Entertainment News Roundup: Green Day among musicians pulling out of Asia; Anti-Polanksi protesters clash with French police and more

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Rock band Green Day among musicians pulling out of Asia tour dates

U.S. rock band Green Day on Friday called off all of the Asian shows in its upcoming world tour because of the coronavirus outbreak, the latest music act to pull back from performances in the region. The punk band's Hella Mega tour was planned to have taken them to Singapore, Bangkok, Manila, Taipei, Hong Kong, Seoul, Osaka and Tokyo in early March, before a European leg due to kick off in Moscow in May.

Anti-Polanski protesters clash with French police outside award ceremony

French police clashed briefly on Friday with protesters over an awards ceremony in which a film by veteran director Roman Polanski, who is facing rape accusations, has won a dozen nominations. Polanski, 86, who fled the United States for France in the late 1970s after admitting raping a 13-year-old girl and faces more recent allegations of sexual assault, has already said he would not attend Friday's ceremony, fearing a "public lynching".

Actress Lori Loughlin among parents to face U.S. college scam trial in October

A federal judge on Thursday said actress Lori Loughlin in October will be among eight parents accused of participating in a vast U.S. college admissions bribery and fraud scheme to face the first trial to result from the scandal. The "Full House" star, along with her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, are among 15 parents fighting charges brought by federal prosecutors in Boston stemming from the U.S. college admissions scandal.

Weinstein's acquittal on some charges may hamper appeal of sex crimes conviction

Harvey Weinstein will seek to overturn his sex crimes conviction by arguing that the jury was prejudiced by testimony from women unconnected to prosecutors' underlying case, his lawyers have said. But, according to experts, he faces a legal hurdle: his acquittal on some of the most serious charges. Weinstein, 67, faces up to 29 years in prison for sexually assaulting former production assistant Mimi Haleyi in 2006 and raping Jessica Mann, a former aspiring actress, in 2013.

Polanski movie collects first trophy at Cesar Awards in France

Roman Polanski's film "An Officer and a Spy" collected its first Cesar Award out of 12 nominations on Friday, scooping the prize for best costume designer. Pascaline Chavanne was not at the event to collect her trophy after the entire cast and production team boycotted the night over criticism towards director Polanski, who faces rape accusations.

Placido Domingo cancels Madrid 'La Traviata' show following sexual misconduct claims - EFE

Spanish opera star Placido Domingo canceled his scheduled performances of "La Traviata" in Madrid's Teatro Real following allegations of sexual misconduct, EFE news agency reported on Thursday citing a statement from the singer. Domingo apologized on Tuesday to the women who had accused him of sexual misconduct after an investigation by the American Guild of Musical Artists concluded he had behaved inappropriately with female performers.

South Korea boy band BTS cancels April Seoul concert on coronavirus concerns

South Korean boy band BTS canceled its scheduled April concert in Seoul, amid growing concerns of the new coronavirus outbreak, its music label, Big Hit Entertainment, said on Friday. "The current global coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has made it impossible at this time to predict the scale of the outbreak during the dates of the concert in April," Big Hit said in a statement.

Hong Kongers turn out for indie club's last performance as coronavirus forces closure

Hundreds of Hong Kongers sporting face masks pulsated under strobe lights at a reknowned indie club for the last time on Thursday as cancellations by performers due to the coronavirus have forced the venue to close. The music house known as Hidden Agenda: This Town Needs (TTN) opened its doors in 2009 and quickly attracted a loyal crowd of young Hong Kongers to one of few independent venues for live indie music in the city.

U.S. SEC out for justice over Steven Seagal's cryptocurrency marketing

Steven Seagal, the star of action movies including "Above the Law" and "Out for Justice," has agreed to pay $314,000 to resolve charges of "unlawfully touting" a cryptocurrency offering, the U.S. securities regulator said on Thursday. Seagal, 67, agreed to give up $157,000 in ill-gotten gains and to pay another $157,000 as a penalty for failing to disclose payments he received for promoting investment in an initial coin offering from Bitcoiin2Gen (B2G), the Securities and Exchange Commission said in a statement.

Hangman, family man: Berlinale film probes the limits of free will

Heshmat is a loving father and supportive husband who delights local children by rescuing a trapped cat - but also the man who operates the trapdoor through which a row of the condemned plunge from the scaffold to their deaths. And even if his eyes sometimes betray a haunted look, his compromise with Iran's regime makes him the most contented of the four lead characters in Mahammad Rasoulof's "There Is No Evil", premiering on Friday at the Berlin Film Festival.

(With inputs from agencies.)