Kuwait ruling family member killed; uncle held

(Reuters) – A member of Kuwait’s ruling family, the grandson of a former emir, was gunned down at a dinner party and a relative was being questioned in the case, a security official said Sunday.

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“Authorities received a report Thursday evening that a crime had been committed and the victim was Sheikh Basel al-Sabah,” the security official told Reuters.

“The crime took place at the victim’s home in Messilah during a dinner party held for a number of sheikhs … he was killed after being hit by five bullets.”

The relative held for questioning was his uncle, Sheikh Faisal al-Sabah, he said.

The Kuwaiti al-Sabah family has ruled the Gulf Arab state for some 250 years, and its head has the last say in political matters in the world’s fourth largest oil exporter.

The official gave no word on a possible motive for the killing of Sheikh Basel, 52, who did not hold any government post. His uncle is an army intelligence officer.

The Kuwaiti prime minister has always been a member of the ruling family, and key portfolios such as defense, interior and foreign affairs are also held by al-Sabahs.

(Reporting by Diana Elias, editing by Richard Meares and Mark Trevelyan)

Top cardio Doc driving 3 times over limit

The Director of Cardiology at the Royal Darwin Hospital has pleaded guilty in court to high-range drink-driving.

The Darwin Magistrates Court yesterday issued a warrant for the arrest of Marcus Keats Ilton after he failed to appear.

That warrant was today vacated after the doctor, one of the Northern Territory’s top heart surgeons, appeared before Magistrate Sarah McNamara this afternoon.

Ilton’s lawyer Peter Maley told the court the doctor had mistakenly thought he was scheduled to appear on Friday, and had cleared his patient list accordingly.

The court heard Ilton had been drinking wine into the early hours of the morning before being spotted driving a car in Coconut Grove.

The court heard he shared a bottle of red wine with relatives at a dinner party.

He then continued drinking as he built a model aircraft, before going to Darwin’s Sailing Club for more drinks.

The court heard that on the way home police saw sparks coming off the rear flat tyre of his car.

The court heard police noticed the doctor had slurred speech, he was arrested by police and later recorded a blood alcohol reading of 0.159.

Mr Maley said his client was embarrassed and asked that the doctor not be convicted of the offence.

Magistrate McNamara said the doctor had made a “substantial contribution” to the community, but drink-driving was a really serious offence.

“It’s an offence that we unfortunately see a great deal of [and] I am sure you would see a lot of in the hospital,” Ms McNamara said.

He was convicted, fined $1000 and had his licence suspended for 12 months.

Beethoven’s ‘elusive’ Fur Elise identified by music expert

London, Jul 1 (ANI): The identity of the lady that German composer and pianist Ludwig van Beethoven had composed his music after has been revealed by a music expert.

Für Elise, meaning ‘For Elise’, is one of Beethoven’s best-known melodies, a mainstay of piano lessons for generations and a ringtone on millions of mobile phones.

Scholars were puzzled for years over the identity of the lady, and they were further hampered by the loss of the original manuscript.

But now Klaus Martin Kopitz, a German musicologist and Beethoven expert, believes he has identified the woman of the title as Elisabeth Rockel.

Rockel was a German soprano and sister of Joseph August Rockel, a tenor who was conducted by the composer in Fidelio in 1806.

She was part of Beethoven’s inner circle, according to Kopitz, and later married his friend and rival, the composer Johann Nepomuk Hummel.

In an article to be published by the Beethoven-Haus museum in Bonn next year, Kopitz asserts that she was also known by the name Elise, an entry in the records of St Stephen’s Cathedral, Vienna, refers to her as “Maria Eva Elise”.

“It is known that, when Beethoven wrote the piece in 1810, the two enjoyed a close friendship,” the Telegraph quoted Kopitz as saying.

“Röckel related how, during a dinner party, Beethoven ‘would pinch my arm out of sheer affection’,” he said.

It was also known that, shortly before his death in 1827, she obtained a lock of his hair and was presented with one of his last quills.

If Kopitz’s theory turns out right, he will have put to rest a number of previous theories, including that the title of the lost manuscript had been misread and originally referred to Theresa Malfatti, a woman Ludwig van Beethoven had pursued. (ANI)

Escort girl reveals one night of passion with Berlusconi in his ‘harem’

London, June 21 (ANI): Back in November last year, when Barack Obama was making history as US president, Italian premiere Silvio Berlusconi was enjoying a candlelit dinner party with three beautiful women at Palazzo Grazioli, his luxurious residence in Rome, reveals one of the guests.

Patrizia D’Addario, 42, a former actress and escort girl said that the 72-year-old then asked her to stay for the night. Not only that, but she claims to have taped the conversation that followed.

“Go and wait for me in the big bed,” Berlusconi is said to have told her.

He was going to have a shower and change into a bathrobe, reports The Times.

If an extract from D’Addario’s tape, that was leaked to an Italian newspaper and published, is to be believed, she replied: “Yes, the big bed.”

As per D’Addario, Berlusconi’s staff reminded him that he was expected at an election night rally organised by the Italy-USA Foundation, but the prime minister stayed at home. Officials informed him later of Obama’s victory.

