Morning:
9°c
With a single dessert and just two glasses of wine our bill was kept in check - but the effort of doing so was not much fun
EXCLUSIVE: David Cameron reveals his faith in God, his fear of failure and his dread that another of his children could die
More...
Madonna baby delivered to her home
Last updated at 14:29pm on 17.10.06
Madonna's baby arrives at Heathrow
Related links
Madonna welcomed a tiny African boy she wants to adopt into her UK home today.
At just 13 months old, David Banda left his orphanage life in poverty-stricken Malawi and arrived at London's Heathrow airport this morning.
He was taken to the singer's luxury home near Marble Arch in the capital and kept away from the hordes of waiting photographers and reporters.
Madonna, 48, and her husband Guy Ritchie have secured a temporary 18-month custody order from the Malawi courts and hope to adopt him formally.
It is thought the baby arrived in the UK with a US visa stamped in his new passport, sparking speculation that he would be adopted under US law.
Adoption experts said the celebrity couple would have undergone rigorous checks before being given permission to adopt the boy.
But there has been a backlash in Malawi, with human rights groups going to court to question the apparently speedy decision about David's future.
In the capital Lilongwe, it was claimed that the courts had improperly waived Malawian laws to allow Madonna and Ritchie temporary custody because of their celebrity.
Justin Dzonzi, a lawyer for a coalition of human rights and child advocacy organisations, said his group was asking a judge to review the adoption.
Other organisations said they wanted to ensure child protection regulations were not swept aside to benefit a singer who has been generous to Malawi.
Two months ago the pop superstar announced she was to donate three million dollars to the country through the Raising Malawi charity.
Her partner in the project is Michael Berg, founder of the Kabbalah Centre in Los Angeles.
Boniface Mandere, of Eye Of The Child, a local child protection society involved in the challenge, said: "The court seems to have made a decision based on Madonna's wealth.
"But being a good parent is not about money - it is about caring, having heart, it's about love."
The furore began last week with pictures of Madonna and Ritchie visiting orphanages in Malawi and news that temporary custody of David had been granted.
Madonna's spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg said the couple left the country last Friday: "It is expected that the family will be reunited within the next few days.
"The interim adoption grants David's new parents temporary custody for 18 months, during which time they will be evaluated by the courts of Malawi per the tribal customs of the country."
David's journey to the UK started when he was put on a private jet from Malawi to South Africa after a court issued the travel documents.
Today, he was rushed through the airport by Madonna's aides - including a nanny and a bodyguard - with his head covered after an overnight flight from Johannesburg.
The child, who Madonna wants to be a brother to her children, Lourdes, nine, and Rocco, five, wore denim shorts, a white T-shirt and a baseball cap.
Arriving at the singer's quiet, tree-lined street, with its rows of elegant period terraces, the road was filled with dozens of photographers, journalists and camera crews.
As the media attention continued throughout the day, publicist Max Clifford called on Madonna to convince the British public she had done the right thing bringing David to the UK.
"It's important Madonna and Guy, in the short term, convince people that what they've done is right and that the way they've gone about it is right - that they haven't cheated or taken advantage (of the system)."
Asked whether a wealthy celebrity should be allowed to adopt an African child and if she had influenced the process by donating the money, Mr Clifford said: "Maybe that's the case but lots of children are going to benefit, so is that such a bad thing?
"All that matters is the future happiness of baby David and if he's going to have a happy life.
"A lot of people have doubts and suspicions - they've got to prove those doubters wrong."
Malawi law requires would-be parents to live in the country for a year while social welfare officers investigate their ability to care for the child.
The court order waived such a stipulation but said David must be returned to Malawi if Madonna was seen to be treating him differently from her other children.
Half a million children in the country have been orphaned by Aids.
Yet David is not an orphan - his father gave him up because he was unable to care for him after David's mother died a week after his birth.
Peasant farmer Yohane Banda took the baby to an orphanage to be cared for when he became sick at five weeks old. He had already lost his first two children to malaria.
David's picture is believed to be among 12 emailed to Madonna from the Home of Hope Orphan Care Centre in Mchinji.
Orphanage director the Rev Thompson Chipeta told Mr Banda "a very nice Christian lady" wanted to offer David a home.
Reader views (22)
Domestic adoption isn't quite as open and easy as people presume.
Over 40% of the kids in care are from a mixed or ethnic minority. The Ritchies would not have been matched with these kids because they are of the wrong colour.
It is accepted social work practise not to match prospective adopters with a kid older than their youngest birth child. For a 4 year old or less, the Ritchies would probably have been considered too old.
- Malcolm, Greenock
The poor child is going from one extreme to the next. I agree with H. She will probably spend millions raising it and that money could help hundreds if not thousands of children.
If I was that child and found out she took me away from my dad who is living in absolute poverty, I'd clip her round the earhole!
Saying that, the dad has probably got more money that he will ever know what to do with...
- Jay, London
Why pick a child who has relatives, but just can't afford to raise him? Why not give the family money and keep them together? Why not take a child with NO family?
