Web posted on: Thursday, September 10, 1998 6:13:14 PM

• Thomson reaches 'Rent' settlement
• Spielberg honored for two epic films
• British panel chooses to Spice image
• Glam rocker Gary Glitter in court
• Fred Tuttle, senator? Farmer acting like politician

"Rent"

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Lynn Thomson, the woman who claims she co-wrote the musical "Rent" with the late Jonathan Larson has settled her lawsuit against his estate for an undisclosed amount of money and credit on the playbill. Lawyers for Thomson and the estate confirmed the settlement, which includes the money and a credit for Thomson as a dramaturge on the title page of the "Rent" playbill.

Larson died from an aortic aneurysm on January 25, 1996, the day the show was to open in off-Broadway previews. Larson was posthumously awarded the Pulitzer Prize for drama for the play. "All the issues have been resolved to her satisfaction," said Russell Smith, a lawyer for Thomson. "The purpose of all this was not to gloat, but to achieve justice."

Spielberg

NEW ORLEANS (CNN) -- The American Legion on Wednesday honored director Steven Spielberg with the "Spirit of Normandy" award at the group's national convention. The honor was in response to the director's World War II film "Saving Private Ryan." Spielberg was in Europe and unable to attend the function, but he sent a videotaped message of thanks, calling World War II "the defining event of the 20th century."

"Now, with the response to 'Saving Private Ryan,' generations are coming together to understand how fortunate we are today to live in a free world because of what you and the millions of other veterans did for us," Spielberg said.

In addition to the American Legion award, Spielberg was honored Thursday with one of Germany's highest honors, the Knight Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit, for his Holocaust film "Schindler's List." German President Roman Herzog called the movie "a monument against oblivion," and said it was one of the most-watched films in German classrooms.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair is leading the charge for a 'Cool Britannia'

LONDON (CNN) -- In line with Prime Minister Tony Blair's "Cool Britannia" campaign, a British government committee called Panel 2000 launched a strategy Thursday that will use the Spice Girls, Shakespeare and the Royal Opera to boost Britain's sometimes stodgy image abroad.

Foreign Office Minister Derek Fatchett said Panel 2000 wanted to stress the important role that the National Theater, the Royal Shakespeare Company and even Scary, Baby, Posh and Sporty Spice have in creating the right image of Britain on the international market. Blair's "Cool Britannia" aims to show Britain is not as stuffy and tradition-bound as some would have it.

Glitter

YATE, England (CNN) -- 1970s "glam rock" star Gary Glitter entered a not guilty plea to all charges on Thursday at a court hearing to decide whether he should face trial on a barrage of charges of sexual indecency against children.

Glitter, charged with 101 offenses associated with taking and possessing indecent photographs, was arrested last year as he returned from a holiday in Cuba, when police allegedly found pornographic pictures of children in his possession.

He is also charged with assaulting girls under the age of 16 and four other serious sexual offenses. The court in Yate, western England, is due to decide on Friday whether there is enough evidence against Glitter to put him on trial.

Tuttle

(CNN) -- It's a case of life imitating art for Fred Tuttle, the new Vermont Republican nominee for U.S. Senate. The 79-year-old farmer gained fame when he starred in a fictional film called "A Man With a Plan," about a guy who ran for Congress just because he needed the money.

In real life, Tuttle challenged a millionaire business consultant in a race for the GOP Senate nomination and beat him Tuesday, 55 percent to 45 percent. Tuttle spent about $200 on his campaign. His opponent spent $400,000. Tuttle's wife says that neither man is qualified and she did not vote.

Reuters contributed to this report.