Entertainment News Roundup: Law passed to restrict foreign film production in Tanzania; Cuba legalizes independent movie-making

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Rapper Nipsey Hussle and accused killer talked about snitching before shooting: media

Rapper Nipsey Hussle and the man accused of killing him talked about "snitching" before the rap star was shot dead, according to court documents released Thursday, media reports said. The more than 500 pages of grand jury testimony released by a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge contain the first chronology of the March 31 attack in which Hussle, 33, was shot multiple times and two others were wounded by gunfire.

Madonna issues 'wake up' call on gun violence in graphic music video

Madonna stepped into the gun violence debate on Wednesday with a music video containing graphic dramatizations of a mass shooting. Called "God Control," the disco beat song and video depicts a gunman opening fire in a crowded nightclub or bar and images of actors playing dancers who fall to the ground, bleeding, or try to flee.

Bjorn Again kick off music at sun-drenched Glastonbury Festival

Abba-tribute act Bjorn Again opened Glastonbury Festival's famous Pyramid Stage in hot sunshine as organizers encouraged festival goers to put on sunscreen and drink plenty of water. The Friday morning crowd enthusiastically sang along to Abba hits "Waterloo", "Super Trouper" and "Dancing Queen".

'Korean Wave' celebrity couple to split, fans mourn

South Korean actors Song Hye-kyo and Song Joong-ki are splitting up less than two years after their fairytale marriage, the couple said on Thursday, shocking fans across Asia. The co-stars of the 2016 hit television melodrama "Descendants of the Sun" - who played a soldier and doctor who fall in love - planned to seek a divorce due to personality differences.

'Bohemian Rhapsody' movie makes magic for Queen as music sales soar

British rock band Queen sold more albums in North America than any other artist in the first half of 2019, as music featured in movies and television sent streaming and downloads soaring. A midyear report by Nielsen Music released on Thursday said the soundtrack to the musical "Bohemian Rhapsody," which won four Oscars in February, was the best-selling rock title of the first six months of 2019, with Queen's "Greatest Hits 1" compilation coming in second.

Cuba legalizes independent movie-making

Cuba's Communist government on Thursday issued a decree legalizing the country's independent movie industry in a move that should facilitate production, although critics said it fails to resolve issues of censorship and distribution. Until now, Cuba's independent filmmakers have had to scramble to get their projects made due to the lack of legal recognition. And while their works have sometimes won renown in film festivals abroad, they have lacked distribution at home.

Harvey Weinstein hires two new attorneys ahead of sex assault trial

Harvey Weinstein, the former Hollywood movie mogul, has hired two lawyers from a Chicago-based firm to join the legal team representing him in his September trial on rape and sexual assault charges, his representatives said on Thursday. Weinstein's spokeswoman, Juda Engelmayer, confirmed to Reuters that he had retained Donna Rotunno and Damon Cheronis ahead of the scheduled criminal trial. Rotunno and Cheronis could not immediately be reached for comment by Reuters on Thursday evening.

Law passed to restrict foreign film production in Tanzania

Foreign companies filming in Tanzania must give the government the right to vet raw footage and let the country use the movie in promotional material, according to a bill passed by parliament on Thursday. Opposition groups said the bill - which still has to be approved by the president - would likely squash the country's fledgling foreign film ventures.

Actor Kevin Spacey's alleged sex assault victim sues over 'lascivious conduct'

The man former "House of Cards" star Kevin Spacey is charged with sexually assaulting at a bar on the Massachusetts beach island of Nantucket three years ago has sued the Oscar-winning actor. Spacey's alleged victim sued the 59-year-old defendant in Nantucket County Superior Court on Wednesday, seeking unspecified damages over his "explicit sexual behavior and lewd and lascivious conduct."