United News of Bangladesh

Jin, the oldest member of K-pop supergroup BTS, began his 18 months of mandatory military service at a frontline South Korean boot camp Tuesday, as fans gathered near the base to say goodbye to their star. Six other younger BTS members are to join the military in coming years one after another, meaning that the world's biggest boy band must take a hiatus, likely for a few years. Their enlistments have prompted a fierce domestic debate over whether it’s time to revise the country’s conscription system to expand exemptions to include prominent entertainers like BTS, or not to provide such benefits to anyone. With lawmakers squabbling at Parliament and surveys showing sharply split public opinions over offering exemptions to BTS members, their management agency said in October that all BTS members would perform their compulsory military duties. Big Hit Music said that both the company and the members of BTS “are looking forward to reconvening as a group again around 2025 following their service commitment.” Read more: BTS' Jin makes guest appearance at Coldplay concert in Argentina Jin, who turned 30 earlier this month, entered the boot camp at Yeoncheon, a town near the tense border with North Korea, for five weeks of basic military training together with other new conscript soldiers, the Defense Ministry said. After the training involving rifle-shooting, grenade-throwing and marching practices, he and other conscripts would be assigned to army units across the country. About 20-30 fans — some holding Jin’s photos — and dozens of journalists gathered near the camp. But Jin didn't meet them as a vehicle carrying him moved into the boot camp without getting him out. “I want to wait (for) Jin and see him go into the military and wish him all the best,” Mandy Lee from Hong Kong said before Jin’s entrance to the camp. “Actually it’s complicated. I wanna be sad. I wanna be happy for him,” said Angelina from Indonesia. "Mixed feelings. He has to serve (for) his country.” Angelina, like many Indonesians, uses only one name. Read more: South Korean army appears to want to conscript BTS members A couple dozen fans could be seen as a small turnout given Jin's huge popularity. But Jin and his management agency had earlier asked fans not to visit the site and notified them there wouldn’t be any special event involving the singer, in order to prevent any issue caused by crowding. Authorities still mobilized 300 police officers, soldiers, emergency workers and others to maintain order and guard against any accidents, according to the army. Strict safety steps were expected as South Korea is still reeling from the devastating Halloween crush in October in Seoul that killed 158 people. Hours before entering the camp, Jin — whose real name is Kim Seok-jin — wrote on the on the online fan platform Weverse that “It’s time for a curtain call.” He posted a photo of himself Sunday with a military buzzcut and a message saying, “Ha ha ha. It’s cuter than I had expected.” By law, all able-bodied South Korean men must serve in the military for 18-21 months under a conscription system established to deal with threats from North Korea. But the law gives special exemptions to athletes, classical and traditional musicians, and ballet and other dancers if they have won top prizes in certain competitions and enhance national prestige. K-pop stars and other entertainers aren’t given such benefits even if they gain worldwide fame and win big international awards. “Though BTS members have opted to go to the military, there are still some sort of regrets,” said Jung Duk-hyun, a pop culture commentator. “Those in the pop culture sector experience little bit of disadvantages and unfairness, compared with those in the pure art sector or athletes. This will likely continue to be an issue of controversy so I wonder if it must be discussed continuously.” Exemptions or dodging of duties are a highly sensitive issue in South Korea, where the draft forces young men to suspend their studies or professional careers. Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup and Lee Ki Sik, head of South Korea’s enlistment office, previously said it would be “desirable” for BTS members to fulfill their military duties to ensure fairness in the country’s military service. Chun In-bum, a retired lieutenant general who commanded South Korea’s special forces, said the government must move to repeal any exemptions as the military’s shrinking recruitment pool is “a very serious” problem amid the country’s declining fertility rate. He called a debate over BTS’s military service “unnecessary” as it wasn’t raised by BTS members, who have shown willingness in carrying out their duties. BTS was created in 2013 and has a legion of global supporters who call themselves the “Army.” Its other members are RM, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook, who is the youngest at 25. The group expanded its popularity in the West with its 2020 megahit “Dynamite,” the band’s first all-English song that made BTS the first K-pop act to top Billboard’s Hot 100. The band has performed in sold-out arenas around the world and was even invited to speak at United Nations meetings. Hybe Corp., the parent company of Big Hit, said in October that each member of the band for the time being would focus on individual activities scheduled around their military service plans. In October, Jin released “The Astronaut,” a single co-written by Coldplay. Jung, the commentator, said sold projects could give BTS members much-needed time to develop themselves after working together as a group for many years. But Cha Woo-jin, a K-pop commentator, said it’s unclear if BTS would enjoy the same popularity as a group when they get together again after finishing their military duties in a few years. In August, Lee, the defense minister, said BTS members who are serving would likely be allowed to continue practicing and to join other non-serving BTS members in overseas group tours. Cha said K-pop’s global influence wouldn’t be hurt much because of BTS members’ enlistments as they “appear to represent K-pop but aren’t everything of K-pop.” Chung agreed, saying that other K-pop groups like BLACKPINK, Stray Kids and aespa could rise further.

