Britain on Tuesday accused Russia of calling a meeting of the world`s chemical weapons watchdog as a "diversionary tactic" to undermine an investigation into the poisoning of a former Russian spy in England.

"This Russian initiative is yet again another diversionary tactic, intended to undermine the work of the OPCW in reaching a conclusion," Britain`s foreign ministry said in a statement.

'This Russian initiative is yet again another diversionary tactic, intended to undermine the work of the OPCW in reaching a conclusion,' Britain's foreign ministry said in a statement.

Britain on Tuesday accused Russia of calling a meeting of the world`s chemical weapons watchdog as a "diversionary tactic" to undermine an investigation into the poisoning of a former Russian spy in England. "This Russian initiative is yet again another diversionary tactic, intended to undermine the work of the OPCW in reaching a conclusion," Britain`s foreign ministry said in a statement.

UK accuses Russia of using arms watchdog meeting as 'diversionary tactic'

Russian diplomats expelled from the United States arrived in Moscow today, with post-Cold War tensions soaring in the wake of a nerve agent attack on a former spy in Britain.

A deepening crisis in ties between Russia and the West over the past weeks has seen the biggest wave of tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions in recent memory.

Another salvo in the spat was fired on Saturday, when Russia warned its nationals to think twice before travelling to Britain, where it said they could be singled out for harassment.

By expelling 60 Russian diplomats, the US joined a score of Britain's allies in responding to the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the English city of Salisbury on March 4.

Britain has said it is "highly likely" that Russia was responsible for the attack using the Soviet-designed Novichok nerve agent, while Moscow calls the allegations unsubstantiated anti-Russian propoganda.

Two planes arrived at Moscow's Vnukovo airport on Sunday, bringing home a total of 171 people -- the 60 diplomats and their families -- from Washington and New York.

Russian television showed passengers disembarking from a government plane while several buses waited to pick them up.

The US alleged the 60 diplomats were "spies" and sent them home from posts around the country and at the Russian mission to the United Nations, as well as closing Russia's consulate in Seattle.

Moscow responded by sending home 60 US diplomats and closing Washington's consulate in Saint Petersburg on Saturday.

Washington has since said Russia is free to apply to accredit more diplomats to replace those expelled.

More than 150 Russian diplomats have now been ordered out of the US, EU members, NATO countries and other nations.

Four of those diplomats were sent home from Germany, whose foreign minister said Sunday that his country remained open to dialogue and hoped eventually to "rebuild trust" with Moscow.

While admitting Russia's behaviour had "caused a lot of trust to be lost", Heiko Maas said "we need Russia as a partner".

The US embassy in Moscow also took a more conciliatory tone, saying on Twitter that "the consulate is closed but our work to improve Russian-US ties is continuing".

US President Donald Trump has often appeared reluctant to criticise Russian leader Vladimir Putin and has said the two could meet for a summit in the near future.

However the furious diplomatic war between Russia and Britain showed no sign of abating as Moscow's embassy in London urged Russians to think carefully before travelling to the UK or sending children to summer school there.

The embassy warned that British authorities including police could single out Russians for additional checks, citing "the anti-Russian policies and an escalation of the British side's threatening rhetoric".

The Russian embassy even urged fans of football team CSKA Moscow flying to London for Thursday's Europa match with Arsenal to exercise "extra vigilance" because of Britain's "anti-Russian campaign".

Britain has acknowledged that border officials searched an incoming Aeroflot flight from Moscow on Friday in what Russia blasted as an act of "blatant provocation".

But Britain said it conducts routine checks on aircraft to protect the UK from organised crime and people attempting to bring harmful substances into the country.

Moscow summoned British ambassador Laurie Bristow on Friday, giving London a month to cut the number of diplomatic staff in Russia to the same number Russia has in Britain.

"Russia suggested parity. The British side has more than 50 more people," foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told AFP.

The measure came after Russia expelled 23 British diplomats, closed a British consulate in Saint Petersburg and halted the activities of the British Council educational and cultural organisation last month.

Bristow was summoned by Moscow along with the heads of missions from 23 other countries -- most of them EU member states -- who were told that some of their diplomats had to leave.

One of those countries was Australia, which on Sunday warned its citizens in Russia of the risk of "anti-Western sentiment or harassment".

However the travel advisory said the government was not aware of "any increased difficulties for Australians travelling in Russia at this time".

Russia also expelled diplomats from countries including France, Canada, Poland, Australia, Ukraine, the Netherlands, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Finland, Lithuania and Norway.

