Entertainment News Roundup: U.S. Senate panel to hold Jan. 24 hearing on ticket industry issues; Cardi B given second chance by judge for community service hours and more

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

U.S. Senate panel to hold Jan. 24 hearing on ticket industry issues

A U.S. Senate committee will hold a hearing on Jan. 24 on the lack of competition in the ticketing industry after Ticketmaster's problems managing the sale of Taylor Swift concert tickets. The Senate Judiciary Committee hearing is titled "That’s The Ticket: Promoting Competition and Protecting Consumers in Live Entertainment." The committee did not disclose the witnesses.

Cardi B given second chance by judge for community service hours

Grammy Award-winning rapper Cardi B has until March 1 to complete 15 days of mandatory community service over a 2018 assault at a strip club, a New York City judge ruled on Tuesday.

The Queens District Attorney’s Office told Reuters the hearing was a "compliance update" and the judge had asked Cardi B to come in because she had not completed her 15 days of community service as per her plea deal.

Porn actor Ron Jeremy found mentally incompetent to stand trial for rape

Porn star Ron Jeremy was declared mentally incompetent to stand trial in Los Angeles on rape and other sex charges involving 21 women, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said on Tuesday. Jeremy, 69, pleaded not guilty in August 2021 to more than 30 counts of sexual assault, including 12 of rape, in the Los Angeles area over a 23-year period. He has been in prison since his arrest in June 2020.

China lets Marvel movies back in, sets dates for Black Panther, Ant-Man sequels

Walt Disney Co's Marvel Studios on Tuesday announced February release dates for "Black Panther" and "Ant-Man" sequels in China, marking the first time in nearly four years that the Communist country has allowed Marvel movies into its cinemas.

"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" will arrive in Chinese theaters on Feb. 7 followed by "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" on Feb. 17, Marvel announced on Chinese social media network Weibo.

Actress Zar Amir Ebrahimi channelled own experience of Iran in thriller 'Holy Spider'

Iranian actress Zar Amir Ebrahimi, who fled her home country in 2008 in fear after a private video was leaked, says she channelled her own experience in the thriller "Holy Spider", a dark tale of a serial killer in the holy city Mashhad. Based on real events from 20 years ago in the Iranian city, the film, dubbed a "Persian noir" by its director Ali Abbasi, follows builder Saeed, played by Mehdi Bajestani, as he murders local prostitutes in what he sees as a holy, cleansing mission.

'Sex Education' co-stars Wood and Mackey among BAFTA Rising Star nominees

Emma Mackey and Aimee Lou Wood, who rose to fame on hit Netflix show "Sex Education", and historical epic "The Woman King" actor Sheila Atim are among the nominees in the rising star category in the BAFTA Film Awards. The list of five contenders revealed on Tuesday, also features Naomi Ackie, who portrayed late music star Whitney Houston in biopic "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" and "Good Luck to You, Leo Grande" actor Daryl McCormack. He is the only male nominee.

British actor Julian Sands reported missing in California mountains

British-born film actor Julian Sands, known for his starring roles in such films as "A Room with a View" and "Warlock," has gone missing in the mountains of Southern California, media outlets reported on Wednesday, citing local authorities. The 65-year-old performer was reported missing by his wife on Friday evening, Jan. 13, after he had gone hiking in the Baldy Bowl area of the San Gabriel Mountains, according to Los Angeles television station KABC-TV and the Hollywood trade publication Variety.

Possible charges in Alec Baldwin movie shooting coming Thursday

Officials in New Mexico plan to announce on Thursday whether they will pursue criminal charges against Alec Baldwin or others in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of Western movie "Rust." New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies and special prosecutor Andrea Reeb will announce their decision at 9 a.m. Mountain Standard Time (1600 GMT), according to a statement issued on Wednesday.

Madonna announces music tour celebrating 40 years of hits

Music superstar Madonna will kick off a new tour this summer celebrating her more than 40 years of hits. Organisers said "Madonna: The Celebration Tour" will take fans on her "artistic journey through four decades and pays respect to the city of New York where her career in music began".

Spotify joins media firms to urge EU action against Apple's 'unfair' practices

Music streaming service Spotify Technology, along with other media firms such as Deezer, urged the European Commission to take action against Apple Inc for anticompetitive and unfair practices, in a joint industry letter on Wednesday. The letter, addressed to the European Union antitrust regulator's Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager, demanded the Commission to act fast for the welfare of European consumers.

(With inputs from agencies.)