"There are tremendous stresses that come with building a family through adoption," Sandra Hanks Benoiton, the mother of two adopted children from Cambodia, told AFP.

"Situations like the present one in Guatemala make things much worse," she added, after police earlier this month seized a children's home run by an American in the tourist area of Old Guatemala, where officials said nearly 50 boys and girls were victims of an illegal adoption ring.

"Imagine the horror that comes when a parent learns that their child -- and these children are as much theirs as any gestating infant -- has been removed at gunpoint from what they have come to accept as a safe environment (and) transported to who-knows-where," Benoiton said, an American who lives in the Seychelles.

Full report: Breitbart

Microsoft Corp., facing its second Xbox 360 headache of the summer, will replace parts of its Wireless Racing Wheel video game controllers after 50 reports that they overheated and released smoke.

The $130 steering wheel-shaped controllers mimic the physical sensations of race car driving for games such as "Forza Motorsport 2." About 230,000 have been sold to consumers worldwide, the company said Thursday.

When the unit is plugged into an electrical outlet, its AC/DC adapter can overheat, Microsoft said, adding that it's safe to continue using the gadgets with battery power.

Debunking the old myth that a pregnant woman should "eat for two" , doctors now advise the expectant mothers to consume only 300 extra calories a day and gain no more than 35 pounds.

After it was found that obese mothers are gaining excessive weight during pregnancy, an influential U.S. medical panel is considering changes to the medical guidelines for how much weight a woman should gain during pregnancy.

The current recommendations for pregnant women of eating what you like and leading a sedentary life pose a danger to country's obesity epidemic and doctors now recommend at least 30 minutes of exercise five times a week if it's an uncomplicated pregnancy, and more if someone is used to exercising more.

Full report: AHN

RAISING children is not easy, and the challenges are multiplied for single parents. Tough though it is, single-parent families are not necessarily dysfunctional and doomed for failure, as some may perceive.  

Many single parents successfully raise children who are outstanding academically, professionally and, most importantly, character-wise.  

In recognition of their courage and commitment to their children, Wanita MCA has initiated a Single Parents Award Nite, a special event to celebrate single parents – both mothers and fathers – across the country.

Full report: The Star