LONDON - MULTI-MILLION pound pay deals for stars at the BBC in the future were 'extremely unlikely', BBC One controller Jay Hunt said on Saturday.

She told the Daily Telegraph that the public broadcaster was in a good position to drive hard bargains with celebrities in pay negotiations and that salaries such as the reputed 6 million pounds (S$14 million) for presenter Jonathan Ross would not be the norm.

ROME - DEFYING the economic downturn, an Italian white truffle weighing just over 1 kg sold at an international auction on Saturday for $200,000 (S$302,000).

The prized tuber went for the second year running to Hong Kong-born casino mogul Stanley Ho after an auction held simultaneously in Rome, London, Abu Dhabi and Macau, auction organisers said.

SACRAMENTO (California) - ARNOLD Schwarzenegger still has two years left in his term as California's governor, but the Austrian-born Hollywood star already appears to be preparing for his next role - likely on the world stage.

In January, he will address the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Switzerland. That event follows an international summit on reducing greenhouse gas emissions he convened earlier this month in Beverly Hills.