Ukraine pours cold water on Elton's wish to adopt baby (AFP) – 16 hours ago KIEV — Elton John may not adopt a Ukrainian orphan because the former Soviet republic's law allows foreigners to adopt only if they are married, officials told AFP Monday. Sir Elton "does not have the right to do it because there are certain obstacles which cannot be overcome," Lyudmila Balym, an official within Ukraine's ministry for family, said. She said Ukrainian law stipulates that foreign adoptive parents must be married couples and added that homosexual marriage is not recognized in the country. The singer-songwriter married his long-time partner, David Furnish, in December 2005 in Britain where same-sex marriages are authorized. Balym added that the age difference between adoptive parents and the child must not exceed 45 years under Ukrainian law. Sir Elton, 62, and Furnish, 47, do not fulfill this criterion either, she said. Sir Elton revealed on Saturday that he wanted to adopt a 14-month-old boy he had met in a Ukrainian orphanage, saying the youngster called Lev had "stolen his heart". The singer-songwriter, visiting the Ukraine with his AIDS charity foundation, performed for children at the orphanage, some of whose parents had died of the disease. He follows a long line of pop stars, Hollywood celebrities and politicians seeking to adopt a child -- and he is not the first to find his private life a problem. Controversy surrounded fellow megastar Madonna's adoption of two children in Malawi. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman and other Hollywood names have also made headlines by adding orphans from impoverished countries to their families. US actress Mia Farrow adopted 10 of her 14 children in countries ranging from India to South Korea and Vietnam. Sir Elton's adoption bid has already sparked heated debate in the young boy's homeland, with some expressing shock at the idea of giving the child to a gay couple. "They are going to destroy this child's life," said Oleg, a 29-year-old serviceman from the area of the orphanage who only gave his first name. "They will make him camp, just like they are. He is in all likelihood HIV positive, the best thing they could do is leave him to live out the rest of his life in peace." "He will be seen as a pansy from the start and will become one without doubt," added Igor, a 43-year-old journalist. It will not be possible to confirm whether the toddler is HIV positive until he reaches the age of 18 months, said staff at the orphanage, which is in the eastern city of Makeyevka. But others supported the idea and said it could give the youngster the chance of a better life. "Why not? At least the child will have a normal life," said Lyudmila Batikhina, a medical assistant at the orphanage. Irina Kuzmenko, a student in the city of Donetsk not far from Makeyevka, went as far as to say she envied the child who had been picked out by the wealthy singer. "Does it really matter who your parents are as long as they love you?" she said. "I want him to adopt me too," she joked. Ukraine has one of the fastest rising HIV rates in Europe. Two years ago Sir Elton gave a free concert in the main square in Kiev attended by tens of thousands of people to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS in the country. The star has sold more than 250 million records worldwide, with 29 consecutive Top 40 Hits and 35 gold and 25 platinum albums.

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Seven Nepali kids handed over to adoptive parentsKantipur Report

Kathmandu, September 15 - The Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare (MWCSW) has handed over seven children to their foreign adoptive parents, after a gap of one and half years. Three Nepali orphans were handed over to American adoptive parents, another three children to French parents and one to British parents, all of whom have been residing in the country. The seven Nepali children were officially adopted after the government approved their documents regarding inter-country adoption.

Officials at MWCSW stated on Monday that the six adoptive parents are planning to take their new children to their new homes at the earliest date possible. Only one child will remain in Nepal with her British parents, who are currently residing in the country. This is good news for both the parents and the children, who have been involved in the adoption process for the past seven months.

The concerned authorities, including MWCSW, have also recently given the go ahead to the adoption documents belonging to another 14 children and the adopting parents. Officials stated that they have already informed Nepali representatives of the Nepal-based international adoption agencies about the approval. This means that other prospective parents can begin plans to return home, with their adopted children.

Over 80 children, who have already gone through matching process, (in which prospective parents are paired with orphans) are awaiting the decision of the recommendation committee. The recommendation committee, comprises representatives from the ministries of home and law, as well as MWCSW, who will collectively make the final decision. The committee selects children in accordance with the adopting parents' preferences. The applications of over 300 prospective foreign parents for adoption are also simultaneously being examined MWCSW.

Agency restructuring may not be enough

ADOPTION: Planned restructuring of troubled Imagine Adoption agency would focus on Ethiopia, but city couple wanted to adopt child from Panama

Posted By FIONA ISAACSON/Examiner Staff Writer

Updated 16 hours ago

A possible restructuring of Imagine Adoption may not be able to help a Peterborough couple trying to adopt from Panama, which hasn’t been identified as a “target country” by the trustee in bankruptcy.

CWA Response to Australian TV Broadcast

Christian World Adoption (CWA) has taken great strides over its many years of work in the field of inter-country adoption to ensure that its practices, and the practices of those it works with, are both ethical and legal. This is paramount to CWA because the rights and well being of each child has always been our foremost concern.

Inter-country adoption is extremely difficult work. It is difficult because of the layers of law involved, which are necessary in order to safeguard children’s rights; because of the rigorous accreditation that agencies like CWA voluntarily submit to; and because of the practical challenges of communicating about complex concepts with people whose language, education level and culture differ so greatly from our own.

In any field, there are instances where someone with a critical or even cynical perspective can take a limited amount of information and mold public perception to suit their purposes. More directly to the point, if someone desired to discredit the work of inter-country adoption agencies using limited amounts of information, perhaps taken out of context and without rebuttal, there is opportunity for them to do that. But there is always another side of the story.

CWA was recently asked to participate in the production of an investigative journalism program addressing Ethiopian adoption. Taking into consideration the amount of resources that would need to be devoted to that process, CWA elected not to participate. This decision was based on the reality that the critics of inter-country adoption are many. We determined that the greater good would be served by focusing on our work, rather than on trying to change the minds of those who may have a negative agenda.

September 14, 2009

Elton John wants to adopt Ukrainian orphan who 'has stolen his heart'

Lucy Bannerman and Rosemary Bennett

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Elton must battle gay adoption ban

By OLIVER HARVEY

and SHARON HENDRY

Published: Today

ELTON John faces a legal battle over his dream to adopt a Ukrainian tot - because the country BANS gay couples from doing so.

Another girl child found abandoned

TNN 14 September 2009, 05:25am IST

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LUCKNOW: This is a problem which is aggravating with every passing day. Yet another newborn was found abandoned in the city. The baby girl was

recovered from the bushes near mini stadium in Vikasnagar, Sector 11. Wrapped in a piece of cloth, she was mercilessly tossed into the bushes barely a few hours after birth. Had it not been for a passer-by to spot her, the infant would have not survived. He informed the police which later handed the baby to the Childline (1098).

September 14, 2009

Ukraine quashes Elton John adoption hope

Philippe Naughton

3 COMMENTS

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Three dead infants found in Hanoi dumpster

Asia-Pacific News

Sep 14, 2009, 9:49 GMT

Hanoi - A sanitation worker found three dead newborn infants in a dumpster near Hanoi's main park, police and sanitation workers said Monday.

The three babies, two boys and a girl, were discovered Sunday evening on a major street just west of Reunification Park. Two were newborns with their umbilical cords still attached, while one was as old as five months, said Nguyen Thi Hien, the supervisor of the sanitation worker who found the bodies.

HHS Awards $35 Million to States for Increasing Adoptions

Mon Sep 14, 2009 11:01am EDT Email | Print | Share | Reprints | Single Page [-] Text [+]

WASHINGTON--(Business Wire)--

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today awarded $35 million

to 38 states and Puerto Rico for increasing the number of children adopted from