Madonna: 'Britney suffering like Africa'

Madonna has compared Britney Spears' plight to the suffering people of Africa, calling the press coverage of her problems a "terrible infliction of cruelty".

The 'Holiday' hitmaker - who famously kissed Spears during a performance at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards - wants the paparazzi to stop following the 26-year-old, because it's distressing to see her life documented in such detail.