Entertainment News Roundup: Weinstein found guilty of sexual assault; Berlinale study of slavery unearths roots of modern Brazil and more

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Weinstein found guilty of sexual assault, rape, in turning point for #MeToo movement

Former movie producer Harvey Weinstein was convicted of sexual assault and rape in a New York court on Monday and taken away in handcuffs, a turning point for the #MeToo movement that inspired women to publicly accuse powerful men of misconduct. Once one of Hollywood's most influential producers, Weinstein, 67, was found guilty of sexually assaulting former production assistant Mimi Haleyi in 2006 and raping Jessica Mann, a onetime aspiring actress, in 2013.

Berlinale study of slavery unearths the roots of modern Brazil

Making films in a bitterly divided Brazil that is increasingly hostile to artistic freedom is an act of resistance in itself, the maker of a new drama about race relations in the years after the country abolished slavery said. Speaking ahead of the Berlin premiere of "All the Dead Ones" on Sunday, director Caetano Gotardo said the dozens of Brazilian films being screened at international festivals were testimony to the power of art to resist oppression.

'Parasite' star hopes film will help Japan-Korea cultural ties

One of the stars of "Parasite" said on Sunday he hoped the film would help improve cultural ties between Japan and Korea, which have been strained by disputes including a trade row that ignited between the Asian neighbors last year. Actor Song Kang-ho, who in the Oscar-winning film plays the father of the basement-dwelling Kim family, said he was happy about the warm welcome Japanese fans had given "Parasite" and hoped relations would continue to improve.

Testimony alleging past Weinstein sexual assaults bolstered difficult case

In order to secure the rape and sexual assault convictions that will send Harvey Weinstein to prison, prosecutors called a parade of witnesses who portrayed the former Hollywood producer as a man who abused his power to prey on younger women. Bolstering the case of former production assistant Mimi Haleyi and Jessica Mann, a onetime aspiring actress, was the damning testimony from three other women with no connection to attacks at the center of the case.

Katherine Johnson, NASA mathematician portrayed in 'Hidden Figures', dies at 101

Katherine Johnson, the black woman whose mathematical genius took her from a behind-the-scenes job in a segregated NASA as portrayed in the film "Hidden Figures" to a key role in sending humans to the moon, died on Monday at the age of 101, NASA said. "Our NASA family is sad to learn the news that Katherine Johnson passed away this morning at 101 years old," NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine posted to Twitter. "She was an American hero and her pioneering legacy will never be forgotten."

Amazon in Holocaust row about 'Hunters' series, anti-Semitic books

The Auschwitz Memorial criticized Amazon on Sunday for fictitious depictions of the Holocaust in its Prime series "Hunters" and for selling books of Nazi propaganda. Seventy-five years after the liberation of the Nazi German Auschwitz death camp by Soviet troops, world leaders and activists have called for action against rising anti-Semitism.

Actor Smollett pleads not guilty to new Chicago hoax charges; seeks stay, dismissal

Former "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett pleaded not guilty in a Chicago court on Monday to renewed felony charges that he made false reports to police about being attacked in a hate crime that he is accused of staging in a bid to advance his career. The new charges emerged after a five-month investigation by a court-appointed special prosecutor who overruled a decision by the state's attorney's office last year to dismiss the original case.

'Freddie Mercury Close': London street named after Queen singer

A street in the London suburb where Freddie Mercury lived as a teenager was renamed Freddie Mercury Close on Monday at a ceremony attended by the late Queen frontman's sister. Their family moved to Feltham in west London after fleeing the revolution in Zanzibar in 1964.

BTS says new album tells of conquering doubts and fears

The young stars in South Korean boy band BTS said on Monday the theme of their new album dealt with how they overcame doubts and fears encountered since they burst on the K-Pop scene seven years ago. Having performed at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles last month, BTS stands at the forefront of South Korean pop music and has helped gather an international audience for the genre.

(With inputs from agencies.)