McCartney stamps go on sale

A set of postage stamps designed by Sir Paul McCartney is to go on sale in the Isle of Man.

The collection is to raise money for an anti-land mine charity.

The floral designs, said to reflect the ex-Beatle's fond memories of the island in the Irish Sea, have received the approval of Queen Elizabeth II.

The island's stamp bureau said it had printed 170,000 copies of stamps by McCartney, who is a keen amateur painter.

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New roles for Caine and Duvall

Michael Caine, Robert Duvall and Haley Joel Osment are to star together in a new film, Variety has reported.

In the script of Secondhand Lions, Osment's irresponsible mother leaves him for the summer with her long-lost uncles, played by Caine and Duvall.

The film will feature special effects sequences telling fantastic tales about the uncles' youth.

Filming is set to begin in September, with a film release likely in late 2003 or early 2004.

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Lumley and Saunders 'honorary New Yorkers'

Officials in New York have declared this week Absolutely Fabulous week.

Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders were also presented with special human rights awards by Whoopi Goldberg, at a gay pride ceremony at New York City Hall

The comedy has been a hit in the US since it was first screened in 1994, and has become very popular in the gay community.

New York State Senate Democratic leader Martin Connor said he was thrilled to have Lumley and Saunders in the city.

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DVD release for Back To The Future

One of the last remaining major movie trilogies so far not released on DVD is to go on sale in the format.

The trilogy will be released in Europe in September, and in the US in December, where it will have further enhancements.

Star Michael J Fox, director Robert Zemeckis, and screenwriter Bob Gale have all recorded new interviews and audio commentaries for the release.

The trilogy will also be released as a VHS video set.

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Millionaire? to be dropped

The final US edition of quiz show Who Wants to be a Millionaire? is being broadcast on Thursday after it was dropped because of falling ratings.

The show became an instant hit in the US when it began in 2000, with 35 million people tuning in for a celebrity special edition.

But executive producer Michael Davies said the quiz could not maintain the level of interest it first attracted.

The show may return for occasional one-off specials, he added.

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Dame Judi honours author

Dame Judi Dench and Oscar-winner Jim Broadbent honoured the life and work of Dame Iris Murdoch at an event to raise money for a project in her name.

The actors, who starred in the film Iris, were taking part in a literary evening of readings from biographies and fiction about the novelist.

They were joining the director of Iris, Sir Richard Eyre, and actor and director Ian McDiarmid at the Apollo Theatre in London.

The event is part of an appeal to raise £2.75m for a professorship and bursaries at Oxford University, where Dame Iris studied and taught for many years.

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Chris and Billie sell up

Former radio DJ Chris Evans has put his Los Angeles mansion up for sale just three months after he bought it, it has emerged.

The former Virgin Radio presenter, 36, and his wife Billie Piper paid about £5m for the five-bedroom Hollywood Hills home in March.

Now they are selling the luxury home through Beverly Hills real estate firm Hilton & Hyland for £6 million.

The mansion, built in 1979 by a local architect named Robert Offenhauser, has had about four owners in total including the singer Lionel Ritchie.

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Queen musical takes £4m

We Will Rock You, Queen's stage musical, took more then £4m in ticket sales in its first five weeks despite a savaging by critics.

It was London's top-selling show during that period, according to Ticketmaster, and its run has been extended until January 2003.

It will also transfer to the United States and other countries in 2003.

Despite a string of negative press reviews, producers say the cast have received standing ovations every night.