Beyoncé criticised for Gadaffi private gig

Beyoncé has been criticised for performing at a private gig for the son of controversial Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

The 'Halo' singer was allegedly paid $2m (£625,000) to sing at the New Year's event on the Caribbean island of St. Barts, which was hosted by Motassim Bilal.

The 33-year-old, also known as Hannibal, has been involved in several reported assaults, including alleged attacks on Italian police officers, Swiss hotel workers and wife Aline Skaf, although no charges were ever made.

"Beyoncé's handlers usually make really good decisions about where she's going to perform," Yahoo quotes Columbia University media professor Marc Lamont Hill as saying.

"So it seems to me that someone was asleep at the wheel, or the money was so overwhelming that they said, 'Screw the public image, we're going to take the cash'."

Celebrities including Jon Bon Jovi, Lindsay Lohan, Russell Simmons and models Miranda Kerr and Victoria Silvstedt attended the event, which also saw R&B singer Usher perform a live set.