Nolte charged with DUI

Los Angeles Prosecutors filed two misdemeanor counts Wednesday against actor Nick Nolte in connection with his September arrest for allegedly driving under the influence.

Nolte, 61, faces charges of driving under the influence and being under the influence of a controlled substance, said Sandi Gibbons, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

Tests indicated Nolte had elements of the banned depressant gamma hydroxybutyrate in his system, she said.

Known as GHB, the drug comes in liquid, powder or pill form. It became a popular club drug because of its ability to cause euphoria. The drug can also cause loss of consciousness, which has led to its abuse as a date-rape drug.

Royalties lawsuit dismissed

St. Louis A federal judge has thrown out a royalties lawsuit against Chuck Berry by former collaborator Johnnie Johnson, ruling that too many years had passed since the more than 30 songs in dispute were written.

Johnson, a piano player, sued Berry in November 2000 in U.S. District Court here over royalties generated by songs written from 1955-66. They include some of rock ‘n’ roll’s most famous songs, including “No Particular Place to Go,” “Roll Over Beethoven” and “Sweet Little Sixteen.”

The lawsuit argued that Johnson and Berry were co-writers on many of the songs Berry made famous, but because Berry copyrighted them in his name alone, Johnson got none of the royalties.

‘Osbournes’ scheduling not set

Los Angeles The Ozzy Osbourne clan could return to MTV as early as November with the second season of their hit reality show. However, the network may still decide to postpone the show, possibly to January.

“The Osbournes” chronicles the lives of the heavy metal legend, his feisty wife, Sharon, and two of their teenage children daughter Kelly and son Jack.

The season is expected to feature Sharon Osbourne’s battle against cancer as she undergoes chemotherapy sessions. She was diagnosed with colorectal cancer July 1, after her husband urged her to see a doctor for a long overdue checkup. Two days later, she had surgery; one of two lymph nodes that were removed tested positive for cancerous cells, indicating the disease had spread.

Tabloids apologize for behavior

London The British tabloid The Daily Mirror has run a full-page advertisement apologizing to Hollywood producer Steve Bing for publishing “mean-spirited and inaccurate” stories about him and for giving its readers his home telephone number so they could call and berate him.

In May, Britain’s press watchdog, the Press Complaints Commission, ruled that the Mirror had not violated Bing’s privacy by publishing his number and urging readers to criticize his treatment of model-actress Elizabeth Hurley.

When Hurley announced last November that she was pregnant, she said Bing was the father. Bing questioned his involvement, but DNA tests later found that the producer was indeed the father of Damian Charles, who was born April 4.