Catholic, Jewish, Muslim leaders lambaste Madonna 'crucifixion'

A religious trifecta is condemning Madonna's fake crucifixion stunt, which the American pop star is planning to perform at a concert in Rome, Italy.

"To crucify yourself in the city of the pope and the martyrs is an act of open hostility," said Cardinal Ersilio Tonini, as quoted by the Italian newspaper La Stampa. "It's a scandal created on purpose by astute merchants to attract publicity."

The concert is set for the Olympic stadium in Rome, about 2 miles from the Vatican, according to the Associated Press. But the proximity to the Roman Catholic Church didn't stop Jewish and Muslim leaders from voicing their opinions.

"We express solidarity with the Catholic world," said Riccardo Pacifici, spokesman for Rome's Jewish community. "It's a disrespectful act, and to do it in Rome is even worse."

"It's not the first time Madonna stages such an act," said Mario Scialoja, the president of the Muslim World League in Italy. "We deplore it; we feel it is an act of bad taste."

Madonna is currently on her world tour, called "Confessions."

Idol McPhee breaks foot

A backstage debacle on the American Idols Live tour resulted in Katharine McPhee breaking her foot--but the star vocalist says she won't miss a concert.

The 22-year-old American Idol runner-up broke her foot backstage at a concert in Charlotte, North Carolina.

McPhee had just rejoined the Idols Live tour after a prolonged bout with laryngitis and bronchitis sidelined her for weeks.

Despite the foot injury McPhee sang two songs at the North Carolina concert--wearing slippers, according to the New York Post--before a hospital visit found a hairline fracture in her left foot.

"She's in discomfort, but she's fine," said Roger Widynowski, a representative at RCA, McPhee's record label. "She will continue on the tour and is not defaulting."

Lily Allen's cyberspace discovery

Does best-selling UK artist Lily Allen have MySpace to thank for her fame?

United Talent Agency has said it signed the pop singer after the company began keeping tabs on Allen's online music promotion, including her dedicated space on the News Corp.'s social networking site, MySpace.

"With MySpace, when artists really try to relate to their fans, the artist is really working for him or herself," Nikki Wheeler, an agent at United Talent Agency, told Hollywood Reporter.

Allen has topped UK singles charts with her songs "LDN" and "Smile" two weeks in a row, while her album, titled Smile, stormed the album charts at No. 2 a week ago.

Ludacris crops hair

Rapper Ludacris has cut his famous cornrowed hair, and it's part of an overreaching level of maturity that has hit the 29-year-old rapper, he said.

An interview with the Associated Press revealed that Ludacris--who is currently prepping the release of his two-faced September album Release Therapy--couldn't think of another hairstyle innovation, the rapper said.

"This album that's coming out is so different than all the record material that I've recorded over the past four albums that I needed to complement the new sound with a new look," Ludacris, whose real name is Chris Bridges, told the AP.

According to Reuters, the "Release" portion of the album reveals a more personal side of the rapper, discussing socially conscious subjects such as child abuse, parenthood, and Hurricane Katrina. The "Therapy" section, meanwhile, comprises cut-loose songs--as evidenced alone by the title of one track, "Girls Gone Wild."

"It's a lot of things that I'm speaking on that I've never talked about," he said. "I felt like people knew who Ludacris was, but people never knew who Chris Bridges was."

Depeche Mode cancels Israel gig

The escalating violence between Israel and Hezbollah has convinced Depeche Mode to cancel the group's Tel Aviv concert--the last date of the band's world tour.

About 40,000 people had purchased tickets to the show, but the British synth rockers--who gained fame during the New Wave movement of the 1980s--shot down the idea that the concert date would be made up anytime soon.

"Unfortunately, at present there is no way to reschedule the concert," the band posted on its Web site.