ABC TV's next "Bachelor" is a real-life officer and a gentleman. Navy Lt. Andy Baldwin, 30, an undersea medical officer for a special operations dive unit stationed at Pearl Harbor, has been selected to star in the 10th edition of the romance reality series, ABC said on its Web site.

The Lancaster, Pa., native is also a physician and triathlete. He attended Duke University on an ROTC scholarship and lettered on its swim team. Before that he was his high school valedictorian and a competitive swimmer who made All-American, and was named ESPN's National Scholar Athlete of the Year in 1995.

SNOOP DOGG ON BAIL IN GUN CASE

LOS ANGELES — Snoop Dogg posted bail yesterday on felony drug and weapons charges after the rapper-actor was arrested leaving a performance of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."

The artist, whose name is Calvin Broadus, and two members of his entourage were arrested Tuesday after a search of his home and car, police. A handgun and some illegal drugs, including cocaine, were seized during the searches, they said.

Broadus, a felon, was under investigation for possessing a weapon and illegal drugs, transporting marijuana and having a false compartment in his vehicle, police said.

GIBSON TAKES RICHARDS' SIDE

NEW YORK — Though he's lost many fans after being captured on video hurling racist epithets at a comedy club audience, Michael Richards has an ally: Mel Gibson.

"I felt like sending Michael Richards a note," Gibson says in an interview in Entertainment Weekly's Dec. 8 issue. "I feel really badly for the guy. He was obviously in a state of stress. You don't need to be inebriated to be bent out of shape."

The 50-year-old actor-director added: "They'll probably torture him for a while and then let him go. I like him."

Gibson was mired in a scandal of his own this summer for anti-Semitic comments he made to police in Malibu, Calif., during his arrest on suspicion of drunken driving.

MADONNA FACES ADOPTION SCRUTINY

LILONGWE, Malawi — A judge has ruled that human rights organizations will help decide whether Madonna is fit to adopt a Malawian toddler.

Judge Andrew Nyirenda ruled yesterday in favor of a coalition of 67 human rights and child advocacy groups that want to be party to the assessment of Madonna's fitness as a mother.

Nyirenda granted the 48-year-old pop star and her husband, filmmaker Guy Ritchie, an interim order Oct. 12 that allowed them to take initial custody of 14-month-old David Banda.

The rights groups, saying they were concerned the government had cut legal corners to fast-track the adoption, said regulations must be followed to protect children.