Russia bid a solemn farewell today to Boris Yeltsin, its first post-Soviet leader, in a funeral presided over by some two dozen white-robed priests and a crowd of dignitaries including President Vladimir Putin and two former US leaders.

Russia’s lower house of parliament today took the first step toward approval of a bill that would prevent foreign-funded rights groups from operating in the country – a move sure to heighten criticism of President Vladimir Putin’s commitment to democracy.