Tag Archives: Russia

Orphan children have a meal at an orphanage in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don

The letter to Ireland’s lawmakers suggested Russia would proceed with this tactic despite criticism that it harms the interests of the country’s orphans, while also dashing the hopes of prospective adoptive parents abroad, who form an emotional and motivated constituency to influence elected officials. But the Kremlin, much diminished in its foreign policy reach since the end of the cold war, has few other levers of influence left…

 

Brian Sammon writes:

Russia threatens adoption ban if the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade passes resolution on the Magnitsky case…

 

Russia Using Adoption Leverage (New York Times)

Sergei Magnitsky?

Bill Browder’s story here

Pic: Al Jazeera


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcK9GZWUWqc

The cascade turns into a floating vertical column of ice crystals.

Wired quotes Chemistry Ph.D Joe Larsen of the Rockwell Science Centre in LA, who explains:

Some people claim that hot water freezes faster because a pot of boiling water can be thrown into the air on a cold winter day, and it freezes in mid air creating a shower of ice crystals. Whereas a pot of cold water thrown into the air comes down as large blobs of water. This happens because the hot water is so close to being steam, that the act of throwing it into the air causes it to break up into tiny droplets. (hot water is less viscous than cold water, listen to the sound it makes when you pour it in the sink) The small water droplets have a large surface area which allows for a great deal of evaporation, this removes heat quickly. And finally, the cooled droplets are so small, that they can be easily frozen by the winter air.

Now you know.

dailywhat/dangerousminds

(Hat tip: James Dempsey)

Oh, it’s on.

Russia has indicated that it will no longer stand in the way of the departure of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad if that is what Syrians want. The comments by Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov come despite Russia’s insistence that there should be no external intervention in the escalating Syrian conflict. While the Russian remarks remain obscure on how that political transition might be achieved, they suggest a weakening of Moscow’s backing for Assad in the midst of growing international calls for his departure.


Russia Backs Assad’s Departure ‘If That Is What Syrians Want’ (Guardian)