Russian church makes musical present to Pope.

ROME, May 21 (Itar-Tass) -- The Russian Orthodox Church made a musical
present to Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday to promote the official dialogue
between the two Christian churches.
A concert of church music was held in the Paul VI auditorium in
Vatican in the presence of the Pope and became the main cultural event in
the program of Russian Days in Vatican. It was timed to the visit of the
foreign minister of the Moscow Patriarchate Metropolitan Illarion, who
proposed to stage the event during his visit in September.
"Communications between the first and second church leaders as well as
church officials comprise church diplomacy, i.e. we discuss certain
contradictions and design common projects, and there is often no time to
communicate spiritually. We know that Pope Benedict XVI loves music and
plays music himself. I proposed to organize a concert of Russian church
music to promote the dialogue of hearts and as a present to the Pope and
Vatican representatives. The dialogue of hearts is no less important than
the official dialogue between the churches," Illarion told reporters.
The concert included music by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Sergei
Rakhmaninov, Petr Tchaikovsky, Modest Musorgsky performed by the Russian
National Orchestra (conductor Carlo Ponti), the Moscow Synod Choir under
the baton of Alexei Puzakov, and a church choir from St. Petersburg.
The Metropolitan said Vatican will respond with a visit of Sistine
Chapel Choir. He said he discussed future cultural events with President
of the Pontifical Council for Culture Gianfranco Ravasi.

.Ingushetia sentences criminal extradited from Austria.

NAZRAN, May 21 (Itar-Tass) -- A court in Ingushetia sentenced on
Thursday a bandit who was extradited from Austria to ten years in maximum
security prison.
Rustam Barkinkhoyev, a 32-year old resident of Nazran, was found
guilty of participating in armed attacks of a criminal group on Ingushi
residents to extort money in the period from February 2004.
The criminal group was seized with an arsenal of small arms and
explosives, but Barkinkhoyev escaped in 2008 and was placed on the
international wanted list.
Last October he was detained in Austria and extradited to Russia. His
accomplices had already been sentenced to long terms in prison.

.US chief spy steps down.

WASHINGTON, May 21 (Itar-Tass) -- U.S. intelligence chief Dennis Blair
announced his resignation on Thursday.
"It is with deep regret that I informed the president today that I
will step down as Director of National Intelligence effective Friday, May
28th," Blair said in a statement.
Observers noted that Blair's 16-month tenure as director of national
intelligence has been marked by infighting with the CIA and sharp
criticism over the intelligence community's failure to prevent a botched
Christmas Day attempt to blow up a U.S. airliner.

.Ombudsman says foreign adoptions suspended.

NALCHIK, May 21 (Itar-Tass) -- Russian ombudsman for children's rights
Pavel Astakhov confirmed on Thursday that foreign adoptions had been
suspended in the country until bilateral agreements are signed to protect
the children.
"Foreign adoption of Russian children has been de-facto suspended," he
told reporters, adding de-jure decision has not been passed so far.
"According to the Family Code, foreign adoption is a temporary and
exclusive measure related to children who cannot be adopted in Russia
which is allowed only on the basis of bilateral international agreements,"
Astakhov said adding such an agreement with the United States would
resolve the legal adoption collision.
"Otherwise over 70 thousand earlier adopted children in the United
States will be outlawed," he said.
Russia has signed adoption agreements with Italy and talks are
underway with France, Spain, and the United States.
Russian foreign ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said the next
round of consultations with the United States is scheduled for June in
Washington.
Russia suspended adoptions by U.S. citizens after a U.S. woman
returned her adopted Russian son back home all alone on a transaltlantic
flight. "I refuse him," read the note carried by the boy who was adopted
six months before.
The incident caused a public outrage in Russia following reports that
18 Russian adopted kids died abroad, and the United States accounted for
17 deaths.
-0-nec


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