Madonna travels to Malawi to try and adopt another child

Madonna has appeared in a Malawian court in a bid to adopt a second child from the country. The queen of pop, who adopted her son David Banda from Malawi in 2006, arrived in the impoverished country on Sunday. She is attempting to adopt a girl called Mercy James from the southern African country, despite controversy over the earlier adoption. Critics previously accused authorities of giving the singer special treatment in the adoption of David from an orphanage. Madonna needs permission from the court in Lilongwe to take the girl back to the US. A US government official confirmed that an adoption bid is under way. Madonna appeared at the court in a black dress and sunglasses between two bodyguards. On Sunday, the singer was seen walking through the village of Chinkhota with her daughter Lourdes, 12, after touching down at the airport in Lilongwe. Madonna said it was "amazing" to be back in the country where she runs a charity organisation. The 50-year-old star has already filed papers setting out her intention to adopt four-year-old girl. Mercy's mother died soon after she was born but her father is believed to be alive. Save the Children spokesman Dominic Nutt said: "The best place for a child is in his or her family in their home community. "Most children in orphanages have one parent still living, or have an extended family that can care for them in the absence of their parents." According to Save the Children, international adoption should only be considered if the child is a genuine orphan, and if all other alternatives in their own country have been genuinely exhausted. If the adoption goes through, Madonna will become a single mother of four children. She also has an eight-year-old son, Rocco, with former husband Guy Ritchie. The southern African nation of Malawi is one of the world's poorest countries. Life expectancy is just 44 years and it has an infant mortality rate of close to 90 per 1,000 live births, according to 2009 estimates. Madonna's Raising Malawi organisation, founded in 2006, raises funds provide food, shelter, education and health care for children.

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ITN | March 30, 2009

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