Pop star Madonna said it was a shame the United States could put a black man in the White House but not allow same-sex marriage, rocking on her world tour with guests Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears.

US actress Gwyneth Paltrow is supporting her close friend Madonna through her marriage split, she said at the premiere of her new film in London.

Like the pop superstar, Paltrow, 36, is married to an Englishman, Coldplay singer Chris Martin. The two also share a love of yoga.

`She`s a very good friend,` Paltrow said at the London premiere of her new film `Two Lovers.`

The father of the Malawian toddler adopted by pop megastar Madonna and her British film director Guy Ritchie said Thursday he is shocked at news of their divorce but wants her to keep the child.

Guy Ritchie could claim a decent stake of his wife Madonna`s mega-fortune, but has no chance of getting half even if it escalates into another celebrity divorce battle royale, experts said Thursday.

Pop megastar Madonna and her British film director husband Guy Ritchie announced plans to divorce on Wednesday after seven and a half years of marriage, ending months of speculation about their relationship.

LOS ANGELES, Oct 16, 2008 (AFP) - US megastar Madonna, who announced Wednesday that she and husband Guy Ritchie were divorcing, has perpetually reinvented herself while maintaining her status as iconic pop diva over a 25-year career.

BOSTON, Oct 16, 2008 (AFP) - Pop diva Madonna relished in the wild cheers of 20,000 fans at the Wednesday night's concert in Boston, never mentioning her pending divorce but urging Americans to vote for Democrat Barack Obama.

NEW YORK, Oct 15, 2008 (AFP) - Pop megastar Madonna and her British film director husband Guy Ritchie announced plans to divorce on Wednesday after seven and half years of marriage, ending months of speculation about their relationship.

Pop megastar Madonna and her British film director husband Guy Ritchie have agreed to divorce after seven and half years of marriage, a spokeswoman for the singer told AFP on Wednesday.

US megastar Madonna, who announced Wednesday that she and husband Guy Ritchie were divorcing, has perpetually reinvented herself while maintaining her status as iconic pop diva over a 25-year career.

The marriage of Madonna and British film director Guy Ritchie was once so strong that the superstar agreed to leave the United States to make her main home in his beloved London.

In their eight years together, the end of which was announced Wednesday, Ritchie even persuaded Madonna to don tweed jackets and join shooting parties at their estate in the English countryside.

Pop megastar Madonna and her British film director husband Guy Ritchie have agreed to divorce, a spokeswoman for Madonna told AFP on Wednesday.

`Madonna and Guy Ritchie have agreed to divorce after seven and a half years of marriage, their representatives confirmed today,` a spokeswoman said in a statement.

Pop megastar Madonna and her British film director husband Guy Ritchie are to divorce, a newspaper reported on Wednesday, saying an announcement was imminent.

After months of media speculation about strains in the eight-year marriage, Britain`s Sun tabloid cited a `highly-placed source` as saying the split was being pushed for by 40-year-old Ritchie.

US pop megastar Madonna and her British film director husband Guy Ritchie are to divorce, a newspaper reported on Wednesday, saying an announcement was imminent.

After months of media speculation about strains in the eight-year marriage, Britain`s Sun tabloid cited a `highly-placed source` as saying the split was being pushed for by 40-year-old Ritchie.

US pop superstar Madonna is to divorce her British film director husband Guy Ritchie, a newspaper reported on Wednesday, saying an announcement was imminent.

After months of media speculation about strains in the eight-year marriage, Britain`s Sun tabloid cited a `highly-placed source` as saying the split was being pushed for by 40-year-old Ritchie.

BERLIN, September 12, 2008 (AFP) - Friday's Bundesliga match between Eintracht Frankfurt and Karlsruhe has been postponed because of damage to the pitch caused by a Madonna concert.

DENVER, August 25, 2008 (AFP) - John McCain's campaign hit back at Madonna on Sunday after the pop diva kicked off her world tour with a concert that bracketed the US presidential candidate with Adolf Hitler.

