Russian Duma(Lower House) Passes New Anti-Terror Bill Friday Oct 25,2013

Russian parliament's lower house on Friday Oct 25,2013 approved new legislation that toughens punishment for terrorism and requires terrorists' relatives to pay for the damages caused in attacks.

The bill comes as Russia is preparing to host the Winter Olympics in Sochi in February 2014 amid concerns about security threats posed by an Islamic insurgency that has raged across the North Caucasus region.

The bill, quickly passed by the State Duma in a unanimous vote, is expected to see a similarly swift approval in the upper house and be signed by President Vladimir Putin to become law.