Russian official targets Madonna with crude tweet

A senior ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin used an obscene Twitter post to attack Madonna after the pop star called for the release of three women who face prison over an irreverent performance in Moscow's main cathedral.

Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, a nationalist politician and former envoy to NATO, posted the tweet on Friday after Madonna told a Moscow concert audience the jailed members of punk band Pussy Riot were "courageous" and deserved to be free.

"Every ex-wh*re tends to lecture everybody with age. Especially during world tours and concerts," Rogozin, who now leads Russia's drive to upgrade the army and defence industry, wrote in a tweet in English.

The microblog posting was a crudely worded echo of frequent warnings by Russian officials that Moscow will not accept Western "preaching" on human rights and democracy, a message Putin has repeatedly delivered during 12 years in power.

Madonna, who is American, donned a balaclava like those worn by Pussy Riot performers during her concert in Moscow on Tuesday night and was cheered loudly when she offered her support.

Maria Alyokhina, 24, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30, stormed the altar of Russia's main cathedral on February 21 and sang a "punk prayer" calling on the Virgin Mary to rid Russia of Putin, who was then campaigning to return to the presidency after four years as prime minister.

Prosecutors want a judge to sentence them to three years in prison for hooliganism motivated by religious hatred.

They have been in jail since shortly after their performance, which offended many in mostly Orthodox Christian Russia, and Kremlin critics see their trial as part of a crackdown on dissent as Putin starts a new six-year term.

The women have said the performance was meant as criticism of close ties between Putin and the Russian Orthodox Church and the clear if informal support its leader, Patriarch Kirill, gave Putin during his successful election campaign.

Excessive reaction?

Western governments and rights groups have said the govermnent's reaction to the "punk prayer" was excessive and are watching the trial closely. The judge is to give a verdict on August 17.

Rogozin, who some analysts view as a potential presidential candidate in the next election in 2018, did not mention Madonna by name in the English tweet on Friday or a Russian one on Wednesday.

But few Internet users had any doubt that he was referring to Madonna, who also spoke out in support of gay rights at a concert in St. Petersburg, Putin's home town, on Thursday night.

"She spoke about freedom, it is the state bureaucrats who are lecturing us every day on all the state channels," a Twitter user called Alexander Oleinik wrote in response to Rogozin's posting in Russian.

"Either take off the cross or put on your panties," Rogozin replied. His spokeswoman confirmed the messages were genuine.

Rogozin, former leader of the nationalist political party Rodina (Motherland), also wrote ironic messages about Pussy Riot, likening their supporters to a religious sect.

Rogozin was appointed deputy prime minister late last year as part of then prime minister Putin's drive to appeal to moderate nationalists.

He is known for his sharply worded criticism of the West and in particular of US and NATO plans for a European missile shield that Moscow calls a threat to its security.

On Friday, a group of Russian Orthodox hardliners burned Madonna's picture outside Moscow's Christ the Saviour cathedral, where Pussy Riot staged its punk protest. Source:http://tvnz.co.nz

Madonna airs 1944 Warsaw Uprising clip amid concert row

WARSAW: US pop star Madonna aired a World War II-era newsreel on the 1944 anti-Nazi Warsaw Uprising at the top of her Wednesday gig in the city marking the day 68 years ago when the bloody insurrection was launched.

Thousands of fans applauded the two-and-a-half minute long film which ran as the concert got underway with nearly an hour's delay, the Polish PAP news agency reported.

Warsaw city hall requested the singer air the clip in the wake of an online petition against her concert by a group of young Catholics furious it would coincide with the Polish capital's annual World War II commemoration of the doomed uprising against the city's Nazi's occupiers.

As of Wednesday, the petition had gathered 54,000 supporters for the "Material Girl's" concert to be called off out of respect for the estimated 200,000 people who died in the 63-day uprising by Polish partisans.

Nazi German dictator Adolf Hitler ordered the deportation of the half-a-million residents who survived before his forces systematically bombarded the city leaving it as little more than a smouldering heap of rubble.

"August 1 is a day of remembrance in Poland. We pay our respects to those who survived and those who perished in the uprising. We won't allow the desecration of our hallowed symbols," reads the Internet petition launched by a group calling itself the Youth Crusade.

Warsaw ground to a halt Wednesday at 5 pm (1500 GMT) and sirens wailed as residents stood still to observe the annual minute's silence across the capital remembering the loss of life in the largest single rebellion against Nazi Germany during WWII.

The Youth Crusade also slammed the 53-year-old Queen of Pop's on-stage antics as "attacking the Catholic faith... offending Jesus Christ by burning crosses and wearing a crown of thorns" as well as promoting homosexuality and pornography.

Warsaw Archbishop Henryk Hoser urged residents to pray against what he termed Madonna's "blasphemous concert". Poland remains one of Europe's most devoutly Roman Catholic countries.

Madonna's ongoing "MDNA" world tour has been been marked with her trademark brand of controversy.

The pop diva outraged fans in France who had paid more than 250 euros (300 dollars) per ticket by quitting the stage in Paris after barely 45 minutes on July 26.

France's far right National Front has taken legal action against her for screening a video showing its leader Marine Le Pen with a swastika on her forehead during an earlier concert in Paris.

The video was also shown at a Tel Aviv gig in May kicking off the tour, covering about 30 countries and wrapping up in Australia in 2013. (AFP)

Madonna dazzles in Super Bowl half-time show

INDIANAPOLIS: Madonna on Sunday dazzled the Super Bowl crowd with an high-octane half-time show that started with an army of Roman gladiators and ended with a plea for world peace.

The glittering 12-minute performance at Lucas Oil Stadium featuring several guest stars had legions of fans racing to Twitter to give their thumbs-up, with some going so far as to declare it one of the best in Super Bowl history.

"Now THAT was a halftime show!" said @michaelsette7 of Toronto in a typical tweet of approval. "All hail the queen. Bow down everyone, bow down!"

Entertainment Weekly critic Ken Tucker agreed, calling Madonna's performance "joyous, unironic, open-hearted ... She was both in full command and full of generosity towards her massive audience."

With a new album titled "MDNA" out March 26, the 53-year-old Madonna teamed up with choreographer Jamie King and Canada's Cirque de Soleil for the most-watched musical interlude of any major sporting event in the world. (AFP)