A South Korean court on Friday found two K-pop stars guilty of illicit sexual relations with a woman who was unable to resist and sentenced them to up to six years in prison.
The Seoul Central District Court said singer-songwriter Jung Joon-young received a six-year prison term and former boy band member Choi Jong-hoon a five-year term.
The court said in a statement that they were convicted of committing "special quasi-raping," which it said means multiple people collaborating to have illicit sextual intercourse with a person who was unconscious or unable to resist.
Jung was additionally convicted of filming sex videos of women against their will and sharing them with friends in a group chat.
The two men were also ordered to undergo 80 hours of sex offender treatment programs.
They have one week to appeal, according to the court.
Their scandals roiled South Korea's entertainment industry earlier this year when the investigation began.
South Korean pop songs, TV dramas and films are hugely popular in Asia and beyond, but the country's entertainment world has in recent years suffered a series of sexual scandals that revealed its dark side.
Male stars have faced allegations of sexual assault and abuse and reports have been made that female entertainers and trainees have been forced to provide sexual services to men in power.
On Sunday, K-pop musician and actress Goo Hara was found dead at her home in Seoul. Before her death, she suffered cyberbullying after she was engaged in a public dispute with her former boyfriend, who she said threatened to disclose a sex video of her.
Last month, another K-pop star, Sulli, was discovered dead at her home. She had spoken against the online backlash she received over her lifestyle.
A new production of "Titanic the Musical," winner of the 1997 Tony Award for Best Musical, is being performed at the Shanghai Culture Square from Nov. 27 to Dec. 1.
Based on the disaster of the RMS Titanic, a legendary ship that collided with an iceberg on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York in 1912, the musical adapts the real story of the passengers aboard and portrays their hopes, desperation and humanity when faced with the catastrophe.
Featuring music and lyrics by Maury Yeston and a story by Peter Stone, "Titanic The Musical" has been one of the most popular Broadway musicals since its debut in 1997.
"The musical is a story about great loss and great hope. Such emotions can touch people from different backgrounds," said Danielle Tarento, producer of the new production.
"This is our first time to perform in Shanghai and we are so excited to be in this beautiful city. We hope the audience will enjoy our show," he said.
Having toured Beijing earlier this month, the new production traveled to Shanghai as the second stop on its first tour of Chinese mainland. It will also hit the stages of Nanjing and Guangzhou.
The first ever turtle race in Sudan was organized at the Sudan National Museum in the capital Khartoum on Thursday.
A total of 22 turtles participated in the race, witnessed by a big number of audience who expressed admiration of the idea.
According to the rules set by the organizers, the contested turtles were placed on a two-meter long table track.
The turtle named Drago, owned by Rida Hussein, won the contest trophy with a financial prize after crossing the finish line in about two minutes.
"The idea of organizing the race stems from a project on dealing with pets, providing veterinary consultations and equipping school zoos," Noon Mahjoub, a Sudanese veterinarian and initiator of the race, told Xinhua.
"We have organized this race on the basis of our social responsibility and duty of veterinary towards animals, to raise the people's awareness of dealing with pets," she said.
Meanwhile, Hussein expressed delight over her turtle's win.
"My turtle has won. I'm happy for that," Hussein said. "I have been interested in turtle breeding since long time ago. I have trained Drago well and that is why she won today."
Turtle trade has recently become popular in Khartoum with many breeders. The prices competed with the prices of all pets on the market, such as rabbits, dogs and cats. Turtle breeding has now become a hobby in many houses in the capital.
The hype that has been building for months surrounding ‘No Dorai’, Bangladesh’s first feature film with a plot centred on surfing, finally got tested on Thursday, as it premiered at the Star Cineplex in Bashundhara City. And some of the first reactions from viewers suggests the hype was justified.
A consensus view emerging among a number of individuals who attended the premiere was that the movie, which also has a female protagonist to set it apart from the usual fare in local cinemas, is setting a cornerstone in Bangladeshi cinema.
The premiere was attended by a number of bigwigs, including Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak and former Housing and Public Works Minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain.