To celebrate the undeniable links among climate, river, music and youth, the second concert of "Nodi Rocks" is set to enthral music lovers Monday at the Jahangirnagar University's (JU) Mukta Mancha. "Nodi Rocks Concert – Song of Rivers and Lives," the first of its kind, aims to create awareness towards climate and connect the youth to rivers using the power of music. Chirkutt, Ashes, Smooches, Bangla Five and F Minor will perform at the six-hour concert, which will start at 4pm. In September, Arbovirus, Cryptic Fate, Chirkutt, Ashes, Smooches, Bangla Five and F Minor mesmerised the audience while showcasing a befitting tribute to the riverine beauty of Bangladesh at the first Nodi Rocks Season 1 concert at the International Convention City Bashundhara in the capital. Nodi Rocks is supported by the Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh, the United Nations Development Programme, and the government of Sweden. The project is the brainchild of Sharmin Sultana Sumi, Chirkutt's founding member-vocalist and managing director and creative director of Salt Creatives.

Popular actors Zahid Hasan and Tauquir Ahmed are set to make their first appearance together in a web series with streaming platform Bioscope's mystery thriller "Ke" in January next year. Ke, produced by Shahriar Shakil under the production of Alpha-I studios, depicts the story of two close friends, played by Zahid and Tauquir, who are writers by profession. As the complexities of life unravel, they find it hard to differentiate between truth and lie. Read more: ‘Agantuk’ wins Film Bazaar Award in Goa The web series narrates a murder mystery of deception, lies, and hallucination and seeks to find the answer to "who is speaking the truth and who is telling the lie?" A launch event of the ensemble cast of the series was held in the capital recently. The cast of this web series including Zahid, Tauquir, Sanjida Pretty, Dilruba Doyal, Tanzika, director Gautam Kairi and producer Shakil joined the launching event. Regarding the venture, Tauquir said: "I believe this mystery-based story will delight the audience. Moreover, after many days I acted together with Zahid Hasan. If the audience likes the story, acting, and production, everyone's hard work will be worthwhile." Gautam said: "The mystery in Ke will unfold through the story of a family. It was a memorable occasion for me to be able to work together with two versatile actors in my first series. There are stories within stories." Read more: ‘Hoyto-Noyto': A satire on the times Zahid said: "After listening to the initial plot of the story, I was mesmerised. This web series is full of suspense and thrill. Also, Gautam is a very organised and sincere director. I think the series will entertain cross-sections of audiences." Solaiman Alam, Grameenphone chief digital and strategy officer, said: "Today's consumers have new expectations and preferences on media consumption. It is our pleasure to bring together the two most popular and versatile actors in the industry through this web series."

Celine Dion has put a halt on all performing after being diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder. In an emotional video messages posted in French and English on Thursday on Instagram, Dion said stiff person syndrome was causing spasms that affect her ability to walk and sing. “Unfortunately, the spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I’m used to,” she said. Dion said she had no choice but to postpone her “Courage” tour, which was to restart in February after several delays. Her spring 2023 shows have been moved to 2024 and her summer 2023 concerts have been canceled. “I miss seeing all of you, being on the stage, performing for you. I always give 100% when I do my shows, but my condition is not allowing me to give you that right now,” she said. Read: Celine Dion announces Courage World Tour, new album in 2019 Stiff person syndrome causes rigid muscles and painful muscle spasms, which can be triggered by such things as loud noises or light touch. The cause isn’t known but it is thought to be an autoimmune disorder. Severe cases can cause difficulty walking and hunched posture. Dion, who has five Grammy Awards and two Academy Awards, is the best-selling female artist of all time with hits like “I’m Alive” and “My Heart Will Go On.”

