MORE than half the Labour MPs in Britain want to replace the monarchy with a republic, according to an opinion poll for the monthly Parliamentary Monitor magazine. The poll shows that 51 per cent of Labour MPs questioned agreed with the proposition "The United Kingdom should become a republic". Almost half the rest said they had no opinion on the matter.
The Duchess of York's finances have been dealt another blow ITV has turned down plans for a fourth cartoon series of Budgie The Little Helicopter. The ITV Network Centre said the third series of the cartoon had flopped in the ratings.
The band Oasis have sold all 330,000 tickets for their summer shows in just nine hours a rate of more than 10 ticket sales a second. More than 1.5 million callers tried to order the £22.50 tickets within the first two minutes of their going on sale on Saturday morning.
George Michael fans meanwhile queued outside record shops to get their hands on his long awaited new album, Older his first since a court battle with his old record company.
Richard Branson is pictured wearing only a towel while being massaged by 10 air hostesses in the latest edition of Tatler magazine. The relaxed multi millionaire airline boss says he felt like Playboy supremo Hugh Hefner during the treatment. Massage is offered as a complimentary service to some Virgin passengers.
Paul Keating (52), former Australian prime minister, has been appointed a visiting professor of Asian business at the University of New South Wales. The university's vice chancellor said Mr Keating would play an important role in the development of Asia Australia relations.