AP - An 800-word prequel to the Harry Potter series, handwritten by author J.K. Rowling, sold for nearly 25,000 pounds at a charity auction Tuesday.

AP - The shoe phone on TV's "Get Smart" wasn't just a sneaky spy gadget, it was a technological marvel: a wireless, portable telephone that could be used anywhere — though it did require a dime to make a call.

AP - Heath Ledger was known for giving aspiring Australian actors a hand in Hollywood. Now, an Australian film organization has established a scholarship fund in the late actor's name to continue those efforts.

AP - City Councilman Chris Monzel has publicly apologized to Emmy-winning actor Rip Torn for using his mug shot in a campaign ad on crime.

AP - Paul Newman, the legendary actor and philanthropist, is battling cancer, his longtime neighbor and business partner said Wednesday.

AP - "The Monster of Florence" (Grand Central Publishing. 317 pages. $25.99), by Douglas Preston with Mario Spezi: This gripping collaboration between a best-selling American author and an Italian journalist is a most unconventional thriller, a real-life murder mystery in which the authors become suspects.

Reuters - Pearl Jam has struck a deal with Verizon Wireless' V Cast service to sell select tracks from the authorized live bootlegs that will be available in conjunction with the band's upcoming summer tour, which begins Wednesday (June 11) in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Reuters - It was a big day for M. Night Shyamalan.

AP - R. Kelly told the judge in his child pornography trial Tuesday that he doesn't plan to testify.

AP - A judge Tuesday ordered 50 Cent to hold on to the property where a $2.4 million house at the center of a bitter dispute with his ex-girlfriend burned to the ground last month.

AP - Perhaps Brangelina chose southern France for its blue skies, vineyards and the availability of an estate with a moat. But there's another reason the world's most famous expecting couple was smart to come here: French law is tough on paparazzi, especially when it comes to snapping photos of children.

AP - Patrick Swayze is going back to work. The "Dirty Dancing" actor, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer earlier this year, will begin shooting his new A&E series "The Beast" in Chicago this summer, the cable network announced Monday.

AP - LOS ANGELES (AP) — Heath Ledger was known for giving aspiring Australian actors a hand in Hollywood. Now, an Australian film organization has established a scholarship fund in the late actor's name to continue those efforts.