House Democrats and Republicans joined forces Friday in voting overwhelmingly to end Soviet-era trade restrictions while approving a measure that punishes Russian officials involved in human rights violations.

The vote to establish permanent normal trade relations with Russia has been a top priority of American businesses and farmers concerned that they are being left behind as Europe and China move into Russia's market of 140 million consumers.

Putin, Merkel Spar over Pussy Riot in Russia Talks

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday clashed with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the jailing of feminist rock band Pussy Riot in a meeting aimed at soothing tensions over human rights.

In czarist times, Geda Zimanenko watched her mother offer the local police officer a shot of vodka on a plate and five rubles every Sunday to overlook the fact that their family lived outside the area where Jews were allowed to live.

Then came the Bolshevik Revolution and Zimanenko became a good Communist, raising her own son to believe in ideals that strove to stamp out distinctions of race and religion. Her grandson, born after the death of dictator Josef Stalin, was more cynical of Communism and felt the heat of growing Soviet anti-Semitism.

Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras will hold an investment trip to Qatar later this month and similar trips to China and Russia are planned at a later date, the state agency said on Friday.

"Samaras will travel to Qatar on November 27 and (his office) is planning journeys to China and Russia with the aim of attracting investors," the ANA agency said.

Russian police said Friday that nine men have been charged with organizing cells of a banned Islamist group.

The Interior Ministry said Friday that the men are nationals of Russia and Tajikistan who kept guns, explosives and fake U.S. dollars and euros in apartments they rented near "transport routes of federal importance" in Moscow.

Russia on Thursday warned nations backing the Syrian opposition against President Bashar Assad that they would violate international law if they started supplying the rebels with weapons.

"Promises are being made from a number of capitals of massive supplies of modern weapons," foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich told reporters.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Riyadh for talks with his Arab counterparts in the Gulf on Wednesday that are expected to highlight differences on the conflict in Syria.

Lavrov began his visit by meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal, an AFP correspondent reported.

Russia's representative in international talks with Iran over its disputed nuclear program, Sergei Ryabkov, is to meet Tehran's top negotiator on Wednesday, news agencies reported.

Ryabkov, who is also deputy foreign minister, was due to meet Saeed Jalili in his one-day visit, the Iranian agencies said without elaborating on the content or the aim of the visit.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday criticized countries siding with the Syrian opposition and insisted Moscow was staying neutral in the conflict.

"We don't support anybody in this conflict, neither President (Bashar) Assad nor the rebels, contrary to what people generally think," Medvedev said in an interview with Finnish broadsheet Helsingin Sanomat.

A meeting in Tokyo later this month aimed at increasing pressure on the Syrian regime could include several Southeast Asian countries, Japanese officials said Wednesday.

The November 30 meeting will bring together senior government officials from the "Friends of Syria Group" supporting the Syrian opposition and will focus on making sanctions more effective, a foreign ministry official said.