Madonna crucifies herself in Confessions tour opener

MADONNA launched her first world tour in two years on Sunday, delighting an enthusiastic Los Angeles crowd by hanging herself from a cross, insulting President George Bush, and dusting off some of the sexy moves that have sustained her career for more than 20 years.

The Confessions tour will keep her on the road for two months in North America, and then resume on July 30 in Wales for a five-week stadium swing through eight European cities. Shows in Japan are on tap for mid-September.

The 47-year-old dance diva spent two hours churning out most of the tunes from her new album, Confessions on a Dancefloor, as well as old hits such as Like a Virgin, Ray of Light and Lucky Star.