Actress Britt Ekland's rehearsals for a Christmas pantomime must take second place to the evidence she is to give against a man accused of snatching her £7,000 Rolex watch, a judge in London decided yesterday.
"The court cannot be dictated to by a prima donna producer who will not allow Miss Ekland to be released from rehearsal," Ms Zoe Johnson, representing the accused, argued.
Miss Ekland is appearing in the Wimbledon Theatre pantomime.
Ski-jumper Eddie the Eagle opened a £50,000 ski slope at Midlothian near Edinburgh yesterday and promised his greatest Olympic achievement may still be before him. Eddie - real name Edward Edwards - came 56th out of 56 at the Winter Olympics in 1988 and was popular for his enthusiasm rather than his skill. "I'm twice as good as I was at Calgary and I would love to go to the Winter Olympics in Utah in 2002 if I could get the sponsorship," he said.
Explorer Thor Heyerdahl urged Norwegians to defend King Harald from unprecedented criticism, including suggestions he should retire. Polls show most Norwegians are firm monarchists but their devotion may be waning. Reports about gold-plated renovation of the palace and the monarch's acceptance of gifts from industrialists - including a yacht and show-jumping horses - have shocked many Norwegians.
Heyerdahl, often shown by opinion polls to be the person Norwegians most admire, urged them to send the king Christmas cards as a sign of support.