Madonna faces Russian wrath

A court in St. Peterburg will start a preliminary hearing into lawsuits against pop diva Madonna and organisers of her recent concert, seeking 333 million rubles for violating a ban on gay propaganda.
    According to a leading newspaper the lawsuits were filled against Madonna, concert organisers PMI company and the concert hall, said Alexander Pochuyev, lawyer for the plaintiffs.
    Nine people filed lawsuits demanding compensation for "moral damages" stemming from "the open promotion of homosexuality" during her Aug 9 concert in Russia's second largest city.
    A group of activists from St. Petersburg-based civil group Parental Control asked police to investigate the concert, claiming that children as young as 12 were in attendance. During her show, which was attended by 25,000 people, Madonna complained about "growing intolerance" in the world and called for solidarity with gays and lesbians.