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Opera singer Beltran seeks retrial

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Oct. 19 (UPI) -- Swedish-Chilean opera singer Tito Beltran says the Supreme Court of Sweden should grant him a retrial following his conviction on rape charges.

The Swedish news agency TT said Sunday that Beltran, 44, has petitioned the Supreme Court for a retrial, arguing that his trial on charges of raping an 18-year-old nanny employed by actress Maria Lundqvist was tainted by multiple procedural irregularities.

Pelle Svensson, Beltran's lawyer, argues in the Supreme Court petition that Lundqvist should not have been allowed to collect evidence in the case.

Svensson said former Justice Minister Thomas Bodstrom improperly announced publicly before the trial he considered Beltran guilty.

"Here the Supreme Court should consider whether the representative for the government is allowed to participate in an ongoing legal case," the defense lawyer said.

Beltran was convicted in 2008 of rape and sexually molesting a child and was sentenced to 30 months in prison.

Stephanie Pratt arrested for DUI

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 19 (UPI) -- Reality television personality Stephanie Pratt was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence in Los Angeles during the weekend, police said.

The 23-year-old Pratt is best known for her work on TV's "The Hills."

Pratt was arrested early Sunday in Hollywood, taken to the Van Nuys jail and released later in the day after posting $5,000 bail, a Los Angeles police spokesman told E! News.

She reportedly had been out at dance clubs and bars celebrating her co-star and sister-in-law Holly Montag's 26th birthday.

Pratt's brother, Spencer, is married to Holly's sister, Heidi.

Freedom theme dominates MEIFF film fest

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, Oct. 19 (UPI) -- Russian director Valery Todorovsky's "Hipsters" won top honors at the 16 Black Pearl Awards for the Middle East International Film Festival in Abu Dhabi.

Todorovsky's musical, known as "Stilyagi" in Russian, celebrates Soviet teenagers' underground embrace of American pop music culture during the culturally oppressive 50s.

Australian Glendyn Ivin, previous Cannes Palm d'Or short film winner, earned feature director kudos for "Last Ride," a tale of a criminal and his son on the run in South Australia.

Iranian director Bahman Ghobadi's look at Tehran's pop music scene, "No One Knows About Persian Cats" ("Kasi az Gorbehaye Irani Khabar Nadareh"), won the audience choice prize and top actor honors for Hamed Behdad while Alicia Laguna and Sonia Couoh shared best actress honors for Mexico's "Northless" ("Norteado"). Canadian T.C. McLuhan's tale of Pahstun warrior Badshah Khan, "The Frontier Gandhi," took top documentary honors.

Actress/activist Vanessa Redgrave received a lifetime achievement award. American student Rob Connolly earned special mention.

The awards were presented during Saturday night's gala by Naomi Watts and Eva Mendes.

The 10-day film fest screened 128 films. Screened films not competing included the George Clooney co-produced starring vehicle "The Men Who Stare at Goats," and Michael Moore's "Capitalism: A Love Story."

Cage selling British property at a loss

BATH, England, Oct. 19 (UPI) -- U.S. actor Nicolas Cage is selling a castle near Bath, England, at a significant loss due to mounting tax problems, property market sources say.

The unidentified sources told The Sunday Times of London Cage owes at least $6.5 million in back taxes in the United States and has agreed to sell Midford Castle for almost $4.9 million.

The price falls short of the $7.75 million Cage paid for the property in July 2007. In addition, the "National Treasure" star spent an unspecified amount of money on a restoration project intended to improve the property.

Cage sold an area townhouse in March at a loss of almost $490,000, the newspaper said. He still owns Tilham Barn, a home in the British village of Baltonsborough.

Frankie Lederman, who sold the home to the 45-year-old actor in June 2006, said Cage truly enjoys the Baltonsborough home.

"He has told me he loves it here," Lederman told the Sunday Times. "He values the peace, tranquility and privacy."