Pavarotti, 63, cancelled concerts scheduled for 30th December and New Year's Eve with the Berlin Philharmonic, and a concert at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin on 25th January.

Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras were named as suspects last month for helping German concert promoter Matthias Hoffmann evade taxes. Soprano Montserrat Caballe was also named as a suspect.

Hoffmann - who has organised concerts for the singers - went on trial on fraud and tax evasion charges in October accused of using unreported payments and shell companies in Ireland, London and elsewhere to evade payments.

Dando quits 'Six' race

Jill Dando: Concentrating on factual and holiday programmes

News presenter Jill Dando has spoken of her "relief" after she pulled out of the race to front the revised Six O'Clock News on BBC One.

Dando, 37, is leaving BBC News to concentrate on holiday and factual programming. She is already well-known as the host of the channel's Holiday programme.

She said: "I am relieved to put an end to the incessant speculation surrounding my involvement with the Six O'Clock News.

"Like any television presenter, being given the opportunity to try something new has to be both exciting and challenging."

A new-look Six O'Clock News is expected to be launched by the summer as part of a revision of the BBC's news output.

Godzilla breathes again

Hollywood's Godzilla on the rampage

Fire-breathing movie giant Godzilla is to be resurrected by his Japanese creators - just three years after he was killed off.

Toho Company will begin production on a new Godzilla film, currently titled Godzilla Millennium, in April.

The studio says it decided to resurrect the beast - who, since 1954, has starred in 22 features - after the Hollywood version released earlier this year caused a wave of nostalgia.

Fonda happy he's no hippy

Peter Fonda: Life after Easy Rider

While Dennis Hopper stars in a new advertisement which recreates his role in Easy Rider, his co-star Peter Fonda believes he has finally got away from his hippy image popularised by the 1969 movie.

Fonda was nominated for an Oscar for his role in Ulee's Gold, and most recently starred in an American Civil War-era version of Shakespeare's The Tempest.

"I think I'm finally starting a new chapter in my career. I didn't know when it was going to happen, but I knew it was going to take longer for me than for most actors," he said.

Thornton's dangerous Plan

Hollywood star Billy Bob Thornton has revealed he became anorexic while losing weight for his new film A Simple Plan.

Thornton, whose film Sling Blade was the hit of the 1997 Oscars, says he is now in control of the problem which began when he found he could not stop dieting - even when his weight fell from 14 stones to nine-and-a-half stones. But he could not tell his girlfriend Laura Dern about it.

"Frankly for a while there, I think I had a little mental problem and I got anorexic. Of course,, I denied it to my girlfriend and everyone else who said I had an eating disorder."

Marceau beats Stone for Bond role

French actress Sophie Marceau has edged out Sharon Stone to star in the next James Bond movie.

The 32-year-old will play the evil Electra opposite Pierce Brosnan's in the as-yet-untitled 19th Bond movie.

She has already starred in Braveheart, Anna Karenina and Firelight, and she is also known for her perfume commercials.

The French newspaper Le Parisien said Marceau signed her contract with MGM studios last week.

Collins goes back to her roots

Former EastEnders star Michelle Collins is to make a bid for pop stardom with a song from her new BBC One series.

Top producer Steve Levine has been drafted in to work on the record, which is the theme tune to her drama Sunburn, to be broadcast in the New Year.