Britain shared "unprecedented levels" of intelligence about a spy poisoning it blamed on Moscow, which has led at least 25 countries to expel Russian diplomats, a senior UK government official said Tuesday.

This week's coordinated expulsions have echoed Britain's action in response to the March 4 attack on former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the English city of Salisbury.

London has shared "unprecedented levels of intelligence with partners" since the attack, a senior government official said, culminating in the response from capitals around the world.&nbsp

Nearly 150 suspected Russian spies have so far been expelled, including 23 dispatched by Britain.

"This will send a clear message to Russia that there are costs and consequences for their unacceptable pattern of behaviour," NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said after the alliance announced seven Russian staff would be expelled and three more denied accreditation.

London and its allies have blamed Moscow, citing the use of a Soviet-designed nerve agent Novichok, Russia's record of targeting dissidents and its history of aggression in recent years, from Crimea to cyber-attacks.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the mass expulsions were "a blow from which Russian intelligence will need many years to recover".

It "could become a turning point", he wrote in The Times newspaper, adding: "The Western alliance took decisive action and Britain`s partners came together against the Kremlin`s reckless ambitions."

Skripal, a Russian military intelligence officer imprisoned by Moscow for passing on information about Russian agents in various European countries, came to Britain in a 2010 spy swap.

Moscow has fiercely denied any involvement in his attempted murder, instead pointing the finger at London.

It responded to Britain's expulsions with its own, and the closure of the British Council cultural organisation -- and on Tuesday promised it would hit back against the coordinated moves.

"We'll respond, have no doubt! No one wants to put up with such loutish behaviour and we won't," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on the sidelines of a conference in Uzbekistan.

Lavrov said the coordinated response was the result of "colossal pressure, colossal blackmail" from the United States.Washington led the way in responding, ordering out 60 Russians in a new blow to US-Russia ties less than a week after President Donald Trump congratulated his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on his re-election.

Trump on Tuesday discussed the spy attack with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, the White House said, and expressed "support for the West's strong response."

Also on Tuesday, US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said the poisoning was part of a Russian strategy of conducting operations and then denying responsibility for them that is designed to divide the West.

Australia, Canada, Ukraine and 18 European Union states followed with smaller-scale expulsions, most recently coming from Belgium which on Tuesday evening announced the dismissal of one Russian diplomat.

"Relations between Russia and the West are entering a period of full Cold War," foreign policy analyst Fyodor Lukyanov wrote in the Vedomosti daily. The Izvestia daily dismissed the expulsions as a "russophobic flashmob".

But Western officials made it clear in announcing the expulsions that they share Britain's assessment that only the Kremlin could have been responsible.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said Washington and its allies were acting "in response to Russia's use of a military-grade chemical weapon on the soil of the United Kingdom".

The Skripals remain in a critical state in hospital, and Prime Minister Theresa May said on Monday that "they may never fully recover". Britain has emphasised that the attack took place in the context of "reckless behaviour" by Russian President Vladimir Putin, including the annexation of Crimea.

May's spokesman said Tuesday that the "unprecedented" actions by allies were in part because they "recognise the threat that these Russian networks posed to the security of their own countries".

British officials say Russia has sought to divert attention by putting out more than a dozen explanations for the attack, the first using a nerve agent in Europe since World War II.

"There was a time when this tactic of sowing doubt might have been effective, but no one is fooled anymore," Johnson wrote, adding that the expulsions were "a moment when the cynicism of the propaganda machine was exposed for all to see".

Washington's expulsions represented the largest ever of Russian or Soviet agents and came after US President Donald Trump's predecessor Barack Obama expelled 35 in late 2016 over alleged election meddling.

The Russian embassy in Washington responded by asking its Twitter followers to vote on which US consulate should be closed, listing those in Vladivostok, St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg as options.

London and its allies have blamed Moscow citing the use of a Soviet-designed nerve agent Novichok

Britain shared "unprecedented levels" of intelligence about a spy poisoning it blamed on Moscow, which has led at least 25 countries to expel Russian diplomats, a senior UK government official said Tuesday. This week's coordinated expulsions have echoed Britain's action in response to the March 4 attack on former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the English city of Salisbury. London has shared "unprecedented levels of intelligence with partners" since the attack, a senior government official said, culminating in the response from capitals around the world. Nearly 150 suspected Russian spies have so far been expelled, including 23 dispatched by Britain. "This will send a clear message to Russia that there are costs and consequences for their unacceptable pattern of behaviour," NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said after the alliance announced seven Russian staff would be expelled and three more denied accreditation. London and its allies have blamed Moscow, citing the use of a Soviet-designed nerve agent Novichok, Russia's record of targeting dissidents and its history of aggression in recent years, from Crimea to cyber-attacks. British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the mass expulsions were "a blow from which Russian intelligence will need many years to recover". It "could become a turning point", he wrote in The Times newspaper, adding: "The Western alliance took decisive action and Britain`s partners came together against the Kremlin`s reckless ambitions." Skripal, a Russian military intelligence officer imprisoned by Moscow for passing on information about Russian agents in various European countries, came to Britain in a 2010 spy swap. Moscow has fiercely denied any involvement in his attempted murder, instead pointing the finger at London. It responded to Britain's expulsions with its own, and the closure of the British Council cultural organisation -- and on Tuesday promised it would hit back against the coordinated moves. "We'll respond, have no doubt! No one wants to put up with such loutish behaviour and we won't," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on the sidelines of a conference in Uzbekistan. Lavrov said the coordinated response was the result of "colossal pressure, colossal blackmail" from the United States.Washington led the way in responding, ordering out 60 Russians in a new blow to US-Russia ties less than a week after President Donald Trump congratulated his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on his re-election. Trump on Tuesday discussed the spy attack with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, the White House said, and expressed "support for the West's strong response." Also on Tuesday, US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said the poisoning was part of a Russian strategy of conducting operations and then denying responsibility for them that is designed to divide the West. Australia, Canada, Ukraine and 18 European Union states followed with smaller-scale expulsions, most recently coming from Belgium which on Tuesday evening announced the dismissal of one Russian diplomat. "Relations between Russia and the West are entering a period of full Cold War," foreign policy analyst Fyodor Lukyanov wrote in the Vedomosti daily. The Izvestia daily dismissed the expulsions as a "russophobic flashmob". But Western officials made it clear in announcing the expulsions that they share Britain's assessment that only the Kremlin could have been responsible. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said Washington and its allies were acting "in response to Russia's use of a military-grade chemical weapon on the soil of the United Kingdom". The Skripals remain in a critical state in hospital, and Prime Minister Theresa May said on Monday that "they may never fully recover". Britain has emphasised that the attack took place in the context of "reckless behaviour" by Russian President Vladimir Putin, including the annexation of Crimea. May's spokesman said Tuesday that the "unprecedented" actions by allies were in part because they "recognise the threat that these Russian networks posed to the security of their own countries". British officials say Russia has sought to divert attention by putting out more than a dozen explanations for the attack, the first using a nerve agent in Europe since World War II. "There was a time when this tactic of sowing doubt might have been effective, but no one is fooled anymore," Johnson wrote, adding that the expulsions were "a moment when the cynicism of the propaganda machine was exposed for all to see". Washington's expulsions represented the largest ever of Russian or Soviet agents and came after US President Donald Trump's predecessor Barack Obama expelled 35 in late 2016 over alleged election meddling. The Russian embassy in Washington responded by asking its Twitter followers to vote on which US consulate should be closed, listing those in Vladivostok, St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg as options.

Britain shared 'unprecedented' intelligence over spy attack

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signalled Turkey has no plans to follow its NATO and EU allies in expelling Russian diplomats following a spy poisoning in Britain blamed on Moscow, in comments published on Wednesday.

Erdogan, who has forged an increasingly close alliance with Russian President Vladimir Putin, said Turkey could not take steps against Moscow "based on an allegation".

More than two dozen governments -- the majority European Union and NATO members -- expelled nearly 150 suspected Russian spies after the March 4 attack on former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the English city of Salisbury.

"Just because some countries took a step based on an allegation, we cannot decide to take the same step," Erdogan said in comments to Turkish journalists published by the Hurriyet newspaper and others.

"There is no question that we must act completely like them," added Erdogan, who earlier this week met EU chiefs for a crunch summit in Bulgaria.

London and its allies were quick to put the blame on Russia, which denies any involvement.

The discovery that Soviet-designed nerve agent Novichok was used against the pair and Russia's record on targeting dissidents have put the spotlight on the Kremlin.

The Turkish foreign ministry on Monday issued its first statement on the poisoning -- over three weeks after the attack -- condemning the use of a chemical agent but without mentioning Russia.

Putin is due to arrive in Turkey next week for a two-day visit that will also include a three-way summit on Syria with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani aimed at strengthening cooperation.

To the alarm of Brussels, ties between Moscow and Ankara have flourished in recent months while Turkey is set to buy Russia`s S-400 air defence systems.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag on Monday stressed the historical regional rivals have a "positive and good relationship right now".

Moscow and Ankara endured a severe crisis over the shooting down of a Russian warplane over Syria in 2015. But analysts say that Erdogan has now made a strong relationship with Moscow a pillar of Turkish foreign policy.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signalled Turkey has no plans to follow its NATO and EU allies in expelling Russian diplomats following a spy poisoning in Britain blamed on Moscow, in comments published on Wednesday

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signalled Turkey has no plans to follow its NATO and EU allies in expelling Russian diplomats following a spy poisoning in Britain blamed on Moscow, in comments published on Wednesday. Erdogan, who has forged an increasingly close alliance with Russian President Vladimir Putin, said Turkey could not take steps against Moscow "based on an allegation". More than two dozen governments -- the majority European Union and NATO members -- expelled nearly 150 suspected Russian spies after the March 4 attack on former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the English city of Salisbury. "Just because some countries took a step based on an allegation, we cannot decide to take the same step," Erdogan said in comments to Turkish journalists published by the Hurriyet newspaper and others. "There is no question that we must act completely like them," added Erdogan, who earlier this week met EU chiefs for a crunch summit in Bulgaria. London and its allies were quick to put the blame on Russia, which denies any involvement. The discovery that Soviet-designed nerve agent Novichok was used against the pair and Russia's record on targeting dissidents have put the spotlight on the Kremlin. The Turkish foreign ministry on Monday issued its first statement on the poisoning -- over three weeks after the attack -- condemning the use of a chemical agent but without mentioning Russia. Putin is due to arrive in Turkey next week for a two-day visit that will also include a three-way summit on Syria with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani aimed at strengthening cooperation. To the alarm of Brussels, ties between Moscow and Ankara have flourished in recent months while Turkey is set to buy Russia`s S-400 air defence systems. Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag on Monday stressed the historical regional rivals have a "positive and good relationship right now". Moscow and Ankara endured a severe crisis over the shooting down of a Russian warplane over Syria in 2015. But analysts say that Erdogan has now made a strong relationship with Moscow a pillar of Turkish foreign policy.

Turkey won't act against Russia 'based on allegation': Erdogan

Britain&#39;s accusations that Moscow was behind the poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal in England &quot;border on banditry&quot;, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by RIA news agency on Sunday.&nbsp;

&quot;We are stating that this is quite unprecedented - international affairs bordering, maybe, on banditry. What stands behind this? Is it Britain`s internal problems or the problems of Britain`s cooperation with its allies or something else Looks like this is not our business,&quot; RIA quoted Peskov as saying by RIA on an NTV programme.

Moscow has denied responsibility for the March 4 attack on Skripal and his daughter, the first known offensive use of a nerve toxin in Europe since World War Two. Britain expelled 23 Russians as a result and Moscow retaliated by ordering out the same number of Britons.

Britain expelled 23 Russians as a result and Moscow retaliated by ordering out the same number of Britons

Britain's accusations that Moscow was behind the poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal in England "border on banditry", Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by RIA news agency on Sunday. "We are stating that this is quite unprecedented - international affairs bordering, maybe, on banditry. What stands behind this? Is it Britain`s internal problems or the problems of Britain`s cooperation with its allies or something else Looks like this is not our business," RIA quoted Peskov as saying by RIA on an NTV programme. Moscow has denied responsibility for the March 4 attack on Skripal and his daughter, the first known offensive use of a nerve toxin in Europe since World War Two. Britain expelled 23 Russians as a result and Moscow retaliated by ordering out the same number of Britons.

British accusations over Skripal poisoning 'border on banditry': Kremlin

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/clashes-after-karnataka-gives-separate-religion-status-to-lingayats-36434" target="_blank">Clashes after Karnataka gives separate religion status to Lingayats</a>

Clashes between the members of Karnataka&#39;s Lingayat and Veerashaiva communities broke out on Monday in the state&#39;s Kalaburagi district hours after the Karnataka government approved&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/karnataka-government-gives-nod-to-separate-religion-for-lingayats-36379">separate religion minority status</a>&nbsp;for the Lingayat and the Veerashaiva Lingayat community.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/vk-sasikalas-husband-natarajan-maruthappa-passes-away-at-75-36422" target="_blank">VK Sasikala&#39;s husband Natarajan Maruthappa dead at 75</a>

VK Sasikala&#39;s husband Natarajan Maruthappa&nbsp;passed away due to multiple organ failures at Gleneagles Global Health City in Chennai.Maruthappa&nbsp;was admitted to the hospital on March 16 due to a severe chest infection.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/britain-eu-agree-brexit-transition-deal-36429" target="_blank">Britain, EU agree Brexit transition deal</a>

Britain and the European Union on Monday reached a landmark deal on a transition phase that will see London follow the bloc&#39;s rules for nearly two years after the Brexit divorce.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/progressive-people-of-pakistan-eager-to-have-friendly-ties-with-india-muttahida-qaumi-movement-mqm-founder-36425" target="_blank">Progressive people of Pakistan eager to have friendly ties with India: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) founder</a>

The founder leader of Pakistan&#39;s political party Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Altaf Hussain, has claimed that he has never been against the country and only wants to eliminate the repressive and exploitative feudal system from there.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-under-pressure-as-us-eu-urge-probes-of-data-practices-36433" target="_blank">Facebook under pressure as US, EU urge probes of data practices</a>

British privacy regulators are seeking a warrant to search the offices of the political consultancy Cambridge Analytica late Monday following reports that the company may have&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-suspends-trump-campaign-data-firm-cambridge-analytica-36332" target="_blank">improperly gained access</a>&nbsp;to data on 50 million Facebook users, according to a Channel 4 television report.

Clashes after Karnataka gives separate religion status to Lingayats Clashes between the members of Karnataka's Lingayat and Veerashaiva communities broke out on Monday in the state's Kalaburagi district hours after the Karnataka government approved separate religion minority status for the Lingayat and the Veerashaiva Lingayat community. VK Sasikala's husband Natarajan Maruthappa dead at 75 VK Sasikala's husband Natarajan Maruthappa passed away due to multiple organ failures at Gleneagles Global Health City in Chennai.Maruthappa was admitted to the hospital on March 16 due to a severe chest infection. Britain, EU agree Brexit transition deal Britain and the European Union on Monday reached a landmark deal on a transition phase that will see London follow the bloc's rules for nearly two years after the Brexit divorce. Progressive people of Pakistan eager to have friendly ties with India: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) founder The founder leader of Pakistan's political party Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Altaf Hussain, has claimed that he has never been against the country and only wants to eliminate the repressive and exploitative feudal system from there. Facebook under pressure as US, EU urge probes of data practices British privacy regulators are seeking a warrant to search the offices of the political consultancy Cambridge Analytica late Monday following reports that the company may have improperly gained access to data on 50 million Facebook users, according to a Channel 4 television report.

WION Morning News Brief, March 20, 2018

Britain and the European Union on Monday reached a landmark deal on a transition phase that will see London follow the bloc&#39;s rules for nearly two years after the Brexit divorce.

Chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier and his British counterpart David Davis said the agreement, which European leaders will sign at a summit this week, was a &quot;decisive step&quot;.

The two sides also agreed on a &quot;backstop&quot; solution for the thorny issue of the future of the Irish border, just weeks after Prime Minister Theresa May said no British premier could ever accept such an idea.

The deal, secured after what Frenchman Barnier called an &quot;intensive&quot; weekend of talks in Brussels, paves the way for talks on a future trade deal to start next month and sent the pound surging.

