Entertainment News Roundup: Taylor Swift's re-recording of '1989' dominates UK music charts; Robbie Williams relives his highs and lows in new Netflix show and more

The 21-track “1989” (Taylor’s Version), released last Friday nine years to the day the original album came out in 2014, debuted at No. 1 on the Official Albums Chart with "184,000 chart units, more than double that of the original 1989’s opening-week sales of 90,000," the Official Charts Company said in a statement. Robbie Williams relives his highs and lows in new Netflix show British singer-songwriter Robbie Williams looks back at his life in a new Netflix documentary series that tracks his journey from a 16-year-old boy band member to a 49-year-old entertainer and father of four.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Taylor Swift's re-recording of '1989' dominates UK music charts

U.S. music star Taylor Swift topped the UK singles and albums charts on Friday with her re-recording of her award-winning hit album "1989". The 21-track "1989" (Taylor's Version), released last Friday nine years to the day the original album came out in 2014, debuted at No. 1 on the Official Albums Chart with "184,000 chart units, more than double that of the original 1989's opening-week sales of 90,000," the Official Charts Company said in a statement.

Robbie Williams relives his highs and lows in new Netflix show

British singer-songwriter Robbie Williams looks back at his life in a new Netflix documentary series that tracks his journey from a 16-year-old boy band member to a 49-year-old entertainer and father of four. In "Robbie Williams", filmed over several days and set inside his Los Angeles home, the "Angels" and "Rock DJ" singer is shown behind-the-scenes footage of himself, shot over several decades, for the first time. Watching the videos on his laptop, often in his bed, Williams shares his observations and emotions.

Vivid blue diamond could sell for $50 million at Christie's auction

The largest internally flawless fancy vivid blue diamond ever put up for auction could sell for up to $50 million at a Christie's sale of rare jewels in Geneva on Nov. 7, the auctioneer said on Thursday. Known as "Bleu Royal," this vivid blue diamond - which is set in a ring - is among the rarest ever to be unearthed.

Matthew Perry laid to rest in Los Angeles -media

Actor Matthew Perry, who died on Saturday at age 54, was laid to rest on Friday at a Los Angeles cemetery in a service attended by relatives and castmates from the hit 1990s television sitcom "Friends," show business media reported, citing photographs. Mourners gathered at the Forest Lawn cemetery in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, less than a mile from the Warner Brothers studio where the show was filmed. It is also the final resting place of numerous Hollywood A-listers including Michael Jackson, Lucille Ball and Elizabeth Taylor.

British performer Russell Brand accused of sexual assault in New York lawsuit

British actor-comedian Russell Brand was accused in a lawsuit filed on Friday of sexually assaulting a film extra on the New York City set of the 2011 romantic comedy "Arthur," in which he starred as a boozing, philandering heir to a fortune. The suit follows a recent flurry of allegations reported in the British news media against the 48-year-old performer by several women accusing him of sexual assault and inappropriate behavior, some dating back 20 years.

New TV show '007: Road To A Million' brings Bond-like tasks to screens

From scaling mountains and cranes to coming face-to-face with crocodiles and snakes, contestants travel the world tackling James Bond-inspired challenges in new TV adventure series "007: Road To A Million" in the hope of winning 1 million pounds ($1.2 million). Nine pairs of participants, including nurses, retired police officers, siblings, friends and a married couple, seek to scoop the prize by answering 10 questions set by "The Controller", portrayed by Scottish actor and "Succession" star Brian Cox, and hidden around the world.

The Beatles to release AI-powered new song with Lennon's voice

The last Beatles song featuring the voice of late member John Lennon and developed using artificial intelligence will be released on Thursday at 1400 GMT alongside the band's first track, record label Universal Music said. Called "Now and Then", the song - billed as the last Beatles song - will be released in a double A-side single which pairs the track with the band's 1962 debut UK single "Love Me Do", Universal Music Group said in a statement.

South Korea, U.S. mark alliance with rap song, fashion and beer

South Korea is marking the 70th anniversary of its U.S. alliance with much fanfare, including a public information campaign featuring a K-pop-inspired rap song, with the partners extolling closer ties as global tensions rise. The alliance was forged in the 1950-53 Korean War and some 28,000 U.S. troops remain in South Korea, to the fury of North Korea, which defends its development of nuclear weapons citing the danger of what it says is a U.S.-South Korea plan to invade.

British Somali women's theatre gives the 'Side eYe' to exclusion

Members of Britain's community of Somali women have cast aside the conventional roles they say are expected of them for the ones they really want with the help of a theatre company set up to combat exclusion in performing arts. Artistic director Hannah Abdule, a civil servant, co-founded Side eYe Productions in 2019 to create opportunities she felt were denied to people like her.