Malawian officials say it is still too early to say if superstar Madonna will be given full custody of toddler David Banda.

The little boy has been living with the singer and husband Guy Ritchie for nearly a year.

Meanwhile, there is growing speculation that the star is planning to adopt another orphan from the country - a 13-month-old girl called Mercy, whose mum died five days after giving birth.

A Malawian government official from the Ministry of Women and Child Welfare visited the singer at her home in central London.

Maxwell Matewere, executive director for the leading Malawi child advocacy group The Eye of the Child, said: "What we think could happen is that the guardian Ad Litem, who is the Ministry of Women and Child Development...would present the report to the court so that the court could use that report to determine whether Madonna could be granted the final order."

Mr Matewere stressed the final decision could only be given by the courts and the Ministry of Women and Child Welfare could not dictate or work independently from the court.

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