The contract that launched the career of The Beatles will be sold in London later this month and is expected to fetch up to £500,000 (681,000 euros, $760,000), Sotheby's auction house said on Saturday.

The document was signed by John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr with their manager Brian Epstein on October 1, 1962 -- four days before the release of their first single "Love Me Do".

The release of the new Star Wars movie may still be months off, but Disney is unleashing its full marketing "Force" behind the launch of hundreds of toys and other items related to the film.

The massive marketing blitz, which Disney has named "Force Friday," spans all kinds of media and included an 18-hour global "unboxing" streamed live on YouTube. Meanwhile, major toy retailers planned to be open and hold special events when the toys first became available just after midnight Friday. Among the first cities was Hong Kong with toy stores open at midnight.

Hollywood star Mel Gibson will not face charges over allegations that he pushed and verbally abused a photographer, police said Friday, with the actor reportedly considering legal action himself.

Kristi Miller, an experienced news photographer with Sydney's The Daily Telegraph, complained last month about Gibson's behavior towards her after she took pictures of him as he left a cinema.

Was Steve Jobs a brilliant visionary whose singular mind, capable of blending art, technology and commerce as never before, inspired the world to "think different" and changed the way we live?

Or was he a ruthless businessman who treated co-workers callously, took credit for the work of others, and often acted out of jealousy and spite?

The director of Taylor Swift's new music video is defending the singer after some claimed she whitewashed her video based in Africa.

Joseph Kahn said that the video for "Wildest Dreams" includes black people and was produced by a black woman and edited by a black man.

Police do not intent to charge Mel Gibson over an allegation that the Oscar-winning director shoved and abused a newspaper photographer who snapped pictures of him and his new girlfriend in Sydney last month, officials said on Thursday.

The Daily Telegraph staff photographer Kristi Miller, 39, complained to police about the Aug. 23 altercation with Gibson, 59, after he and Rosalind Ross, 24, were photographed leaving an Israeli Film Festival screening of "Matti Caspi - Confession" at the Palace Verona Cinemas in inner-suburban Paddington.

Reality television star Kim Kardashian is now more than ever the queen of social media, announcing Wednesday that her Instagram account has a record 45 million followers.

"45 million Instagram followers!!!!! I love you guys!!!!!" Kardashian informed those same followers, captioning a selfie of a sidelong smile and copious cleavage.

The Venice film festival kicks off on Wednesday with a world premiere for "Everest", a $65-million 3D drama based on a real-life disaster on the Himalayan peak.

Director Baltasar Kormakur's two-hour film recounts the events of May 10-11, 1996, when eight climbers died near the summit after being caught in ferocious blizzard conditions.

David Bowie, known for the intellectual bent of his music, is penning music for what will likely be lighter fare -- a musical based on cartoon character SpongeBob.

Chicago's Oriental Theatre announced that the English rock icon and artist is leading an array of top musicians in composing the score for "SpongeBob The Musical" which will premiere there on June 7 next year.

Country star Luke Bryan may have one of the most popular albums in the country, but Loretta Lynn made his day when she gave him a kiss.

Bryan, Lynn, Eric Church and the band Alabama were honored by their peers in country music with special achievement awards from the Academy of Country Music during a special event Tuesday in Nashville, Tennessee. The stars were celebrated with performances by Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert and Kacey Musgraves at the 9th annual ACM Honors event at the Ryman Auditorium.