Entertainment News Roundup: Lebanon's famed musician Elias Rahbani dies aged 83; Kimmel, Corden take shows back home as Hollywood urged to halt filming and more

The Recording Academy and broadcaster CBS said in a joint statement that the ceremony to present the highest honors in the music industry had been delayed after talks with health experts and musicians.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Lebanon's famed musician Elias Rahbani dies aged 83

Elias Rahbani, who wrote songs for Lebanon's most revered singer Fairouz among many others, died on Monday at the age of 83, local media reported. Elias was the youngest brother of celebrated musicians Mansour and Assi Rahbani, known together as the Rahbani brothers.

Kimmel, Corden take shows back home as Hollywood urged to halt filming

James Corden and Jimmy Kimmel are taking their late night talk shows back home due to a surge in coronavirus cases in the Los Angeles area that has brought calls for production on all films and TV shows to be halted indefinitely. Corden tweeted on Monday that he was headed back to his garage to film "The Late Late Show" and would remain there "until it's safe to return to our studio."

UK music festivals call for help to survive until summer

Britain's music festivals will have to start pulling the plug on events for the second year in succession if they do not get government support to give them the confidence to book acts and contractors, the industry said on Tuesday. Jamie Njoku-Goodwin, chief executive at music industry trade body UK Music, said event organisers needed a date for when live music could resume and also for the government to back an insurance policy in case the pandemic caused new cancellations.

Box Office: 'Wonder Woman 1984' Grabs $5.5 Million Domestically, Global Total Tops $118 Million

"Wonder Woman 1984" used its lasso of truth to rope in $5.5 million over the New Year's holiday. The sequel also ensnared another $10.1 million from overseas markets, bringing its global total to $118.5 million. That's not a disastrous figure given how much coronavirus has upended the movie business, but it does represent a steep 67% drop domestically and is a far cry from the grosses of pre-pandemic blockbusters. Stateside, "Wonder Woman 1984" has earned $28.5 million. The superhero sequel, which is currently getting some social media backlash for not rising to the level of its beloved predecessor, is being simultaneously released on HBO Max in a bid to bolster the WarnerMedia streaming service and as a concession to a global health crisis that's left the theatrical distribution landscape severely diminished. The company has issued some vague numbers touting "Wonder Woman 1984's" popularity on HBO Max, but little in the way of hard data. It did announce that Gal Gadot and director Patty Jenkins will reunite for a third film in the franchise, a sign that it believes the Amazonian warrior is a vital part of its plans for growing its DC cinematic universe.

UK broadcaster talkRADIO reinstated on YouTube

British national radio station talkRADIO on Tuesday said that YouTube had reinstated its channel from the video-sharing platform after a review. TalkRADIO has more than 400,000 listeners and is regulated by Britain's main broadcast watchdog, Ofcom. Grammy Awards postponed to March 14, Recording Academy says

The Grammy Awards ceremony due to take place on Jan. 31 has been rescheduled to March 14 because of the coronavirus surge in Los Angeles, organizers said on Tuesday. The Recording Academy and broadcaster CBS said in a joint statement that the ceremony to present the highest honors in the music industry had been delayed after talks with health experts and musicians.

Hulu's live TV service to host more of ViacomCBS networks

Media giant ViacomCBS Inc said on Monday it has entered an agreement with Hulu to add 14 more networks, including Comedy Central, MTV, VH1 and Nickelodeon, to the streaming service provider's paid live TV platform. The Hulu + Live TV platform already hosts ViacomCBS' CBS Broadcast stations, CBS Sports Network and Pop TV channels.

R&B star Akon enters Congo mining sector in JV with state company

A company led by American-Senegalese R&B singer Akon has signed a deal to finance a copper and cobalt mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo in a joint venture with a state miner, according to a contract published by the mines ministry. The Grammy-nominated singer, known for hit songs like "Don't Matter" and "Smack That," has launched a number of business and philanthropic ventures across Africa in recent years, including a $6 billion futuristic city in Senegal and a cryptocurrency called Akoin.

(With inputs from agencies.)