Madonna’s boy leaves Malawi

A chartered plane carrying a 1-year-old boy that Madonna is seeking to adopt left Malawi on Monday.

A Malawian immigration official who spoke on condition of anonymity said he understood from those traveling with the boy, David Banda, -- two Britons and two Americans -- that they were headed to England, where Madonna has a home.

Human rights groups want Malawi’s courts to review a ruling allowing Madonna to adopt the child from this impoverished, AIDS-stricken country, saying they want to ensure child protection regulations were not swept aside to benefit a pop star. Boniface Mandere of Eye of the Child, a local child-protection society involved in the challenge, said: “The court seems to have made a decision based on Madonna’s wealth. But being a good parent is not about money, it is about caring, having heart, it’s about love.”