Adoption case heard amid paternity dispute

Blantyre, Malawi — Malawi’s highest court heard arguments Monday on Madonna’s bid to adopt a 3-year-old girl from the southern African country, as a dispute erupted over whether a man trying to stop the proceedings is the girl’s father.

Madonna was not at Monday’s hearing at the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal.

The three judges adjourned after hearing from lawyers for the pop star and for two independent children’s rights groups. The judges did not immediately set a date for the next session in the case, at which a decision was expected to be announced.

Madonna is fighting a lower court’s decision that she cannot adopt Chifundo “Mercy” James because she had not been screened over time by Malawi authorities. The court said the rules were bent when Madonna adopted her son David from Malawi last year.

On Sunday, a man told The Associated Press he was the girl’s father, and has sought help from the Malawi Law Society to stop the adoption.

James Kambewa, a 24-year-old security guard, acknowledged he has never seen the child. According to court documents, she was placed in the orphanage when her 14-year-old mother died a few weeks after giving birth to her.

But Kambewa said he now wanted to claim custody of Chifundo.

Allen seeks to block Farrow’s testimony

New York — Actor-director Woody Allen asked a judge on Monday to stop a clothing company from putting his former longtime companion Mia Farrow and his current wife — Farrow’s adopted daughter — on the witness stand as it defends itself against his claims it used his image on billboards without permission.

In papers filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, Allen said Los Angeles-based American Apparel Inc.’s requests to summon Farrow, her adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn and others including his sister and Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt are a “brutish attempt to smear and intimidate” him.

Allen sued American Apparel for $10 million after it used his image on its billboards in Hollywood and New York and on a Web site. Allen, who does not endorse products in the United States, said he had not authorized the displays, which the company said were up for a week. Jury selection in the civil trial is set for May 18.

American Apparel lawyer Stuart Slotnick has said the company will make Allen’s relationships with Farrow and Previn a focus of the trial to show that Allen’s image is no longer worth the $10 million he believes his billboard appearance merits. Slotnick did not immediately return messages seeking comment Monday.

Pete Seeger honored at 90th birthday concert

New York — A star-studded medley of musical guests played tribute to Pete Seeger at a benefit concert for the legendary folk singer’s 90th birthday.

Bruce Springsteen, Dave Matthews, Emmylou Harris, Ani DiFranco and John Mellencamp were among the 40 musicians performing in Madison Square Garden for the Sunday night show, a benefit to raise awareness for Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, an organization Seeger started to preserve and protect the Hudson River.

A lone light shone on Seeger as he opened the show playing a flute solo called “Menomonee Love Song.” As the lights came up, they revealed the outline of a sloop, fitting for an event dubbed the Clearwater Concert after the organization’s vessel, the gaff sloop Clearwater.

Most of the evening consisted of multiple artists performing together with one highlight coming before the intermission — Seeger joined by Harris, Joan Baez, Billy Bragg and others for a spiritual version of “We Shall Overcome.”

Arlo Guthrie, son of folk legend Woody Guthrie, was joined by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band for “Oh Mary Don’t You Weep.”

Gyllenhaal, Sarsgaard officially tie the knot

New York — Peter Sarsgaard and Maggie Gyllenhaal have made it official.

Amanda Silverman, Gyllenhaal’s publicist, says the couple were married Saturday. She didn’t provide any details.

Gyllenhaal and Sarsgaard have a daughter, Ramona, who was born in October 2006. They announced their engagement earlier that year.

Gyllenhaal’s film roles include “The Dark Knight” and “World Trade Center.” Sarsgaard has appeared in the films “Jarhead,” “Boys Don’t Cry” and “Kinsey.”

The couple recently co-starred in an off-Broadway revival of the classic play “Uncle Vanya.”

Study by Obama’s mother to be published

Durham, N.C. — A dissertation written by President Barack Obama’s late mother is being published.

Duke University Press said Monday that an edited version of Ann Dunham’s anthropological study about rural craftsmen in Indonesia is scheduled to reach stores this fall. Dunham completed the study three years before she died in 1995.

Duke marketing manager Emily Young said the foreword was written by the president’s half-sister and Dunham’s daughter, Maya Soetoro-Ng.

The book is based on Dunham’s 14 years of research among village workers on the Indonesian island of Java.

Young said the project came to the university’s press arm because it has a reputation for publishing anthropological studies.

The White House had no immediate comment Monday.#