A deepening crisis in ties between Russia and the West over the past weeks has seen the biggest wave of tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions in recent memory

Russian diplomats expelled from the United States arrived in Moscow today, with post-Cold War tensions soaring in the wake of a nerve agent attack on a former spy in Britain. A deepening crisis in ties between Russia and the West over the past weeks has seen the biggest wave of tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions in recent memory. Another salvo in the spat was fired on Saturday, when Russia warned its nationals to think twice before travelling to Britain, where it said they could be singled out for harassment. By expelling 60 Russian diplomats, the US joined a score of Britain's allies in responding to the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the English city of Salisbury on March 4. Britain has said it is "highly likely" that Russia was responsible for the attack using the Soviet-designed Novichok nerve agent, while Moscow calls the allegations unsubstantiated anti-Russian propoganda. Two planes arrived at Moscow's Vnukovo airport on Sunday, bringing home a total of 171 people -- the 60 diplomats and their families -- from Washington and New York. Russian television showed passengers disembarking from a government plane while several buses waited to pick them up. The US alleged the 60 diplomats were "spies" and sent them home from posts around the country and at the Russian mission to the United Nations, as well as closing Russia's consulate in Seattle. Moscow responded by sending home 60 US diplomats and closing Washington's consulate in Saint Petersburg on Saturday. Washington has since said Russia is free to apply to accredit more diplomats to replace those expelled. More than 150 Russian diplomats have now been ordered out of the US, EU members, NATO countries and other nations. Four of those diplomats were sent home from Germany, whose foreign minister said Sunday that his country remained open to dialogue and hoped eventually to "rebuild trust" with Moscow. While admitting Russia's behaviour had "caused a lot of trust to be lost", Heiko Maas said "we need Russia as a partner". The US embassy in Moscow also took a more conciliatory tone, saying on Twitter that "the consulate is closed but our work to improve Russian-US ties is continuing". US President Donald Trump has often appeared reluctant to criticise Russian leader Vladimir Putin and has said the two could meet for a summit in the near future. However the furious diplomatic war between Russia and Britain showed no sign of abating as Moscow's embassy in London urged Russians to think carefully before travelling to the UK or sending children to summer school there. The embassy warned that British authorities including police could single out Russians for additional checks, citing "the anti-Russian policies and an escalation of the British side's threatening rhetoric". The Russian embassy even urged fans of football team CSKA Moscow flying to London for Thursday's Europa match with Arsenal to exercise "extra vigilance" because of Britain's "anti-Russian campaign". Britain has acknowledged that border officials searched an incoming Aeroflot flight from Moscow on Friday in what Russia blasted as an act of "blatant provocation". But Britain said it conducts routine checks on aircraft to protect the UK from organised crime and people attempting to bring harmful substances into the country. Moscow summoned British ambassador Laurie Bristow on Friday, giving London a month to cut the number of diplomatic staff in Russia to the same number Russia has in Britain. "Russia suggested parity. The British side has more than 50 more people," foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told AFP. The measure came after Russia expelled 23 British diplomats, closed a British consulate in Saint Petersburg and halted the activities of the British Council educational and cultural organisation last month. Bristow was summoned by Moscow along with the heads of missions from 23 other countries -- most of them EU member states -- who were told that some of their diplomats had to leave. One of those countries was Australia, which on Sunday warned its citizens in Russia of the risk of "anti-Western sentiment or harassment". However the travel advisory said the government was not aware of "any increased difficulties for Australians travelling in Russia at this time". Russia also expelled diplomats from countries including France, Canada, Poland, Australia, Ukraine, the Netherlands, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Finland, Lithuania and Norway.

Expelled Russians arrive home as Moscow warns against travel to UK

Moscow has told Britain it must cut just over 50 more of its diplomatic and technical staff in Russia as a standoff deepened over the poisoning of a Russian former spy and his daughter in England, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

Moscow also demanded an official explanation for the search of a Russian passenger plane in London, saying it reserved the right to act similarly against British airlines in Russia. Britain said the search was routine.&nbsp

Russia advised its citizens to think carefully before travelling to Britain, warning they could fall victim to official harassment.&nbsp

More than 100 Russian diplomats have been expelled by Western countries, including 23 from Britain, to punish the Kremlin over the March 4 attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the historic English city of Salisbury.&nbsp

London says Moscow was responsible for the first known use of a military-grade nerve agent on European soil since World War Two, and Britain's defence minister on Saturday said it was "heartening" to see the backing of international allies.&nbsp

"The world's patience with Putin's repeated pattern of malign behaviour has worn thin," Gavin Williamson wrote in a newspaper column, urging that Britain's defence capabilities needed to keep better step with Russia's broadening tactics.&nbsp

Russia denies responsibility for the attack. It has cast the allegations as a Western plot to sabotage East-West relations and isolate Moscow.

