Madonna to begin Malawi adoption

Madonna has arrived in Malawi to begin the process of adopting a second child from the African country.The pop star wants to adopt a young girl called Mercy James, local officials have said.The singer was seen walking through the village of Chinkhota with her 12-year-old daughter Lourdes.She refused to answer questions from reporters but said it was "amazing" to be back in the country where she adopted David Banda in 2006.Madonna is due to sign adoption papers in court in the capital Lilongwe in the coming days.An unnamed welfare official told the Associated Press (AP) agency Mercy James' mother was an unmarried 18-year-old who died a few months after the baby was born.The girl is in the same orphanage that was home to David, who is now three years old.There are differing reports of Mercy James' age, with AP and Reuters saying she is four years old and Agence France Presse (AFP) saying she is three.But Madonna has come in for criticism over her plans. David Nutt, spokesman for the Save the Children charity, urged Madonna to think again.