The 19th edition of the Asian Art Biennale, the longest-running international art biennale event in Asia, is now all set to welcome the art enthusiasts from home and beyond at the National Art Gallery of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) on Thursday. The month-long art extravaganza will be inaugurated by Prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who will virtually raise the curtain of the biennale as the chief guest of the opening ceremony at the National Theatre Hall of the academy at 10 am. State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid will chair the inaugural ceremony, which will be joined by Cultural Affairs Secretary Md Abul Monsur, President of the jury board of the event artist Rafiqun Nabi and jury board Jaroslaw Suchan as special guests. Sponsored by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, the 19th Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh 2022 will include 649 pieces of art created by 493 artists from 114 nations, including 149 Bangladeshi artists. Three grand prizes and six honourable mention prizes will be announced at the opening ceremony. On Tuesday, a press briefing was held at the Seminar Room of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, where BSA Director General and chief coordinator of 19th Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh 2022 Liaquat Ali Lucky shared the details of the long-awaited flagship event of the organisation with the media. “This 19th Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh 2022 is dedicated to the country's founding President and the father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who envisioned and established Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy which has been organizing the Asian Art Biennale,  the largest art exhibition in Asia, for the past 40 years,” Lucky said at the press conference. The 19th edition will showcase two-dimensional and three-dimensional artworks such as paintings, prints, photographs, sculptures, performance arts, installations and new media arts, crafted and presented by the participating native and foreign artists who channelled their contemporary thoughts through these artworks, Lucky said at the press conference.  Read more: 19th Asian Art Biennale to begin March 1, 2021 Eyeing for a regular event like the previous years, BSA had to postpone the 19th edition several times, according to Lucky. “Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, we had to change the schedule for this biennale more than three times. Although we held other major exhibitions within the period, we are really happy to finally host this grand festivity at this time,” he said.  The 19th edition will feature a two-day international seminar titled ‘Home and Displacement’ with the participation of local and foreign artists, art critics, jury and observers. The seminar will be held on Friday and Saturday at the National Art Gallery Auditorium and Seminar Rooms of the National Theatre Building of the BSA. In addition to the main exhibition at BSA, the Bangladesh National Museum will display 42 artworks of Bangladeshi legendary master artists from its collection as a part of the 19th Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh 2022. The international jurors of the 19th Asian Art Biennale - Iwona Blazwick from the UK, Jagath Weerasinghe from Sri Lanka, artist Nurseren Tor from Turkey, and Jaroslaw Suchan from Poland were also present at the press conference, alongside BSA Fine Arts Director Syeda Mahbuba Karim and BSA Secretary Salahuddin Ahmed. The 19th Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh 2022 will welcome its visitors till January 7, every day from 11 am to 8 pm.    

Popular Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone has received an invitation from the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to unveil the 2022 Qatar World Cup trophy during the upcoming finals, according to Indian media reports. Although FIFA is yet to make an officially announcement regarding this, a source close to the internationally renowned actress reveals that she will be unveiling the trophy, according to the Times of India. Read more: Bollywood star Deepika quizzed in drug probe Deepika is said to be flying to Qatar to unveil the FIFA World Cup trophy at the final that is scheduled to be played at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, on December 18. If officially announced, this will be the first time an Indian celebrity will unveil the FIFA World Cup trophy. However, it is still unknown whether she will take part in any other cultural event or not. Read more: Unpredictable FIFA World Cup 2022: What we can expect more in the knockout rounds Deepika Padukone has participated as a jury member at this year’s Cannes Film Festival in France. She is the first Indian chosen to be the international face of iconic brands like Levi’s and Adidas, as well as premium labels like Louis Vuitton and Cartier.

Video streaming platform Bongo has launched short video clips for online media publishers to embed on their websites or mobile applications. Online media publishers are finding it hard to retain users as many have now moved away from reading to watching short videos and clips in this age of TikTok, Instagram reels and YouTube shorts. Producing videos daily or even writing articles is not an easy task. Bongo wants to make life easier for online media publishers by providing entertaining short clips which they can embed on their website or mobile app just as easily as embedded YouTube videos.  Grameenphone's self-service solution MyGP app and Brac Bank's Astha app already adopted this solution to showcase video content to their users. Read: ‘Hoyto-Noyto': A satire on the times From Bongo, online media partners can choose from more than 15,000 hours of content and a partner network of content creators that have more than 30,000 hours of content. They can choose the categories of content they want to showcase to their users. Bongo's library of content is already being used by other platforms such as Binge, Bioscope and other OTT platforms.

