Celebrity auction raises £1.2m for AIDS

Rex Features

An auction of celebrity memorabilia held as part of the Dubai International Film Festival has raised $1.8 million (£1.2 million) for the Foundation For Aids Research.

Salma Hayek opened the sale with a Cartier bracelet bearing her name which sold for $80,000 (£54,000), while a portrait of Marilyn Monroe donated by Goldie Hawn went for $40,000 (£27,000), according to AFP.

A walk-on role on TV show Ugly Betty sold for $35,000 (£24,000) at the event, which was brought to an end by The Savages star Laura Linney.

The week-long festival, which opened on Thursday with a screening of Oliver Stone's W, will include more than 181 films from 66 countries.