Madonna Leaves Malawi Without Baby David  10/13/06

Superstar Madonna and husband Guy Richie flew out of Malawi earlier today (13OCT06) - without their adopted son David Banda.

Madonna and Ritchie spent a week in the impoverished African nation meeting orphans and government officials, before filing for an interim application to adopt the 13-month-old tot at the High Court in Lilongwe on Thursday (12OCT06).

The couple met David's father Yohame Banda, whose wife Marita died a month after the baby's birth, and promised to bring him back to Malawi for regular visits.

After a three-hour delay at Lilongwe airport, the couple's private plane departed Malawi at 2am this morning.

However, David has to remain in Malawi because they were unable to finalize his passport application in time, a senior immigration official told the Reuters news agency.

David will be a young sibling for Madonna's daughter Lourdes, nine, and the couple's son Rocco, five.