Russia had already retaliated in kind by ejecting 23 British diplomats. On Friday, the Foreign Ministry summoned British Ambassador Laurie Bristow and told him London had one month to further cut its diplomatic contingent in Russia to the same size as the Russian mission in Britain. It also expelled 59 diplomats from 23 other countries for backing Britain.&nbsp

A spokeswoman for Britain's Foreign Office called the Russian move regrettable, and said it was considering the implications of the measures. She did not say how many diplomatic staff in Russia would be affected, while the British Embassy in Moscow says it does not make staff numbers public.&nbsp

But Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the demand meant Britain would have to cut "a little over 50" more of its diplomatic and technical staff in Russia on top of the 23 diplomats who have already gone home.&nbsp

"We asked for parity. The Brits have 50 diplomats more than the Russians," Zakharova said on Saturday.

Asked if that meant London would now have to cut exactly 50 diplomatic and technical staff, she said: "A little over 50."

Russian travel warning

The Russian Foreign Ministry later published a list of 14 questions its London embassy had sent Britain's Foreign Office. It included queries about why Russia had been denied consular access to the Skripals and about France's role in the case.

In a move underlining the serious nature of the diplomatic crisis, the Russian Embassy also advised Russians to think twice before travelling to Britain, warning of rising anti-Russian sentiment and possible harassment from the authorities, including the risk of objects being planted in their luggage.

"We can't rule out increased attention by British law enforcement agencies and intelligence services to Russian passport holders," the embassy said in a statement.&nbsp

Russia's Ministry of Transport meanwhile demanded Britain explain an Aeroflot airliner was searched at Heathrow Airport on Friday, in what the Russian Embassy in London called a "blatant provocation".

Britain disagreed with that assessment.&nbsp

"It is routine for (Britain's border agency) to search aircraft to protect the UK from organised crime and from those who attempt to bring harmful substances like drugs or firearms into the country," Security Minister Ben Wallace said.

The Russian Embassy said Wallace's logic was "difficult to comprehend" and only amplified its doubts about the incident.&nbsp

Britain's Foreign Office also said on Saturday it was considering allowing visits under consular access terms to Yulia Skripal, who is recovering in hospital against all expectations and is no longer in critical condition.

Russia's embassy said that it had contacted Viktoria Skripal, Yulia's cousin. "Upon receiving confirmation that Yulia Skripal's condition is getting better and she is able to communicate, she said she would like to go to London and to visit her cousin," the embassy said.

The BBC reported on Friday that Yulia was "conscious and talking," which may help the investigation of how she and her father were poisoned.

The poisoning on British territory has united much of the West in taking action against what it regards as the hostile policies of President Vladimir Putin. This includes the United States under President Donald Trump, whom Putin had hoped would improve ties.

Russia advised its citizens to think carefully before travelling to Britain, warning they could fall victim to official harassment

