People News Roundup: Trump cheers as rapper A$AP Rocky freed in Swedish assault case

Following is a summary of current people news briefs.

Trump cheers as rapper A$AP Rocky freed in Swedish assault case

U.S. rapper A$AP Rocky and two of his friends were released from custody in Sweden on Friday three days into their highly publicized assault trial, a development hailed by President Donald Trump who had tried to intervene in the case. The judge, Per Lennerbrant, said the three were free to leave the country ahead of his verdict due on Aug. 14 - a ruling that in Sweden often points to an acquittal or a sentence that is less than the time that defendants have already served.

Singer R. Kelly makes first New York court appearance on sex trafficking charges

Singer R. Kelly is expected to plead not guilty in New York on Friday to charges that he ran a criminal scheme in which he recruited women and underage girls to have sex with him, isolating them and often controlling what they ate and when they went to the bathroom. Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn say that Kelly and his entourage invited women and girls backstage after concerts, kept them from friends and family and made them dependent on him financially.

Judge releases A$AP Rocky from custody until assault trial verdict

The Swedish judge in the assault trial of U.S. rapper A$AP Rocky and two of his entourage ordered that the three men be released from custody on Friday until the verdict. Senior District Court Judge Per Lennerbrant told the court at the end of the three-day trial that he would hand down the verdict on Aug. 14.

(With inputs from agencies.)