Judge adopts a hard line

In a surprise move, an African judge Friday rejected Madonna’s request to adopt a second child from Malawi, saying it would set a dangerous precedent to bend rules requiring prospective parents to live in the country first.

Her lawyer immediately filed an appeal.

The country’s child welfare minister had come out Thursday in support of the pop superstar’s application to adopt 3-year-old Chifundo “Mercy” James.

But in a lengthy ruling Friday, Judge Esme Chombo sided with critics who have said exceptions should not be made for the star who has set up a major development project for the impoverished, AIDS-stricken African country.

The residency requirement was waived only once before, to allow Madonna to take David Banda out of the country in 2006. That adoption was finalized in 2008.

Chombo praised the “noble” work Madonna’s charity has done to feed, educate and provide medical care for some of Malawi’s more than 1 million orphans.

She added it was “my prayer” that the 3-year-old girl Madonna wanted to adopt would benefit from such programs.

Outgrowing her old Levi?

Levi Johnston says ex-fiance Bristol Palin, daughter of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, allows him to visit their 3-month-old son, Tripp, but won’t let him take the baby out.

“Some days we can have regular conversations without fighting,” Johnston, 19, says of 18-year-old Bristol in an interview set to air Monday on Tyra Banks’ talk show.

However, he adds, “Most of the time, I don’t know what’s wrong with her. She’s in a pretty bad mood, she’s short, she doesn’t want me around, I don’t think.”

Sign of the anti-Chris

A new song critical of 19-year-old singer Chris Brown – who allegedly beat his girlfriend, singer Rihanna, on the night of the Grammy Awards in February – is getting airplay.

“My Flow So Tight,” by a little-known dance group called Smoke Jumpers, features the repeated line: “Chris Brown should get his (rear) kicked.”

Group member C.W. Griz said Friday that he didn’t think enough people in the music industry had spoken out against Brown, who’s scheduled for arraignment Monday on felony assault and criminal threat charges.

A bitter-Tweet ending

A series of Twitter posts involving Demi Moore prompted police to go to the aid of a suicidal California woman.

Moore, a popular celebrity Twitterer, was involved in a discussion on the social networking Web site when a user sent the actress what appeared to be suicidal notes.

Police received a call from someone else monitoring the chat, contacted the 48-year-old San Jose, Calif., woman and took her to a hospital for psychiatric evaluation.

The birthday bunch

Author/poet Maya Angelou is 81. Bandleader Hugh Masekela is 70. Actor Craig T. Nelson is 65. Actress Christine Lahti is 59. Writer-producer David E. Kelley is 53. Actor Hugo Weaving is 49. Actor/comedian David Cross is 45. Actor Robert Downey Jr. is 44. Singer Jill Scott is 37. Magician David Blaine is 36. Actress Natasha Lyonne is 30. Actress Jamie Lynn Spears is 18.