant and Dec took to Instagram last week to confirm they're currently in South Africa filming the rumoured All Stars series which will see much-loved I'm A Celeb campmates return for another chance to be crowned King or Queen of the Jungle. That won't be hitting our screens until next year, but we are going to get another regular series of I'm A Celeb later this year.

Iggy Azalea has felt "utterly deprived of a personal life" during her music career. The 32-year-old rapper has taken to social media to offer advice to aspiring music stars, admitting that her own path towards fame and success hasn't been straightforward. Iggy - who moved from Australia to the US during her teens to follow her music ambitions - wrote on the micro-blogging platform: "Here’s the thing I think everyone working hard toward a dream should know.

Simone Ashley, who gave Bridgerton fans something to swoon over when she posed with Emma Weymouth at Burberry's SS23 runway show. Simone donned an eclectic look from Chief Creative Director Ricardo Tisci's latest collection from the British heritage brand, donning a graphic oversized polo-shirt dress worn with full length monochrome patterned gloves and thigh high black boots.

Waleed Aly's wedding day suit.  'I mean, first of all, I think the bride looks beautiful,' the 35-year-old said diplomatically.  'What I say to my friend who is always talking about these, like, chicken jerky sticks I like because she thinks they stink.

BTS’ potential military exemption.South Korea’s Ministry of National Defence has followed-up on minister Lee Jong-sup’s previous comments regarding a potential public poll on BTS’ military exemption, announcing that it will not be going forward with the poll.During an August 31 parliamentary hearing, defence minister Lee Jong-sup told lawmakers of plans to implement a national survey to gauge public opinions on exempting the boyband from mandatory military service. The ministry later clarified that officials were only examining the need of such a survey at the time.As of September 1 however, it confirmed that it will not be conducting a poll on BTS’ enlistment.“The Ministry of National Defence will not arrange a public poll on the matter, nor making decisions on the issue of BTS’ military service solely based on the result of the poll,” it shared through an official statement, as reported by SBS News.All able-bodied male citizens of South Korea are to enlist in the military by the age of 28, serving at least 18 months of mandatory service under the current law.

Big Mouth has come under fire for dialogue that allegedly perpetuates racial insensitivity.In the second episode of Big Mouth, which first aired on July 30, the series’ main character Park Chang-ho (played by Lee Jong-suk) provokes a fellow inmate on death row, asking if his mother had seaweed soup after giving birth to him.In South Korea, it is custom for Korean mothers to have seaweed soup after giving birth. However, Chang-ho continued to rile the inmate up by asking what his mother had eaten after his birth for him to grow into a psychopath.“Did your mother eat seaweed soup after giving birth to you? I am really curious as to what she ate to have given birth to a psycho like you.

BTS exemptions from mandatory military service.Debates over the necessity of BTS’ fulfilment of local military conscription requirements have long been a point of public contention, which have recently intensified as the boyband’s oldest member, Jin, is due to turn 30 this December. The law calls for all male Korean citizens – no older than age 30 – to enlist in the military for mandatory service.On August 31, The Korea Times reported that South Korea’s defence minister Lee Jong-sup told lawmakers that he has ordered officials to implement a survey to gauge the public’s opinions on BTS’ enlistment.