THE estranged wife of pianist and actor Dudley Moore has filed a $5 million (£3.3m) law suit against the entertainer, claiming he terrorised her with beatings and verbal abuse during their five years together.
Nicole Moore (32), claims in the action filed in Santa Monica last week that the actor pianist chased her around the house, hit her, spit in her face, grabbed her by the neck, pushed her against a wall and once choked her.
Moore (61), married his fourth wife on April 16th, 1994. He filed for divorce on June 11th, 1996, but the action has not been finalised. They have a son.
Famous for his lusty appetite, Hong Kong Governor Chris Patten was given an appropriate gift yesterday on his 53rd birthday - a book of 160 recipes favoured by the French impressionist painter, Claude Monet.
Hong Kong's 28th and last governor was given the book by his staff at a birthday tea party. He was also given a cake with a single candle and serenaded by a bagpiper from the Royal Hong Kong Police Force band, a spokesman said.
Top US military officer, Gen John Shalikashvili, yesterday began a visit to China aimed at improving Sino US military ties, frozen when Chinese soldiers crushed pro democracy demonstrations in 1989.
Shalikashvili, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, was the most senior US military officer to visit China since 1983.
He received a warm but rainsoaked welcome at Beijing's Capital Airport from officers of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) led by MajGen Luo Bin, director general of the Defence Ministry's Foreign Affairs Bureau.
President Alberto Fujimori of Peru is recovering from minor surgery to his mouth at Lima's top cancer hospital. The 58 year old president spent nine hours in Lima's National Institute of Neoplastic Illnesses, which specialises in operations to treat or prevent cancer.
The operation was described as satisfactory.
The cast of the hit NBC television series Seinfeld has signed a multimillion dollar contract renewing the show by one season, with an option for a second season, according to Variety magazine.
Variety said cast members including Jason Alexander, Julia LouisDreyfus and Michael Richards agreed to a contract that raised their perepisode salaries from around £100,000 to about £400,000.
Jerry Seinfeld, the star, cocreator and producer of the comedy series, will get around $1 million an episode.