Moscow has told Britain it must cut just over 50 more of its diplomatic and technical staff in Russia as a standoff deepened over the poisoning of a Russian former spy and his daughter in England, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday. Moscow also demanded an official explanation for the search of a Russian passenger plane in London, saying it reserved the right to act similarly against British airlines in Russia. Britain said the search was routine. Russia advised its citizens to think carefully before travelling to Britain, warning they could fall victim to official harassment. More than 100 Russian diplomats have been expelled by Western countries, including 23 from Britain, to punish the Kremlin over the March 4 attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the historic English city of Salisbury. London says Moscow was responsible for the first known use of a military-grade nerve agent on European soil since World War Two, and Britain's defence minister on Saturday said it was "heartening" to see the backing of international allies. "The world's patience with Putin's repeated pattern of malign behaviour has worn thin," Gavin Williamson wrote in a newspaper column, urging that Britain's defence capabilities needed to keep better step with Russia's broadening tactics. Russia denies responsibility for the attack. It has cast the allegations as a Western plot to sabotage East-West relations and isolate Moscow. Russia had already retaliated in kind by ejecting 23 British diplomats. On Friday, the Foreign Ministry summoned British Ambassador Laurie Bristow and told him London had one month to further cut its diplomatic contingent in Russia to the same size as the Russian mission in Britain. It also expelled 59 diplomats from 23 other countries for backing Britain. A spokeswoman for Britain's Foreign Office called the Russian move regrettable, and said it was considering the implications of the measures. She did not say how many diplomatic staff in Russia would be affected, while the British Embassy in Moscow says it does not make staff numbers public. But Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the demand meant Britain would have to cut "a little over 50" more of its diplomatic and technical staff in Russia on top of the 23 diplomats who have already gone home. "We asked for parity. The Brits have 50 diplomats more than the Russians," Zakharova said on Saturday. Asked if that meant London would now have to cut exactly 50 diplomatic and technical staff, she said: "A little over 50." Russian travel warning The Russian Foreign Ministry later published a list of 14 questions its London embassy had sent Britain's Foreign Office. It included queries about why Russia had been denied consular access to the Skripals and about France's role in the case. In a move underlining the serious nature of the diplomatic crisis, the Russian Embassy also advised Russians to think twice before travelling to Britain, warning of rising anti-Russian sentiment and possible harassment from the authorities, including the risk of objects being planted in their luggage. "We can't rule out increased attention by British law enforcement agencies and intelligence services to Russian passport holders," the embassy said in a statement. Russia's Ministry of Transport meanwhile demanded Britain explain an Aeroflot airliner was searched at Heathrow Airport on Friday, in what the Russian Embassy in London called a "blatant provocation". Britain disagreed with that assessment. "It is routine for (Britain's border agency) to search aircraft to protect the UK from organised crime and from those who attempt to bring harmful substances like drugs or firearms into the country," Security Minister Ben Wallace said. The Russian Embassy said Wallace's logic was "difficult to comprehend" and only amplified its doubts about the incident. Britain's Foreign Office also said on Saturday it was considering allowing visits under consular access terms to Yulia Skripal, who is recovering in hospital against all expectations and is no longer in critical condition. Russia's embassy said that it had contacted Viktoria Skripal, Yulia's cousin. "Upon receiving confirmation that Yulia Skripal's condition is getting better and she is able to communicate, she said she would like to go to London and to visit her cousin," the embassy said. The BBC reported on Friday that Yulia was "conscious and talking," which may help the investigation of how she and her father were poisoned. The poisoning on British territory has united much of the West in taking action against what it regards as the hostile policies of President Vladimir Putin. This includes the United States under President Donald Trump, whom Putin had hoped would improve ties.

Britain and Russia lock horns as Moscow cuts UK diplomats

A US service member and a member of the UK armed forces have been killed and five other members of the US-led coalition in Syria have been wounded by an improvised explosive device in the war-torn country's Manjib area.

A US defence official confirmed that the American had been killed.

Several media stated that the US military statement said that the incident occurred on Thursday night and that the wounded personnel were being evacuated for further medical treatment.

The coalition statement highlighted that the details related to the incident were being withheld pending further investigation.

The UK Ministry of Defence confirmed the death of its soldier.

The British soldier was embedded with US forces on a counter Islamic State (IS) operation when the incident occurred, a media reported citing the UK Ministry of Defence as saying, in a statement.

The incident occurred near Manbij, where the US and its coalition partners have a small contingent of forces advising, training, and assisting Syrian Democratic Forces in the fight against IS.

About 2,000 US troops deployed to Syria have been working alongside the Syrian Democratic Forces, reclaiming territory from IS to include the city of Raqqa.

A US service member and a member of the UK armed forces have been killed and five other members of the US-led coalition in Syria have been wounded by an improvised explosive device in the war-torn country's Manjib area

A US service member and a member of the UK armed forces have been killed and five other members of the US-led coalition in Syria have been wounded by an improvised explosive device in the war-torn country's Manjib area. A US defence official confirmed that the American had been killed. Several media stated that the US military statement said that the incident occurred on Thursday night and that the wounded personnel were being evacuated for further medical treatment. The coalition statement highlighted that the details related to the incident were being withheld pending further investigation. The UK Ministry of Defence confirmed the death of its soldier. The British soldier was embedded with US forces on a counter Islamic State (IS) operation when the incident occurred, a media reported citing the UK Ministry of Defence as saying, in a statement. The incident occurred near Manbij, where the US and its coalition partners have a small contingent of forces advising, training, and assisting Syrian Democratic Forces in the fight against IS. About 2,000 US troops deployed to Syria have been working alongside the Syrian Democratic Forces, reclaiming territory from IS to include the city of Raqqa.

US, UK service members killed in Syria blast

Cambridge Analytica whistleblower Christopher Wylie at a public hearing told the British Parliament's Digital, Culture, Media, and Sports Committee that a Canadian company AggregateIQ worked on software called Ripon which was used to identify Republican voters ahead of the 2016 US presidential election.&nbsp;

"There's no tangible proof in the public domain that AIQ actually built Ripon, which is the software that utilised the algorithms from the Facebook data," Wylie told the committee.

Ripon, the town in which the Republican Party was founded in 1854, was the name allegedly given to a tool that let a campaign manage its voter database, target specific voters, conduct canvassing, manage fundraising and carry out surveys.

