Bono, Bush chew over global issues

Bono may not have had to sing for his meal, but the U2 rocker had the ear of President Bush over lunch yesterday at the White House. In town to perform a concert, Bono was invited to the White House residence to follow up on discussions he and Bush had at the Group of Eight summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, in July, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. The rock star and the president had lunch in the private dining room off the Oval Office, ordering from the menu at the same mess hall where White House staffers get their lunch. Bush, dressed in the classic presidential uniform of suit and red tie, also showed Bono, dressed in his trademark black jeans and sunglasses, around the Oval Office. During a meeting that ran over an hour and 40 minutes, Bono and Bush discussed debt relief, AIDS, malaria, and world trade, McClellan said.

Rapper surrenders on weapon charge

Sticky Fingaz, the rapper turned actor, has been arrested on a charge that he left an unlicensed handgun in a Manhattan hotel room, police said. The performer, whose real name is Kirk Jones, surrendered to police Tuesday morning. He was in custody and was awaiting arraignment on one count of criminal weapon possession. Police said Jones checked out of the Flatotel, a Manhattan luxury hotel, Monday night. Hotel staff found a 9mm pistol in the room and called police.

Shatner hospitalized briefly for back pain

''Boston Legal" star William Shatner was taken to a Los Angeles hospital from the set of the ABC series on Tuesday after complaining of lower back pain, a spokeswoman said. Shatner, 74, had completed filming for the day at the Manhattan Beach studio when the problem occurred. The actor, who played Captain Kirk in the original ''Star Trek" series, received an Emmy Award last month for his portrayal of attorney Denny Crane on the ABC series. And, Michael J. Fox, who left his ''Spin City" sitcom because of his fight against Parkinson's disease, will guest star on three episodes of ''Boston Legal" scheduled to air this season.

It's a girl for former 'ER' star Wyle, wife

Former ''ER" star Noah Wyle and his wife, Tracy, welcomed their second child, daughter Auden, in Los Angeles on Saturday, People magazine reported. ''Mom and baby are doing great," Eddie Michaels, a rep for the actor, told the magazine. ''Everyone is thrilled." The little girl, whose name is inspired by the poet W.H. Auden, weighed in at 7 pounds 7 ounces. She joins brother Owen Strausser Wyle, who turns 3 next month. Wyle, 34, who played Dr. John Carter on ER for 11 years, and his wife, 37, a former makeup artist, met in 1996 on the Bethel, Maine, set of his movie ''The Myth of Fingerprints."

Albright guests on 'Gilmore Girls'

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright will make a guest appearance on Tuesday's episode of the WB's ''Gilmore Girls." Albright said in a statement: ''I am a big fan of 'Gilmore Girls' and I had a great time. It was an opportunity to do something different for a quick minute, and I learned how hard it is to memorize those lines." Albright, secretary of state under President Clinton, filmed a scene with Alexis Bledel, who plays Rory Gilmore.

Presto

'In my next show I'm going to make a girl pregnant on stage. Naturally it will be without sex. Everyone will be happy about it.' Illusionist David Copperfield, talking to the German magazine Galore about his new act.

FROM WIRE REPORTS