LOS ANGELES, June 15 (UPI) -- A 1983 Charles Schulz "Peanuts" comic strip has sold for $17,080 at an entertainment memorabilia auction in Los Angeles, Bonhams & Butterfields said.

LONDON, June 6 (UPI) -- The desk and chair where British literary giant Charles Dickens wrote "Great Expectations" has been sold for about $855,000 at a charity auction in London.

LONDON, June 4 (UPI) -- A writing desk and chair that once belonged to British literary giant Charles Dickens is to be auctioned in London to benefit Great Ormond Street Hospital.

LONDON, March 20 (UPI) -- British stage and film actor Paul Scofield, who won an Oscar in 1966 for his portrayal of Thomas More in "A Man For All Seasons," has died. He was 86.

UPI Almanac for Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008.

LONDON, Jan. 25 (UPI) -- In a 21st-century version of "Oliver Twist," Romanian gangs in the London area are using children as pickpockets, British police say.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9 (UPI) -- A piece in the Dec. 27, 2007, Cleveland Plain Dealer, "Vote on fate of Kirkuk postponed," by Tina Susman and Asso Ahmed of the LA Times, reported that "Kurdish lawmakers agreed Wednesday to a six-month delay in a referendum on whether the oil-rich city of Kirkuk should join the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan or remain under Iraqi central government control. …

WASHINGTON, Dec. 27 (UPI) -- It is that time of year again, when we both look back at what happened and what will be. Just as Ebenezer Scrooge did, aided by the Ghosts of Christmas Past and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come in Charles Dickens' famous classic, "A Christmas Carol." So in the spirit of Christmas let's look at the issue of national security and privatization.

Seattle man crosses Pacific Ocean solo ... Suess family re-creates 'Whoville' ... Soccer ref uses gun to control game ... Wild boars run amok in France ... Real-life Scrooge was Dutch gravedigger ... Watercooler stories from UPI.