Wylie had earlier revealed how Facebook data was used by a British firm Cambridge Analytica in helping the Trump presidential campaign in 2016.

Meanwhile, a London law firm Bindmans said electoral offences were committed during the Brexit campaign in breach of UK vote rules.

"There is a prima facie case that the following electoral offences were committed by Vote Leave in the EU referendum campaign," Bindmans said.

Vote Leave ultimately declared campaign costs of just over £6.7 million - under the £7 million legal limit - of which nearly £2.7 million was spent on services by AIQ.

'There's no tangible proof in the public domain that AIQ actually built Ripon, which is the software that utilised the algorithms from the Facebook data,' Wylie told the committee.

Cambridge Analytica whistleblower Christopher Wylie at a public hearing told the British Parliament's Digital, Culture, Media, and Sports Committee that a Canadian company AggregateIQ worked on software called Ripon which was used to identify Republican voters ahead of the 2016 US presidential election. "There's no tangible proof in the public domain that AIQ actually built Ripon, which is the software that utilised the algorithms from the Facebook data," Wylie told the committee. Ripon, the town in which the Republican Party was founded in 1854, was the name allegedly given to a tool that let a campaign manage its voter database, target specific voters, conduct canvassing, manage fundraising and carry out surveys. Wylie had earlier revealed how Facebook data was used by a British firm Cambridge Analytica in helping the Trump presidential campaign in 2016. Meanwhile, a London law firm Bindmans said electoral offences were committed during the Brexit campaign in breach of UK vote rules. "There is a prima facie case that the following electoral offences were committed by Vote Leave in the EU referendum campaign," Bindmans said. Vote Leave ultimately declared campaign costs of just over £6.7 million - under the £7 million legal limit - of which nearly £2.7 million was spent on services by AIQ.

AIQ built Ripon to utilise Facebook data: Cambridge Analytica whistleblower

After the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russian-diplomats-expelled-the-full-list-of-countries-that-have-ordered-officials-back-to-russia-37183">US and EU expelled over 100 Russian</a> diplomats due to the alleged poisoning of an ex-spy in Salisbury, England, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said the move to expel diplomats was the result of "colossal pressure" by US.

President Trump on Monday had authorised expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats and closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle, it was followed by several other European nations including France, Ukraine, Germany who expelled Russian diplomats - a move which wasn't witnessed even during the height of the Cold War.

Moscow reacted saying it will "respond appropriately" to the US expulsion of Russian diplomats. 

The Russian foreign ministry said that not a single country has provided any evidence that Russia was behind the poisoning of the former Russian spy and his daughter, RIA reported.

&nbsp;

 
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HbhISFm8oec" width="560"></iframe> 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The Russian foreign ministry said that not a single country has provided any evidence that Russia was behind the poisoning of the former Russian spy and his daughter

After the US and EU expelled over 100 Russian diplomats due to the alleged poisoning of an ex-spy in Salisbury, England, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said the move to expel diplomats was the result of "colossal pressure" by US. President Trump on Monday had authorised expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats and closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle, it was followed by several other European nations including France, Ukraine, Germany who expelled Russian diplomats - a move which wasn't witnessed even during the height of the Cold War. Moscow reacted saying it will "respond appropriately" to the US expulsion of Russian diplomats. The Russian foreign ministry said that not a single country has provided any evidence that Russia was behind the poisoning of the former Russian spy and his daughter, RIA reported.

Expulsion of diplomats due to colossal pressure by US: Russian foreign minister Lavrov

Six cities in the UK will take part in the first-ever 'National Samosa Week' next month where participants will make, sell and consume the popular Indian snack to raise money for charity.

The event, to be organised from April 9 to 13, is the brainchild of a Leicester-based media personality who believes that the popularity of the triangular-shaped savoury snack transcends all barriers and can become a means to unite different communities in the UK.

"It is a tea time snack in the subcontinent but it can be so much more than that. We want to use this week to draw attention to the rich culture and food heritage of South Asia," said Romail Gulzar, who launched the concept in Leicester in the East Midlands region of England.

"This triangle-shaped delicacy is said to originate from the Middle East and was eaten by travelling merchants. It is likely that this is how the tasty parcels made their way to other parts of the world including India, Pakistan and Bangladesh," said the editor of Pukaar News, a Leicester-based news service.

Birmingham, Manchester, Coventry, Nottinghamshire and Radlett have come on board with the idea, which involves a range of activities including samosa-eating contests, pop-up samosa shops and tastiest samosa awards.

The proceeds from the sale in Leicester are aimed at two charities -- mental health charity LAMP and Care of Police Survivors (COPS) -- dedicated to helping the families of police officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

"We want to encourage people all over the UK to buy or make their own samosas this week and sell them at work and school to raise funds for their local community or charities.