LONDON, August 23, 2008 (AFP) - Madonna kicks off her 'Sticky And Sweet' world tour in Britain Saturday with a two-hour extravaganza of hits and high fashion showing why she is still the queen of pop despite recently turning 50.

With the help of some of the best of French haute couture, Madonna is to kick off her new `Sticky ...

Pop icons Madonna and Michael Jackson turn 50 later this month, but the contrasting fortunes of the ...

LOS ANGELES, July 7, 2008 (AFP) - Madonna on Sunday took the rare step of issuing a formal denial of reports linking her to US baseball star Alex Rodriguez and speculation she was to divorce British director Guy Ritchie.

LOS ANGELES, July 6, 2008 (AFP) - Madonna on Sunday took the rare step of issuing a formal denial of reports linking her to US baseball star Alex Rodriguez and speculation she was to divorce British director Guy Ritchie.

LOS ANGELES, July 6, 2008 (AFP) - Madonna on Sunday took the rare step of issuing a formal denial of reports linking her to US baseball star Alex Rodriguez and speculation she was to divorce British director Guy Ritchie.

LOS ANGELES, July 6, 2008 (AFP) - Madonna on Sunday took the rare step of issuing a formal denial of reports linking her to US baseball star Alex Rodriguez and speculation she was to divorce British director Guy Ritchie.

LOS ANGELES, July 6, 2008 (AFP) - Madonna on Sunday took the rare step of issuing a formal denial of reports linking her to US baseball star Alex Rodriguez and speculation she was to divorce British director Guy Ritchie.

Multi-millionaire pop star Madonna won approval Wednesday from a court in Malawi to permanently adopt a toddler from one of Africa's poorest countries whom she first fell for at an AIDS orphanage.

Billionaire pop star Madonna won approval on Wednesday from the high court in Malawi to permanently adopt a toddler from one of Africa's poorest countries whom she first fell for at an AIDS orphanage.

Malawi's high court on Wednesday approved an application by US pop star Madonna to permanently adopt a three-year-old boy from one of Africa's poorest countries, her lawyer said.

'It's a beautiful and positive judgement,' Alan Chinula told reporters outside the courthouse in the capital Lilongwe.

BLANTYRE, May 25, 2008 (AFP) - Malawi's state-sponsored rights group on Sunday hit out at recent comments by US pop diva Madonna, saying she was 'putting it crudely' when she said the country had no adoption laws.

ZURICH, May 23, 2008 (AFP) - Some 47,000 tickets were snapped up within three hours for US pop diva Madonna's first-ever concert in Switzerland, to be held on August 30 at a military base near Zurich, its promoters said Friday.

BLANTYRE, May 22, 2008 (AFP) - A court in Malawi will deliver its ruling on whether Madonna can permanently adopt a three-year-old boy next week, a Malawian attorney for the US pop diva said Thursday.

'We have been advised by the high court that the ruling is now on Wednesday, the 28th May,' Alan Chinula told AFP.

CANNES, France, May 22, 2008 (AFP) - Madonna on Thursday said her efforts to adopt a child in Malawi and the ridicule she faced in the press had been as difficult as childbirth, but she was confident of soon winning permanent custody.

LILONGWE, May 15, 2008 (AFP) - A court in Malawi will not deliver its ruling on whether Madonna can permanently adopt a three-year-old boy from one of Africa's poorest countries until next week, the star's lawyer said Thursday.

LILONGWE, May 15, 2008 (AFP) - A court in Malawi began a hearing on Thursday into an application by pop star Madonna to permanently adopt a three-year-old boy from one of Africa's poorest countries.

LILONGWE, May 13, 2008 (AFP) - Pop star Madonna is expected to hear from a court in Malawi this week that her controversial application to adopt a three-year-old boy from one of Africa's poorest countries has been approved.

BLANTYRE, May 9, 2008 (AFP) - Authorities in Malawi are set to grant full adoption rights of an African boy to US pop star Madonna, a high court official indicated Friday, citing a leaked document.

LONDON, May 8, 2008 (AFP) - Pop superstar Madonna announced dates Thursday for a tour of Europe and North America starting in Britain on August 23, a week after she turns 50.