Madonna to adopt another African child

Madonna is planning to adopt another African child.

The 50-year-old singer - who in addition to her biological children Lourdes and Rocco also raises three-year-old Malawian son David - is seriously considering advice to further expand her family.

She said: "Many people - especially our Malawian friends - say that David should have a Malawian brother or sister.

"It's something I have been considering. I would only do if I had the support of the Malawian people and the government."

Madonna admits the adoption process is a "big struggle" as Malawi has developed new adoption laws in the wake of the public scrutiny surrounding her case to care for David in 2006.

She explained to Malawi's Nation newspaper: "David's adoption essentially was the beginning of the creation of adoption laws in Malawi. I am the template or the role model, so to speak, for future adoptions.

"I had my own kind of birthing pain with dealing with the press on my front doorstep, accusing me of kidnapping, or whatever you want to call it."

Malawian officials formally approved Madonna's adoption of David last year. Critics had accused the government of ignoring laws that ban non-residents from adopting children in Malawi.

Despite animosity between the 'Hung Up' star and ex-husband Guy Ritchie - who loves in London while Madonna has returned to New York - the singer insists they are getting on well for the sake of their children.

She said: "I believe in family. So, everything between us is very amicable. We both agree that our children should always feel a deep connection with both their parents. It is our responsibility to give them that foundation."

Madonna had planned to adopt a three-year-old Malawian girl, Mercy James, last year but had to scrap plans - which had been under negotiation for two years - because of her divorce proceedings.

Penston Kilembe, Malawi's director of Child Welfare Services, said: "One fundamental condition in scrutinising adoptions is the connectedness of a family. We can't approve a child to go into a broken family because the divorce could be the result of the behaviour of the party trying to adopt."