No news on the accreditation front yet, but some news that may affect your adoption travels to Russia. Kommersant and the Moscow Times are reporting that its Transportation Ministry is going to be going with same kind of liquids and gels restrictions that we now face for domestic travel in the United States. Russia has been enforcing the so-called 3-1-1 rule for travel between Russia and the U.S. and Canada since October 2006; the new decree would extend that to travel within Russia. (Sandra over at the International Adoption blog recently wrote on the liquids rule.) You can read Russia's rules for liquids on long-haul flights here; I'm going to assume that it will be enforced the same way on Russian domestic flights.

Russia celebrated May Day on Tuesday, and the Associated Press reported that the largest turnout was for a march and rally by a pro-Putin political party and trade union. Canada's CBC News, meanwhile, published an interview with Gary Kasparov, the former chess champion who is trying to build an opposition political movement.

In business news this week, a new airline started by one of Russia's 53 billionaires, is doing its part for the Russian economy. National Wings, started by Alexander Lebedev, will buy seven Tupolev Tu-204 jets. Aeroflot, by contrast, has announced plans to modernize its fleet with Boeing planes. According to Bloomberg, Lebedev's investment company owns a 30% stake in Aeroflot.

Avon reported a better than expected profit for the first quarter, thanks to Russia and China. Sales in Russia rose 30%, while sales in China rose 44%. So maybe, as you are thinking about gifts to take for your child's orphanage caregivers, think about Avon. It sure seems popular.

The giant Geneva Book and Press Fair opened this week, with Russia in the spotlight. Why? Well it seems that Russia is the hottest book market on the planet right now. According to fair organizers, Russian book publishers issued more than 100,000 new titles in 2006--a record year--of which one in five were literature.

And now for the truly unusual news. Stolichnaya Vodka has opened a hotel in Los Angeles, complete with guest rooms that take their design cues from its many flavors. While Stoli is the best-selling Russian vodka in the U.S., its maker apparently wants a more distinctive, lasting image. The new hotel may fulfill only the first part of that challenge: It is temporary. After L.A., Stolichnaya will set up in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Miami.