&quot;We were able this morning to agree, after all those days and nights of hard work, on a large part of what will be an international agreement for the orderly withdrawal of the United Kingdom,&quot; Barnier told a press conference with Davis.

The transition will begin on Brexit day -- March 29, 2019 -- and last until December 31, 2020. During that period, Britain &quot;will no longer participate in the European Union decision-making process,&quot; Barnier said.

&quot;Nevertheless, it will preserve the benefits, the advantages of the single market and the customs union... and will therefore be required to respect all the European rules just like all member states do.&quot;

&nbsp;&#39;Certainty&#39; for the future

Standing against a backdrop of British and EU flags, Davis told the news conference that the 21-month transition &quot;gives the certainty demanded by businesses and citizens across Britain and the European Union.&quot;

Firms across Europe that need to plan their business years in the future have been clamouring for both sides to reach a deal to avoid a cliff-edge departure, and Davis said it was &quot;near enough&quot; the full two years Britain had demanded.

Davis said Britain would be able to sign trade deals with other countries during the transition, despite EU rules saying it should not be while subject to the bloc&#39;s customs rules.

He added that Britain would now allow EU citizens moving to Britain during the transition phase to have the same rights to work and live in the country as those who arrived before, a policy London previously rejected.

May, who reached an outline deal on the divorce with the EU in December, said in a statement that the deal showed that &quot;we can get an arrangement for the future which will be in the interests&quot; of both sides.

Both sides wanted the transition deal in place so that it could be signed off by EU leaders at a Brussels summit on Friday, allowing the unlocking of talks on the future British-EU relationship in April.

&#39;Backstop&#39; solution&nbsp;

Britain meanwhile agreed to the EU&#39;s &quot;backstop&quot; plan for the status of the Irish border, under which British-ruled Northern Ireland would remain part of the EU&#39;s customs union if there is no better idea.

The thorny issue will, however, require further talks to be fully resolved, the two sides said.&nbsp;

The EU insists that any divorce deal must ensure there is no &quot;hard border&quot; between EU member Ireland and Northern Ireland, saying it could compromise the 1998 peace accord that ended decades of sectarian violence in the British province.

The move appeared to be a climbdown for May, who insisted in February that &quot;no UK prime minister could ever agree&quot; to the plan as it would threaten Britain&#39;s constitutional integrity.

The pro-British party in Northern Ireland that props up her government has previously deemed the backstop arrangement &quot;unacceptable&quot;.

Davis however denied that Britain had backed down, saying it was still pushing for a solution as part of a trade deal which would mean there was no need for the backstop.

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney, who met Barnier in Brussels, said on Twitter on Monday that &quot;Brexit negotiations are moving forward.&quot;

Sterling climbed to $1.41 against the dollar and reached 87 pence against the euro on news of the deal.

London and Brussels had already drawn closer in recent days over the poisoning of a Russian ex-spy, with EU foreign ministers on Monday offering &quot;unqualified solidarity&quot; over the attempted murder of Sergei Skripal.&nbsp;

Britain and the European Union on Monday reached a landmark deal on a transition phase that will see London follow the bloc's rules for nearly two years after the Brexit divorce

Britain and the European Union on Monday reached a landmark deal on a transition phase that will see London follow the bloc's rules for nearly two years after the Brexit divorce. Chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier and his British counterpart David Davis said the agreement, which European leaders will sign at a summit this week, was a "decisive step". The two sides also agreed on a "backstop" solution for the thorny issue of the future of the Irish border, just weeks after Prime Minister Theresa May said no British premier could ever accept such an idea. The deal, secured after what Frenchman Barnier called an "intensive" weekend of talks in Brussels, paves the way for talks on a future trade deal to start next month and sent the pound surging. "We were able this morning to agree, after all those days and nights of hard work, on a large part of what will be an international agreement for the orderly withdrawal of the United Kingdom," Barnier told a press conference with Davis. The transition will begin on Brexit day -- March 29, 2019 -- and last until December 31, 2020. During that period, Britain "will no longer participate in the European Union decision-making process," Barnier said. "Nevertheless, it will preserve the benefits, the advantages of the single market and the customs union... and will therefore be required to respect all the European rules just like all member states do." 'Certainty' for the future Standing against a backdrop of British and EU flags, Davis told the news conference that the 21-month transition "gives the certainty demanded by businesses and citizens across Britain and the European Union." Firms across Europe that need to plan their business years in the future have been clamouring for both sides to reach a deal to avoid a cliff-edge departure, and Davis said it was "near enough" the full two years Britain had demanded. Davis said Britain would be able to sign trade deals with other countries during the transition, despite EU rules saying it should not be while subject to the bloc's customs rules. He added that Britain would now allow EU citizens moving to Britain during the transition phase to have the same rights to work and live in the country as those who arrived before, a policy London previously rejected. May, who reached an outline deal on the divorce with the EU in December, said in a statement that the deal showed that "we can get an arrangement for the future which will be in the interests" of both sides. Both sides wanted the transition deal in place so that it could be signed off by EU leaders at a Brussels summit on Friday, allowing the unlocking of talks on the future British-EU relationship in April. 'Backstop' solution Britain meanwhile agreed to the EU's "backstop" plan for the status of the Irish border, under which British-ruled Northern Ireland would remain part of the EU's customs union if there is no better idea. The thorny issue will, however, require further talks to be fully resolved, the two sides said. The EU insists that any divorce deal must ensure there is no "hard border" between EU member Ireland and Northern Ireland, saying it could compromise the 1998 peace accord that ended decades of sectarian violence in the British province. The move appeared to be a climbdown for May, who insisted in February that "no UK prime minister could ever agree" to the plan as it would threaten Britain's constitutional integrity. The pro-British party in Northern Ireland that props up her government has previously deemed the backstop arrangement "unacceptable". Davis however denied that Britain had backed down, saying it was still pushing for a solution as part of a trade deal which would mean there was no need for the backstop. Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney, who met Barnier in Brussels, said on Twitter on Monday that "Brexit negotiations are moving forward." Sterling climbed to $1.41 against the dollar and reached 87 pence against the euro on news of the deal. London and Brussels had already drawn closer in recent days over the poisoning of a Russian ex-spy, with EU foreign ministers on Monday offering "unqualified solidarity" over the attempted murder of Sergei Skripal.

Britain, EU agree Brexit transition deal

Britain&#39;s foreign minister stepped up London&#39;s criticism of Moscow on Monday over a nerve agent attack on a former Russian double agent in England, calling Russian denials of responsibility &quot;increasingly absurd&quot;.

Boris Johnson, who was due to brief fellow European Union ministers in Brussels later on Monday, also won renewed support from the bloc, though diplomats cautioned there was no immediate prospect of fresh economic sanctions on Russia over the attack.

&quot;The Russian denial is increasingly absurd,&quot; Johnson told reporters as he arrived for the regular monthly meeting, which came a day after Vladimir Putin was re-elected for another six-year term as Russia&#39;s president.

&quot;This is a classic Russian strategy ... They&#39;re not fooling anybody anymore,&quot; Johnson said.

&quot;There is scarcely a country around the table here in Brussels that has not been affected in recent years by some kind of malign or disruptive Russian behaviour,&quot; he added.

Russia denies any involvement in the attempted murder of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, in what was the first known offensive use of nerve gas in Europe since World War Two.

Moscow announced on Saturday the expulsion of 23 British diplomats in a tit-for-tat response to Britain&#39;s decision last week to expel the same number of Russian diplomats from London.

On Sunday Johnson accused Russia of stockpiling the deadly Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok used to poison the Skripals, a charge Moscow denies. They were found unconscious on a bench in the English city of Salisbury on March 4 and remain in a critical condition in hospital.

On arrival at the Brussels meeting on Monday, Germany&#39;s new foreign minister, Heiko Maas, expressed his support for Britain. All 28 EU foreign ministers are expected to issue a joint statement on the attack later on Monday.

While there is no prospect of further sanctions on Russia being agreed on Monday, British Prime Minister Theresa May will have an opportunity to present her case for any such measures at an EU summit on Thursday, or call for others to expel diplomats.

&quot;We need to put pressure on Russia to take part in a real enquiry about the attack,&quot; Belgium&#39;s Foreign Minister Didier Reynders told reporters.

"This is a classic Russian strategy ... They're not fooling anybody anymore," Johnson said

Britain's foreign minister stepped up London's criticism of Moscow on Monday over a nerve agent attack on a former Russian double agent in England, calling Russian denials of responsibility "increasingly absurd". Boris Johnson, who was due to brief fellow European Union ministers in Brussels later on Monday, also won renewed support from the bloc, though diplomats cautioned there was no immediate prospect of fresh economic sanctions on Russia over the attack. "The Russian denial is increasingly absurd," Johnson told reporters as he arrived for the regular monthly meeting, which came a day after Vladimir Putin was re-elected for another six-year term as Russia's president. "This is a classic Russian strategy ... They're not fooling anybody anymore," Johnson said. "There is scarcely a country around the table here in Brussels that has not been affected in recent years by some kind of malign or disruptive Russian behaviour," he added. Russia denies any involvement in the attempted murder of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, in what was the first known offensive use of nerve gas in Europe since World War Two. Moscow announced on Saturday the expulsion of 23 British diplomats in a tit-for-tat response to Britain's decision last week to expel the same number of Russian diplomats from London. On Sunday Johnson accused Russia of stockpiling the deadly Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok used to poison the Skripals, a charge Moscow denies. They were found unconscious on a bench in the English city of Salisbury on March 4 and remain in a critical condition in hospital. On arrival at the Brussels meeting on Monday, Germany's new foreign minister, Heiko Maas, expressed his support for Britain. All 28 EU foreign ministers are expected to issue a joint statement on the attack later on Monday. While there is no prospect of further sanctions on Russia being agreed on Monday, British Prime Minister Theresa May will have an opportunity to present her case for any such measures at an EU summit on Thursday, or call for others to expel diplomats. "We need to put pressure on Russia to take part in a real enquiry about the attack," Belgium's Foreign Minister Didier Reynders told reporters.

Russian denials of British attack 'increasingly absurd': Johnson

International chemical weapons experts were due to arrive in Britain Monday to collect samples of a nerve agent used to poison a former Russian spy as London accused Moscow of stockpiling the toxin used in the attack.

The poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the English city of Salisbury on March 4 has triggered a crisis with Britain and Russia expelling diplomats in tit-for-tat measures.

London and its allies have blamed Moscow for the attack which left the Skripals in critical condition after exposure to a nerve agent.

Technical experts from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons will visit Britain on Monday to collect samples of the toxin, which London says is a Soviet-designed military grade nerve agent called Novichok.

&quot;These will then be despatched to highly-reputable international laboratories selected by the OPCW for testing with results expected to take a minimum of two weeks,&quot; Britain&#39;s Foreign Office said in a statement.

President Vladimir Putin has rejected allegations Russia was behind the attack.

&quot;It&#39;s complete drivel, rubbish, nonsense that somebody in Russia would allow themselves to do such a thing ahead of elections and the World Cup,&quot; Putin told supporters Sunday after winning a fourth term as president.

&quot;We have destroyed all chemical weapons,&quot; he said, adding that Russia was ready to take part in the investigation.

Putin&#39;s comments came after British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson accused Russia of stockpiling the nerve agent used in the attack.

&quot;We actually have evidence within the last 10 years that Russia has not only been investigating the delivery of nerve agents for the purposes of assassination, but has also been creating and stockpiling Novichok,&quot; Johnson told the BBC&#39;s Andrew Marr Show.

&#39;Sarcasm and denial&#39; 
Johnson said Britain would target wealth linked to the Kremlin in response to the poisoning of the former Russian double agent.

&quot;Where people have obtained wealth by corruption and where we can see a link with the Kremlin, with Vladimir Putin, it may be possible to have unexplained wealth orders and other sanctions on those individuals,&quot; he said.

Johnson said the government was considering something similar to the US &quot;Magnitsky Act&quot; which was adopted in 2012 to punish Russian officials accused of human rights violations.

The act imposed a visa ban and froze the assets of Russian officials implicated in the death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, a tax fraud whistleblower who died in Russian custody in 2009.

Johnson accused the Russians of &quot;smug sarcasm and denial&quot; in response to the accusations, and said the international community was behind Britain.

Moscow&#39;s &quot;malign, disruptive behaviour&quot; internationally was the reason why allies were &quot;inclined not to give Russia the benefit of the doubt,&quot; he added.

Johnson is expected to brief his EU counterparts on the case at a meeting of foreign ministers and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels on Monday.

Russia&#39;s ambassador to the European Union, Vladimir Chizhov, has also insisted Moscow &quot;had nothing to do&quot; with the attack and appeared to suggest that Britain itself may have been the source of the chemical agent.&nbsp;

&quot;When you have a nerve agent, you check it against certain samples you have in your laboratories,&quot; he said Saturday.

&quot;And Porton Down, as we now all know, is the largest military facility in the UK that has been dealing with chemical weapons research -- and it&#39;s actually only eight miles from Salisbury.&quot;

Johnson called the accusation &quot;satirical&quot;, adding it was &quot;not the response of a country that really believes itself it to be innocent.&quot;

London and its allies have blamed Moscow for the attack which left former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yuliya in critical condition after exposure to a nerve agent

International chemical weapons experts were due to arrive in Britain Monday to collect samples of a nerve agent used to poison a former Russian spy as London accused Moscow of stockpiling the toxin used in the attack. The poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the English city of Salisbury on March 4 has triggered a crisis with Britain and Russia expelling diplomats in tit-for-tat measures. London and its allies have blamed Moscow for the attack which left the Skripals in critical condition after exposure to a nerve agent. Technical experts from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons will visit Britain on Monday to collect samples of the toxin, which London says is a Soviet-designed military grade nerve agent called Novichok. "These will then be despatched to highly-reputable international laboratories selected by the OPCW for testing with results expected to take a minimum of two weeks," Britain's Foreign Office said in a statement. President Vladimir Putin has rejected allegations Russia was behind the attack. "It's complete drivel, rubbish, nonsense that somebody in Russia would allow themselves to do such a thing ahead of elections and the World Cup," Putin told supporters Sunday after winning a fourth term as president. "We have destroyed all chemical weapons," he said, adding that Russia was ready to take part in the investigation. Putin's comments came after British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson accused Russia of stockpiling the nerve agent used in the attack. "We actually have evidence within the last 10 years that Russia has not only been investigating the delivery of nerve agents for the purposes of assassination, but has also been creating and stockpiling Novichok," Johnson told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show. 'Sarcasm and denial' Johnson said Britain would target wealth linked to the Kremlin in response to the poisoning of the former Russian double agent. "Where people have obtained wealth by corruption and where we can see a link with the Kremlin, with Vladimir Putin, it may be possible to have unexplained wealth orders and other sanctions on those individuals," he said. Johnson said the government was considering something similar to the US "Magnitsky Act" which was adopted in 2012 to punish Russian officials accused of human rights violations. The act imposed a visa ban and froze the assets of Russian officials implicated in the death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, a tax fraud whistleblower who died in Russian custody in 2009. Johnson accused the Russians of "smug sarcasm and denial" in response to the accusations, and said the international community was behind Britain. Moscow's "malign, disruptive behaviour" internationally was the reason why allies were "inclined not to give Russia the benefit of the doubt," he added. Johnson is expected to brief his EU counterparts on the case at a meeting of foreign ministers and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels on Monday. Russia's ambassador to the European Union, Vladimir Chizhov, has also insisted Moscow "had nothing to do" with the attack and appeared to suggest that Britain itself may have been the source of the chemical agent. "When you have a nerve agent, you check it against certain samples you have in your laboratories," he said Saturday. "And Porton Down, as we now all know, is the largest military facility in the UK that has been dealing with chemical weapons research -- and it's actually only eight miles from Salisbury." Johnson called the accusation "satirical", adding it was "not the response of a country that really believes itself it to be innocent."

Chemical weapons experts head to Britain in Russia spy case

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said on Sunday that Russia has been stockpiling the deadly nerve agent used to poison a Russian former double agent in England and has been investigating how such weapons can be used in assassinations.

Britain has said Russia used the Soviet-era nerve agent called Novichok to attack Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the first known offensive use of such a weapon on European soil since World War Two. Russia has denied any involvement.

&quot;We actually have evidence within the last 10 years that Russia has not only been investigating the delivery of nerve agents for the purposes of assassination but has also been creating and stockpiling Novichok,&quot; Johnson told the BBC.

