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Madonna begins her Malawi appeal | |
(about 7 hours later) | |
Lawyers for pop star Madonna have returned to a Malawian court to appeal against a ruling denying her request to adopt a child. | |
Last month, the court ruled that the singer could not adopt three-year-old Chifundo "Mercy" James as she did not have permanent residence in Malawi. | |
Madonna was not at the closed-door hearing and a ruling may not be announced for several days. | |
The singer has already adopted a boy, David, from the southern African state. | |
Mercy lives in the same orphanage from which Madonna adopted David in 2006 and has been living there since her 18-year-old mother died shortly after giving birth. | |
Madonna's Malawian lawyer Alan Chinula said he was "hopeful" the appeal would succeed, and argued the lower court had relied on outdated law to block the girl's adoption. | |
'Opportunist' | |
Meanwhile, a dispute has erupted over a man claiming to be the little girl's father. | |
James Kambewa, a 24-year-old security guard, told US TV he opposed the star's appeal and had sought help from the Malawi Law Society to stop the adoption. | |
Although Mr Kambewa acknowledged he had never met the child, he said he now wanted to claim custody. | |
However Mercy's uncle, Peter Baneti - who is representing the family in the adoption case - said that the family did not know Mr Kambewa. | |
Mr Baneti said he had agreed to the adoption on behalf of the family, and that Mr Kambewa was "just an opportunist". |