K-Pop Concerts Revive Cultural Ties Amid Ban Lifting, Chris Rea's Festive Farewell, and Larry Ellison's Paramount Guarantee

A K-Pop concert in Hong Kong fuels hopes of renewed cultural exchanges between China and South Korea. English singer Chris Rea passes away at 74. Larry Ellison guarantees Paramount's Warner Bros bid. Amanda Seyfried discusses her role as Shaker founder Ann Lee in 'The Testament of Ann Lee.'

A K-Pop concert will take place in Hong Kong this February, as announced by organizers who plan to broadcast it across mainland China through a state-run network. This comes as cultural exchanges between China and South Korea are reignited following an unofficial decade-long ban.

In other news, Chris Rea, the beloved English singer-songwriter known for 'Driving Home for Christmas,' has died at the age of 74 after a brief illness. His hit song 'Fool (If You Think It's Over)' was a chart success in the U.S., earning him a Grammy nomination.

Meanwhile, Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle, has offered a personal guarantee totaling $40.4 billion to secure Paramount Skydance's bid for Warner Bros Discovery. This bold move seeks to strengthen Paramount's position against a rival offer from Netflix.

(With inputs from agencies.)