Madonna ends Malawi charity trip

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Singer Madonna has ended a six-day trip to Malawi, where the one-year-old boy she hopes to adopt was born.

The star opened a centre funded by the charity she co-founded, which aims to feed and educate 32,000 orphans.

She also visited the orphanage where toddler David Banda had lived, but her spokeswoman denied reports that she planned to adopt a second local child.

She has interim custody of the boy, with officials due to decide if she should be granted full adoption rights.

David joined her on the trip, which was Madonna's second in six months.

She and her film director husband Guy Ritchie first travelled there to sign official papers to take David into their care.

Madonna was warmly welcomed at a care centre opened by her charityThere were conflicting reports as to whether the 20-month-old met his biological father during the visit to the Home of Hope orphanage.

Reuters quoted witnesses as saying that David had seen peasant farmer Yohane Banda, but the Associated Press said it was unclear whether such a meeting had taken place.

Last year critics of Madonna alleged that she had used her celebrity status to "fast-track" the adoption and get around Malawian laws.

However, the singer strenuously denied that this was the case.