Russian film-makers plan new revolt against Oscar-winner.

MOSCOW, April 16 (Itar-Tass) -- Russian film-makers plan a new revolt against Oscar-winning film producer Nikita Mikhalkov who they accused of "totalitarianism" in running the national Union of Cinematographers.

There were several attempts to oust Mikhalkov as chairman of the
Union, but all of them failed. Now a group of leading film-makers plan to
launch an alternative Union on Friday.
"On the eve of the extraordinary congress of the Russian Union of
Cinematographers a number of film-makers initiated the creation of a new
public cinematographic association. They will discuss activity guidelines
of the Cinema Union as well as prospects of domestic cinema industry
development," organizers said.
The group includes film directors Eldar Ryazanov, Nikolai Dostal,
Pavel Bardin, Vitaly Mansky and others.
Former Chairman of the Union of Cinematographers of Moscow Pavel Finn
recalled that dozens of film-makers had withdrawn from Mikhalkov's Union
because "they dislike his totalitarian style of running the Union."
They accused Mikhalkov of appointing only loyal favorites to all key
positions in the Union and adopting all major decisions with them. A
corresponding letter was signed by some 30 film-producers, including Eldar
Ryazanov, Alexander Sokurov, Alexei German, Yuly Gusman, Andrei Smirnov,
Yuri Norstein, and others.
"We want to bring them all together and try to found a new Union. The
new organization has to unite film-makers and revive the principles which
existed in the Union of Cinematographers before Mikhalkov came," Finn said.
He said the organizers want the leader of the new union to represent a
younger generation.
Mikhalkov scheduled the extraordinary congress of his Union for April
28 to discuss a new edition of the charter of the organization.


.Duma to proclaim amnesty for war veterans.

MOSCOW, April 16 (Itar-Tass) -- The Russian State Duma will on Friday
proclaim an amnesty timed to the 65th anniversary of the VE-Day that will
concern a small number of elderly convicts.
"The amnesty will cover from 100 to 200 people," head of the Duma
legislative committee Pavel Krasheninnikov said.
It will cover World War Two veterans, concentration camp inmates, and
survivors of the blockade of Leningrad.
"The proposed amnesty is a manifestation of our deep respect to the
older generation that bore on its shoulders all the hardships of the war,"
Krasheninnikov said.

.Kazakh-led international effort resolves Kirgiz standoff.

WASHINGTON, April 16 (Itar-Tass) -- Kazakh President Nursultan
Nazarbayev, whose country currently presides in the OSCE, discussed the
situation in Kirgizia with U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian
President Dmitry Medvedev, which promoted a peaceful resolution of the
standoff in the Central Asian republic, according to Assistant Secretary
of State Phil Crowley.
"During the course of the Nuclear Security Summit (on April 12-13),
we did talk to President Nazarbayev about this, and I think at one point,
President Medvedev was also in on the conversation. I think this points to
strong international cooperation to hopefully resolve a difficult
situation peacefully," Crowley told a regular briefing on Thursday.
"As to the disposition of President (Kurmanbek) Bakiyev, it's our
understanding, through the efforts of the OSCE, he has departed
Kyrgyzstan," he said.
"I believe it was on an airplane provided by Kazakhstan, so it is
possible he is in Kazakhstan, but it's not for me to confirm that," he
said.
"This was an international effort led by the OSCE. Kazakhstan is
currently the chair of the OSCE, and we're just happy that this has been
successfully resolved peacefully," Crowley added.


.US team to clarify adoptions issue in Moscow next week.

WASHINGTON, April 16 (Itar-Tass) -- The United States is sending a
team to Moscow next week to clarify whether Russia is truly suspending
adoptions by American families as Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov suggested
following an incident when an American mother sent back a Russian adopted
boy all by himself.
Assistant Secretary of State Philip Crowley told a regular briefing on
Thursday the United States received contradictory signals from Moscow and
wants clarifications.
He said a team led by Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for
Consular Affairs Mike Kirby will clarify the issue next week.
"We will be looking for ways to work with Russia to strengthen our
understandings and arrangements for the continued adoption," Crowley said.
"We would not want to see a moratorium that would adversely affect
children," he added.
Russia said it wants a specific agreement on adoptions with the United
States, but Crowley recalled "there is the Hague Convention that provides
an appropriate international structure."
"We are working as hard as we can to clarify what is happening to
address the concerns that Russia has legitimately about their children who
are in the pipeline to come to America. We think this is a process that
enriches our two countries and obviously places children in loving homes
here in the United States. But we also recognize there are some legitimate
concerns that Russia has about the current program and we will seek to
find ways to strengthen it," Crowley said.
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