"If you're feeling competitive, you could offer a prize for the best samosa, we think this could be the start of something really popular," said Pakistani-origin Gulzar, who migrated to the UK from Dubai.

In 2016, he founded the 'Leicester Curry Awards' to celebrate the hundreds of curry houses in the city with their roots in the Indian subcontinent.

While he believes the world's best samosas are to be found in Delhi, he is determined to bring some of that flavour to the UK with the samosa week, set to become an annual event.

"We want to encourage people to experiment with this fried snack, traditionally stuffed with spiced potatoes, onion and peas, but it can have meat and other options too. You can have vegan samosas as well," Gulzar said.

Some of the winners of the National Samosa Week's prize draw will win tickets to the Leicester Curry Awards 2018, to be held in Leicester on April 22 where over 30 of the city's shortlisted restaurants will compete for the top prize.

The event will be organised from 9 to 13 April

Six cities in the UK will take part in the first-ever 'National Samosa Week' next month where participants will make, sell and consume the popular Indian snack to raise money for charity. The event, to be organised from April 9 to 13, is the brainchild of a Leicester-based media personality who believes that the popularity of the triangular-shaped savoury snack transcends all barriers and can become a means to unite different communities in the UK. "It is a tea time snack in the subcontinent but it can be so much more than that. We want to use this week to draw attention to the rich culture and food heritage of South Asia," said Romail Gulzar, who launched the concept in Leicester in the East Midlands region of England. "This triangle-shaped delicacy is said to originate from the Middle East and was eaten by travelling merchants. It is likely that this is how the tasty parcels made their way to other parts of the world including India, Pakistan and Bangladesh," said the editor of Pukaar News, a Leicester-based news service. Birmingham, Manchester, Coventry, Nottinghamshire and Radlett have come on board with the idea, which involves a range of activities including samosa-eating contests, pop-up samosa shops and tastiest samosa awards. The proceeds from the sale in Leicester are aimed at two charities -- mental health charity LAMP and Care of Police Survivors (COPS) -- dedicated to helping the families of police officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty. "We want to encourage people all over the UK to buy or make their own samosas this week and sell them at work and school to raise funds for their local community or charities. "If you're feeling competitive, you could offer a prize for the best samosa, we think this could be the start of something really popular," said Pakistani-origin Gulzar, who migrated to the UK from Dubai. In 2016, he founded the 'Leicester Curry Awards' to celebrate the hundreds of curry houses in the city with their roots in the Indian subcontinent. While he believes the world's best samosas are to be found in Delhi, he is determined to bring some of that flavour to the UK with the samosa week, set to become an annual event. "We want to encourage people to experiment with this fried snack, traditionally stuffed with spiced potatoes, onion and peas, but it can have meat and other options too. You can have vegan samosas as well," Gulzar said. Some of the winners of the National Samosa Week's prize draw will win tickets to the Leicester Curry Awards 2018, to be held in Leicester on April 22 where over 30 of the city's shortlisted restaurants will compete for the top prize.

UK: Cities gear up for 1st-ever 'National Samosa Week'

Two truck drivers guilty of killing eight Indians last year in one of Britain&#39;s worst road accidents were jailed by a UK court on Friday.

Ryszard Masierak, a 31-year-old Polish national convicted of dangerous and drink driving at the end of a trial earlier this month, was jailed for 14 years.

Second truck driver David Wagstaff, 54-year-old courier company worker involved in the highway pile-up, was sentenced to 40 months in prison after pleading guilty to causing death by careless driving.

He had been cleared by a jury of the more serious charge of dangerous driving at the end of the trial at Aylesbury Crown Court.

The crash had led to the deaths of Nottingham-based Keralite minibus driver Cyriac Joseph and seven of his passengers, all Indians.

The 52-year-old had been hired to drive his passengers from Nottingham to London to join a European holiday tour group when they met with the fatal accident.

&quot;This was a prolonged, persistent and deliberate course of very bad driving. He had consumed significant amounts of alcohol,&quot; Prosecutor Oliver Saxby told the court.

Judge Francis Sheridan described the crash as the most serious in the UK for more than 26 years, for which the Masierak had shown &quot;no remorse&quot;.

&quot;What you have tried to do is blame everyone and everybody except yourself,&quot; the judge told him.

In reference to Wagstaff, the judge blamed his use of a mobile phone while driving for his role in the collision.

&quot;You took no action whatsoever because you weren&#39;t concentrating on what was in front of you they were there to be seen and you didn&#39;t see them,&quot; he said.