- Heidi, NC, USA
Madonna has probably saved this child's life.
- Polly, York , UK
OK Jamie Oliver, your move!
- Dave Rawle, Bude, UK
I have to say that I respect her choice to adopt this child and help the situation "one child at a time". It is better than doing nothing as most of you naysayers have done.
- T E, Phoenix, Arizona USA
There is no harm in Madonna adopting a child. I suspect the facts will come out soon enough. Just because she is a celebrity does not give her carte blanche to proceed unfairly. Possibly the problem here is not the media, but the laws that are enforced in Malawi, that she may have not have respected. If she did not, she is exploiting this child. I guess she has another tour coming around or a CD to sell. Who still listens to Madonna anyhow?
- Shelby, Wash DC
Hail Madonna. She is doing good. I love her.
- Murali Mohan, Maida Vale, London
Are we, rich westeners, only capable of moral indignation over the fate of one young boy at a time? What about the thousands who die every week of hunger, malnutrition, Aids or at the hand of violent corrupt dictators? I want to trust Mr and Mrs Ritchie and their motives and for the rest of us to act on the rest of the children of Africa.
- Anne Faggionato, Monaco
What amazes me is when Brangelina adopted their daughter from Ethiopia the press they received was positive. Why such a turn around because Madonna has given the chance of a better life to a baby? What's the difference? I have connections with a childrens charity in Zambia and have seen first hand the hardships these children face. But what a lot of people seem to forget is Madonna isn't just changing the life of one child, but the money she has pledged to Malawi will inprove things for many, many children. At last a celebrity who gets involved and puts their money where their mouth is. One thing no one can accuse Madonna of is not seeing a project that she has committed herself to through, the people and children of Malawi are very lucky to have Madonna help them. I only wish we had someone like her to help us in Zambia.
- Victoria, Gilston
Many of us who have adopted internationally are sickened by this turn of events. It just reinforces to those individuals uninitiated in international adoption that these children are bought. In countries that have established IA programs, where there are strict rules and regulations - nothing could be further than the truth.
I can't even find the words to explain how wrong this whole thing has been.
- Julie E, Bloomington, USA
How pathetic that you people think raising a child with money is the only thing that matters.
- Daniel, California
Are there not enough babies in America or England that need adopting, without taking one who at least does have a father?
- Terry Sentonaris, Hounslow UK
Considering what you get for your money in Malawi in comparison to the UK and US, if she had used the money she will spend raising this child and sponsored the orphanage through a trust fund, she would be able to help so many more children, except now she has a fashion accessory.
- H, London
Maybe the child will be banished to one of the leading boarding schools in the country and then easily get admitted to Harvard. The alternative in Malawi is definitely uglier than being the child of the rich and famous. This whole argument is just stupid.
- Joe, Accra
She is giving a young child the chance not to grow up in poverty. Is that not a good thing?
- Sarah, London
Was there no one available for adoption in the US or UK? Just a PR stunt, this baby will be brought up by nannies and housekeepers.
- Gareth Crowley, Florida,
As with almost everything she does, this adoption has has got the naysayers up in arms and typically, the howels of protest, are deafeningly loud.
But as the dust settles, I've no doubt that Madonna (and child) will come up smelling of roses. And once again, her critics will be left gnashing their teeth when they realise they've failed, yet again, to cause enough commotion to ruin Madonna's carefully laid plans.
- E Mcdonnell, London
In 20 years Madonna's PR machine has made sure that her every professional move has garnered as much publicity as possible, creating controversy wherever possible in order to do so. This is the first time that she, rather than her work, has being dragged in to a genuine controversy. This is a PR disaster albeit that her adopting the child had nothing to do with PR on her part. And over something that on paper should be great PR. She needs to nip this in the bud as soon as possible but to do anything will look like her trying to manipulate the situation. For the first time in her career she is in a no win situation and I'm surprised her team didn't see this coming. It's a real shame.
- Sj, London
I think its great that famous people can give a non priviliged child a chance to have the opportunity to a better life, however i hope that the procedures follwed will allow the child to see it natural parents and it will be taught it's culture not just about Hollywood.
- Chichi, London
This is a disgrace, Madonna and Guy Ritchie are not helping Malawi or the family of this child, their money and time would be better spent assiting the father and the village to cope with unemployment, poverty and AIDS. Or installing a fresh water supply, and thereby possibly curing the many problems that Africa has. Taking one child out of poverty does not help. Thirty children an hour die of Malaria in Africa and Malawi has the worlds lowest life expectancy for males, 37. years.
- Howard, London UK
Madonna's latest sick-bag, self-promoting, re-inventing wheeze takes the biscuit for sheer artistry in the practice of media twisting attention seeking guff.
However, now that a growing number of international lawyers are clambering out of their dugouts and shadowing the scene, I believe that this North American celebrity import might just have (at long last) bitten off a tad more than even she can chew.
- Ted Knight, Shetland