The identification of Novichok as the weapon has become the central pillar of Britain&#39;s case for Russia&#39;s culpability in the poisoning. Britain and Russia have each expelled 23 diplomats over the attack as relations between the two countries reach a post-Cold War low.&nbsp;

Skripal, a former colonel in Russian military intelligence who betrayed dozens of Russian agents to Britain, and his daughter are fighting for their lives after they were found collapsed on a bench in the city of Salisbury two weeks ago.

Officials from the world&#39;s chemical weapons watchdog will arrive in Britain on Monday to investigate the samples used in the attack and the results should be known in about two weeks, Britain&#39;s foreign ministry said.

The foreign ministry said that if Russia has been stockpiling nerve agents this would amount to a violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, of which Moscow is a signatory.

Russia&#39;s ambassador to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov told the same programme that his country has destroyed its reserves of such substances and a British research laboratory could be the source of the nerve agent used in the attack.

Johnson dismissed those claims and said Russia&#39;s reaction &quot;was not the response of a country that really believes itself to be innocent&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;Their response has been a mix of smug sarcasm and denial and obfuscation,&quot; he said.

Skripal and his daughter may have been exposed to the nerve agent used in their attempted assassination through his car ventilation system, intelligence sources told the US television channel ABC news.

The sources said the toxin was used in a &quot;dust-like powdered form&quot; and that it circulated through the vents of the car, the channel said.&nbsp;

Johnson said Britain`s National Security Council will meet later this week to decide &quot;what further measures, if any&quot; may be taken, and that the government may decide to target Russian wealth in Britain.

The British capital has been dubbed &quot;Londongrad&quot; due to the large quantities of Russian money that have poured in since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Some British lawmakers have urged Prime Minister Theresa May to freeze the private assets of senior members in Russian President Vladimir Putin&#39;s circle.&nbsp;

Putin is expected to easily win a presidential election on Sunday which would take him to nearly a quarter of a century in power.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Britain has said Russia used the Soviet-era nerve agent called Novichok to attack Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said on Sunday that Russia has been stockpiling the deadly nerve agent used to poison a Russian former double agent in England and has been investigating how such weapons can be used in assassinations. Britain has said Russia used the Soviet-era nerve agent called Novichok to attack Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the first known offensive use of such a weapon on European soil since World War Two. Russia has denied any involvement. "We actually have evidence within the last 10 years that Russia has not only been investigating the delivery of nerve agents for the purposes of assassination but has also been creating and stockpiling Novichok," Johnson told the BBC. The identification of Novichok as the weapon has become the central pillar of Britain's case for Russia's culpability in the poisoning. Britain and Russia have each expelled 23 diplomats over the attack as relations between the two countries reach a post-Cold War low. Skripal, a former colonel in Russian military intelligence who betrayed dozens of Russian agents to Britain, and his daughter are fighting for their lives after they were found collapsed on a bench in the city of Salisbury two weeks ago. Officials from the world's chemical weapons watchdog will arrive in Britain on Monday to investigate the samples used in the attack and the results should be known in about two weeks, Britain's foreign ministry said. The foreign ministry said that if Russia has been stockpiling nerve agents this would amount to a violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, of which Moscow is a signatory. Russia's ambassador to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov told the same programme that his country has destroyed its reserves of such substances and a British research laboratory could be the source of the nerve agent used in the attack. Johnson dismissed those claims and said Russia's reaction "was not the response of a country that really believes itself to be innocent". "Their response has been a mix of smug sarcasm and denial and obfuscation," he said. Skripal and his daughter may have been exposed to the nerve agent used in their attempted assassination through his car ventilation system, intelligence sources told the US television channel ABC news. The sources said the toxin was used in a "dust-like powdered form" and that it circulated through the vents of the car, the channel said. Johnson said Britain`s National Security Council will meet later this week to decide "what further measures, if any" may be taken, and that the government may decide to target Russian wealth in Britain. The British capital has been dubbed "Londongrad" due to the large quantities of Russian money that have poured in since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Some British lawmakers have urged Prime Minister Theresa May to freeze the private assets of senior members in Russian President Vladimir Putin's circle. Putin is expected to easily win a presidential election on Sunday which would take him to nearly a quarter of a century in power.

Britain accuses Russia of secretly stockpiling deadly nerve agent used in attack

Moscow vowed Friday to hit back at Britain with its own raft of punitive measures &quot;any minute&quot; after the West blamed Russia directly for a nerve agent attack on a former double agent.

President Vladimir Putin&#39;s spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Friday said Russia&#39;s sanctions could come &quot;any minute&quot; even though he declined to say whether Moscow would deliver its response before Sunday&#39;s presidential election.

&quot;All the steps will be well thought out,&quot; he told reporters.

In a rare joint statement, the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and the US on Thursday condemned the attack on former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia as an &quot;assault on UK sovereignty&quot;.

Moscow has vehemently denied it had a hand in the poisoning of its former spy in the cathedral city of Salisbury in early March.

Britain&#39;s key allies closed ranks against Putin after British Prime Minister Theresa May announced the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats and suspended high-level contacts, among other measures.

Russia said earlier this week it would expel British diplomats in response to London&#39;s move as well as adopt other measures that the Kremlin said would &quot;most suit Moscow&#39;s interests.&quot;

&quot;Of course we will,&quot; Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told journalists when asked whether Moscow will respond in kind.&nbsp;

He did not provide further details.

The crisis unravelled in the thick of a presidential election as Putin is expected to win a fourth Kremlin term on Sunday.

The president barely weighed in on the row, just telling a BBC reporter earlier this week: &quot;Sort things out from your side and then we will discuss this with you.&quot;

Russia insists it had no motive to target Skripal with what Britain says was a highly potent Soviet-designed nerve agent called Novichok, the first such attack in Europe since World War II.

Many Russians remain sceptical that the state was involved in an attack on British soil and some analysts didn&#39;t rule out the involvement of common criminals or rogue agents.

The official military newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda (Red Star) quoted the former head of Russia&#39;s GRU military intelligence, Fyodor Ladygin, who denied his officers had been involved.

&quot;We don&#39;t care about the fate of a traitor,&quot; said Colonel General Ladygin.

&quot;For an intelligence officer, a traitor dies immediately - he absolutely ceases to exist in memory. For a traitor, oblivion is death.&quot;

The attack on the Skripals revived memories of the fate of Alexander Litvinenko, a Russian dissident who died of Polonium poisoning in a 2006 attack in the UK that London blamed on Moscow.

But the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and the United States said Thursday there was &quot;no plausible alternative explanation&quot; for the use of the Soviet-designed nerve agent.

In a joint statement, they demanded Moscow &quot;address all questions&quot; related to the attack against Skripal, which they said amounted to a &quot;breach of international law&quot;.

Skripal moved to Britain in a 2010 spy swap and had taken his daughter, who was on a visit, out for lunch before they both collapsed on a bench in the street on March 4.

The Daily Telegraph reported late Thursday that intelligence agencies now believe the nerve agent used on the pair was planted in the daughter&#39;s suitcase before she left Moscow.

May warned more measures could follow, noting that the US-led NATO alliance and the UN Security Council had discussed the attack, while it was also expected to be on the agenda of the European Union summit next week.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Friday the alliance did not want a return to Cold War hostilities with Russia while expressing support for Britain&#39;s stance.

He said the targeting of Skripal fit a &quot;pattern of reckless behaviour&quot; to which the US-led military alliance had responded, but insisted political dialogue must also continue.

&quot;We don&#39;t want a new Cold War, we don&#39;t want a new arms race, Russia is our neighbour, therefore, we have to continue to strive for an improved better relationship with Russia,&quot; he told BBC radio.

NATO chief Stoltenberg said this week the attack must have &quot;consequences&quot; but noted that Britain had not invoked the alliance&#39;s Article 5 mutual defence clause. 
&nbsp;

"All the steps will be well thought out," said Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov

Moscow vowed Friday to hit back at Britain with its own raft of punitive measures "any minute" after the West blamed Russia directly for a nerve agent attack on a former double agent. President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Friday said Russia's sanctions could come "any minute" even though he declined to say whether Moscow would deliver its response before Sunday's presidential election. "All the steps will be well thought out," he told reporters. In a rare joint statement, the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and the US on Thursday condemned the attack on former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia as an "assault on UK sovereignty". Moscow has vehemently denied it had a hand in the poisoning of its former spy in the cathedral city of Salisbury in early March. Britain's key allies closed ranks against Putin after British Prime Minister Theresa May announced the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats and suspended high-level contacts, among other measures. Russia said earlier this week it would expel British diplomats in response to London's move as well as adopt other measures that the Kremlin said would "most suit Moscow's interests." "Of course we will," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told journalists when asked whether Moscow will respond in kind. He did not provide further details. The crisis unravelled in the thick of a presidential election as Putin is expected to win a fourth Kremlin term on Sunday. The president barely weighed in on the row, just telling a BBC reporter earlier this week: "Sort things out from your side and then we will discuss this with you." Russia insists it had no motive to target Skripal with what Britain says was a highly potent Soviet-designed nerve agent called Novichok, the first such attack in Europe since World War II. Many Russians remain sceptical that the state was involved in an attack on British soil and some analysts didn't rule out the involvement of common criminals or rogue agents. The official military newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda (Red Star) quoted the former head of Russia's GRU military intelligence, Fyodor Ladygin, who denied his officers had been involved. "We don't care about the fate of a traitor," said Colonel General Ladygin. "For an intelligence officer, a traitor dies immediately - he absolutely ceases to exist in memory. For a traitor, oblivion is death." The attack on the Skripals revived memories of the fate of Alexander Litvinenko, a Russian dissident who died of Polonium poisoning in a 2006 attack in the UK that London blamed on Moscow. But the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and the United States said Thursday there was "no plausible alternative explanation" for the use of the Soviet-designed nerve agent. In a joint statement, they demanded Moscow "address all questions" related to the attack against Skripal, which they said amounted to a "breach of international law". Skripal moved to Britain in a 2010 spy swap and had taken his daughter, who was on a visit, out for lunch before they both collapsed on a bench in the street on March 4. The Daily Telegraph reported late Thursday that intelligence agencies now believe the nerve agent used on the pair was planted in the daughter's suitcase before she left Moscow. May warned more measures could follow, noting that the US-led NATO alliance and the UN Security Council had discussed the attack, while it was also expected to be on the agenda of the European Union summit next week. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Friday the alliance did not want a return to Cold War hostilities with Russia while expressing support for Britain's stance. He said the targeting of Skripal fit a "pattern of reckless behaviour" to which the US-led military alliance had responded, but insisted political dialogue must also continue. "We don't want a new Cold War, we don't want a new arms race, Russia is our neighbour, therefore, we have to continue to strive for an improved better relationship with Russia," he told BBC radio. NATO chief Stoltenberg said this week the attack must have "consequences" but noted that Britain had not invoked the alliance's Article 5 mutual defence clause.

Russia vows to respond to Britain over spy attack 'any minute'

Russia has not responded to Britain&rsquo;s demand to explain by midnight how a Soviet-era nerve toxin was used to strike down a former Russian double agent, the Russian embassy in London said.

Prime Minister Theresa May had given Russia until the end of Tuesday to explain how Novichok, a nerve agent developed by the Soviet military, had been used on British soil.

&quot;Russia will not respond to London&rsquo;s ultimatum until it receives samples of the chemical substance,&quot; an embassy spokesman told Reuters.

Russia, the embassy said, was not involved in the nerve attack. Any punitive measures against Russia would elicit a response, he said.

A spokesman for the British Foreign Office declined to comment. 
&nbsp;

Prime Minister Theresa May had given Russia until the end of Tuesday

Russia has not responded to Britain’s demand to explain by midnight how a Soviet-era nerve toxin was used to strike down a former Russian double agent, the Russian embassy in London said. Prime Minister Theresa May had given Russia until the end of Tuesday to explain how Novichok, a nerve agent developed by the Soviet military, had been used on British soil. "Russia will not respond to London’s ultimatum until it receives samples of the chemical substance," an embassy spokesman told Reuters. Russia, the embassy said, was not involved in the nerve attack. Any punitive measures against Russia would elicit a response, he said. A spokesman for the British Foreign Office declined to comment.

Russia says is not responding to British ultimatum on nerve attack

Britain braced for a showdown with Russia on Wednesday after a midnight deadline set by Prime Minister Theresa May expired without an explanation from Moscow about how a Soviet-era nerve toxin was used to strike down a former Russian double agent.

The United States, European Union and NATO supported Britain after May said it was &quot;highly likely&quot; that Russia was behind the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter with Novichok, a nerve agent developed by the Soviet military.

Russia, which denied any involvement, said it was not responding to May&#39;s ultimatum until it received samples of the nerve agent, effectively challenging Britain to show what sanctions it would impose against Russian interests.

&quot;Moscow will not respond to London&rsquo;s ultimatum until it receives samples of the chemical substance,&quot; Russia&#39;s embassy in London said. &quot;Any threat to take punitive measures against Russia will meet with a response.&quot;

Britain could call on Western allies for a coordinated response, freeze the assets of Russian business leaders and officials, limit their access to London&#39;s financial centre, expel diplomats and even launch targeted cyber attacks.

It may also cut back participation in the soccer World Cup, which Russia is hosting in June and July.

Russia is due to hold a presidential election on Sunday in which Vladimir Putin, himself a former KGB spy, is expected to coast to a fourth term in the Kremlin. He was first installed as Kremlin chief by Boris Yeltsin on the last day of 1999.

US President Donald Trump told May by telephone that Russia &quot;must provide unambiguous answers regarding how this chemical weapon, developed in Russia, came to be used in the United Kingdom,&quot; the White House said.

The White House said Trump and May &quot;agreed on the need for consequences for those who use these heinous weapons in flagrant violation of international norms.&quot;

A British readout of the conversation said, &quot;President Trump said the US was with the UK all the way.&quot;

May is expected to outline Britain&#39;s response in the British parliament on Wednesday after a meeting of Britain&#39;s National Security Council.

Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, were found slumped unconscious on a bench outside a shopping centre in the genteel southern English city of Salisbury on March 4. They have been in a critical condition in hospital ever since.

Scientists at Britain&#39;s military research laboratory at Porton Down identified the poison as a military-grade nerve agent from a group of chemicals known as Novichok, which was first developed in the Soviet Union in the 1970s and 1980s.

May said that either the Russian state had poisoned Skripal, a former officer with Russia&#39;s GRU military intelligence, or that Russia had somehow lost control of its chemical weapons. Putin said last year that it had destroyed its last stockpiles of such weapons.

A Russian chemist who helped develop the nerve agent said only the Russian government could have carried out the attack with such a deadly and advanced toxin.

Vil Mirzayanov, 83, said he had no doubt that Putin was responsible, given that Russia maintains tight control over its Novichok stockpile and that the agent is too complicated for a non-state actor to have weaponised.

&ldquo;The Kremlin all the time, like all criminals, denying - it doesn&rsquo;t mean anything,&rdquo; Mirzayanov said in an interview in his home in Princeton, New Jersey, where he has lived in exile for more than 20 years.

Skripal betrayed dozens of Russian agents to British intelligence before being arrested in Moscow and later jailed in 2006. He was released under a spy swap deal in 2010 and took refuge in Britain.

Since emerging from the John le Carre world of high espionage and betrayal, Skripal lived modestly in Salisbury and kept out of the spotlight until he was found unconscious on Sunday.

A British policeman who was also affected by the nerve agent is now conscious in a serious but stable condition.

May said Russia had shown a pattern of aggression including the annexation of Crimea and the murder of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko, who died in 2006 after drinking green tea laced with radioactive polonium-210.

A public inquiry found the killing of Litvinenko had probably been approved by Putin and carried out by two Russians, one of them a former KGB bodyguard who became a member of the Russian parliament. Both denied responsibility, as did Moscow.

Counter-terrorism officers began investigating the death of another Russian in Britain on Tuesday, although police said it was not thought to be linked to the attack on the Skripals.

Nikolai Glushkov, 68, who was an associate of late tycoon Boris Berezovsky, was found dead on Monday. Berezovsky was found dead in March 2013 with a scarf tied around his neck in the bathroom of his luxury mansion west of London.

