Bob Hope jokes on 98th birthday

Veteran comedian and entertainer Bob Hope has celebrated his 98th birthday in Los Angeles.

Hope, whose career has spanned an eight decades, was still in joke-cracking form.

"You know you're getting old when the candles cost more that the cake!" quipped the performer, who has famously entertained troops since World War II.

His birthday was declared Bob Hope Day in Los Angeles , yet the comedian was born in Eltham, south London, 98 years ago.

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Soap stars top of the bottoms

Brookside actress Claire Sweeney and EastEnders' John Altman have been judged to possess the top bottoms at the annual Rear of the Year awards.

Sweeney, who appeared in Celebrity Big Brother, said she did not think her backside was her best asset.

But Altman, who plays "Nasty Nick" Cotton in the BBC One soap, was less modest about his bottom.

The actor said that his rear end had been the subject of many comments from women down the years.

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Second time round for Mickey sale

A Mickey Mouse storyboard of the character's first appearance is to go back under the hammer after failing to sell first time around.

The 1928 drawings, estimated to be worth more than $3m (£2.1m), are being sold to pay off the debts of the Museum of Cartoon Art in Florida.

Bidding had reached $800,000 (£563,199) before the sale was halted because a phone bidder could not be verified.

The illustrated boards will go up for sale again at Guernsey's auction house on 8 June.

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Stars line up for Desperado 2

Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe is in talks to star opposite Antonio Banderas in the upcoming sequel to the Western- style action flick, Desperado.

Desperado 2 is slated to start shooting imminently with Spy Kids director Robert Rodriguez on board to direct, according to industry newspaper Daily Variety.

Dafoe is currently playing the evil Green Goblin in Spider-Man, alongside Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst.

The 1995 film Desperado grossed $25m (£15.6m) at the US box office.