Applauding the movie, Zunaid Ahmed Palak said "Bangladesh continues to thrive in the field of development through empowering women, and the country's first surfing movie No Dorai is a welcome addition to this journey of progress."
Dr Hasan Mahmud lauded the initiative, saying "Despite not being natives of Chittagong, the actors took on the challenge of using the Chittagongian (‘Chatdgaiya’) dialect in the film- which I really appreciate."
The name of the film translates to ‘Not Afraid’, but the film has also adopted the separate English name ‘Dare to Surf’.
Prior to the premiere, the producer of the film and chairman of STAR Cineplex Mahboob Rahman said that the movie is based on the true story of a woman surfer named Ayesha. He thanked the cast and crew members along with Director Tanim Rahman Aungshu and Executive Producer Xefer Rahman for bringing the story to the silver screen.
The story of Ayesha, a resident of Cox’s Bazar, first came to the limelight along with two of her fellow surfers in the 2015 documentary Bangla Surf Girls.
Producer Mahboob Rahman also thanked digital payment service Bkash, which offers a lucrative 'Buy 1 get 1' offer which the users can avail to buy tickets through the Bkash App.
The film, which got the final approval of the Censor Board just days before the premiere, also spun off a comic book, 'Adventure of Ayesha', illustrated by Cartoon People.
The comic will be available at all the branches of Star Cineplex and some will be distributed to girls of various rural areas.
There are enough holiday TV movies to overturn Santa's sleigh this season, with Oprah Winfrey's OWN channel and a new streaming service adding to the cargo. A more expansive view of the world also is part of the ride, with a lesbian couple included in a Freeform film and Hanukkah shout-outs on the Hallmark and Lifetime channels.
Other small-screen options are available to distract you from gift-wrapping and family squabbles, including the Grinch, the Brady Bunch and John Legend. Here's a sampling from broadcast networks, cable and streaming services, all times EST:
POPCORN TIME:
— "Noelle," now streaming on Disney Plus. Kris Kringle's daughter (Anna Kendrick) envies her brother's (Bill Hader) high-profile Christmas job but discovers she's got an important role to play, as does Mrs. Claus (Julie Hagerty). Shirley MacLaine co-stars as an elf.
— "Every Day But Christmas," 9 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 1, Bounce. A writer (Timon Durrett) who's cynical about Christmas finds his faith and the holiday's meaning on a book tour. Antonique Smith co-stars.
— "Ghosting: The Spirit of Christmas," 9 p.m. Wednesday Dec. 4, Freeform. When Jess (Aisha Dee) dies in an accident after a first date with Ben (Kendrick Sampson), her soul remains earthbound. It's up to Jess' pal Kara (Kimiko Glenn) and her partner, Mae (Jazz Raycole), to help.
— "Mistletoe & Menorahs," 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, Lifetime. An executive (Kelley Jakle) who needs a quick education about Hanukkah to land an account and finds just the man (Jake Epstein) to help her in work and maybe love.
— "Christmas at Dollywood," 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8, Hallmark Channel. An event planner (Danica McKellar) returns home to Tennessee for a challenging job, Dollywood's 30th Smoky Mountain Christmas celebration, and gets matchmaking help from Parton herself.
— "Carole's Christmas," 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11, OWN. A workaholic businesswoman's (Kimberly Elise) wishful thinking turns her life upside down. Jackée Harry and Cayden K. Williams co-star in this repeat airing with added moviemaking tidbits.
— "Holiday Date," 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, Hallmark Channel. Christmas and Hanukkah celebrations combine when Brooke (Brittany Bristow) is dumped by her boyfriend before a visit home and an actor (Matt Cohen) playing stand-in shares his Jewish traditions.
— "You Light Up My Christmas," 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, Lifetime. Emma (Kim Fields) returns home to find the town built around her family's Christmas light factory has lost its glow. Can an old flame (Adrian Holmes) help?
— "A Christmas Carol," 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19, FX. The dark new take on Charles Dickens' tale stars Guy Pearce as Scrooge and Andy Serkis as the ghost of Christmas past, with the screenplay by "Peaky Blinders" creator Steven Knight.