Berezovsky&#39;s death, which police and forensic experts concluded was suicide although a coroner said he could not rule out foul play, is one of 14 deaths in Britain linked to the Russian state in recent years, which interior minister Amber Rudd said authorities would look at again.

The United States, European Union and NATO supported Britain after May said it was "highly likely" that Russia was behind the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter with Novichok, a nerve agent developed by the Soviet military

Britain braced for a showdown with Russia on Wednesday after a midnight deadline set by Prime Minister Theresa May expired without an explanation from Moscow about how a Soviet-era nerve toxin was used to strike down a former Russian double agent. The United States, European Union and NATO supported Britain after May said it was "highly likely" that Russia was behind the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter with Novichok, a nerve agent developed by the Soviet military. Russia, which denied any involvement, said it was not responding to May's ultimatum until it received samples of the nerve agent, effectively challenging Britain to show what sanctions it would impose against Russian interests. "Moscow will not respond to London’s ultimatum until it receives samples of the chemical substance," Russia's embassy in London said. "Any threat to take punitive measures against Russia will meet with a response." Britain could call on Western allies for a coordinated response, freeze the assets of Russian business leaders and officials, limit their access to London's financial centre, expel diplomats and even launch targeted cyber attacks. It may also cut back participation in the soccer World Cup, which Russia is hosting in June and July. Russia is due to hold a presidential election on Sunday in which Vladimir Putin, himself a former KGB spy, is expected to coast to a fourth term in the Kremlin. He was first installed as Kremlin chief by Boris Yeltsin on the last day of 1999. US President Donald Trump told May by telephone that Russia "must provide unambiguous answers regarding how this chemical weapon, developed in Russia, came to be used in the United Kingdom," the White House said. The White House said Trump and May "agreed on the need for consequences for those who use these heinous weapons in flagrant violation of international norms." A British readout of the conversation said, "President Trump said the US was with the UK all the way." May is expected to outline Britain's response in the British parliament on Wednesday after a meeting of Britain's National Security Council. Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, were found slumped unconscious on a bench outside a shopping centre in the genteel southern English city of Salisbury on March 4. They have been in a critical condition in hospital ever since. Scientists at Britain's military research laboratory at Porton Down identified the poison as a military-grade nerve agent from a group of chemicals known as Novichok, which was first developed in the Soviet Union in the 1970s and 1980s. May said that either the Russian state had poisoned Skripal, a former officer with Russia's GRU military intelligence, or that Russia had somehow lost control of its chemical weapons. Putin said last year that it had destroyed its last stockpiles of such weapons. A Russian chemist who helped develop the nerve agent said only the Russian government could have carried out the attack with such a deadly and advanced toxin. Vil Mirzayanov, 83, said he had no doubt that Putin was responsible, given that Russia maintains tight control over its Novichok stockpile and that the agent is too complicated for a non-state actor to have weaponised. “The Kremlin all the time, like all criminals, denying - it doesn’t mean anything,” Mirzayanov said in an interview in his home in Princeton, New Jersey, where he has lived in exile for more than 20 years. Skripal betrayed dozens of Russian agents to British intelligence before being arrested in Moscow and later jailed in 2006. He was released under a spy swap deal in 2010 and took refuge in Britain. Since emerging from the John le Carre world of high espionage and betrayal, Skripal lived modestly in Salisbury and kept out of the spotlight until he was found unconscious on Sunday. A British policeman who was also affected by the nerve agent is now conscious in a serious but stable condition. May said Russia had shown a pattern of aggression including the annexation of Crimea and the murder of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko, who died in 2006 after drinking green tea laced with radioactive polonium-210. A public inquiry found the killing of Litvinenko had probably been approved by Putin and carried out by two Russians, one of them a former KGB bodyguard who became a member of the Russian parliament. Both denied responsibility, as did Moscow. Counter-terrorism officers began investigating the death of another Russian in Britain on Tuesday, although police said it was not thought to be linked to the attack on the Skripals. Nikolai Glushkov, 68, who was an associate of late tycoon Boris Berezovsky, was found dead on Monday. Berezovsky was found dead in March 2013 with a scarf tied around his neck in the bathroom of his luxury mansion west of London. Berezovsky's death, which police and forensic experts concluded was suicide although a coroner said he could not rule out foul play, is one of 14 deaths in Britain linked to the Russian state in recent years, which interior minister Amber Rudd said authorities would look at again.

Britain and Russia brace for showdown as deadline expires for nerve attack explanation

Moscow on Wednesday called Britain&#39;s decision to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/britains-may-says-russia-responsible-for-attack-on-ex-spy-in-uk-35826" target="_blank">expel 23 Russian diplomats</a> over the poisoning of an ex-spy a sign that London was choosing confrontation with Russia, adding that retaliation would follow shortly.

&quot;The British government made a choice for confrontation with Russia,&quot; the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.&nbsp;

British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday expelled the diplomats and suspended high-level contacts with Russia after Moscow did not respond to her demand for an explanation on how a Soviet-designed nerve agent came to be used to attack former spy Sergei Skripal on British soil.

May said there was &quot;no alternative conclusion other than that the Russian state was culpable&quot; for the attack on Skripal and his daughter, who fell ill from exposure to a substance called Novichok in the city of Salisbury on March 4 and are currently in hospital.

The Russian ministry said May&#39;s statement was an &quot;unprecedentedly rude provocation which undermines the foundations of normal bilateral dialogue between our countries.&quot;

It accused London of pursuing a political agenda and choosing to &quot;aggravate relations,&quot; calling the announced measures &quot;hostile&quot;.

May also confirmed that neither members of the royal family nor ministers would attend the football World Cup in Russia this year.

&quot;Our response measures will not be tardy,&quot; the Russian foreign ministry said.

'The British government made a choice for confrontation with Russia,' the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement

Moscow on Wednesday called Britain's decision to expel 23 Russian diplomats over the poisoning of an ex-spy a sign that London was choosing confrontation with Russia, adding that retaliation would follow shortly. "The British government made a choice for confrontation with Russia," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday expelled the diplomats and suspended high-level contacts with Russia after Moscow did not respond to her demand for an explanation on how a Soviet-designed nerve agent came to be used to attack former spy Sergei Skripal on British soil. May said there was "no alternative conclusion other than that the Russian state was culpable" for the attack on Skripal and his daughter, who fell ill from exposure to a substance called Novichok in the city of Salisbury on March 4 and are currently in hospital. The Russian ministry said May's statement was an "unprecedentedly rude provocation which undermines the foundations of normal bilateral dialogue between our countries." It accused London of pursuing a political agenda and choosing to "aggravate relations," calling the announced measures "hostile". May also confirmed that neither members of the royal family nor ministers would attend the football World Cup in Russia this year. "Our response measures will not be tardy," the Russian foreign ministry said.

Moscow says will retaliate soon to Britain's expulsion of diplomats

Britain will respond appropriately if evidence shows Moscow was behind a nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy and his daughter in England, Prime Minister Theresa May said on Thursday.

Former double agent Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, have been in the hospital since they were found unconscious on Sunday on a bench outside a shopping centre in the quiet cathedral city of Salisbury.

&quot;We will do what is appropriate, we will do what is right if it is proved to be the case that this is state-sponsored,&quot; May told when asked whether Britain could expel the Russian ambassador.

&quot;But let`s give the police the time and space to actually conduct their investigation,&quot; she added, in her first comments on the attack since police said on Wednesday a nerve agent was used.&nbsp;

Government experts have identified the substance, which will help identify the source but have not made the information public.

&quot;Of course, if action needs to be taken, then the government will do that. We`ll do that properly, at the right time, and on the basis of the best evidence,&quot; May said.

Both victims remain unconscious, in a critical but stable condition, while police officer Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, who was also harmed by the substance, remains in a serious condition.

&quot;He`s well, he`s sat up. He`s not the Nick that I know but of course, he`s receiving a high level of treatment,&quot; said Kier Pritchard, head of Wiltshire Police, after visiting Bailey in a hospital intensive care unit.

&quot;He`s very anxious, he`s very concerned. He did his very best on that night.&quot;

A total of 21 people had been treated in hospital following the incident, Pritchard said.

In parliament, several lawmakers defied interior minister Amber Rudd`s plea to avoid speculation about who was responsible for the &quot;brazen and reckless act&quot;. Some called for investigations to be re-opened into the deaths of Russian exiles in Britain in recent years.&nbsp;

Rudd urged people to keep a cool head and focus on the Salisbury incident.

&quot;This was attempted murder in the most cruel and public way. We will respond in a robust and appropriate manner once we ascertain who was responsible,&quot; Rudd said.&nbsp;

&quot;We are committed to do all we can to bring the perpetrators to justice, whoever they are and wherever they may be.&quot;&nbsp;

Skripal betrayed dozens of Russian agents to British intelligence before his arrest in 2004. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2006, and in 2010 was given refuge in Britain after being exchanged for Russian spies.

The attack has been likened in Britain to the assassination of ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko, a critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who died in London in 2006 after drinking green tea laced with radioactive polonium-210.

A British public inquiry said Litvinenko`s murder had probably been approved by Putin and carried out by two Russians, Dmitry Kovtun and Andrei Lugovoy. Lugovoy is an ex-KGB bodyguard who later became a member of parliament.

Both denied responsibility and Russia has refused to extradite them.

Rudd denied that Britain`s response after Litvinenko`s murder had been too soft, effectively sending a message that such crimes could be carried out with impunity.&nbsp;

&quot;We are absolutely robust about any crime committed on these streets in the UK. There is nothing soft about the UK`s response to any sort of state activity in this country,&quot; she told BBC radio.

In Russia, some media took an almost jocular tone.

&quot;Do not choose England as your next country of residence, whether you are a professional traitor to your homeland, or you just hate your country in your free time,&quot; said Kirill Kleimenov, news anchor on Russia`s state-run Channel One, as he introduced an item about the story on the evening news bulletin.

&quot;Something`s not right there, maybe it`s the climate, but in the past few years, there have been a lot of strange occurrences there with a terrible outcome. People hang themselves, fall out of windows, are poisoned, or crash in helicopters in simply industrial quantities.&quot;

We will do what is appropriate, we will do what is right if it is proved to be the case that this is state-sponsored," May told

Britain will respond appropriately if evidence shows Moscow was behind a nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy and his daughter in England, Prime Minister Theresa May said on Thursday. Former double agent Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, have been in the hospital since they were found unconscious on Sunday on a bench outside a shopping centre in the quiet cathedral city of Salisbury. "We will do what is appropriate, we will do what is right if it is proved to be the case that this is state-sponsored," May told when asked whether Britain could expel the Russian ambassador. "But let`s give the police the time and space to actually conduct their investigation," she added, in her first comments on the attack since police said on Wednesday a nerve agent was used. Government experts have identified the substance, which will help identify the source but have not made the information public. "Of course, if action needs to be taken, then the government will do that. We`ll do that properly, at the right time, and on the basis of the best evidence," May said. Both victims remain unconscious, in a critical but stable condition, while police officer Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, who was also harmed by the substance, remains in a serious condition. "He`s well, he`s sat up. He`s not the Nick that I know but of course, he`s receiving a high level of treatment," said Kier Pritchard, head of Wiltshire Police, after visiting Bailey in a hospital intensive care unit. "He`s very anxious, he`s very concerned. He did his very best on that night." A total of 21 people had been treated in hospital following the incident, Pritchard said. In parliament, several lawmakers defied interior minister Amber Rudd`s plea to avoid speculation about who was responsible for the "brazen and reckless act". Some called for investigations to be re-opened into the deaths of Russian exiles in Britain in recent years. Rudd urged people to keep a cool head and focus on the Salisbury incident. "This was attempted murder in the most cruel and public way. We will respond in a robust and appropriate manner once we ascertain who was responsible," Rudd said. "We are committed to do all we can to bring the perpetrators to justice, whoever they are and wherever they may be." Skripal betrayed dozens of Russian agents to British intelligence before his arrest in 2004. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2006, and in 2010 was given refuge in Britain after being exchanged for Russian spies. The attack has been likened in Britain to the assassination of ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko, a critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who died in London in 2006 after drinking green tea laced with radioactive polonium-210. A British public inquiry said Litvinenko`s murder had probably been approved by Putin and carried out by two Russians, Dmitry Kovtun and Andrei Lugovoy. Lugovoy is an ex-KGB bodyguard who later became a member of parliament. Both denied responsibility and Russia has refused to extradite them. Rudd denied that Britain`s response after Litvinenko`s murder had been too soft, effectively sending a message that such crimes could be carried out with impunity. "We are absolutely robust about any crime committed on these streets in the UK. There is nothing soft about the UK`s response to any sort of state activity in this country," she told BBC radio. In Russia, some media took an almost jocular tone. "Do not choose England as your next country of residence, whether you are a professional traitor to your homeland, or you just hate your country in your free time," said Kirill Kleimenov, news anchor on Russia`s state-run Channel One, as he introduced an item about the story on the evening news bulletin. "Something`s not right there, maybe it`s the climate, but in the past few years, there have been a lot of strange occurrences there with a terrible outcome. People hang themselves, fall out of windows, are poisoned, or crash in helicopters in simply industrial quantities."

Britain will respond if Russia is proved to be behind nerve attack: PM May

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday he wanted France to supplant Britain as New Delhi&#39;s partner of choice in Europe, as he embarked on a four-day tour of India.

Macron, a pro-business centrist who swept to power last year, has been beating the drum for France as a new, modernised &quot;startup nation&quot; on the world stage, while he pushes ahead with a wide-ranging programme of reforms at home.

He has also used Britain&#39;s decision to leave the European Union to pitch France as an investment destination at the heart of the European single market.

&quot;Your historical partner in Europe was the UK, and I want France to become the new partner,&quot; Macron told&nbsp;media&nbsp;in an interview adding&nbsp;&quot;I want France to become the reference partner of the 21st century.&quot;

The 40-year-old president, who is travelling with a delegation of French companies that includes EDF,&nbsp; Dassault Aviation, Schneider Electric&nbsp;and Suez , will also inaugurate a solar plant built by Engie&nbsp;in Uttar Pradesh.

&quot;I think India has to operate much more with Europe and the European Union as a whole. I want France to be its entry point,&quot; Macron said.

&quot;I want your creativity, your entrepreneurship, your young people to be much more present in France. Much more known and recognised. And I want to see the same from the French side.&quot;

India was the third-largest source of foreign direct investment into Britain in 2015, contributing to its position as Europe&#39;s top destination for foreign direct investment, according to official British figures. By comparison, India was only the 30th largest investor in France, according to 2013 Bank of France figures.

Among recent wins for France is India&#39;s purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets from Dassault in 2016. It beat out the Eurofighter Typhoon, which is built by a European consortium that includes Britain&#39;s BAE Systems.

But talks to sell six new-generation EPR nuclear reactors built by state utility EDF and Areva have dragged on.

Macron, a pro-business centrist who swept to power last year, has been beating the drum for France as a new, modernised 'startup nation' on the world stage

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday he wanted France to supplant Britain as New Delhi's partner of choice in Europe, as he embarked on a four-day tour of India. Macron, a pro-business centrist who swept to power last year, has been beating the drum for France as a new, modernised "startup nation" on the world stage, while he pushes ahead with a wide-ranging programme of reforms at home. He has also used Britain's decision to leave the European Union to pitch France as an investment destination at the heart of the European single market. "Your historical partner in Europe was the UK, and I want France to become the new partner," Macron told media in an interview adding "I want France to become the reference partner of the 21st century." The 40-year-old president, who is travelling with a delegation of French companies that includes EDF, Dassault Aviation, Schneider Electric and Suez , will also inaugurate a solar plant built by Engie in Uttar Pradesh. "I think India has to operate much more with Europe and the European Union as a whole. I want France to be its entry point," Macron said. "I want your creativity, your entrepreneurship, your young people to be much more present in France. Much more known and recognised. And I want to see the same from the French side." India was the third-largest source of foreign direct investment into Britain in 2015, contributing to its position as Europe's top destination for foreign direct investment, according to official British figures. By comparison, India was only the 30th largest investor in France, according to 2013 Bank of France figures. Among recent wins for France is India's purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets from Dassault in 2016. It beat out the Eurofighter Typhoon, which is built by a European consortium that includes Britain's BAE Systems. But talks to sell six new-generation EPR nuclear reactors built by state utility EDF and Areva have dragged on.

