Madonna takes her toyboy Brahim Zaibat to the circus

Madonna and 15 members of her entourage, including her 24-year-old boyfriend, Brahim Zaibat, a French breakdancer, attended a performance of Cantina at the Southbank Centre in London this week.

Peer boils over

Hot weather in Westminster appears to have left those few Parliamentarians still around bad tempered.

Why is it that researchers when Commons not sitting have to dress as if on a bucket and spade holiday? demands the Earl of Courtown, who is one of the 92 hereditary peers to survive Tony Blairs cull of the House of Lords in 1999.

Michael Ball is cabaret star

Turning 50 was a surprisingly enjoyable experience for Michael Ball, who was invited to Ronnie Scotts jazz club by Imelda Staunton, his co-star in the West End musical Sweeney Todd.

I thought I was just going to dinner with Imelda, he tells Mandrake. I thought, 'Well there is no bloody atmosphere in here tonight, then the curtain opened and there they all were. They put a cabaret on for me that they had written especially. It took my breath away I was so happy.

Olympic road rage

Traffic in London is expected to grind to a halt on Wednesday when the public are banned from driving in the Zill lanes reserved for Olympics officials and competitors. The Marquess of Worcester is not impressed.

If Olympians are so blinking fit, why dont they run into London from airport and stop blocking the traffic? fumes the heir to the Duke of Beaufort.