— "It's a Wonderful Life," 8 p.m. Dec. 24, NBC. A man's midlife crisis fuels the 1946 sentimental favorite from filmmaker Frank Capra, starring Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed and, as Clarence the angel, Henry Travers.
ANIMATED CLASSICS:
— "The Little Drummer Boy," 7 a.m. Monday, Dec. 2, Freeform. Aaron, an orphan who finds solace only with animals, has a life-changing encounter with three wise men traveling to Bethlehem in the 1968 special narrated by Greer Garson.
— "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," 8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 2, CBS. In modern parlance, a reindeer who's bullied for looking different finds joy and worth in being himself. Burl Ives narrates the 1964 special based on the Johnny Marks song.
— "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 3, NBC. Boris Karloff, who played the monster in the 1931 film "Frankenstein," provided the voice for another legendary character, Dr. Seuss' infamous Grinch, in 1966.
— "A Charlie Brown Christmas," 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5, ABC. Holiday materialism has Charlie in a major funk and Lucy tries to help, but it takes Linus to save the holiday. Vince Guaraldi composed the music for the 1965 special about the "Peanuts" gang.
FA LA LA LA LA :
— "The Kacey Musgraves Christmas Show," now streaming on Amazon. The singer-songwriter salutes holiday specials of the past her way and with help from guests including Camila Cabello, James Corden, Lana Del Rey and the Radio City Rockettes.
— "Christmas Under the Stars," 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 1, BYUtv. John Legend performs classics including "Silver Bells" and "My Favorite Things" along with "All of Me" and other original songs in a concert taped in Utah.
— "CMA Country Christmas," 9 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 3, ABC. Trisha Yearwood hosts and performs on the 10th annual holiday celebration, joined by guests including Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts and CeCe Winans.
— "Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir," 9 p.m. Monday, Dec. 16, PBS, and 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19 on BYUtv. Kristin Chenoweth joins the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra for a night of classic carols and pop tunes, airing as an hour-long special on PBS and a 90-minute version on BYUtv.
— "Holidays with the Houghs," 10 p.m. Monday, Dec. 16, NBC. A variety special showcasing sibling dancer-choreographers Derek and Julianne together and separately in musical performances and comedy sketches, with celebrity friends dropping by.
— "Great Performances — From Vienna: The New Year's Celebration 2020," Wednesday, Jan. 1, PBS (check local listings for times). The Vienna Philharmonic and guest conductor Andris Nelsons usher in 2020 with the Vienna City Ballet and host Hugh Bonneville.
STOCKING STUFFERS
— The Royal Variety Performance, Tuesday, Dec. 10, BritBox. Robbie Williams, Harry Connick Jr., comedians and cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, who played at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding, take part in a century-old charity fundraiser with royalty in attendance.
— "Ellen's Greatest Night of Giveaways," 8 p.m., Tuesday to Thursday, Dec. 10-12, NBC. DeGeneres and guests including Michelle Obama, Jennifer Aniston, Justin Timberlake and Sterling K. Brown surprise "everyday deserving people" with gifts.
— "A Very Brady Renovation: Holiday Edition," 10 p.m. Monday, Dec. 16, HGTV. The actors who played "The Brady Bunch" siblings decorate the house used for the sitcom's exterior shots. Food Network's Ree Drummond and HGTV's Jasmine Roth lend a hand.
— "Top Elf," 8 p.m. Fridays, Nickelodeon. Seven children from across the nation compete in a building and design contest to earn the title of best elf and benefit worthy causes in their hometown. The weekly series' finale airs 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21.
— "I Love Lucy Christmas Special," 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20, CBS. Two colorized half-hour episodes of the Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz sitcom, "The Christmas Episode" and "Paris at Last," air back-to-back, both from 1956.
— "A Home for the Holidays with Idina Menzel," 9 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22, CBS. The "Frozen" star introduces heartening stories about adoption from foster care and sings tunes from her new album, "Christmas: Season of Love." Adam Lambert, Ne-Yo and Kelly Rowland also perform.