Russian parliament approves law to seize property of exiles

Russia's parliament, the State Duma, has passed a law allowing authorities to seize the property of Russians living abroad if they are deemed to act against the country's interests. The law widens the scope for such measures, with 13 new offences now grounds for seizing assets, including insulting Russian officers and soldiers, and publicly calling for actions aimed at violating Russia's territorial integrity. The law comes into force on September 1, and critics say it is aimed at silencing wealthy Kremlin critics in exile.