Madonna Celebrates Gay Malawians' Release

Madonna has thanked fans for backing a campaign calling for the release of two jailed gay men in Malawi after the pair was freed at the weekend.
Earlier this month, the pop superstar branded the incarceration of Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga "backward" after they were both sentenced to 14 years behind bars for being homosexual.
She urged Malawians and her followers across the world to protest the judge's decision by adding their names to a petition against the ruling.
After receiving the petition and meeting with United Nation ambassadors, Malawi's President Bingu wa Mutharika pardoned the pair and ordered their immediate release on Saturday.
And Madonna - who adopted two of her children, David and Mercy, from the country and is financing the construction of a girls' school in the capital - is delighted by the news.
In a post on her Raising Malawi website, she writes, "I have always believed love conquers all - yesterday I got to see it in action. In the last week over 30,000 of you added your name to mine calling for the release of Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga - the Malawi couple sentenced to 14 years hard labor for the 'crime' of homosexuality. With incredible joy, I am writing to share with you that Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika has ordered their release. Steven and Tiwonge were freed on Saturday night. They have won their freedom and you have been a part of it.
"We celebrate this astounding turn of events with Steven, Tiwonge, and the countless Malawians fighting for their release. It is a historic day for Malawi."

But the singer admits she is still concerned for the pair, adding: "Though they are free from prison, sadly their safety and future in Malawi is still unknown. I hope this is just the beginning of our work together.
"Human rights injustices continue for so many Malawians facing poverty, disease, and a lack of critical resources. There are still over two million orphans and vulnerable children who need to experience love's embrace. It is going to take the love and creativity of all of us to bring justice to the people of Malawi.

Lady Gaga's Heel-less Shoes Will Probably Give Her Back Problems

Lady Gaga left a north London studio after taping an interview wearing some peculiar looking shoes and carrying a studded leather Hermes Birkin Bag that would make Sid Vicious jealous.
Pacific Coast News reported that the shoes are as difficult to walk in as they look as it took Gaga a bit of time to walk to her car.
The singer is set to play London's O2 arena and is having it checked out for spirits beforehand. She's also having a her team do "spirit seeking sweeps" of all the venues she's playing on her current tour.
The "Just Dance" hitmaker has also revealed that she lies "profusely" about herself in interviews as a way to protect her privacy and personal life.
She told ShowStudio.com, "The discrepancy between private and public life: I believe as an artist, being private in public is at the core of the aesthetic, the message. However, I profusely lie about my personal relationships in an effort to protect that aesthetic and that message. Today people are distracted by unimportant things - like what my diet is, or who I'm f--king.
"I do sometimes feel that I'm on a stage all the time, and I do feel that life is a stage for my art - when I'm dancing, singing, making breakfast."
She also reveals that she cries when she gets off stage, saying, "There is a moment of freedom, when the stage disappears: when I cry. On stage, off stage, alone or with someone. There's something very honest about that. It has nothing to do with taking off a wig or smearing my lipstick... It's much deeper than that."