Macron seeks to replace Britain as India's gateway to Europe

Britain threatened on Tuesday to pull out of the soccer World Cup in Russia if Moscow was shown to be behind the mysterious illness that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/ex-russian-spy-sergei-skripal-daughter-ill-after-exposure-to-unidentified-substance-in-britain-34897" target="_blank">struck down</a> a Russian former double agent convicted of betraying dozens of spies to British intelligence.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson named Sergei Skripal, once a colonel in Russia&#39;s GRU military intelligence service, and his daughter, Yulia, as the two people who were found unconscious on Sunday on a bench outside a shopping centre in southern England.

Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter were exposed to what police said was an unknown substance in the English city of Salisbury. Both are still critically ill in intensive care.

&quot;We don&#39;t know exactly what has taken place in Salisbury, but if it&#39;s as bad as it looks, it is another crime in the litany of crimes that we can lay at Russia&#39;s door,&quot; Johnson told the British parliament.

&quot;It is clear that Russia, I&#39;m afraid, is now in many respects a malign and disruptive force, and the UK is in the lead across the world in trying to counteract that activity.&quot;

If Moscow was shown to be behind Skripal&#39;s illness, Johnson said, it would be difficult to see how Britain could attend the World Cup in Russia in June and July.

England is the only British national team to have qualified for the tournament, which is held every four years.

A previous British inquiry said President Vladimir Putin probably approved the 2006 murder of ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko with radioactive polonium-210 in London. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied any involvement in Litvinenko&#39;s killing.

Litvinenko, 43, an outspoken critic of Putin who fled Russia for Britain six years before he was poisoned, died after drinking green tea laced with the rare and very potent radioactive isotope at London&rsquo;s Millennium Hotel.

It took some time for British doctors to discern the cause of Litvinenko&#39;s illness.

His murder sent Britain&#39;s relations with Russia to what was then a post-Cold War low. Relations suffered further from Russia&#39;s annexation of Crimea and military backing of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against rebels trying to topple him.

&nbsp;

RUSSIAN DOUBLE AGENT

While the British authorities said there was no known risk to the public from the unidentified substance, they sealed off the area where Skripal was found, a pizza restaurant called Zizzi and the Bishop&#39;s Mill pub in the centre of Salisbury.

Some investigators at one point wore yellow chemical suits, though most police at the scene did not.

Skripal, who passed the identity of dozens of spies to the MI6 foreign intelligence agency, was given refuge in Britain after he was exchanged in 2010 for Russian spies caught in the West as part of a Cold War-style spy swap at Vienna airport.

The Kremlin said it was ready to cooperate if Britain asked it for help investigating the incident with Skripal.

Calling it a &quot;tragic situation,&quot; Putin&#39;s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin had no information about the incident.

Asked to respond to British media speculation that Russia had poisoned Skripal, Peskov said: &quot;It didn&#39;t take them long.&quot;

Russia&#39;s embassy in London said the incident was being used to demonise Russia and that it was seriously concerned by British media reporting of the Skripal incident.

Russia&rsquo;s foreign spy service, known as the SVR, said it had no comment to make. Russia&rsquo;s foreign ministry, and the Russian counter-intelligence service, the FSB, did not immediately respond to questions submitted by Reuters about the case.

&nbsp;

FROM MOSCOW TO SALISBURY

Skripal was arrested in 2004 by Russia&#39;s Federal Security Service (FSB) on suspicion of betraying dozens of Russian agents to British intelligence. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2006 after a secret trial.

Skripal, who was shown wearing a track suit in a cage in court during the sentencing, had admitted betraying agents to MI6 in return for money, some of it paid into a Spanish bank account, Russian media said at the time.

But he was pardoned in 2010 by then-President Dmitry Medvedev as part of a swap to bring 10 Russian agents held in the United States back to Moscow.

The swap, one of the biggest since the Cold War ended in 1991, took place on the tarmac of Vienna airport where a Russian and a U.S. jet parked side by side before the agents were exchanged.

One of the Russian spies exchanged for Skripal was Anna Chapman. She was one of 10 who tried to blend into American society in an apparent bid to get close to power brokers and learn secrets. They were arrested by the FBI in 2010.

The returning spies were greeted as heroes in Moscow. Putin, himself a former KGB officer, sang patriotic songs with them.

Skripal, though, was cast as a traitor by Moscow. He is thought to have done serious damage to Russian spy networks in Britain and Europe.

The GRU spy service, created in 1918 under revolutionary leader Leon Trotsky, is controlled by the military general staff and reports directly to the president. It has spies spread across the world.

Since emerging from the John le Carre world of high espionage and betrayal, Skripal lived modestly in Salisbury and kept out of the spotlight until he was found unconscious on Sunday at 1615 GMT.

Wiltshire police said a small number of emergency services personnel were examined immediately after the incident and all but one had been released from hospital.

Skripal&#39;s wife died shortly after her arrival in Britain from &quot;disseminated endometrial carcinoma,&quot; the Guardian newspaper reported. His son died on a recent visit to Russia.

A white and yellow police forensics tent covered the bench where Skripal was taken ill.

The World Cup this year is being held in Russia

Britain threatened on Tuesday to pull out of the soccer World Cup in Russia if Moscow was shown to be behind the mysterious illness that struck down a Russian former double agent convicted of betraying dozens of spies to British intelligence. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson named Sergei Skripal, once a colonel in Russia's GRU military intelligence service, and his daughter, Yulia, as the two people who were found unconscious on Sunday on a bench outside a shopping centre in southern England. Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter were exposed to what police said was an unknown substance in the English city of Salisbury. Both are still critically ill in intensive care. "We don't know exactly what has taken place in Salisbury, but if it's as bad as it looks, it is another crime in the litany of crimes that we can lay at Russia's door," Johnson told the British parliament. "It is clear that Russia, I'm afraid, is now in many respects a malign and disruptive force, and the UK is in the lead across the world in trying to counteract that activity." If Moscow was shown to be behind Skripal's illness, Johnson said, it would be difficult to see how Britain could attend the World Cup in Russia in June and July. England is the only British national team to have qualified for the tournament, which is held every four years. A previous British inquiry said President Vladimir Putin probably approved the 2006 murder of ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko with radioactive polonium-210 in London. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied any involvement in Litvinenko's killing. Litvinenko, 43, an outspoken critic of Putin who fled Russia for Britain six years before he was poisoned, died after drinking green tea laced with the rare and very potent radioactive isotope at London’s Millennium Hotel. It took some time for British doctors to discern the cause of Litvinenko's illness. His murder sent Britain's relations with Russia to what was then a post-Cold War low. Relations suffered further from Russia's annexation of Crimea and military backing of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against rebels trying to topple him. RUSSIAN DOUBLE AGENT While the British authorities said there was no known risk to the public from the unidentified substance, they sealed off the area where Skripal was found, a pizza restaurant called Zizzi and the Bishop's Mill pub in the centre of Salisbury. Some investigators at one point wore yellow chemical suits, though most police at the scene did not. Skripal, who passed the identity of dozens of spies to the MI6 foreign intelligence agency, was given refuge in Britain after he was exchanged in 2010 for Russian spies caught in the West as part of a Cold War-style spy swap at Vienna airport. The Kremlin said it was ready to cooperate if Britain asked it for help investigating the incident with Skripal. Calling it a "tragic situation," Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin had no information about the incident. Asked to respond to British media speculation that Russia had poisoned Skripal, Peskov said: "It didn't take them long." Russia's embassy in London said the incident was being used to demonise Russia and that it was seriously concerned by British media reporting of the Skripal incident. Russia’s foreign spy service, known as the SVR, said it had no comment to make. Russia’s foreign ministry, and the Russian counter-intelligence service, the FSB, did not immediately respond to questions submitted by Reuters about the case. FROM MOSCOW TO SALISBURY Skripal was arrested in 2004 by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) on suspicion of betraying dozens of Russian agents to British intelligence. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2006 after a secret trial. Skripal, who was shown wearing a track suit in a cage in court during the sentencing, had admitted betraying agents to MI6 in return for money, some of it paid into a Spanish bank account, Russian media said at the time. But he was pardoned in 2010 by then-President Dmitry Medvedev as part of a swap to bring 10 Russian agents held in the United States back to Moscow. The swap, one of the biggest since the Cold War ended in 1991, took place on the tarmac of Vienna airport where a Russian and a U.S. jet parked side by side before the agents were exchanged. One of the Russian spies exchanged for Skripal was Anna Chapman. She was one of 10 who tried to blend into American society in an apparent bid to get close to power brokers and learn secrets. They were arrested by the FBI in 2010. The returning spies were greeted as heroes in Moscow. Putin, himself a former KGB officer, sang patriotic songs with them. Skripal, though, was cast as a traitor by Moscow. He is thought to have done serious damage to Russian spy networks in Britain and Europe. The GRU spy service, created in 1918 under revolutionary leader Leon Trotsky, is controlled by the military general staff and reports directly to the president. It has spies spread across the world. Since emerging from the John le Carre world of high espionage and betrayal, Skripal lived modestly in Salisbury and kept out of the spotlight until he was found unconscious on Sunday at 1615 GMT. Wiltshire police said a small number of emergency services personnel were examined immediately after the incident and all but one had been released from hospital. Skripal's wife died shortly after her arrival in Britain from "disseminated endometrial carcinoma," the Guardian newspaper reported. His son died on a recent visit to Russia. A white and yellow police forensics tent covered the bench where Skripal was taken ill.

England threatens to pull out of Football World Cup if Russia behind spy's mysterious illness

Coca Cola Co. has decided to stop all factory visits by students in Britain after facing backlash that highly sugary drinks cause obesity.&nbsp;

The soft drink company is scrapping free visits to the company&#39;s education centres, five of its factories and recycling centres. The programme included visits by over 500,000 children, reports said.&nbsp;

More than 100,000 children have taken up free trips to the drinks giant&rsquo;s education centres. It is also scrapping a national competition &mdash; the Real Business Challenge &mdash; for secondary schools that&nbsp;involved about 390,000 children.

Real Business Challenge is a national competition that aims to help students develop useful skills such as teamwork and problem-solving.

&quot;Although we took the difficult decision to close our education programme last summer, this decision was taken internally and was not in response to any external pressures relating to our business or our products,&quot; The Independent quoted a spokesman from CCEP as saying.

The spokesman further emphasised that the company remains committed to addressing the barriers that prevent young people from entering the workplace.

&quot;We are currently reviewing how we can continue our work with young people in ways that best support their needs in the communities in which we operate. We are proud of our education programme and the role it played in helping to improve the employability skills of many thousands of young people for more than a decade,&quot; said the Spokesman.

The spokesman also said that those visiting the Education Centers were only ever offered water or juices to drink, &quot;in line with the school food regulations&quot;.&nbsp;

The soda company is scrapping free visits to the company's education centres are five of its factories and recycling centres. The programme included visits by over 500,000 children, reports said

Coca Cola Co. has decided to stop all factory visits by students in Britain after facing backlash that highly sugary drinks cause obesity. The soft drink company is scrapping free visits to the company's education centres, five of its factories and recycling centres. The programme included visits by over 500,000 children, reports said. More than 100,000 children have taken up free trips to the drinks giant’s education centres. It is also scrapping a national competition — the Real Business Challenge — for secondary schools that involved about 390,000 children. Real Business Challenge is a national competition that aims to help students develop useful skills such as teamwork and problem-solving. "Although we took the difficult decision to close our education programme last summer, this decision was taken internally and was not in response to any external pressures relating to our business or our products," The Independent quoted a spokesman from CCEP as saying. The spokesman further emphasised that the company remains committed to addressing the barriers that prevent young people from entering the workplace. "We are currently reviewing how we can continue our work with young people in ways that best support their needs in the communities in which we operate. We are proud of our education programme and the role it played in helping to improve the employability skills of many thousands of young people for more than a decade," said the Spokesman. The spokesman also said that those visiting the Education Centers were only ever offered water or juices to drink, "in line with the school food regulations".

Coca Cola discontinues students factory visits amid obesity backlash in UK

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson warned on Tuesday that Britain would respond &quot;robustly&quot; if it emerged that a state was behind the &quot;disturbing&quot; collapse of a former Russian double agent in England.

Johnson confirmed to MPs that Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious on Sunday, adding: &quot;Should evidence emerge that implies state responsibility then Her Majesty&#39;s government will respond appropriately and robustly.&quot;

Johnson confirmed to MPs that Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson warned on Tuesday that Britain would respond "robustly" if it emerged that a state was behind the "disturbing" collapse of a former Russian double agent in England. Johnson confirmed to MPs that Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious on Sunday, adding: "Should evidence emerge that implies state responsibility then Her Majesty's government will respond appropriately and robustly."

UK says would respond 'robustly' if a state behind ex-spy collapse

European Union leaders staked out opposing positions on the size and aims of the bloc`s budget on Friday ahead of tough negotiations to deal with a hole in Brussels` finances created by Britain`s planned departure next year.

In the summit debate, all EU states except Britain are expected to say whether they agree to increase the 2021-2027 budget to pay for new common policies on security, defence, and migration, at a time when Brexit will slash revenues to the common pot by 10-12 billion euros ($12-15 billion) a year.

&quot;I think we want to have new priorities, new policies, future-oriented policies, and if we cannot reduce to the right extent old policies then countries have to pay more,&quot; European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on arrival.

The executive Commission wants the budget to increase to 1.1-1.2 per cent of EU gross national income from 1.0 per cent now. It has proposed covering the gap left by Brexit with a mix of spending cuts and new sources of revenue.

But the 27 countries that will remain in the EU when Britain leaves are deeply divided over the proposal and officials do not expect any agreement on Friday.

The Netherlands, Austria, Denmark, and Sweden - all of them net contributors to the budget - are most adamant in rejecting any increase in financing. All were allies of Britain in pushing through a cut in EU funding the last time the seven-year budget was set.

&quot;I think we are already paying quite a bit,&quot; Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told reporters before the summit. &quot;So no increase, modernise. Britain is leaving so that part needs to be removed from the budget.&quot;

Finland and Belgium sympathise with that view.&nbsp;

Conditionality

But the Commission`s call for more money is likely to get a sympathetic ear in Germany, already the biggest net contributor to the EU budget and prepared to pay even more. Italy and France, the next biggest net contributors, are also ready to increase payments, albeit with certain conditions.

The three biggest EU countries also want to link EU payments to poorer eastern European countries to their respecting the rule of law and European &quot;solidarity&quot; - diplomatic jargon for sharing the burden of accepting migrants.

&nbsp;Poland, Hungary and others have resisted pressure to take in refugees from the Middle East or Africa, angering Germany, Italy and Sweden who have to deal with the bulk of the inflows alone.

The richer EU countries are also worried that nationalist-minded governments in Poland, Hungary and Romania do not respect the rule of law and EU values, undermining the independence of the judiciary and fundamental rights.

The Commission has opened a formal procedure against Poland to examine whether it is complying with its own constitution.

&quot;It is quite obvious that we need some conditionality,&quot; Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told reporters when asked if EU money from the next budget should be linked to observing the rule of law and accepting migrants.

