LILONGWE, Malawi (Reuters) - A Malawian court on Wednesday formally approved pop star Madonna's adoption of a baby boy she took home from an orphanage in the impoverished southern African nation, a lawyer for the singer said.
Madonna's bid to assume parental rights over David Banda has been highly controversial with critics accusing the government of skirting laws that prohibit non-residents from adopting children in Malawi, which has been badly hit by the AIDS epidemic.
"We are very happy with what the judge has ruled. It is a positive and beautiful judgment that will have an impact on Malawi's adoption laws," Madonna's Malawian lawyer, Alan Chinula, told Reuters.
The High Court judge issued the ruling privately in chambers in Lilongwe in the company of lawyers. It was expected to be made public later on Wednesday.
Madonna said last week the controversy had been difficult to deal with but she was happy to be involved in a case that might pave the way for more adoptions in Malawi. An estimated 1 million children in the country have been orphaned by AIDS.
Chinula said the ruling also recommended that Malawi speed up amendments to its laws, which prevent adoptions by non-residents. The government had provided a waiver to the pop singer.
Malawi's Human Rights Commission, an independent, government-funded rights watchdog, had said the adoption, which began in 2006, would be illegal. The High Court delayed its ruling on the adoption last week to review a report by the commission.
The HRC report, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters, said the law made clear a person had to be in Malawi for at least 18 months to qualify as a resident. Madonna has not spent that long in the country.
Saturday, 31 May 2008
Ash to headline Ben And Jerry's Sundae
Ash are set to headline Ben And Jerry�s Sundae this year.
The event held on Clapham Comon, London, is returning for its fourth year, and the Northern Irish three-piece will top the bill on July 27.
Slow Club, Cage The Elephant, Parka and The New York Fund, will also play on the same day.
The festival will also mark the 30th anniversary of Ben And Jerry's ice cream, with founder Jerry Greenfield set to attend.
Ticket details and the July 26 line-up will be confirmed soon. Go to Benjerry.co.uk
May 24, 2008 at The Tunnels, Aberdeen -
May 29, 2008 at Whelans, Dublin -
May 30, 2008 at St George's Hall, Bradford -
More Ash tickets
The event held on Clapham Comon, London, is returning for its fourth year, and the Northern Irish three-piece will top the bill on July 27.
Slow Club, Cage The Elephant, Parka and The New York Fund, will also play on the same day.
The festival will also mark the 30th anniversary of Ben And Jerry's ice cream, with founder Jerry Greenfield set to attend.
Ticket details and the July 26 line-up will be confirmed soon. Go to Benjerry.co.uk
May 24, 2008 at The Tunnels, Aberdeen -
May 29, 2008 at Whelans, Dublin -
May 30, 2008 at St George's Hall, Bradford -
More Ash tickets
Sex And The City - Davis Denies Sex And The City Infighting
SEX AND THE CITY star KRISTIN DAVIS has denied reports alleging the hit TV show was marred by infighting between the four leading ladies.
Davis and her co-stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kim Cattrall have long been dogged by rumours they don't get on - with speculation that petty arguments about costumes and pay had divided the group.
There was even gossip that the new movie adaptation was almost shelved because of the growing rift between the actresses - in particular between Parker and Cattrall, who have both admitted to a dispute over money.
But Davis insists the four women rarely fight when working together - especially not over a trivial matter like costumes.
She tells British TV show This Morning, "If we were fighting over shoes, if we actually got into a physical altercation over shoes - we would have to be in the nut house.
"We don't fight over shoes, we don't really fight. We are four of the luckiest, overpaid women in the world - with the best job in the world. We have been together for 10 years, working together for 18 hours a day. We would never have got through this if we weren't close. We love each other."
See Also
Murphy's back as Beverly Hills Cop
Eddie Murphy is set to reprise one of his most famous roles, Axel Foley in 'Beverly Hills Cop'.
Variety reports that film studio Paramount is to make a fourth instalment in the action-comedy series with Murphy attached to star and 'Rush Hour' director Brett Ratner in negotiations to direct.
Paramount hopes to have the film in production next year and in cinemas in the summer of 2010.
The first three 'Beverly Hills Cop' films have grossed $712.9m worldwide.
Variety reports that film studio Paramount is to make a fourth instalment in the action-comedy series with Murphy attached to star and 'Rush Hour' director Brett Ratner in negotiations to direct.
Paramount hopes to have the film in production next year and in cinemas in the summer of 2010.
The first three 'Beverly Hills Cop' films have grossed $712.9m worldwide.
Lily's Puff
Artist: Lily's Puff
Genre(s):
Other
Discography:
Crashing Diamond
Year: 2004
Tracks: 15
Clint Black - Fascinating Fact 5351
Wogan fears 'Britain' will never win Eurovision again
It's not often that Terry Wogan features on In the News. Not since the bender with Amy Winehouse and Slash that reduced Aylsbury town centre to rubble has the old man popped up on these pages. And even that episode was entirely made up.
But today Tel takes a bow, as with just four days to go until this year's extravaganza, the grand jefe of UK Eurovision song contest coverage is claiming that an "Iron Curtain" has descended on the competition with a pact between Balkan and former Soviet countries meaning "Britain" - yes, Britain - may never win the competition again.
