In rural Nepal, where the going rate for a healthy orphan is US$6000 ($7449), about 600 children are missing.

A 28-year-old man who was given up for adoption allegedly subjected his birth mother to more than 12 months of abuse.

Auckland couple Jo Denvir and Daniel Nixon have been waiting three years for the adoption doors to Russia to reopen.

A US man who discovered that his biological father is murderer Charles Manson said it was like "finding out Adolf Hitler is your father".

Readers of nzherald.co.nz are clearly divided over the call this week for gay and lesbian couples to be given rights to adopt children.