German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder has adopted a Russian orphan, it was revealed on Tuesday.
Three-year-old Victoria, from St Petersburg, has been living at the Schroders' family home in Hanover in northern Germany for several weeks.
The chairman of Schroder's Social Democrat party, Franz Muentefering, confirmed the reports.
"I wish them all the best together," he told reporters.
A spokesperson for the Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin had been informed of Schroder's intention to adopt a Russian child.
"The decision was made fully in line with Russian law based on the decision of a Russian court," a Kremlin source told the Russian news agency Interfax, adding that Doris Schroder-Kopf, the chancellor's wife, was present in court for the final decision. It has been an emotional month for Schroder, who turned 60 in April and is facing almost weekly street demonstrations against his attempts to reform the flagging German economy.
Last week he visited for the first time the grave of his father, who was a conscript in the Nazi army and was killed by Romanian villagers during World War II.
It is not clear when Victoria arrived at the Schroder's home. Neighbors say that Schroder-Kopf has been seen carrying the toddler in the garden for several weeks, according to the German daily Bild.
It appears that the whole Schroder family flew to Russia a few weeks ago to collect the toddler.
The addition to the family was such a closely guarded secret that the German secret service that provides Schroder's bodyguards was told "the Schroders will be four" just before arriving at the plane to fly them home, Bild reported.
Schroder's last official visit to Russia was on July 8, when he led a delegation of about 30 top German businessmen on a one-day trip to meet Putin.
Victoria is the couple's second child. Schroder-Kopf, a 41- year old former journalist and the chancellor's fourth wife, has a 13-year-old daughter, Klara, from a previous relationship.
A successful children's author, Schroder-Kopf has dedicated herself to promoting children's causes and published a book of essays explaining politics to young Germans, called The Chancellor Lives in the Swimming Pool.
Seven people sustained mostly minor injuries in an airplane fire in South Korea, authorities said yesterday, with local media suggesting the blaze might have been caused by a portable battery stored in the overhead bin. The Air Busan plane, an Airbus A321, was set to fly to Hong Kong from Gimhae International Airport in southeastern Busan, but caught fire in the rear section on Tuesday night, the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said. A total of 169 passengers and seven flight attendants and staff were evacuated down inflatable slides, it said. Authorities initially reported three injuries, but revised the number
‘BALD-FACED LIE’: The woman is accused of administering non-prescribed drugs to the one-year-old and filmed the toddler’s distress to solicit donations online A social media influencer accused of filming the torture of her baby to gain money allegedly manufactured symptoms causing the toddler to have brain surgery, a magistrate has heard. The 34-year-old Queensland woman is charged with torturing an infant and posting videos of the little girl online to build a social media following and solicit donations. A decision on her bail application in a Brisbane court was yesterday postponed after the magistrate opted to take more time before making a decision in an effort “not to be overwhelmed” by the nature of allegations “so offensive to right-thinking people.” The Sunshine Coast woman —
BORDER SERVICES: With the US-funded International Rescue Committee telling clinics to shut by tomorrow, Burmese refugees face sudden discharge from Thai hospitals Healthcare centers serving tens of thousands of refugees on the Thai-Myanmar border have been ordered shut after US President Donald Trump froze most foreign aid last week, forcing Thai officials to transport the sickest patients to other facilities. The International Rescue Committee (IRC), which funds the clinics with US support, told the facilities to shut by tomorrow, a local official and two camp committee members said. The IRC did not respond to a request for comment. Trump last week paused development assistance from the US Agency for International Development for 90 days to assess compatibility with his “America First” policy. The freeze has thrown
PINEAPPLE DEBATE: While the owners of the pizzeria dislike pineapple on pizza, a survey last year showed that over 50% of Britons either love or like the topping A trendy pizzeria in the English city of Norwich has declared war on pineapples, charging an eye-watering ￡100 (US$124) for a Hawaiian in a bid to put customers off the disputed topping. Lupa Pizza recently added pizza topped with ham and pineapple to its account on a food delivery app, writing in the description: “Yeah, for ￡100 you can have it. Order the champagne too! Go on, you monster!” “[We] vehemently dislike pineapple on pizza,” Lupa co-owner Francis Wolf said. “We feel like it doesn’t suit pizza at all,” he said. The other co-owner, head chef Quin Jianoran, said they kept tinned pineapple
RSS