There's mercy for Madonna.

Malawi's highest court ruled yesterday that the pop star can adopt a second child from the African nation, citing her love, determination and "income tax returns."

In granting Madonna custody of 3-year-old Chifundo "Mercy" James, the court extended the definition of residency.

"I am ecstatic," Madonna said in a statement in which she also thanked the court. "My family and I look forward to sharing our lives with her." Her lawyer said getting Mercy a travel passport could take several days.

USHER FILES FOR DIVORCE AFTER 22 MONTHS

R&B singer Usher has filed for divorce from Tameka Foster Raymond after less than two years of marriage, court records show. The 30-year-old Grammy-winner, Usher Raymond IV, filed the petition yesterday in Atlanta. There were no details about the split.

Married in August 2007, they have two sons, 1 1/2-year-old Usher V and 6-month-old Naviyd Ely. The wife has three children from a previous marriage.

QUEEN KNIGHTS ACTOR CHRISTOPHER LEE

The Lord of the Undead is now a knight of the British Empire. Christopher Lee, whose sonorous voice and burning black eyes made him a memorable archvillain in films from "Dracula" to "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith," was given one of Britain's highest honors today by Queen Elizabeth II.

Among the others receiving royal honors: Tony Award winner Alan Cumming, for his acting in films such as "X2: X-Men United" and his gay rights advocacy; celebrity hairdresser Vidal Sassoon; and U.S. economist David Blanchflower, who accurately predicted Britain's recession during his tenure on the interest-rate-setting committee at the Bank of England.

MORGAN FREEMAN FIGHTS CRASH LAWSUIT

The woman in the passenger seat the night Morgan Freeman crashed and flipped a car on a rural Mississippi highway was partly to blame for the accident, the actor's attorney said yesterday in court papers in response to the woman's lawsuit. The document filed in court yesterday denies almost all the allegations by Demaris Meyer and calls her "comparatively negligent," though it did not detail in what way she was allegedly to blame.