Masierak was also disqualified from driving for 17 years after he was convicted of eight counts of causing death by dangerous driving and four counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. Wagstaff was banned from driving for three years.

&quot;The catastrophic and tragic collision was caused by both the individuals. We lost a great father, loving husband and a very good friend,&quot; a family spokesperson for Mr Joseph&#39;s family said outside the courtroom.

The other victims in Mr Joseph&#39;s minibus were from Nottingham&#39;s Malayali community and their relatives.

The&nbsp;entire group was on its way to London to catch a bus to Disneyland Paris when their vehicle crashed with the trucks near Newport Pagnell in southern England on August 26 last year.

Among them were IT professionals employed by software company Wipro.

Judge Francis Sheridan described the crash as the most serious in the UK for more than 26 years, for which the Masierak had shown 'no remorse'

Two truck drivers guilty of killing eight Indians last year in one of Britain's worst road accidents were jailed by a UK court on Friday. Ryszard Masierak, a 31-year-old Polish national convicted of dangerous and drink driving at the end of a trial earlier this month, was jailed for 14 years. Second truck driver David Wagstaff, 54-year-old courier company worker involved in the highway pile-up, was sentenced to 40 months in prison after pleading guilty to causing death by careless driving. He had been cleared by a jury of the more serious charge of dangerous driving at the end of the trial at Aylesbury Crown Court. The crash had led to the deaths of Nottingham-based Keralite minibus driver Cyriac Joseph and seven of his passengers, all Indians. The 52-year-old had been hired to drive his passengers from Nottingham to London to join a European holiday tour group when they met with the fatal accident. "This was a prolonged, persistent and deliberate course of very bad driving. He had consumed significant amounts of alcohol," Prosecutor Oliver Saxby told the court. Judge Francis Sheridan described the crash as the most serious in the UK for more than 26 years, for which the Masierak had shown "no remorse". "What you have tried to do is blame everyone and everybody except yourself," the judge told him. In reference to Wagstaff, the judge blamed his use of a mobile phone while driving for his role in the collision. "You took no action whatsoever because you weren't concentrating on what was in front of you they were there to be seen and you didn't see them," he said. Masierak was also disqualified from driving for 17 years after he was convicted of eight counts of causing death by dangerous driving and four counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. Wagstaff was banned from driving for three years. "The catastrophic and tragic collision was caused by both the individuals. We lost a great father, loving husband and a very good friend," a family spokesperson for Mr Joseph's family said outside the courtroom. The other victims in Mr Joseph's minibus were from Nottingham's Malayali community and their relatives. The entire group was on its way to London to catch a bus to Disneyland Paris when their vehicle crashed with the trucks near Newport Pagnell in southern England on August 26 last year. Among them were IT professionals employed by software company Wipro.

UK court jails two truck drivers for killing 8 Indians in UK's worst road crash in 26 years

Online fashion retailer, ASOS made a blunder when it mistakenly printed 17,000 of its bags with a typo on them.

Their slogan, &lsquo;discover fashion online&rsquo;, had the word &lsquo;onilne&rsquo; instead of &lsquo;online&rsquo;.

However, they owned up to this mistake and tweeted a picture of the plastic bag on Twitter alongside the caption, &ldquo;Ok, so we *may* have printed 17,000 bags with a typo.&quot;

&ldquo;We&rsquo;re calling it a limited edition,&rdquo; they further wrote.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Ok, so we *may* have printed 17,000 bags with a typo. We&rsquo;re calling it a limited edition. <a href="https://t.co/wTpKNid4V5">pic.twitter.com/wTpKNid4V5</a>
&mdash; ASOS (@ASOS) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASOS/status/976401027468537856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Since posting the image, it has received more than 46,000 likes and 7,000 retweets while fans of the retailer have flooded it with comments.

ASOS shoppers seemed impressed by the company&#39;s honesty and sense of humor about what could&#39;ve been a pretty embarrassing moment, with many joking on Twitter. &nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Glad you&#39;re a fan Melissa, we all make mistakes eh?
&mdash; ASOS (@ASOS) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASOS/status/976537474905333760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
Along with the humorous attitude, I appreciate that they are not landfilling something that is perfectly functional to &quot;protect their brand.&quot;
&mdash; S (@IntDesgnrBoston) <a href="https://twitter.com/IntDesgnrBoston/status/976554411177775105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
I work in fashion as well....I think we&#39;ve had our share of typos like &quot;shite shirt&quot; instead of &quot;white shirt&quot; ???????? <a href="https://t.co/yWVI4bPqTc">pic.twitter.com/yWVI4bPqTc</a>
&mdash; Michelle Lauritzen (@MELauritzen) <a href="https://twitter.com/MELauritzen/status/976416055387197440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