The next day, D’Addario was given a multicoloured tortoise encrusted with precious stones by the millionaire, she claims.

Her account joins the unending list of claims about Berlusconi’s private life that have embarrassed him. He has described D’Addario’s claims as “trash and falsehood”.

“I will not be swayed by these attacks and will continue to work for the good of the country,” he said. (ANI)

Chace Crawford dating a Sports Illustrated model?

New York, May 29 (ANI): Gossip Girl star Chace Crawford seems to have a new gal pal.

And, according to the sources, its Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Esti Ginzburg.

The 19-year-old model was seen constantly texting Crawford at dinner party thrown by fashion label Sergio Rossi and later left the party to go meet up with him, reports the New York Post.

Ginzburg is slated to star with Crawford in “Twelve,” a Joel Schumacher’s adaptation of Nick McDonell’s book about drug-addled NYC prep schoolers.

Meanwhile, Crawford would be replacing Zac Efron in the remake of ‘Footloose’.

The 23-year-old actor was roped in after the ‘High School Musical’ star stepped out of the movie. (ANI)

Hugh Jackman’s wife preferred him to Mick Jagger

Melbourne, Apr 6 (ANI): Aussie actor Hugh Jackman has revealed that his wife Deborra-Lee Furness turned down the chance to party with Brit singer Mick Jagger, and chose to be with him instead, during their courting days.

It happened in 1995 when he had invited Furness, who was starring alongside him in the ABC drama Correlli, to his house for a dinner party.

“She’s very cool. I had a huge crush on her,” the Courier Mail quoted Jackman as telling London’s Mail.

“I decided to have a dinner party and invite her with about 10 people. I made pumpkin soup, snapper and crepes suzette flambe-that was my ‘how to impress a girl’ menu.

“But before the crepes, Deb’s mobile phone rings.

“It’s a very famous friend of hers who says, ‘Deb, I’m outside Hugh’s house in a limo with Mick Jagger and Mick says, ‘Come down, let’s party’,” he said.

Jackman tried to encourage Furness to take up the offer, but she refused and stayed put at his house.

“Here’s Mick Jagger outside my house on Beaconsfield Pde in Melbourne. I say, ‘What are you doing here? Go with Mick’,” Jackman told Furness.

“But she gets on the phone, says, ‘You tell Mick I’m having dinner with Hugh Jackman,’ and hangs up.

“I went, ‘Wow, that’s pretty cool.’ So I confessed my crush — and then she said she had a crush on me, too,” he added. (ANI)

Rihanna raises a toast to split from Brown

London, Apr 4 (ANI): Barbadian singer-model Rihanna seems to be moving on with life after being allegedly attacked by Chris Brown, as she was reportedly seen raising a toast to her split from Brown and her newfound singleton.

Sources have revealed that the ‘Umbrella’ hitmaker was at an eatery in New York with her friends when she publicly toasted her split.

“At the dinner party there were about 10 toasts made, including one to the fact she’s about to land the cover of a major fashion magazine,” British tabloid The Sun quoted a source as saying.

Rihanna was urged by many to part ways from Brown, who allegedly attacked her and left her with horrific injuries.

“People close to Rihanna have drilled it into her head that if she stays with Chris her career will be over,” the source added. (ANI)

Paltrow, Madge enjoy girly gossip as they wine and dine

London, Mar 20 (ANI): American actress Gwyneth Paltrow and her pop star friend Madonna were seen having a girly night out catching up on the latest gossip at the Oak Rooms in New York.

The two, who bonded after moving to London to live with their English husbands, were spotted enjoying their wine as they chatted at a dinner party hosted by Valentino, reports the Daily Express.

Madge, 50, looked unusually happy as she and Paltrow, 36, exchanged words at the party, which had been held to mark the premiere of the film ‘Valentino: The Last Emperor’.

Meanwhile, Paltrow and her business partner trainer Tracy Anderson are finding it difficult to find clients for their new gym TriBeCa.

Even though Anderson has trained celebs like Madonna, she is finding it difficult to land any clients. (ANI)

No chance to join Third Front: Amar Singh

New Delhi, Mar 16 (ANI): Samajwadi Party (SP) General Secretary Amar Singh on Monday said that there was no hope for his party joining the Third Front with the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) leader Prakash Karat at its helm.

“With Karat being at the helm, I see no such hope of joining the Third Front,” Singh made the remark when asked if there is a possibility of the SP joining the Third Front if the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) walked out of the alliance.

“There is a difference between the personal and political relations. I wanted to meet Karat some time ago. But he refused to meet him claiming I was with the Congress,” he added.

The SP leader also recalled the dinner party at the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s residence, where he was ‘reported insult’.

“Left leaders took me with them at the dinner party. My treatment there was their responsibility. They did not bother about our ‘reported insult’ and continued with their support to Congress,” he said.

Singh further said that his party has ideological understanding with the Congress.

