Madonna, 50, who was barred from taking home four-year-old Malawian girl Chifundo "Mercy" James in April because she was not a resident of the country for the required 18 months, was told earlier today that she would be allowed to give the girl a new home. During a 90 minute hearing held earlier today at Malawi's Supreme Court, Madonna found out the good news.

Malawi's chief justice Lovemore Munlo said:

“In our view, Chifundo James would be better taken care of if she was adopted by foreign parents who will give her love and affection. We therefore grant the adoption.”

In making his decision, the judge said that he took into consideration Madonna's commitment to giving Malawian orphans an improved standard of life, and commented that her financial stability made her a good candidate for adoption.

Madonna is said to be very "excited" by the news. Her lawyer, Alan Chinula, said:

Madonna is very “excited” with the news. The pop superstar’s lawyer Alan Chinula said:

“It's the wee hours of morning in New York but she is excited at the news. As her lawyer I am happy this has settled this contentious issue.”

WHO Declares First Global Flu Pandemic in 41 Years

For the past several years we've been subjected to the warning ads in various media - radio, television, and print - that the world is overdue for a flu pandemic and that one is sure to be coming soon. The day has finally arrived. On Thursday the World Health Organization declared a swine flu pandemic, the first global flu epidemic in 41 years.

Infections around the globe, including the United States, Europe, South America, and Australia, have now climbed to nearly 30,000 cases.

The announcement of the pandemic is official scientific confirmation that a new flu virus has emerged and is quickly making its rounds globally. Now that the WHO has upgraded the situation to pandemic levels, they will begin asking drugmakers to speed up the production of a swine flu vaccine. The declaration should also prompt governments to devote additional funds towards efforts to contain the virus.

Dr. Margaret Chan made the announcement Thursday following an emergency meeting with flu experts. Chan indicated that the WHO would be moving the world up to the agency's highest alert level - phase 6. Phase 6 means that a pandemic, or global epidemic, is already under way.

Madonna was decidedly devastated after her attempts to adopt a girl from Malawi were thwarted by the government, but now she will get a second chance. According to her lawyer, an appeals court will hear her request to adopt 4-year old Mercy James on May 4.

Lawyer Alan Chinula said:

"I cannot disclose our grounds of appeal, but I can confirm the court will hear our appeal."

Madonna herself is not expected to appear at the hearing.

Earlier this month a Malawi judge rejected her adoption efforts, suggesting that Malawian children were better of living in their homeland. He also said that celebrity adoptions send the wrong message, and could spark a rush of child-trafficking.

Richard Phillips, the United States ship captain who had been held captive by Somali pirates has been set free. The company who employs Phillips, Maersk Line Limited released this statement:

Maersk Line, Limited was informed by the U.S. government at 1330 EDT today that Captain Richard Phillips has been rescued. John Reinhart, President and Chief Executive Officer of Maersk Line, Limited, called Captain Phillips’ wife, Andrea, to tell her the good news. The crew of the Maersk Alabama was jubilant when they received word.

Mr. Reinhart said, “We are all absolutely thrilled to learn that Richard is safe and will be re-united with his family. Maersk Line, Limited is deeply grateful to the Navy, the F.B.I. and so many others for their tireless efforts to secure Richard’s freedom. We join Richard’s family, his crew and his colleagues ashore in celebrating this wonderful news. We look forward to welcoming him home in the coming days.”

Mr. Reinhart will hold a media briefing in Norfolk, Va., later on Sunday. Details will follow.

Pope Benedict XVI, while on board a papal flight to Africa, told reporters that the distribution of condoms is not the answer to the fight against AIDS in Africa. During his trip to Africa, he will tour Cameroon and Angola.

"You can't resolve it with the distribution of condoms. On the contrary, it increases the problem," said Benedict.

He said that the disease was "a tragedy that cannot be overcome by money alone, that cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which even aggravates the problems".

The Vatican instead encourages sexual abstinence to fight the spread of the disease. While this is good in theory, some question its effectiveness. Some priests and nuns who work with victims of AIDS in Africa question the church's opposition to condoms.

The timing of the Pope's remarks has outraged health agencies who are trying to stop the spread of HIV and Aids in sub-Saharan Africa, where an estimated 22 million people are infected.

Africa is currently the fastest-growing region for the Roman Catholic Church.

In order to snag a private meeting with President Barack Obama, you've got to be somebody. Hollywood actor George Clooney has been granted a meeting with the President next week to discuss the crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan.

Clooney, who currently servers as a United Nations messenger of peace, will sit down with Obama and ask him for his help in ending a long, bloody conflict that is thought to have killed millions of innocent refugees to date. Currently touring the neighboring country of Chad, Clooney says, "We want him to appoint a high-level, full-time diplomat to negotiate and work hard every day for a peace treaty."

Clooney says that he first visited the Darfur region in 2006, and notes that the situation there has not improved since that visit. He added, "I was here three years ago and in some ways there's not a whole lot of difference. It's sort of status quo. The problem is that the status quo is unacceptable."

Democrat Barack Obama's victory at the polls this past Tuesday has sparked an interesting new trend in baby names. Already several children born in Kenya, where Obama's father and family hail from, and the United states have been named after the president-elect.

Several mothers at the Nyanza Provincial General Hospital in Kisumu, western Kenya were naming their new babies after the United States' first African-American president. They told reporters that they wanted their children to grow up to have the same successful traits as Obama. Another mother named her baby after the soon-to-be first lady, Michelle Obama.

Barack Obama has become some what of a celebrity in his ancestral homeland, where "Obama:The Musical" opened last weekend, and a beer, "Senator" was named after him.

But the new baby name trend isn't just limited to the east African nation. Patrick and Sasha Hall of South Florida were reported on Wednesday to be amongst the first since the election to name their child "Obama".

The name "Barack" means "Blessed", and "Obama" was the given name of his great-grandfather that became his grandfather's surname.

The World Health Organization, a U.N. health agency, said Friday that it is investigating a mysterious disease that has so far killed three people in the South African city of Johannesburg. WHO says the disease appears to be a form of hemorrhagic fever.

Tests have proved negative for Ebola, Lassa fever, Rift Valley fever, Marburg fever and other main types of hemorrhagic fever.

Gregory Hartl, a WHO spokesman, said that the first death on Septemer 13 was a female tour guide who had fall ill in Zambia before being evacuated to South Africa. The subsequent two deaths on September 30 and October 4 involved a paramedic and a nurse who treated the woman.

WHO said Friday that 121 people are currently being monitored, and that they hope to receive further test results by Sunday.