Material saddle

New York, May 6 (AP): Madonna is back in the saddle again.

The Material Girl, who broke nine bones in a horse riding accident last year, stars with six Andalusian stallions in a 58-page photo spread in W magazine’s June issue.

On the magazine’s cover, she wears equestrian-inspired garb, complete with a riding crop and fishnet stockings. Madonna, 47, suffered three cracked ribs, a broken collarbone and a broken hand after falling off a horse on August 16 last year.

Thief trail

Kampala, Uganda (Reuters): Ugandan police dogs on the trail of a thief sniffed out an unlikely suspect ? a born-again preacher ? who was promptly arrested for robbing a remote village shop, a state-owned newspaper reported on Saturday. Curious onlookers gathered as detectives released the dogs following a break-in at Igwaya village, in central Uganda. The shocked residents watched as the dogs raced to a nearby shop owned by Pastor Livingstone Isanga, head of the local Redeemed Christian Church. Hidden behind the counter were the stolen goods, New Vision newspaper said.

Hero hunt

Pasadena, California (AP): The creator of Spider-Man and the Incredible Hulk is on the hunt for a new superhero, and he plans to find it on reality TV. Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee said on Friday that his new reality show Who Wants to be a Superhero? breaks new ground. “I’ve never lived in a world of reality,” quipped the 83-year-old writer. Eleven wannabe superheros ? whittled down from 200 ? are set to compete in the show, which is scheduled to premiere on July 26. The winning superhero will be the star of a new comic book created by Lee.

Pop prank

New York (AP): A recent GQ article spoofing Michael Jackson has the singer demanding the magazine apologise and pull the issue from circulation. In a statement released on Friday, Jackson’s representative, Raymone K. Bain, said Jackson is “furious” about a series of photos featuring a Jackson impersonator in the magazine’s May issue. The photos accompany an article called: “Where’s Michael?” which documents writer Devin Friedman’s quest to find Jackson in Bahrain. In one photo, a Jackson look-alike sits in a darkened movie theatre amid a row of children. Another photo shows him standing in the desert draped in a black cloak and headscarf. The statement said: “Mr Jackson is furious that his image has been used in such a misleading way.”