“We have ideological similarities with the Congress. Even if we may not have an alliance on seats with it, ideological understanding is very much there with Congress,” he added. (ANI)

‘Political dinner’ starts at Mayawati’s residence in New Delhi

New Delhi, March 15 (ANI): The ‘political dinner’ has started at the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati’s residence here just a while ago with leaders representing all eleven parties of the newly formed Third Front being present. he first meeting of the Third Front since its launch in Karnataka is crucial, as the name of coalition’s prime ministerial candidate is likely to be decided, besides a discussion on the poll strategy.

Also the dinner party holds significance, as a decision over projection of Third Front’s Prime Ministerial candidate is likely to affect the support and strength of the front.

Although the BSP has denied that Mayawati has given any ultimatum to the Third Front over prime ministerial ambitions, sources claim that she is all set to emerge as the top nominee after today’s meeting.

Mayawati’s party has already announced that it would contest the Lok Sabha elections alone.

Leaders of four Left parties and that of the TDP, TRS, AIADMK, JD(S) and Haryana Janhit Congress are present in the dinner meet.

Meanwhile, Mayawati may address a press conference later in the evening.

In Lok Sabha elections 2004, the Third Front managed to get 59 seats. This year, big partners like TDP and AIDMK along with Mayawati’s BSP are aiming for 140-150 seats.

With BJD joining the coalition, other smaller parties of the NDA or the UPA are likely to the follow the suit, and make the so-called lightweight a powerful alternative. (ANI)

Katie Holmes’ ‘dinner treatment’ for people rude to her family

New Delhi, Mar 04 (ANI): Hollywood actress Katie Holmes has her own ways of dealing with people who pass rude comments on her family, for she has decided to invite them for a Dinner party.

The ‘Mad Money’ actress thinks that after meeting her family over a dinner party, people would apologize for their rude comments and would stop being rude to her lovely family, reports the China Daily.

“Sometimes I think I would say, ‘Why don’t you come over and have dinner?” she told America’s Glamour magazine.

Holmes revealed that some of the offensive comments left her aghast, when Suri her 2-year-old daughter was born.

” Katie admits she finds it hard when people spread rumors about Suri – shortly after she was born rumors circulated Katie’s pregnancy was an elaborate hoax and that Suri didn’t exist – and is determined to protect her daughter at all costs,” she said.

“Some of the stuff people said was such absolutely horrible things to say about a child. It was so uncalled for and so disgusting. Enough is enough. “Tom was supportive. We were changing diapers. He said, ‘I don’t want you to get upset.’ And I said, ‘Well, I am upset,” she added.

Holmes further revealed that she and her husband Tom Cruise together handled those comments.

“So we approached it together. But I definitely felt like – as a woman, as the mother of Suri – I want to handle this! My mom is very strong, and if anyone ever said anything about any of us, she would be, ‘Excuse me? That’s my family!” she said. (ANI)

Julia Roberts keen to invite the Obamas to her dream dinner party

New Delhi, Feb 18 (ANI): Hollywood actress Julia Roberts has revealed that US President Barack Obama and his family top her dream dinner party invite list.

The ‘Pretty Woman’ actress, who also intends to invite Diane Sawyer, Mike Nichols, Oprah Winfrey, Stedman Graham and Tina Fey to her dinner party, says that her invite list begins with the Obama’s placed at the top.

Julia insists that her twins Hazel Patricia and Phinnaeus Walter, with husband Danny Moder, can enjoy with Sasha and Malia Obama, if her dream dinner party takes place.

“For sure, we’re going to start with the Obamas. The girls can play with my kids,” she said.

Meanwhile, Julia has admitted that she is a very protective mother, and that she makes it a point to shelter her children from the paparazzi in a bid to give them a normal life, reports the China Daily.

“I think it should be against the law to take a picture of a celebrity’s child. Fortunately, it’s a rare occurrence for us. My husband and I are very protective of our children. We go out of our way to shelter them from the paparazzi and to still live a normal life,” she told Allure magazine. (ANI)

Nicole Ritchie’s life “reads like a train wreck,” says dad

New Delhi, Feb 03 (ANI): Nicole Ritchie’s adoptive father Lionel Ritchie has said that his daughter’s life “reads like a train wreck”, but he is delighted to see how she has turned her life around.

The ‘Ordinary Girl’ hitmaker revealed that although he was extremely worried when Nicole was arrested for driving under the influence of marijuana and painkiller Vicodin in 2006, he was more than content to see his daughter recover from it.

He said: “I was worried about her. I mean, her life story reads like a train wreck, but she has amazing powers of recovery. She went through her drug period, then came back to centre.

“She went through a car accident, then came back to center. She went through arrest, back to centre. Her ability to get through it and recover is amazing.”

Lionel, 59, also stated that because of his hectic work he could not be the best father, reports the China Daily.

“Because of the nature of my business and the fact that I travel so much, when I’m asked, ‘Can you make it to the dinner party?’ I don’t know. ‘Can you make it to the family reunion?’ Well let’s go back and look at my track record. For 20 years, the answer was: I never made one,” Lionel said.

Nicole has one-year-old daughter Harlow with partner Joel Madden. (ANI)