There were no new accreditations of adoption agencies issued this week, but plenty of news in business, politics and sports. I'm going to start with the latter, because there was a sporting event in Russia this week that included children in orphanages.

According to the RIA-Novosti news agency, there was going to be a soccer tournament today in the western Siberian town of Nefteyugansk involving teams made up exclusively of orphans. City officials said 65 children would take place in the matches, which were to... more

There was a heartbreaking story in The Moscow Times at the end of last week, a story about Moscow's street kids and what has brought them to a life on the streets.

It is not a happy or even particularly hopeful story, though the writer does say that President Vladimir Putin is trying to draw Russia's attention to its demographic and social welfare problems. You can read it in full here, though you will need a subscription to the paper's archives, since the Moscow Times quickly moves its... more

Early in the week, Russian authorities announced 10 arrests in the murder of a Russian newspaper reporter last October. But the government's contention--that someone outside Russia had ordered the murder of Anna Politkovskaya--was met with a large amount of skepticism in and out of Russia, according to news reports. And on Friday. Both the BBC and Voice of America were reporting that two... more

Vacation season has slowed the flow of news about adoption in Russia, but there are interesting developments in business and politics.

In an intersection of both, Russia surprised the world financial community by proposing a former Czech central bank governor to head the International Monetary Fund. What was the surprise? The financiers thought they had a done deal in a French candidate (a former finance minister) who had been proposed by the European Union and seemed to have U.S. support. In nominating Josef Tosovsky, Russian officials... more

Yesterday morning, I looked at some of the general issues in the adoptive parent training required by the Hague Convention. Now, I'd like to tell you about a nifty online training class I've just completed.

This summer, the National Council For Adoption, an adoption advocacy group based in Alexandria, Va., released "The Intercountry Adoption Journey", a seven-part tool that allows you to get eight of the 10 hours... more

You may remember that, back in June, I asked you if you knew whether your adoption agency was Hague compliant. Now, I've got a follow-up question: Are you ready for Hague?

The Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption mandates that prospective parents have 10 hours of training in adoption issues. Since both Russia and the United States are in the process of implementing Hague, it might be wise for parents considering or now in process with Russia... more

No, that picture isn't a beach in Russia, although I've heard that the water is lovely in Sochi this time of year. But the image is a pretty fair representation of where many official Russians are right now, especially those who handle the paperwork for accreditations and referrals.

Even President Vladimir Putin was on vacation for a time earlier this month. According to The Moscow Times, the Russian president traveled with Monaco's Prince Albert II to the Republic of Tuva--a distant region in south-central Russia--to... more

When I read on Friday that the BBC was being knocked off the FM airwaves in Russia, I was puzzled. What was it about the British broadcaster's work that had caused its Russian distributor to deem it "foreign propaganda"?

OK, I'll concede that I may not be the most impartial person to render such a judgment. I love the Beeb. When I moved to Belgium, I walked my radio around the apartment until I found the spot that got the clearest BBC reception. That became... more

There were no more accreditations announced this week, which is not entirely surprising since August is traditionally a slow month for government work in Russia. Instead, this week's news is all business and politics.

The latter first. On Friday, President Vladimir Putin said that Russia is reviving long-range patrols by bomber aircraft. Reuters said the move, which was a Soviet-era practice, was in response to "security threats". A White House spokesman... more

You might remember that, when I wrote the story on Russia's expedition to claim the Arctic as its own early this month, I noted that August is known in the news business as the "silly season". And while I doubted that Russia's efforts to lay claim to oil and gas resources was anything but serious, I have now found a story that truly qualifies as a silly season entry.

Yesterday, the Associated... more