Madonna adoption case adjourned

Madonna said her children had welcomed young David

The hearing of a case brought by rights groups challenging Madonna's adoption of a Malawian boy has been adjourned.

The pop star's lawyer told reporters the hearing was postponed until 13 November so the judge could hear from other parties involved in the case.

An alliance of 67 groups is pushing for the right to challenge the interim adoption order which let Madonna take one-year-old David out of the country.

His father was at the court, protesting against moves to halt the adoption.

A spokesman for the rights groups, Maxwell Matewere, said they would not "move an inch to stop the legal action" despite the Yohane Banda's appeal.

Mr Matewere, director of the Eye of the Child organisation, told AFP news agency it was clear that David should not have been allowed to leave the country.

He argues that Malawi law bans foreign adoptions and that Madonna's wealth and status simplified the process.

An open letter to Madonna from Eye of the Child says:

"Inter-country adoption is prohibited under the Malawi current Children Adoption Act as section 3(5) reads 'an adoption order shall not be made in favour of any applicant who is not a resident in Malawi or in respect of any infant who so resident'."

The letter ends: "God bless you for the motherly and loving heart."