Madonna was told today that her bid to adopt a second child from Malawi has been denied.

The singer was told by a court in Lilongwe that her application to adopt four-year-old Mercy James had been rejected because of residency rules.

Malawi adoption laws require that prospective parents live in the southern African nation for at least 18 months.

Following the ruling in a closed-door hearing, Judge Esmie Chondo said: "I must have to decline to grant the application to Madonna."

Madonna, who flew to Malawi on Sunday, was not in court to hear the ruling and it is not clear if she will appeal against it.

The rule was waived in 2006 when Madonna was allowed to take her adopted son, David Banda, to London before his adoption was finalised in 2008.

Madonna was accused of being given special treatment by the Malawian authorities because of her fame and that she had the money to "fast track" the adoption.

But she denied this was the case and said: "This adoption essentially was the beginning of the creation of adoption laws in Malawi".

If her application been successful today, Mercy, whose African name is Chifundo, would have been a sister to David, three, the first child she adopted from the African country, and her biological children Lourdes, 12, and Rocco, eight.

According to court papers just released, Madonna had said she was "able and willing to securely provide for Chifundo James and make her a permanent and established member of my family".

"To deny Chifundo James the opportunity to be adopted by me could expose her to hardship and emotional trauma which is otherwise avoidable."