&quot;If you are a member of the European Union you are a full member, which comes with rights and obligations.&quot;

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, whose country is the biggest beneficiary of EU funds, said: &quot;We want (policies) that have so far worked well for Poland... to be continued.&quot; 
&nbsp;

European Union leaders staked out opposing positions on the size and aims of the bloc`s budget on Friday ahead of tough negotiations to deal with a hole in Brussels` finances created by Britain`s planned departure next year

European Union leaders staked out opposing positions on the size and aims of the bloc`s budget on Friday ahead of tough negotiations to deal with a hole in Brussels` finances created by Britain`s planned departure next year. In the summit debate, all EU states except Britain are expected to say whether they agree to increase the 2021-2027 budget to pay for new common policies on security, defence, and migration, at a time when Brexit will slash revenues to the common pot by 10-12 billion euros ($12-15 billion) a year. "I think we want to have new priorities, new policies, future-oriented policies, and if we cannot reduce to the right extent old policies then countries have to pay more," European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on arrival. The executive Commission wants the budget to increase to 1.1-1.2 per cent of EU gross national income from 1.0 per cent now. It has proposed covering the gap left by Brexit with a mix of spending cuts and new sources of revenue. But the 27 countries that will remain in the EU when Britain leaves are deeply divided over the proposal and officials do not expect any agreement on Friday. The Netherlands, Austria, Denmark, and Sweden - all of them net contributors to the budget - are most adamant in rejecting any increase in financing. All were allies of Britain in pushing through a cut in EU funding the last time the seven-year budget was set. "I think we are already paying quite a bit," Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told reporters before the summit. "So no increase, modernise. Britain is leaving so that part needs to be removed from the budget." Finland and Belgium sympathise with that view. Conditionality But the Commission`s call for more money is likely to get a sympathetic ear in Germany, already the biggest net contributor to the EU budget and prepared to pay even more. Italy and France, the next biggest net contributors, are also ready to increase payments, albeit with certain conditions. The three biggest EU countries also want to link EU payments to poorer eastern European countries to their respecting the rule of law and European "solidarity" - diplomatic jargon for sharing the burden of accepting migrants. Poland, Hungary and others have resisted pressure to take in refugees from the Middle East or Africa, angering Germany, Italy and Sweden who have to deal with the bulk of the inflows alone. The richer EU countries are also worried that nationalist-minded governments in Poland, Hungary and Romania do not respect the rule of law and EU values, undermining the independence of the judiciary and fundamental rights. The Commission has opened a formal procedure against Poland to examine whether it is complying with its own constitution. "It is quite obvious that we need some conditionality," Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told reporters when asked if EU money from the next budget should be linked to observing the rule of law and accepting migrants. "If you are a member of the European Union you are a full member, which comes with rights and obligations." Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, whose country is the biggest beneficiary of EU funds, said: "We want (policies) that have so far worked well for Poland... to be continued."

EU leaders prepare for battle over post-Brexit budget

Fastfood chain KFC said on Monday (February 19) it had been forced to close hundreds of its British stores because of a shortage of chicken.

The problem arose at the weekend after the chain switched its delivery contract to DHL, forcing the majority of its 900 outlets in Britain to shut.

&quot;We&#39;ve brought a new delivery partner onboard, but they&#39;ve had a couple of teething problems - getting fresh chicken out to 900 restaurants across the country is pretty complex,&quot; KFC said on its website.

&quot;We won&#39;t compromise on quality, so no deliveries has meant some of our restaurants are closed, and others are operating a limited menu, or shortened hours.&quot;

DHL blamed the delivery delays on &quot;operational issues&quot;.

&quot;We are working with KFC and our partners to rectify the situation as a priority and apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused,&quot; a spokeswoman said.

The problem arose at the weekend after the chain switched its delivery contract to DHL, forcing the majority of its 900 outlets in Britain to shut

Fastfood chain KFC said on Monday (February 19) it had been forced to close hundreds of its British stores because of a shortage of chicken. The problem arose at the weekend after the chain switched its delivery contract to DHL, forcing the majority of its 900 outlets in Britain to shut. "We've brought a new delivery partner onboard, but they've had a couple of teething problems - getting fresh chicken out to 900 restaurants across the country is pretty complex," KFC said on its website. "We won't compromise on quality, so no deliveries has meant some of our restaurants are closed, and others are operating a limited menu, or shortened hours." DHL blamed the delivery delays on "operational issues". "We are working with KFC and our partners to rectify the situation as a priority and apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused," a spokeswoman said.

KFC closes most of its UK stores due to chicken shortage

Students at British universities could be charged variable tuition rates that reflect the economic value of their degrees, Minister for Education Damian Hinds said on Sunday, before the launch of a review of higher education funding.

University tuition fees in England are high compared with elsewhere in Europe at around 9,000 pounds ($12,640) a year, and the opposition Labour Party gained support from students in last year&#39;s election with a pledge to abolish fees in the future.

Hinds defended tuition fees in principle on Sunday, saying they divided the cost of university education between the taxpayer and the student, but he wanted to see more variety in the way higher education is funded.

&quot;What we need to look at is the different aspects of pricing, so the cost to put on the course, the value it is to the student and also the value to our society as a whole and to our economy for the future,&quot; he told BBC&#39;s Andrew Marr show.

The Sunday Times said the government expected to see cuts in the fees for social science and arts courses which are cheaper for universities to provide.

Hinds told the newspaper that almost all institutions were charging the same maximum amount for almost all courses and indicated he wanted to see more choice on price.

&quot;Some have higher returns to the student than others,&quot; he said.

&quot;It&#39;s right that we now ask questions about how the system operates. I would like to see options available which have different costs.&quot;

He said the review, due to be launched on Monday, would also look at the interest rate charged on student loans, used to fund tuition fees and living costs for students.

Earlier on Sunday, a parliamentary committee said the government should cut the interest rate it charges on loans to English students, and statisticians should review why the cost of hefty write-offs barely figures in official borrowing data.

Student loans taken out since 2012 charge a variable interest rate that is 3 percentage points higher than the prevailing rate of retail price inflation, taking the current interest rate to 6.1 percent.

The British parliament&#39;s Treasury Committee said the use of RPI as a benchmark was unfair, and the 3 percentage point premium introduced in 2012, was hard to justify.

&quot;The government must reconsider the use of high interest rates on student loans,&quot; Nicky Morgan, the Conservative chair of the cross-party committee, said.

University tuition fees in England are high compared with elsewhere in Europe

Students at British universities could be charged variable tuition rates that reflect the economic value of their degrees, Minister for Education Damian Hinds said on Sunday, before the launch of a review of higher education funding. University tuition fees in England are high compared with elsewhere in Europe at around 9,000 pounds ($12,640) a year, and the opposition Labour Party gained support from students in last year's election with a pledge to abolish fees in the future. Hinds defended tuition fees in principle on Sunday, saying they divided the cost of university education between the taxpayer and the student, but he wanted to see more variety in the way higher education is funded. "What we need to look at is the different aspects of pricing, so the cost to put on the course, the value it is to the student and also the value to our society as a whole and to our economy for the future," he told BBC's Andrew Marr show. The Sunday Times said the government expected to see cuts in the fees for social science and arts courses which are cheaper for universities to provide. Hinds told the newspaper that almost all institutions were charging the same maximum amount for almost all courses and indicated he wanted to see more choice on price. "Some have higher returns to the student than others," he said. "It's right that we now ask questions about how the system operates. I would like to see options available which have different costs." He said the review, due to be launched on Monday, would also look at the interest rate charged on student loans, used to fund tuition fees and living costs for students. Earlier on Sunday, a parliamentary committee said the government should cut the interest rate it charges on loans to English students, and statisticians should review why the cost of hefty write-offs barely figures in official borrowing data. Student loans taken out since 2012 charge a variable interest rate that is 3 percentage points higher than the prevailing rate of retail price inflation, taking the current interest rate to 6.1 percent. The British parliament's Treasury Committee said the use of RPI as a benchmark was unfair, and the 3 percentage point premium introduced in 2012, was hard to justify. "The government must reconsider the use of high interest rates on student loans," Nicky Morgan, the Conservative chair of the cross-party committee, said.

British universities may charge variable tuition fees that reflect 'economic value' of degrees

Haiti`s president said on Friday that sexual misconduct by staff of British charity Oxfam was only the tip of an &quot;iceberg&quot; and called for investigations into Doctors Without Borders and other aid organizations which came to the country after its 2010 earthquake.

&quot;The Oxfam case is the visible part of the iceberg,&quot; President Jovenel Moise said in a phone interview with Reuters on Friday. &quot;It is not only Oxfam, there are other NGOs (non-governmental organizations) in the same situation, but they hide the information internally.&quot;

The scandal has already shaken the aid sector, with Britain and the European Union reviewing Oxfam&rsquo;s funding.

Oxfam, one of the world`s biggest disaster relief charities, apologised this week for unspecified sexual misconduct uncovered in a 2011 internal investigation. It has neither confirmed nor denied a recent Times of London report that some of its staff paid for sex with prostitutes.

&quot;There should be an investigation into other organizations that have been working here since 2010,&quot; said Moise. &quot;For example, Doctors Without Borders had to repatriate about 17 people for misconduct which was not explained,&quot; he added.

It was not clear what cases Moise was referring to.

Geneva-based Doctors Without Borders, known as Medecins Sans Frontieres in non-English speaking countries, is looking into Moise`s comments and welcomes scrutiny on the aid sector, said spokeswoman Analia Lorenzo. She added that the organization had zero tolerance of sexual misconduct.&nbsp;

On Wednesday, Doctors Without Borders, which sends medical staff around the world to regions stricken with war and disease, said it had dealt with 24 cases of sexual harassment or abuse among its 40,000 staff last year, and dismissed 19 people as a result. It did not provide details of where the harassment or abuse took place, who was dismissed or whether the complaints were also registered with local law enforcement.

`MISTAKES`&nbsp;

Roland Van Hauwermeiren, the former Oxfam official at the center of the sex abuse scandal, said on Thursday he made mistakes by having a sexual relationship with the sister of a recipient of aid when working in Haiti but denied paying for sex with prostitutes or abusing minors.

In an open letter to a broadcaster in his native Belgium, he said he feared that Oxfam, other aid workers and those they help would suffer from false accusations.

&quot;We call on the Belgian and UK government to assume their responsibility, and we call on the whole international community to help make sure those guilty of such misconduct are punished, whether they are Belgian or of another nationality,&quot; Moise said. &quot;The dignity of the Haitian people has been trampled on.&quot;

Haitian Justice Minister Heidi Fortune told Reuters on Wednesday he had asked Belgium for help in starting legal action against Van Hauwermeiren. He did not say which laws he believed were broken. 
Belgium`s Justice Ministry said on Thursday it had received no such request and prosecutors said they were not aware of any investigation into Van Hauwermeiren. Belgium does not extradite its citizens to countries outside the European Union.

Prostitution is a crime in Haiti, but it was not clear what other crimes the Oxfam officials may have committed.

He called for investigations into Doctors Without Borders

Haiti`s president said on Friday that sexual misconduct by staff of British charity Oxfam was only the tip of an "iceberg" and called for investigations into Doctors Without Borders and other aid organizations which came to the country after its 2010 earthquake. "The Oxfam case is the visible part of the iceberg," President Jovenel Moise said in a phone interview with Reuters on Friday. "It is not only Oxfam, there are other NGOs (non-governmental organizations) in the same situation, but they hide the information internally." The scandal has already shaken the aid sector, with Britain and the European Union reviewing Oxfam’s funding. Oxfam, one of the world`s biggest disaster relief charities, apologised this week for unspecified sexual misconduct uncovered in a 2011 internal investigation. It has neither confirmed nor denied a recent Times of London report that some of its staff paid for sex with prostitutes. "There should be an investigation into other organizations that have been working here since 2010," said Moise. "For example, Doctors Without Borders had to repatriate about 17 people for misconduct which was not explained," he added. It was not clear what cases Moise was referring to. Geneva-based Doctors Without Borders, known as Medecins Sans Frontieres in non-English speaking countries, is looking into Moise`s comments and welcomes scrutiny on the aid sector, said spokeswoman Analia Lorenzo. She added that the organization had zero tolerance of sexual misconduct. On Wednesday, Doctors Without Borders, which sends medical staff around the world to regions stricken with war and disease, said it had dealt with 24 cases of sexual harassment or abuse among its 40,000 staff last year, and dismissed 19 people as a result. It did not provide details of where the harassment or abuse took place, who was dismissed or whether the complaints were also registered with local law enforcement. `MISTAKES` Roland Van Hauwermeiren, the former Oxfam official at the center of the sex abuse scandal, said on Thursday he made mistakes by having a sexual relationship with the sister of a recipient of aid when working in Haiti but denied paying for sex with prostitutes or abusing minors. In an open letter to a broadcaster in his native Belgium, he said he feared that Oxfam, other aid workers and those they help would suffer from false accusations. "We call on the Belgian and UK government to assume their responsibility, and we call on the whole international community to help make sure those guilty of such misconduct are punished, whether they are Belgian or of another nationality," Moise said. "The dignity of the Haitian people has been trampled on." Haitian Justice Minister Heidi Fortune told Reuters on Wednesday he had asked Belgium for help in starting legal action against Van Hauwermeiren. He did not say which laws he believed were broken. Belgium`s Justice Ministry said on Thursday it had received no such request and prosecutors said they were not aware of any investigation into Van Hauwermeiren. Belgium does not extradite its citizens to countries outside the European Union. Prostitution is a crime in Haiti, but it was not clear what other crimes the Oxfam officials may have committed.

Haiti president says many aid organizations hid misconduct

Britain and the European Union should resolve trade and other issues related to Britain`s exit from the bloc separately from discussions about a security pact with the UK, European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said on Saturday.

&quot;We need a security alliance between the UK and the EU, but we can`t mix that question up with other questions relating to Brexit,&quot; Juncker told the annual Munich Security Conference.

&quot;I wouldn`t like to put security policy considerations with trade policy considerations in one hat. I understand why some would like to do that, but we don`t want to,&quot; he said.

&nbsp;

Britain and the European Union should resolve trade and other issues related to Britain`s exit from the bloc separately from discussions about a security pact with the UK, European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said on Saturday

Britain and the European Union should resolve trade and other issues related to Britain`s exit from the bloc separately from discussions about a security pact with the UK, European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said on Saturday. "We need a security alliance between the UK and the EU, but we can`t mix that question up with other questions relating to Brexit," Juncker told the annual Munich Security Conference. "I wouldn`t like to put security policy considerations with trade policy considerations in one hat. I understand why some would like to do that, but we don`t want to," he said.

Don't tangle up Brexit, security issues, EU tells UK

British Prime Minister Theresa May travels to Berlin on Friday to meet German leader Angela Merkel, hoping to overcome near-deadlock in her attempts to negotiate a Brexit deal with the European Union.

German officials say they are frustrated with Britain&#39;s lack of clarity about what it wants after the split, including what new customs regime it wants and how closely it will stay aligned to the EU&#39;s rules for goods and services.

Earlier this week, Germany called on Britain to offer more &quot;concrete&quot; plans.

While Britain&#39;s politicians are consumed by Brexit, Germany is more preoccupied by the struggle to form the new government. Merkel is struggling to coax the Social Democrats to join her conservatives in a renewed &quot;grand coalition&quot;.

German officials have said there is no reason to expect Berlin to change its stance on Brexit when a new coalition government is finally formed.

The future of the euro zone and the governance reforms proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron are seen as more pressing items for Germany than Brexit. May will be the third European prime minister Merkel receives on Friday.

German officials believe that a failure to reach a deal with London before Britain&#39;s formal departure from the EU in March 2019 will have far more serious consequences for Britain than for the rest of the bloc.

Meanwhile, May&#39;s Conservative government remains split over what sort of relationship Britain should have with the EU.

Eurosceptics in her party, such as her foreign minister Boris Johnson, are putting pressure on May to move Britain away from EU rules. Others, including finance minister Philip Hammond, favour as little disruption as possible.

May is under growing pressure to agree a transition deal with the EU by the end of next month to reassure businesses worried that Britain could leave the bloc without a deal next year.

After Berlin, May will travel to a security conference in Munich on Saturday where she will give a speech on future security cooperation between Britain and the EU.

The British government, which has the largest defence budget among EU countries, hopes that offering to keep some of its security arrangements with the bloc will help it win concessions on future trading relations.

A Downing Street source said May would discuss security issues with Merkel on Friday.

German officials say they are frustrated with Britain's lack of clarity about what it wants after the split, including what new customs regime it wants and how closely it will stay aligned to the EU's rules for goods and services

British Prime Minister Theresa May travels to Berlin on Friday to meet German leader Angela Merkel, hoping to overcome near-deadlock in her attempts to negotiate a Brexit deal with the European Union. German officials say they are frustrated with Britain's lack of clarity about what it wants after the split, including what new customs regime it wants and how closely it will stay aligned to the EU's rules for goods and services. Earlier this week, Germany called on Britain to offer more "concrete" plans. While Britain's politicians are consumed by Brexit, Germany is more preoccupied by the struggle to form the new government. Merkel is struggling to coax the Social Democrats to join her conservatives in a renewed "grand coalition". German officials have said there is no reason to expect Berlin to change its stance on Brexit when a new coalition government is finally formed. The future of the euro zone and the governance reforms proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron are seen as more pressing items for Germany than Brexit. May will be the third European prime minister Merkel receives on Friday. German officials believe that a failure to reach a deal with London before Britain's formal departure from the EU in March 2019 will have far more serious consequences for Britain than for the rest of the bloc. Meanwhile, May's Conservative government remains split over what sort of relationship Britain should have with the EU. Eurosceptics in her party, such as her foreign minister Boris Johnson, are putting pressure on May to move Britain away from EU rules. Others, including finance minister Philip Hammond, favour as little disruption as possible. May is under growing pressure to agree a transition deal with the EU by the end of next month to reassure businesses worried that Britain could leave the bloc without a deal next year. After Berlin, May will travel to a security conference in Munich on Saturday where she will give a speech on future security cooperation between Britain and the EU. The British government, which has the largest defence budget among EU countries, hopes that offering to keep some of its security arrangements with the bloc will help it win concessions on future trading relations. A Downing Street source said May would discuss security issues with Merkel on Friday.

