'Madonna about to adopt a second Malawi orphan'

The singer is reported to have been given permission to take the little girl as a sister to David Banda, who she adopted from the country last year.

Madonna met 10 girls at the Kondanani Orphan Care Centre at Blantyre last October before deciding and, according to sources, "had her heart set" on another girl, Grace, until the child's extended family objected.

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Now the star has been told she can adopt Mercy instead, and will file papers next February before taking her home two months later.

It follows months of legal wrangling over the adoption of David, which will not be finalised until January. There was controversy after it emerged that David's father, Yohane, was still alive.

A family source said: "Madonna's over the moon that she's been told she can take Mercy. She didn't want another complicated adoption.

"Mercy is a beautiful baby girl. She's so joyful and happy and giggles every time she's picked up.

Madonna just loves the way she claps her hands and laughs constantly. She has huge, dancing eyes. Madonna calls her her smiling angel."

Mercy has some living relatives, including an aunt, but they were too poor to look after her. Along with David, 22 months, she will join Madonna's own children - daughter Lourdes, 10, and son Rocco, seven - as part of the family.

The singer, 49, and her film director husband Guy Ritchie, 39, are currently only foster parents to David under Malawi law.

The adoption process was thrown into further jeopardy when Malawi official Penston Kilembe was banned from travelling to London to decide the case, after he was accused of accepting an air ticket and money from Madonna.

Though the Malawi government has promised to send a replacement official, Mr Kilembe's visit was already delayed because of a lack of resources.

The official will assess the media and paparazzi interest in the family and question the Ritchies on issues such as alcohol consumption, infertility and divorce.

David was seriously ill when he was brought to England but is now in good health.

Madonna, who has set up her own orphanage charity, Raising Malawi, took him on a trip back to his home country in April.