PAMELA HARRIMAN'S estate is being auctioned at Sotheby's in New York, less than four months after her death, aged 76.
A painting of liquor bottles by Winston Churchill, her one-time father-in-law, sold for 5184,000. Books, bank cheques and notes inscribed to Harriman or her relations by Churchill, President John Kennedy and other political figures brought the first day's total to 54.7 million.
Actress Whoopi Goldberg bought a leather, stuffed donkey for 51,495 and a set of coasters with a family crest for 52,875 and tried to buy a picture of Churchill smoking a cigar.
Catalogue sales for Princess Diana's gowns sale in New York next month have so far raised £450,000 worldwide. Proceeds are to go to Aids and cancer charities.
Barbra Streisand and actor James Brolin were officially engaged last week and are planning to marry. During an interview before the announcement, Brolin said he could "see my future married to Barbra and I think she can see her future married to me".
Media magnate Rupert Murdoch has a personal fortune of $3.2 billion, making him the richest man in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Business Journal has said.
Movie makers came no higher than fourth in the list, with David Geffen, co-founder of the new DreamWorks studio, topping the category at $2 billion. Steven Spielberg, a Geffen partner, came in sixth with 51 billion.
Jimmy McGovern's detective series Cracker is being re-made for a 13-part ABC series in the US. But police psychologist Fitz, in Britain played by Robbie Coltrane, will be a softened character. Coltrane is said to be "unavailable" for the US series.
The US Fitz, to be played by Robert Pastorelli, won't smoke, although he toys with unlit cigarettes, and he is considerably smaller than heavyweight Coltrane. But he still gambles and drinks.
Egypt's most famous belly dancer and biggest tax payer Fifi Abdo has insisted in the Egyptian government weekly Sabah el-Kheir that no one can sway their hips like she does.
She nevertheless praised Egyptian actress Nabila Obeid for her dancing and described Lucy, another belly dancing star, as "cute but I prefer her as an actress".
Business tycoon Asil Nadir has flown to Turkey in his first trip from his native northern Cyprus since he fled there from British justice in 1993, an aide said yesterday.
Unseen backstage photographs of the Beatles at the start of their career are to be auctioned later this month.
The pictures, showing the Fab Four in relaxed mood with support group Chet and the Triumphs at a 1963 concert in Bath, are part of a set of scrapbooks kept by Triumphs' lead singer John Coldrick (53).