UK PM Theresa May heads to Berlin to face tough German line on Brexit

In 1984, a small boy was born into a Bengali family staying in Walthamstow, London. His name was Siddharth Dhar. Young Siddharth joined his family business but didn&#39;t stick to it for long.&nbsp;

Circumstances changed, and young Siddharth came in touch with some hardliner Islamic preachers. The interaction soon resulted in his conversion to Islam. Siddharth Dhar got a new name: Saiful Islam.&nbsp;

It is hard to tell now whether Saiful&#39;s belief in radical ideology inspired him to convert or the other way round. Unfortunately, soon after the drift towards violence was evident. Soon Siddharth married a lady called Aisha who herself was associated with some hardliner Islamic organisations.&nbsp;

Saiful Islam, when not engaged in the business of was seen in various agitations and protests against what he felt to be injustices committed against Muslims in the world. He started posting his videos online and kept looking for likeminded radical Islamic people outside mosques after every Friday prayer.&nbsp;

He said in one of his YouTube videos, &ldquo;The Caliphate is a dream for all the Muslims world wide&rdquo;. He also quipped, &nbsp;&ldquo;We can Finally have a sanctuary where we can practice our religion and live under Sharia law&rdquo;.

Not only this, he sometimes appeared on BBC&rsquo;s Sunday Morning Live religious programs and expressed his hardliner views openly. He said, &quot;Now that we have this caliphate I think you&#39;ll see many Muslims globally seeing it as an opportunity for the Koran to be realised.&quot;&nbsp;

Also, &quot;As a Muslim, I would like to see the UK governed by the Sharia. It is far superior to democracy. I don&#39;t really identify myself with British values. I am Muslim first, second and last.&quot;

&nbsp;In 2014, when Siddharth was 30-year-old and a father of 4 kids, he was caught six times by the London Police for being associated with terror activities but every time he was released on bail. After he was released on bail for the sixth time, Siddharth Dhar Aka Saiful Islam left Britain with the family. After few weeks, he surfaced in Syria when he released a photo of him with his fourth newborn child and an assault rifle. Even then few could guess that this smiling boy is going to become one of the most dreaded Islamic State terrorists in the world, and will be renamed as Aby Rumysah by the leaders of ISIS.&nbsp;

Since then, he has been making a mockery of the world by criticising them. His videos on YouTube are common and today the world knows him by many names: New Jihadi John, Aby Rumysah, Abu Dhar, Saiful Islam. He is the public face and official spokesperson of a little known Islamic Group called &ldquo;Al-Muhajiroun&rdquo; who was earlier UK-based but pledged its alliance to ISIS and currently have safe heavens in Lahore, Pakistan.&nbsp;

He published a detailed travel guide prospective followers of ISIS &nbsp;in 2015 in which he said, &quot;If you thought London or New York was cosmopolitan, then wait until you step foot in the Islamic State because it screams diversity. In my short time here, I have met people from absolutely every walk of life, proof that the caliphate&#39;s pulling power is strong and tenacious.&quot;

He is one of the rare breeds of terrorists who openly explained his views on Islamic Radicalism, Sharia, Sex Slavery and many other issues of ISIS.&nbsp;

Saiful Islam is believed to have replaced another terrorist Mohammad Emwazi or Jihadi John after he was killed in a drone strike. Ironically, Mohammad Emwazi was also a British Citizen.

The question arises as to who is responsible for the conversion of a normal decent human being into such a dreaded terrorist. Certainly, the country where he was born and bought up and the authorities should be blamed. The circumstances under which he was released on bail and under which he could sneak out of the country raises a serious question over the security arrangement of a country which is called as one of the superpowers of the world. His tweet after he reached Syria reflects the same.&nbsp;

Saiful tweeted: 
&ldquo;What a shoddy&nbsp;security&nbsp;system&nbsp;Britain&nbsp;must have to allow me to breeze through Europe to ISIS,&rdquo;

Imagine a person being arrested six times for anti-national activities, getting released every time on bail and, finally, can sneak out of the country along with wife and four kids successfully to join ISIS. This is a clear failure on the part of Britain.&nbsp;

A report said that there were about 1200-1500 British citizens who sneaked out of the country and joined ISIS in the past 5-6 years alone which is more than 10 times of India which has just 132 confirmed cases.

For a country which has about 28 Lakh Muslims, such large number of ISIS recruitments only reflect the inefficiency of the country&rsquo;s security system.&nbsp;

Britain has no option except to immediately curb the rise of Islamic radicalism in their country and strengthen the security measures. ISIS is on a verge of collapse but Islamic Radicalism is not and there are high chances that some other organisation may replace the Daesh. The names will only change but the terrorists will remain the same.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;&nbsp;

In 2016, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond admitted that there were about 1200 British citizens who sneaked out of the country and joined ISIS in the past 5-6 years alone which is more than 10 times of India which has just 132 confirmed cases.

In 1984, a small boy was born into a Bengali family staying in Walthamstow, London. His name was Siddharth Dhar. Young Siddharth joined his family business but didn't stick to it for long. Circumstances changed, and young Siddharth came in touch with some hardliner Islamic preachers. The interaction soon resulted in his conversion to Islam. Siddharth Dhar got a new name: Saiful Islam. It is hard to tell now whether Saiful's belief in radical ideology inspired him to convert or the other way round. Unfortunately, soon after the drift towards violence was evident. Soon Siddharth married a lady called Aisha who herself was associated with some hardliner Islamic organisations. Saiful Islam, when not engaged in the business of was seen in various agitations and protests against what he felt to be injustices committed against Muslims in the world. He started posting his videos online and kept looking for likeminded radical Islamic people outside mosques after every Friday prayer. He said in one of his YouTube videos, “The Caliphate is a dream for all the Muslims world wide”. He also quipped, “We can Finally have a sanctuary where we can practice our religion and live under Sharia law”. Not only this, he sometimes appeared on BBC’s Sunday Morning Live religious programs and expressed his hardliner views openly. He said, "Now that we have this caliphate I think you'll see many Muslims globally seeing it as an opportunity for the Koran to be realised." Also, "As a Muslim, I would like to see the UK governed by the Sharia. It is far superior to democracy. I don't really identify myself with British values. I am Muslim first, second and last." In 2014, when Siddharth was 30-year-old and a father of 4 kids, he was caught six times by the London Police for being associated with terror activities but every time he was released on bail. After he was released on bail for the sixth time, Siddharth Dhar Aka Saiful Islam left Britain with the family. After few weeks, he surfaced in Syria when he released a photo of him with his fourth newborn child and an assault rifle. Even then few could guess that this smiling boy is going to become one of the most dreaded Islamic State terrorists in the world, and will be renamed as Aby Rumysah by the leaders of ISIS. Since then, he has been making a mockery of the world by criticising them. His videos on YouTube are common and today the world knows him by many names: New Jihadi John, Aby Rumysah, Abu Dhar, Saiful Islam. He is the public face and official spokesperson of a little known Islamic Group called “Al-Muhajiroun” who was earlier UK-based but pledged its alliance to ISIS and currently have safe heavens in Lahore, Pakistan. He published a detailed travel guide prospective followers of ISIS in 2015 in which he said, "If you thought London or New York was cosmopolitan, then wait until you step foot in the Islamic State because it screams diversity. In my short time here, I have met people from absolutely every walk of life, proof that the caliphate's pulling power is strong and tenacious." He is one of the rare breeds of terrorists who openly explained his views on Islamic Radicalism, Sharia, Sex Slavery and many other issues of ISIS. Saiful Islam is believed to have replaced another terrorist Mohammad Emwazi or Jihadi John after he was killed in a drone strike. Ironically, Mohammad Emwazi was also a British Citizen. The question arises as to who is responsible for the conversion of a normal decent human being into such a dreaded terrorist. Certainly, the country where he was born and bought up and the authorities should be blamed. The circumstances under which he was released on bail and under which he could sneak out of the country raises a serious question over the security arrangement of a country which is called as one of the superpowers of the world. His tweet after he reached Syria reflects the same. Saiful tweeted: “What a shoddy security system Britain must have to allow me to breeze through Europe to ISIS,” Imagine a person being arrested six times for anti-national activities, getting released every time on bail and, finally, can sneak out of the country along with wife and four kids successfully to join ISIS. This is a clear failure on the part of Britain. A report said that there were about 1200-1500 British citizens who sneaked out of the country and joined ISIS in the past 5-6 years alone which is more than 10 times of India which has just 132 confirmed cases. For a country which has about 28 Lakh Muslims, such large number of ISIS recruitments only reflect the inefficiency of the country’s security system. Britain has no option except to immediately curb the rise of Islamic radicalism in their country and strengthen the security measures. ISIS is on a verge of collapse but Islamic Radicalism is not and there are high chances that some other organisation may replace the Daesh. The names will only change but the terrorists will remain the same. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: What made 'New Jihadi John' a global terrorist

The United Nations Security Council is considering demanding a 30-day ceasefire in Syria to allow the delivery of aid and the evacuation of sick and wounded, diplomats said on Friday, although the measure is likely to be resisted by Russia.

A resolution, drafted by Sweden and Kuwait, was circulated to the 15-member council on Friday. It needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes by Russia, China, the United States, Britain or France.

The United Nations called on Tuesday for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Syria for at least a month, a call that was backed by the U.S. State Department on Thursday

However, Russian UN&nbsp;Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said on Thursday: &quot;That&#39;s not realistic. We would like to see a ceasefire, the end of the war in Syria, but the terrorists, I&#39;m not sure they are in agreement.&quot;

Syrian ally Russia has cast 11 vetoes on possible Security Council action on Syria since the civil war began in 2011, shielding Syrian President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s government.

The draft U.N. resolution, seen by Reuters, also &quot;calls upon all parties to immediately lift the sieges of populated areas, including in Eastern Ghouta, Yarmouk, Foua and Kefraya.&quot;

Council diplomats were expected to discuss the text on Monday. It was not immediately clear when or if Sweden and Kuwait would put the draft resolution to a vote.

Diplomacy is making no progress toward ending a war, now approaching its eighth year, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people and forced half the pre-war Syrian population of 23 million from their homes. Millions have been forced out as refugees.

A resolution, drafted by Sweden and Kuwait, was circulated to the 15-member council on Friday. It needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes by Russia, China, the United States, Britain or France.

The United Nations Security Council is considering demanding a 30-day ceasefire in Syria to allow the delivery of aid and the evacuation of sick and wounded, diplomats said on Friday, although the measure is likely to be resisted by Russia. A resolution, drafted by Sweden and Kuwait, was circulated to the 15-member council on Friday. It needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes by Russia, China, the United States, Britain or France. The United Nations called on Tuesday for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Syria for at least a month, a call that was backed by the U.S. State Department on Thursday However, Russian UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said on Thursday: "That's not realistic. We would like to see a ceasefire, the end of the war in Syria, but the terrorists, I'm not sure they are in agreement." Syrian ally Russia has cast 11 vetoes on possible Security Council action on Syria since the civil war began in 2011, shielding Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government. The draft U.N. resolution, seen by Reuters, also "calls upon all parties to immediately lift the sieges of populated areas, including in Eastern Ghouta, Yarmouk, Foua and Kefraya." Council diplomats were expected to discuss the text on Monday. It was not immediately clear when or if Sweden and Kuwait would put the draft resolution to a vote. Diplomacy is making no progress toward ending a war, now approaching its eighth year, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people and forced half the pre-war Syrian population of 23 million from their homes. Millions have been forced out as refugees.

UN Security Council considers demand for 30-day Syria ceasefire

A new World Cup event featuring eight leading athletics nations and intended to attract a wider audience to the sport will take place in London this year, British Athletics said on Monday.

Britain and the United States will compete along with South Africa, Poland, France, China, Germany and Jamaica in the inaugural World Cup from July 14-15 at London Stadium, venue for the 2012 Olympic athletics events and last year&#39;s world championships.

&quot;This is one of the exciting innovative events we are seeing in our sport and our thanks go to British Athletics and the Mayor of London for creating it and hosting it,&quot; International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) President Sebastian Coe said in a statement.

&quot;We have 8 lanes, 8 top nations, 8 teams and a host of world class athletes lining up in each event to win the trophy and prize pot. This will be a fast-paced and exhilarating experience for athletes and fans.&quot;

One male and one female athlete from each nation will be selected for every field event and each track race up to 1500 metres, with the total prize pot set at $2 million over two evening sessions.

UK Athletics Chairman Richard Bowker said the World Cup event was an extension of the original idea to host a competition between Britain and the U.S.

Because other countries were keen to become involved an eight-country format was devised to extend the sport&#39;s reach to a new audience.

&quot;The two sessions will be in the evening, under lights with straight finals. There will be no heats or rounds so it should be even more exciting,&quot; he said, adding that it might become more than a one-off.

&quot;We hope this can become a major event. The best way to do that is to ensure the success of his first edition,&quot; he said.

Bowker defended the timing, which was criticised by British athlete Kelly Sotherton on social media for clashing with soccer&#39;s World Cup final and Wimbledon tennis finals.

&quot;We were obviously aware of the dates,&quot; said Bowker, pointing out that organisers were constrained by the stadium sharing arrangement with Premier League soccer club West Ham United.

&quot;There is limited availability. We know the World Cup Final happens in the afternoon, UK time, so we would say that everyone can come along afterwards. What a fantastic weekend of sport that will be.&quot;

Britain and the United States will compete along with South Africa, Poland, France, China, Germany and Jamaica in the inaugural World Cup from July 14-15 at London Stadium

A new World Cup event featuring eight leading athletics nations and intended to attract a wider audience to the sport will take place in London this year, British Athletics said on Monday. Britain and the United States will compete along with South Africa, Poland, France, China, Germany and Jamaica in the inaugural World Cup from July 14-15 at London Stadium, venue for the 2012 Olympic athletics events and last year's world championships. "This is one of the exciting innovative events we are seeing in our sport and our thanks go to British Athletics and the Mayor of London for creating it and hosting it," International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) President Sebastian Coe said in a statement. "We have 8 lanes, 8 top nations, 8 teams and a host of world class athletes lining up in each event to win the trophy and prize pot. This will be a fast-paced and exhilarating experience for athletes and fans." One male and one female athlete from each nation will be selected for every field event and each track race up to 1500 metres, with the total prize pot set at $2 million over two evening sessions. UK Athletics Chairman Richard Bowker said the World Cup event was an extension of the original idea to host a competition between Britain and the U.S. Because other countries were keen to become involved an eight-country format was devised to extend the sport's reach to a new audience. "The two sessions will be in the evening, under lights with straight finals. There will be no heats or rounds so it should be even more exciting," he said, adding that it might become more than a one-off. "We hope this can become a major event. The best way to do that is to ensure the success of his first edition," he said. Bowker defended the timing, which was criticised by British athlete Kelly Sotherton on social media for clashing with soccer's World Cup final and Wimbledon tennis finals. "We were obviously aware of the dates," said Bowker, pointing out that organisers were constrained by the stadium sharing arrangement with Premier League soccer club West Ham United. "There is limited availability. We know the World Cup Final happens in the afternoon, UK time, so we would say that everyone can come along afterwards. What a fantastic weekend of sport that will be."

London to host inaugural eight-nation Athletics World Cup

Prime Minister Theresa May has warned that European citizens arriving in Britain after Brexit next year may lose some rights, setting up a clash with the European Union over their treatment during any transition period.

Curbing immigration was a key reason why Britons voted to leave the EU in 2016, following a large influx of EU citizens, especially from poorer countries in eastern Europe.

The European Union has warned Britain that it must accept all decisions of the trading bloc and that its citizens should be able to secure full residence rights during the two-year transition period after it leaves the bloc.

