Madonna gets OK to adopt 3-year-old girl

June 13, 2009 at 12:00a.m.

BLANTYRE, Malawi — Madonna can get “Mercy,” Malawi’s highest court ruled Friday. The court overruled a lower court, saying the pop star can adopt 3-year-old Chifundo “Mercy” James.

James Kambewa, a man who claims to be the little girl’s father, told CBS news “I’m crying. I need my baby. I don’t know where I can find any help,” the network said.

But Peter Baneti, an uncle, said the family welcomed Friday’s ruling. “We hope Mercy will be joining Madonna soon,” he said by phone from his village just outside Blantyre.

Madonna adopted a son, David, from Malawi last year, but her request to adopt Mercy was originally rejected in April when a lower court said that the star had not spent enough time in Malawi.

All Miley Cyrus tickets will be paperless

COLUMBUS — Promoters for teen pop phenom Miley Cyrus have stopped selling tickets at the box office, a switch that will end the crush of parents and youngsters who swarmed Nationwide Arena when her tickets sold in 2007.

When sales start Saturday for the Oct. 7 show at the Columbus arena, they all will be paperless and must be bought by credit card either online or by phone. None will be sold at the box office or Ticketmaster outlets.

Cyrus, 16, is the star of the Disney Channel’s “Hannah Montana” show and the daughter of country music singer Billy Ray Cyrus. Her 2009 North American Tour starts Sept. 14.

Tickets for her 2007 concert in Columbus sold out in 15 minutes leaving countless children disappointed and their parents steamed.

The quick sellouts were blamed on demand as well as scalpers and brokers who buy large numbers of tickets. Each household will be limited to four tickets.

“It’s definitely an attempt ... to make sure the fans coming to the show are buying the tickets directly from the tour,” said Nationwide Arena General Manager Eric Granger.

Springsteen fan weekend at rock hall of fame

CLEVELAND — A weekend of glory days is planned at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, which is welcoming fans to a Bruce Springsteen FanFest.

The event Friday through Sunday at the hall in Cleveland includes screenings of Springsteen concerts and his 1999 Rock Hall induction, as well as appearances by the singer’s personal film archivist and the editor of the long-running Springsteen fanzine “Backstreets.”

The festival is in conjunction with the museum’s current exhibit, “From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen.”

The Boss himself is not expected to drop by for FanFest. The rocker known for hits such as “Born in the USA” and “Glory Days” is headlining this weekend’s eighth annual Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tenn.

Today’s birthdays

Magician Siegfried of Siegfried and Roy is 70. Actor Malcolm McDowell is 66. Comedian Tim Allen (“Home Improvement”) is 56. Actress Ally Sheedy is 47. TV anchor Hannah Storm is 47. Singer-guitarist Rivers Cuomo of Weezer is 39. Actor Steve-O (“Jackass”) is 35. Actresses Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are 23.