Anti-US adoption bill endorsed

The upper chamber of Russia's parliament today unanimously voted in favour of a measure banning Americans from adopting Russian children. It now goes to president Vladimir Putin to sign or turn down. All 143 members of the Federation Council present voted to support the bill, which has sparked criticism from both the United States and from Russian activists who say it victimises children by depriving them of the chance to escape often-dismal orphanages. The bill is one part of a larger measure by angry MPs retaliating against a recently signed US law that calls for sanctions against Russians deemed to be human rights violators. Putin hasn't committed to signing the bill, but has referred to it as a legitimate response to the new US law. Some top government officials, including the foreign minister, have spoken flatly against it, arguing the measure would be in violation of Russia's constitution and international obligations. But Mikhail Margelov, chairman of the Council's foreign affairs committee, referred to the bill as "a natural and a long overdue response" to the US legislation. "Children must be placed in Russian families, and this is a cornerstone issue for us," he...