But May has suggested EU citizens coming to Britain after March next year will be treated differently.

&quot;People who had come to the UK when we were a member of the EU had set up certain expectations - they made a life choice and set up a certain expectation,&quot; May told reporters on her way to China.

&quot;I&#39;m clear there`s a difference between those people who came prior to us leaving and those who will come when they know the UK is no longer a member of the EU.&quot;

This is one potential obstacle Britain and the EU will need to resolve to reach a transitional deal, which will give the two sides time to prepare for the far-reaching impact of the end of 46 years of union.

Many Brexit backers are voicing concern that the referendum result may be betrayed with the plan to change little of the current relationship immediately after Britain formally leaves on March 29, 2019.

But May dismissed some of those concerns.

&quot;They did not vote for nothing to change when we come out of the EU,&quot; she said. &quot;What we`re doing now is doing the job that the British people asked the government to do which is to deliver on Brexit.&quot;

&nbsp;

Theresa May has warned that European citizens arriving in Britain after Brexit next year may lose some rights

Prime Minister Theresa May has warned that European citizens arriving in Britain after Brexit next year may lose some rights, setting up a clash with the European Union over their treatment during any transition period. Curbing immigration was a key reason why Britons voted to leave the EU in 2016, following a large influx of EU citizens, especially from poorer countries in eastern Europe. The European Union has warned Britain that it must accept all decisions of the trading bloc and that its citizens should be able to secure full residence rights during the two-year transition period after it leaves the bloc. But May has suggested EU citizens coming to Britain after March next year will be treated differently. "People who had come to the UK when we were a member of the EU had set up certain expectations - they made a life choice and set up a certain expectation," May told reporters on her way to China. "I'm clear there`s a difference between those people who came prior to us leaving and those who will come when they know the UK is no longer a member of the EU." This is one potential obstacle Britain and the EU will need to resolve to reach a transitional deal, which will give the two sides time to prepare for the far-reaching impact of the end of 46 years of union. Many Brexit backers are voicing concern that the referendum result may be betrayed with the plan to change little of the current relationship immediately after Britain formally leaves on March 29, 2019. But May dismissed some of those concerns. "They did not vote for nothing to change when we come out of the EU," she said. "What we`re doing now is doing the job that the British people asked the government to do which is to deliver on Brexit."

UK and EU set for clash over citizens' rights during transition

The anti-jewish sentiment is generally becoming more commonplace in Britain, a charity that provides security advice to the country&#39;s Jewish communities said on Thursday.

The Community Security Trust (CST) said better recording and publicity around alleged anti-Jewish sentiment in the opposition Labour Party was partly to blame for a record number of anti-Semitic incidents in Britain last year but also warned it reflected a general rise in anti-Semitism.

&quot;Hatred is rising and Jewish people are suffering as a result,&quot; said David Delew, chief executive of the CST, which helps protect Britain`s estimated 270,000 Jews.

&quot;It appears that the factors that led to a general, sustained high level of antisemitic incidents in 2016 have continued throughout much of 2017.&quot;

There were 1,382 anti-Semitic incidents nationwide in 2017, a 3 percent increase from the year before which had been the previous highest annual number recorded by the CST since it began its monitoring programme in 1984.

There was a 34 percent rise in the number of violent anti-Semitic assaults to 145 but most incidents related to verbal abuse of Jews in public who were identifiable from their religious clothing, school uniform or jewellery.

The CST said a fall in the number of incidents involving social media might have reflected a better response by tech firms to tackle online hate speech along with action by police to deal with prolific offenders.

While it said victims were more aware of the need to record incidents, it added it was likely there was still significant under-reporting and that the real level of anti-Semitism was much higher.

&quot;We have the support of government and police but prosecutions need to be more visible and frequent; while too many others act in ways that encourage anti-Semites and isolate Jews,&quot; Delew said.

Previous spikes in anti-Semitism have been blamed on incidents and conflicts involving Israel. However, the CST said there was nothing to explain the rise seen in the last two years, indicating anti-Jewish sentiment was generally becoming more commonplace.

The charity said an increase in the hate crime following the 2016 referendum to leave the European Union and controversies surrounding Labour might have emboldened offenders.

Labour has often been accused of having a problem with anti-Semitism within its ranks, particularly since socialist Jeremy Corbyn became a leader in 2015, and Britain`s Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis has said the party had failed to show it was sufficiently serious about tackling the problem.

&quot;The findings of this report are extremely concerning, and emphasise just how important it is that we all make a conscious effort to call out and confront anti-Semitism,&quot; said Andrew Gwynne, Labour`s spokesman on Communities.

&nbsp;

There was a 34 percent rise in the number of violent anti-Semitic assaults to 145 but most incidents related to verbal abuse of Jews in public who were identifiable from their religious clothing, school uniform or jewellery

The anti-jewish sentiment is generally becoming more commonplace in Britain, a charity that provides security advice to the country's Jewish communities said on Thursday. The Community Security Trust (CST) said better recording and publicity around alleged anti-Jewish sentiment in the opposition Labour Party was partly to blame for a record number of anti-Semitic incidents in Britain last year but also warned it reflected a general rise in anti-Semitism. "Hatred is rising and Jewish people are suffering as a result," said David Delew, chief executive of the CST, which helps protect Britain`s estimated 270,000 Jews. "It appears that the factors that led to a general, sustained high level of antisemitic incidents in 2016 have continued throughout much of 2017." There were 1,382 anti-Semitic incidents nationwide in 2017, a 3 percent increase from the year before which had been the previous highest annual number recorded by the CST since it began its monitoring programme in 1984. There was a 34 percent rise in the number of violent anti-Semitic assaults to 145 but most incidents related to verbal abuse of Jews in public who were identifiable from their religious clothing, school uniform or jewellery. The CST said a fall in the number of incidents involving social media might have reflected a better response by tech firms to tackle online hate speech along with action by police to deal with prolific offenders. While it said victims were more aware of the need to record incidents, it added it was likely there was still significant under-reporting and that the real level of anti-Semitism was much higher. "We have the support of government and police but prosecutions need to be more visible and frequent; while too many others act in ways that encourage anti-Semites and isolate Jews," Delew said. Previous spikes in anti-Semitism have been blamed on incidents and conflicts involving Israel. However, the CST said there was nothing to explain the rise seen in the last two years, indicating anti-Jewish sentiment was generally becoming more commonplace. The charity said an increase in the hate crime following the 2016 referendum to leave the European Union and controversies surrounding Labour might have emboldened offenders. Labour has often been accused of having a problem with anti-Semitism within its ranks, particularly since socialist Jeremy Corbyn became a leader in 2015, and Britain`s Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis has said the party had failed to show it was sufficiently serious about tackling the problem. "The findings of this report are extremely concerning, and emphasise just how important it is that we all make a conscious effort to call out and confront anti-Semitism," said Andrew Gwynne, Labour`s spokesman on Communities.

Anti-Jewish sentiment 'becoming more common in Britain'

British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday defied critics calling for her to resign, saying she was not a quitter and that she has a long-term job to do: delivering Brexit and domestic reform.

May has come under fire in recent days from several factions within her own party. She has been accused by eurosceptics of watering down Brexit, by pro-EU lawmakers of risking Britain`s economy, and by others who say her domestic agenda is too timid.

&quot;I&#39;ve said to you before, I`m not a quitter and there is a long-term job to be done,&quot; she told reporters on her way to China for a trade visit when asked about the recent criticism of her leadership and reports of a potential attempt to oust her.

&quot;That job is about getting the best Brexit deal, about ensuring that we take back control of our money, our laws, our borders, that we can sign trade deals around the rest of the world. But it is also about our domestic agenda.&quot;

The leadership question dominated a briefing with journalists on board a Royal Air Force jet to China where she will meet President Xi Jinping, with an eye on securing better access to Chinese markets and an eventual free trade deal.

Media reports have said the number of `no confidence&#39;&nbsp;letters submitted by lawmakers from May&#39;s own party is nearing the threshold which would trigger a leadership contest. The committee which holds the letters does not comment on the actual number.

May&#39;s future as leader of the ruling Conservative Party has been subject to heightened speculation after she gambled on a snap election last year which went badly wrong and cost her party its majority in parliament.

During a similar trade-focused visit to Japan, last year May first used the &quot;I&#39;m not a quitter&quot; phrase, vowing to fight the next British election as leader in 2022.

Since then the pressure has been amplified by gaffes, scandals, and a growing concern among some that constant infighting over Brexit was drowning out attempts to win back the voters the party lost at the 2017 election.

Responding to one of more than 10 questions about her leadership during a 25-minute briefing, May defended her record by singling out housing, education and employment rates as areas where her government has made progress.

But, she acknowledged a need to make sure the messages are better heard by voters and her own party.

&quot;Are you asking me is there more for us to do, talk to people about, more generally about what we are achieving and what we are doing? ... Yes,&quot; she said.

&quot;There is always more for us to be able to do to talk to people about what we&#39;re achieving.&quot;

May has come under fire in recent days from several factions within her own party

British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday defied critics calling for her to resign, saying she was not a quitter and that she has a long-term job to do: delivering Brexit and domestic reform. May has come under fire in recent days from several factions within her own party. She has been accused by eurosceptics of watering down Brexit, by pro-EU lawmakers of risking Britain`s economy, and by others who say her domestic agenda is too timid. "I've said to you before, I`m not a quitter and there is a long-term job to be done," she told reporters on her way to China for a trade visit when asked about the recent criticism of her leadership and reports of a potential attempt to oust her. "That job is about getting the best Brexit deal, about ensuring that we take back control of our money, our laws, our borders, that we can sign trade deals around the rest of the world. But it is also about our domestic agenda." The leadership question dominated a briefing with journalists on board a Royal Air Force jet to China where she will meet President Xi Jinping, with an eye on securing better access to Chinese markets and an eventual free trade deal. Media reports have said the number of `no confidence' letters submitted by lawmakers from May's own party is nearing the threshold which would trigger a leadership contest. The committee which holds the letters does not comment on the actual number. May's future as leader of the ruling Conservative Party has been subject to heightened speculation after she gambled on a snap election last year which went badly wrong and cost her party its majority in parliament. During a similar trade-focused visit to Japan, last year May first used the "I'm not a quitter" phrase, vowing to fight the next British election as leader in 2022. Since then the pressure has been amplified by gaffes, scandals, and a growing concern among some that constant infighting over Brexit was drowning out attempts to win back the voters the party lost at the 2017 election. Responding to one of more than 10 questions about her leadership during a 25-minute briefing, May defended her record by singling out housing, education and employment rates as areas where her government has made progress. But, she acknowledged a need to make sure the messages are better heard by voters and her own party. "Are you asking me is there more for us to do, talk to people about, more generally about what we are achieving and what we are doing? ... Yes," she said. "There is always more for us to be able to do to talk to people about what we're achieving."

I'm not a quitter, says UK's May as leadership questions stack up

Ahead of British PM Theresa May&#39;s visit, China&#39;s foreign ministry said the Belt and Road initiative (OBOR) has &quot;huge potential&quot;&nbsp;and &quot;broad prospects for China and Britain.&quot;

May will be visiting China on Wednesday at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. May&#39;s three-day visit is likely to touch on several trade issues.

&quot;The British government and Prime Minister May expressed their support of the Belt and Road Initiative several times. They sent British Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond as a special envoy to the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held in Beijing in May last year,&quot; China&#39;s foreign affairs spokesman said.

China&#39;s OBOR project also known as the new silk road is aimed at connecting trade routes through road and rail from Asia to Europe.

&quot;The Belt and Road is a major area where China and Britain can display each other&#39;s advantages in cooperation and realize mutual benefit and win-win,&quot; the spokesman added.

The OBOR project is a major foreign initiative headed by President Xi which is also enshrined in the Chinese constitution. Several countries including Pakistan, Maldives, and Nepal have already signed-up to the agreement with China keen to enlist Afghanistan.

India has opposed the project as it says some routes pass through the disputed region in Kashmir.

In May last year, China had held a high-profile event in Beijing to advertise the OBOR project with leaders of several countries at the event including Russian president Putin, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Managing director of IMF Christine Lagarde, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim among others.

China's OBOR project also known as the new silk road is aimed at connecting trade routes through road and rail from Asia to Europe

Ahead of British PM Theresa May's visit, China's foreign ministry said the Belt and Road initiative (OBOR) has "huge potential" and "broad prospects for China and Britain." May will be visiting China on Wednesday at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. May's three-day visit is likely to touch on several trade issues. "The British government and Prime Minister May expressed their support of the Belt and Road Initiative several times. They sent British Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond as a special envoy to the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held in Beijing in May last year," China's foreign affairs spokesman said. China's OBOR project also known as the new silk road is aimed at connecting trade routes through road and rail from Asia to Europe. "The Belt and Road is a major area where China and Britain can display each other's advantages in cooperation and realize mutual benefit and win-win," the spokesman added. The OBOR project is a major foreign initiative headed by President Xi which is also enshrined in the Chinese constitution. Several countries including Pakistan, Maldives, and Nepal have already signed-up to the agreement with China keen to enlist Afghanistan. India has opposed the project as it says some routes pass through the disputed region in Kashmir. In May last year, China had held a high-profile event in Beijing to advertise the OBOR project with leaders of several countries at the event including Russian president Putin, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Managing director of IMF Christine Lagarde, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim among others.

China pushes OBOR project ahead of British PM Theresa May's visit

Armed robbers have raided the house of a British virtual currency trader, forcing him to transfer Bitcoins after tying up his wife and threatening him with a gun, British media reported on Monday.

The robbery happened on January 22 at the couple&#39;s home in the village of Moulsford in southeast England, according to the Daily Mail, which said the cryptocurrency crime was the first of its kind.

Four robbers wearing balaclavas broke into the house of Danny Aston, 30, and his wife Amy Jay, 31.

A Thames Valley Police spokesman quoted by the Daily Telegraph said only that police were investigating an &quot;aggravated burglary&quot; in Moulsford last week and that the occupants of the house had been &quot;threatened&quot;.

According to company registry records, Aston and Jay are directors of Aston Digital Currencies, which specialises in managing virtual currency portfolios.

The company was created in June 2017 at a time when Bitcoin was trading at around 2,500 euros.

It has since risen sharply to a peak of 16,323 euros on December 17 before falling back below 10,000 euros.

No arrests have been made but the reports said that Aston may have been targeted because of his high profile in the cryptocurrency community.

Using a pseudonym, Aston has carried out more than 100,000 transactions with 16,375 partners.

Some of them referred to him online using his real name, which may have led robbers directly to him.

Bitcoin is a virtual currency created from computer code that allows anonymous transactions. Unlike a real-world unit such as the US dollar or euro, it has no central bank and is not backed by any government.

Armed robbers have raided the house of a British virtual currency trader, forcing him to transfer Bitcoins after tying up his wife and threatening him with a gun, British media reported on Monday

Armed robbers have raided the house of a British virtual currency trader, forcing him to transfer Bitcoins after tying up his wife and threatening him with a gun, British media reported on Monday. The robbery happened on January 22 at the couple's home in the village of Moulsford in southeast England, according to the Daily Mail, which said the cryptocurrency crime was the first of its kind. Four robbers wearing balaclavas broke into the house of Danny Aston, 30, and his wife Amy Jay, 31. A Thames Valley Police spokesman quoted by the Daily Telegraph said only that police were investigating an "aggravated burglary" in Moulsford last week and that the occupants of the house had been "threatened". According to company registry records, Aston and Jay are directors of Aston Digital Currencies, which specialises in managing virtual currency portfolios. The company was created in June 2017 at a time when Bitcoin was trading at around 2,500 euros. It has since risen sharply to a peak of 16,323 euros on December 17 before falling back below 10,000 euros. No arrests have been made but the reports said that Aston may have been targeted because of his high profile in the cryptocurrency community. Using a pseudonym, Aston has carried out more than 100,000 transactions with 16,375 partners. Some of them referred to him online using his real name, which may have led robbers directly to him. Bitcoin is a virtual currency created from computer code that allows anonymous transactions. Unlike a real-world unit such as the US dollar or euro, it has no central bank and is not backed by any government.

Britain sees first Bitcoin armed robbery: Reports

britain

Britain, News on Britain, stories on Britain, articles on Britain, Britain stories at Wion, Britain news, Britain latest news