Entertainment News Roundup: Stormzy first rapper to headline Glastonbury; Tanzania law restricting foreign film production

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.

Stormzy becomes first UK rapper to headline Glastonbury

Stormzy made history as the first British rapper to headline Glastonbury on Friday, bringing his experience of black urban life to the world's biggest greenfield music festival in a performance that had the capacity crowd jumping. The 25-year-old Londoner, whose debut album was released only two years ago, told the audience: "This is the greatest night of my entire life."

'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.

Lady Gaga fires up LGBTQ rally for Stonewall anniversary

Lady Gaga electrified thousands of revellers who gathered in New York on Friday to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the LGBTQ rights movement, exhorting the crowd to honour the past by using its "power" to extend and defend a half-century of progress. Her warm-up speech and a subsequent rally, part of a series of World Pride events in New York this week, commemorated the so-called Stonewall uprising of June 28, 1969.

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 fledgeling foreign film ventures.

Putin says 'genius musician' Elton John mistaken on Russia LGBT rights

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that Elton John was "mistaken" about LGBT rights in Russia while praising the British singer as a musical genius. Elton John said on Friday he was deeply upset by Putin's comment that liberal values were "obsolete" and had been rejected by the majority of people in Western nations

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 behaviour and lewd and lascivious conduct."

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)