Unsurprisingly, these remarks get big play in today's Daily Telegraph. "It's understandable that all those new countries will want to huddle together for warmth but it doesn't do much for our prospects," Wogan is quoted as saying, and you must give props to the man for the way in which "huddle together for warmth" suggest images of peasants sharing a potato.
"Eurovision was intended to bring us all together but instead it makes it manifestly clear how far apart we all are. People in Bosnia Herzegovina are bound to feel more culturally attuned to the music of Serbia or Montenegro that to anything from western Europe."
Indeed, Tel, indeed. Just as we are more culturally attuned to, say, Belgian pop or fado from Portugal (hang on, I thought we hated that stuff - confused, little Englander ed). The Telegraph then goes on to substantiate Tel's claims with what can only be described as statistics.
"Since 2001, the contest has been won by Estonia, Latvia, Turkey, Ukraine and Serbia. Only in 2005 and 2006 when Green and then Finland triumphed did the eastern stranglehold ease."
The eastern stranglehold! It's like Rosa Klebb was never executed in Venice! Such is the eastern Europe's cold, clammy grip that Wogan fears we might never win Eurovision again. "Andy Abrahams's song is the best UK entry for a while: if we finish nowhere again, I worry that disenchantment might take hold."
A dreadful thought. As of this morning, the bookmakers have Sweden to win on Saturday. In the News is not certain as to whether this is confirmation of Tel's suspicions or not.
Of all the things we've heard about Pete Doherty, the most shocking of all is that he played a full afternoon's football last Sunday. Doherty, who took part in the Celebrity Soccer Six tournament at Millwall, makes it his business to abuse his body as hard and consistently as he possibly can, and it seemed certain that even a moderate jog might lead to him heading straight to casualty.
Oddly, nothing of the sort transpired. Yes, Pete defied the sceptics once again, coming runner up in the competition and still having enough energy left to urinate in the winner's trophy.
The Sun reports on the manky micturation this morning, via a source: "Babyshambles were given access to the chairman's office so the attention surrounding Pete wouldn't get in the way of all the other guests.
"He decided to play a prank but overstepped the mark.
"One of the security guards was tipped off that Pete was trying to take a trophy. When he checked it out he found that Pete wasn't nicking it, he was filling it up.
"He is a huge QPR fan and thought it would be a laugh to leave a little surprise."
A laugh for who, exactly, is expected to be confirmed later this week.
Finally, the extent Bizarre's Smart Gordon's influence has become clear. So powerful is his grip on the minds of Sun readers that they seem willing to cross the capital just to stare blankly at celebrities mentioned in his column.
Let Smart Gordon relate the full story: "Market trader Boy George downed tools on his stall after being surrounded by fans.
"On Saturday we revealed the fallen star was flogging £10 T-shirts in Spitalfields market in east London. So the next day the ex-Culture Club star's B-Rude stall was heaving.
"Sadly, no one was buying. They just wanted to gawp.
A source said: "He just got pissed off. He left after about an hour and asked a mate to cover for him."
Now we're not sure that disrupting the natural flow of capitalism is standard News Corp policy, but still we salute young Smart. Sources from inside an arts and crafts market? Now that's connections.
See Also
The Ting Tings, We Started Nothing
There comes a moment when even the most ardent cynic realises its time to sneak out of their jaded prison and gatecrash a party. And this summer, as a nation throws off its shackles of pessimism to the sounds of their debut, it'll happen to you too. Licking their wounds after trial-by-record-label with former outfit, Dear Eskimo, the Salford duo stared into the roiling canyon of resentment - and decided to go drinking instead. The result is the delirious joy-gasm known as We Started Nothing, and the soundtrack to what can only be described as a Ting Tings moment.
Stultifying career? Soul-sapping ex? Shoe-gazing again? Throw a party! And be sure to book a Great DJ! This dizzying, sing-a-long opening track is homage to their famed escapades as scenesters-in-residence at Islington Mill - Manchester's drizzly, down-to-earth rendering of Andy Warhol's Factory. With such hedonistic pedigree, it'd be easy to dismiss them as purveyors of the slick hipster sneer, but they're unremittingly adorable. The Ting Tings are distinctive in the electro ephemera trade for their unpretentious quirkiness. It can be seen on such playful adventures in nonsensical imagery as Traffic Light and Fruit Machine.
The album scampers by in its springy Converse with suitably youthful exuberence. Yet, it has a spirit that can only come from experience. The shouty roll call of misnomers, That's Not My Name, is a feminist rant you can only write when you have the benefit of hindsight. It was inspired by the experience of singer/guitarist, Katie White, who was offered fame-for-flesh in their former incarnation. The track laments forgettable female starlets baring all for the lads. With idealism duly quashed, it's a refreshingly jovial indictment of modern music which, nonetheless, packs a punch.
Of course, any party worth its salt stays on way past the Ting Tings moment and, naturally, this duo aren't going to be going home alone any time soon. Their staggering six-minute title track is like a dishevelled dawn chorus, serenading the last men standing. Cynics can look on blankly as the pied pipers of hyper lead the conga into the middle of next zeitgeist.
See Also
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)