POP SINGER MADONNA FILES AFRICAN APPEAL

Madonna

Pop singer Madonna has filed an appeal in Malawi's High Court challenging a judge's ruling that prevents her from adopting a second child from the poor African country. Madonna was denied her request for an interim adoption of 4-year-old Mercy James today, five days after making her application official. The bid was reportedly rejected because of a requirement that prospective parents be a resident in the country for 18 to 24 months prior to any adoption. But the legend is determined to fight the ruling and lodged an appeal in the capital city of Lilongwe, just hours after her application was turned down. Madonna's lawyer Alan Chinula says, "I just filed the notice of appeal this afternoon on instructions from my client." The star's wish to add James, whose 18-year-old mother died days after childbirth, to her family and take her to the United States has not been without controversy. The move was met with hostility from human rights groups, who are insisting the child should remain in her homeland. The singer adopted her son David Banda, 3, from the country in 2006 but the arrangement was not finalized until 2008 following two years of legal wrangling.