Doctors cleared in Ritter's death

A jury cleared a cardiologist and a radiologist yesterday of negligence in the diagnosis and treatment of actor John Ritter, who died of a torn aorta in 2003. Jurors found that the radiologist advised Ritter to follow up with treatment by a physician after a body scan two years before his death. Ritter didn't follow the order. The lawsuit was brought by Ritter's widow, Amy Yasbeck, and children. (AP)

Actress Minnie Driver (inset) confirmed during an appearance Thursday on NBC's "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" that she's pregnant with her first child. Leno joked that she appeared to have gained weight. Driver, 38, didn't reveal the name of the father, and a call to her publicists wasn't returned yesterday. (AP)

India's top court suspended an arrest warrant yesterday against Richard Gere, wanted for allegedly breaking public obscenity laws by kissing Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty at a public AIDS awareness event last year. The kiss prompted Hindu hard-liners to allege the pair had offended the sensibilities of India's traditionally conservative culture. (AP)

Paris Hilton is looking for a new best friend. She will choose from 20 potential confidantes on an MTV reality series, tentatively titled "Paris Hilton's My New BFF," premiering later this year. The contestants will live together in a house and try to prove themselves worthy in the areas of loyalty, endurance, and "girl politics." (AP)

David Lynch says his nonprofit foundation will donate $1 million to fund scholarships for students who want to learn a meditation technique taught at the Maharishi University of Management. Lynch, who directed the movies "The Elephant Man," "Blue Velvet," and "Mulholland Dr." and the "Twin Peaks" television series, is a longtime practitioner of Transcendental Meditation. (AP)

"It's like "Band of Brothers" in space, with Jedi." -- George Lucas, talking about his animated movie "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," due Aug. 15