Entertainment News Roundup: Singers Louis Tomlinson, Yungblud cancel Russia gigs amid Ukraine crisis; Hollywood star Sean Penn joins Ukraine exodus to Poland on foot and more

The Walt Disney Co said Monday it is pausing the release of theatrical films in Russia, starting with the upcoming Pixar Animation Studios release, "Turning Red." Within hours, WarnerMedia said it would pause this week's release of "The Batman" in Russia. 'The Batman' stars 'scared and very excited' to see audience response Robert Pattinson and Zoe Kravitz team up as Batman and Catwoman in the latest cinematic outing of the famed DC Comics figures for "The Batman".

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Singers Louis Tomlinson, Yungblud cancel Russia gigs amid Ukraine crisis

British singers Louis Tomlinson and Yungblud as well as the band Franz Ferdinand have cancelled upcoming performances in Russia in light of the Russia-Ukraine war, following in the footsteps of other music acts to do so. Taking to Twitter on Tuesday, Scottish indie rockers Franz Ferdinand said they were pulling Russian gigs scheduled for the summer, adding "the only reason for this is the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian state."

Hollywood star Sean Penn joins Ukraine exodus to Poland on foot

Days after visiting the Ukrainian capital Kyiv to film scenes for his documentary on Russia's invasion, Hollywood actor-director Sean Penn found himself among thousands of refugees fleeing to Poland, joining the exodus on foot. Penn, 61, posted a photo to his Twitter feed on Monday showing the movie star wearing a backpack and toting a piece of luggage on wheels as he trudged along the shoulder of a road beside a line of cars stretching into the distance.

Yves Saint Laurent sends silky evening gowns down Eiffel Tower runway

French fashion house Yves Saint Laurent hosted an evening catwalk presentation at Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday, showcasing a series of slender cocktail gowns from a catwalk overlooking the base of the Eiffel Tower. Long-legged models strode across a pale pink carpet in long, sleek dresses, some wispy at the bottom, and wrapped in sharp-shouldered tuxedos and oversize faux-fur coats, as electronic music by French DJ Sebastian played.

Munich Philharmonic dismisses chief conductor Gergiev for Russia stance

The Munich Philharmonic has dismissed chief conductor Valery Gergiev with immediate effect as he did not respond to calls to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the mayor of the southern German city said on Tuesday. Gergiev, who is seen as Russian President Vladimir Putin's friend and who conducted an orchestra in the ruins of Syria's Palmyra in 2016 to celebrate Russia's victory there, was also shunned by La Scala and the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra on Monday.

Adele tops IFPI 2021 album charts with hit comeback record '30'

British singer Adele has added another accolade to her long list of honours, with her latest record "30" winning the Global Album All Format Chart for 2021, IFPI, the recorded music industry representative body, said on Tuesday. "30", which went to no.1 around the world upon its release in November, also topped IFPI's Global Album Sales Chart and its inaugural IFPI Global Vinyl Album Chart.

Dior kicks off Paris Fashion Week with survival thrust

Dior cast fashion as a means of survival, kicking Paris Fashion Week into full swing Tuesday with a lineup of house classics, reworked – and rewired – with a technical bent. Models took to a runway set in the French capital’s Tuileries Gardens, parading a collection of polished, feminine looks infused with workwear references, pairing sheer dresses with motorbike jackets and gloves, adding utility pockets to long skirts, and tossing airbags and stylized bullet-proof vests over shoulders.

YouTube to block channels linked to Russia's RT and Sputnik across Europe

YouTube is blocking channels connected to Russian state-backed media outlets RT and Sputnik across Europe effective immediately, due to the situation in Ukraine, the company operated by Alphabet Inc's Google, said on Tuesday. "It'll take time for our systems to fully ramp up. Our teams continue to monitor the situation around the clock to take swift action," a YouTube spokesperson said in a statement.

Hitmaker Neil Diamond sells entire song catalogue to Universal

U.S. singer-songwriter Neil Diamond, the voice behind classic tunes like "Sweet Caroline" and "Cracklin’ Rosie", has sold his entire song catalogue to the publishing arm of Universal Music Group (UMG), following other hitmakers to cash in on their work. In a statement on Monday, UMG said the deal also covered the rights to all recordings from Diamond's 60-year career, including 110 unreleased tracks, an unreleased album and archival long form videos. It said it would record and release Diamond’s future music if he returned to the studio.

Disney, Warner Bros., Sony pausing film releases in Russia over Ukraine invasion

Hollywood studios Disney, Warner Bros., and Sony Pictures Entertainment said they would pause theatrical releases of upcoming films in Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine and the unfolding humanitarian crisis. The Walt Disney Co said Monday it is pausing the release of theatrical films in Russia, starting with the upcoming Pixar Animation Studios release, "Turning Red." Within hours, WarnerMedia said it would pause this week's release of "The Batman" in Russia.

'The Batman' stars 'scared and very excited' to see audience response

Robert Pattinson and Zoe Kravitz team up as Batman and Catwoman in the latest cinematic outing of the famed DC Comics figures for "The Batman". The nearly three-hour movie is very much a film noir, with the two characters playing detective to find a missing girl and locate The Riddler, who is murdering high-profile figures in Gotham City.

(With inputs from agencies.)