Madonna 'ecstatic' over adoption

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The pop star appealed after a lower court rejected her application to adopt Chifundo "Mercy" James, a four-year-old girl, in April.

In a statement, Madonna said: "I am extremely grateful for the Supreme Court's ruling on my application to adopt Mercy James. I am ecstatic... My family and I look forward to sharing our lives with her."

The country's highest court announced its decision to allow the adoption, ruling that the lower court had failed to take modern realities into account.

Chief Justice Lovemore Munlo also said that Madonna's commitment to the welfare of disadvantaged children should have been taken into account.

She has two biological children, Lourdes, 12, and Rocco, aged eight.

Madonna has founded a charity, Raising Malawi, which helps feed, educate and provide medical care for some of Malawi's more than one million orphans, many of whom have lost their parents to Aids.

But welfare groups have expressed concern over the adoption plans. Development agency Plan has said it could not condone "whisking a single child off to a fairytale lifestyle in Hollywood".

Anna Feuchtwang, chief executive of international development charity EveryChild, previously said that high-profile adoptions sent out the wrong message and the focus should be on the work done to help vulnerable families stay together.

She said: "This may be less glamorous than international adoption by pop stars but it is the only viable solution to provide safe and secure homes for all of Africa's children."