Kim Kardashian and Ye have reached a settlement in their divorce, averting a trial that had been set for next month, court documents filed Tuesday showed. The former couple and their attorneys filed documents asking for a judge’s approval of terms they have agreed on, including $200,000 per month child support payments rom Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, to Kardashian. The two will have joint custody, and neither will pay the other spousal support, according to the documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court. READ: Russia bans 100 Canadians including Atwood, Jim Carrey The judge declared the two legally single at Kardashian’s request in March, ending their eight-year marriage, but issues of property and custody remained that were to be worked out in a trial starting Dec. 14. The two have four children whose ages range from 3 to 9 years old. Kardashian and Ye will equally split the expenses for the kids’ private security and private school, including college, according to the settlement proposal. They will also each pay their own debts the settlement said. The two had a pre-nuptial agreement and kept their property largely separate. The couple began dating in 2012 and had their first child in 2013. West proposed later that year using the giant screen at the empty waterfront ballpark of the San Francisco Giants, and the two married May 24, 2014, in a ceremony at a Renaissance fortress in Florence, Italy. The two appeared to be headed for a cordial split with agreed-upon terms when Kardashian first filed for divorce in February of 2021. Neither discussed the split publicly until early this year, when Ye started lashing out on social media against Kardashian, her family, and then-boyfriend Pete Davidson. Among his complaints were that he was not being allowed to make major parenting decisions and was been excluded from birthday parties and other events for their children. READ: Restricted from Twitter, Instagram; Kanye to buy conservative social network Parler Ye, who has fired two lawyers since the divorce filing, also raised several technical issues and demands, including seeking the right to question any new husband of Kardashian’s under oath, which Judge Steve Cochran promptly rejected. The settlement comes soon after several companies have cut ties with Ye ove r offensive and antisemitic remarks that have further eroded an already withering public image. His latest lawyer, Nicholas Salick, did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the settlement. It was the third marriage for Kardashian, the reality TV superstar, businesswoman and influencer, and the first marriage for the rap and fashion mogul Ye. Theirs was one of the most closely followed celebrity unions in recent decades.

Film actress Pori Moni on Tuesday gave statement against three people including businessman Nasir U Mahmood and Tuhin Siddique Omi, in a case filed over rape and murder attempts on her. Dhaka Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-9 Judge Hemayet Uddin recorded her statement and fixed January 11 to hear the rest of the statement. Read: Actress Pori Moni's petition for cancelling narcotics case dismissed Actress Pori Moni appeared at the court whith her husband actor Shariful Islam Razz. Of the accused, Omi and Shah Shahidul Alam were present but Nasir appealed for time mentioning illness. On June 9, ,2021 Pori Moni   in her verified Facebook page uploaded a status seeking justice from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, claiming that the six people attempted to rape and kill her at the Uttara Boating Club. On June 14, Pori Moni filed a sexual assault complaint against six people, including Nasir and Omi, with Savar Model Police Station. Later, Nasir and four others were arrested from Uttara by a team of detectives. Read: SC clears way to continue trial against Pori Moni On September 6,  the investigating officer in the case, submitted a charge-sheet against the three accused to the Dhaka Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court. But, on Dec 1, Pori Moni filed a no-confidence petition seeking further investigation. On December 13, Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-9 Judge Md Hemayet Uddin accepted the charges in the case rejecting Pori Moni’s no-confidence petition.. The court fixed March 3, 2022 for beginning trial in the case.  

Albania’s president on Sunday granted citizenship to British pop star of Albanian origin Dua Lipa for what he said was the artist’s role in spreading Albanians’ fame internationally through her music. President Bajram Begaj said Lipa was granted citizenship ahead of Albania’s 110th anniversary of independence from the Ottoman Empire. Begaj said he considered it an honor to do so because Lipa has made Albanians famous throughout the world. “I will be an Albanian with papers too,” Lipa said before taking her citizenship oath at Tirana city hall. Read more: Russia bans 100 Canadians including Atwood, Jim Carrey Lipa was born in London in 1995 to immigrant Albanian parents Anesa and Dukagjin Lipa from Kosovo. Lipa, who started singing at five years old, was musically influenced by her father, a former singer and guitarist of a rock band. She started to post her songs in YouTube when she was 14. Her first debut studio album was released in 2017. In 2019 she won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. Together with her father, she co-founded the Sunny Hill Foundation in 2016 to raise funds with annual concerts held in her native Kosovo to help people experiencing financial difficulties. Read more: House of the Dragon: Why do Targaryens have silver hair? “It is an indescribable great joy with such acceptance, love and everything,” said Lipa. The artist then took a passport photo, was fingerprinted and signed an application form for an identity hard and passport. Lipa will wrap up her annual concert tour in Tirana’s main Skanderbeg Square on Monday to commemorate Independence Day.