Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

‘Neighbours’ returns with ‘polish’ in Amazon reboot of Australian soap

Australian soap opera “Neighbours” made a comeback on Monday in a highly publicised reboot, nearly 14 months after the show wrapped up last year in an emotional finale after running for nearly four decades. Set in the fictional Melbourne suburb of Erinsborough, the television drama first launched in Australia in 1985 and in Britain a year later, becoming a small-screen staple and launching the careers of Kylie Minogue, Margot Robbie and Guy Pearce, among others.

Striking Hollywood writers, studios to resume negotiations on Wednesday

Negotiators for the Writers Guild of America and Hollywood’s major studios will resume contract talks on Wednesday to try and end a work stoppage that has disrupted production for more than four months. The WGA, in a note to members on Monday, encouraged its writers to continue picketing outside studio offices until an agreement is reached.

Comedian Bill Maher postpones ‘Real Time’ show return as writer talks resume

American comedian Bill Maher said on Monday he was postponing the return to his HBO political show “Real Time,” becoming the second talk show host to reverse plans after an outcry from striking Hollywood writers and actors. Drew Barrymore said on Sunday she had backed off plans to bring back her daytime talk show while strikes in Hollywood continue and apologized “to anyone I have hurt.”

Rolling Stone co-founder Jann Wenner removed from Rock & Roll Hall of Fame board

Rolling Stone magazine co-founder Jann Wenner was removed from his position on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s board of directors after comments he made about Black and female artists that were widely criticized, the hall said in a statement. In a terse statement, the Cleveland-based Hall of Fame offered no reason for its move, saying, “Jann Wenner has been removed from the Board of Directors of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation.”

Katy Perry sells rights to five albums including ‘Teenage Dream’ to Litmus Music

Singer Katy Perry has signed a deal to sell rights to five of her studio albums released between 2008 and 2020 including “Teenage Dream” to Carlyle-backed Litmus Music, the music rights company said on Monday. “One of the Boys,” “PRISM,” “Witness” and “Smile” are the other four studio albums that are part of the deal.

UK police receive sex assault allegation following Russell Brand reports

London police said on Monday they had received an allegation of a sexual assault dating back 20 years following media reports about comedian and actor Russell Brand. Brand, 48, said on Saturday he had never had non-consensual sex when the Sunday Times newspaper and Channel 4 TV’s documentary show “Dispatches” reported that four women had accused him of sexual assaults, including a rape, between 2006 and 2013.

Drew Barrymore to pause show until Hollywood writers’ strike ends

Actor Drew Barrymore on Sunday said she had backed off plans to bring back her daytime talk show while strikes in Hollywood continue, yielding to an outcry of criticism. The proposed return of “The Drew Barrymore Show” drew picketers from the striking writers’ and actors’ unions as taping resumed last week.

(With inputs from agencies.)