Online fashion retailer, ASOS made a blunder when it mistakenly printed 17,000 of its bags with a typo on them

Online fashion retailer, ASOS made a blunder when it mistakenly printed 17,000 of its bags with a typo on them. Their slogan, ‘discover fashion online’, had the word ‘onilne’ instead of ‘online’. However, they owned up to this mistake and tweeted a picture of the plastic bag on Twitter alongside the caption, “Ok, so we *may* have printed 17,000 bags with a typo." “We’re calling it a limited edition,” they further wrote. Ok, so we *may* have printed 17,000 bags with a typo. We’re calling it a limited edition. pic.twitter.com/wTpKNid4V5 — ASOS (@ASOS) March 21, 2018 × Since posting the image, it has received more than 46,000 likes and 7,000 retweets while fans of the retailer have flooded it with comments. ASOS shoppers seemed impressed by the company's honesty and sense of humor about what could've been a pretty embarrassing moment, with many joking on Twitter. Glad you're a fan Melissa, we all make mistakes eh? — ASOS (@ASOS) March 21, 2018 × Along with the humorous attitude, I appreciate that they are not landfilling something that is perfectly functional to "protect their brand." — S (@IntDesgnrBoston) March 21, 2018 × I work in fashion as well....I think we've had our share of typos like "shite shirt" instead of "white shirt" ???????? pic.twitter.com/yWVI4bPqTc — Michelle Lauritzen (@MELauritzen) March 21, 2018 ×

Major fashion retailer prints 17,000 bags with typo

A British parliamentary committee on Tuesday summoned Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to answer questions on the fake news as authorities step up efforts to determine whether data has been improperly used to influence elections, reports said.

The European Parliament also invited Zuckerberg to speak following revelations that a firm working for Donald Trump&#39;s US presidential campaign harvested data on 50 million users.&nbsp;

The parliament and the European Commission, the 28-nation EU executive, have already called for an urgent probe into the scandal.

Data analytics firm Cambridge Analytica harvested private information from more than 50 million Facebook users in developing techniques to support President Donald Trump&#39;s 2016 election campaign, the New York Times and London&#39;s Observer reported on Saturday.

The newspapers, which cited former Cambridge Analytica employees, associates and documents, said the data breach was one of the largest in the history of Facebook Inc.

Facebook on Friday said it was suspending Cambridge Analytica after finding data privacy policies had been violated.

The European Parliament also invited Zuckerberg to speak following revelations that a firm working for Donald Trump's US presidential campaign harvested data on 50 million users.

A British parliamentary committee on Tuesday summoned Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to answer questions on the fake news as authorities step up efforts to determine whether data has been improperly used to influence elections, reports said. The European Parliament also invited Zuckerberg to speak following revelations that a firm working for Donald Trump's US presidential campaign harvested data on 50 million users. The parliament and the European Commission, the 28-nation EU executive, have already called for an urgent probe into the scandal. Data analytics firm Cambridge Analytica harvested private information from more than 50 million Facebook users in developing techniques to support President Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign, the New York Times and London's Observer reported on Saturday. The newspapers, which cited former Cambridge Analytica employees, associates and documents, said the data breach was one of the largest in the history of Facebook Inc. Facebook on Friday said it was suspending Cambridge Analytica after finding data privacy policies had been violated.

Mark Zuckerberg Summoned by House Panel in UK; stock slides

The suspended chief executive of Cambridge Analytica said in a secretly recorded video broadcast on Tuesday that his UK-based political consultancy&rsquo;s online campaign played a decisive role in US President Donald Trump&rsquo;s 2016 election victory.&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-data-row-uk-mps-ask-mark-zuckerberg-to-give-evidence-36531" target="_blank">Facebook data row &mdash; UK MPs ask Mark Zuckerberg to give evidence</a>

His comments, which could not be verified, are potentially a further problem for Facebook Inc as it faces lawmakers&rsquo; scrutiny in the United States and Europe over Cambridge Analytica&rsquo;s improper use of 50 million Facebook users&rsquo; personal data to target voters.

The social media network&rsquo;s shares fell for a second day, closing down 2.5 percent, as investors worried that its dealings with Cambridge Analytica might damage its reputation, deter advertisers and invite restrictive regulation. The company has lost $60 billion (&pound;42.9 billion) of its stock market value over the last two days.

Cambridge Analytica&rsquo;s board of directors suspended CEO Alexander Nix on Tuesday, shortly before the second part of British broadcaster Channel 4&rsquo;s expose of the firm&rsquo;s methods.

In the program, Nix describes questionable practices used to influence foreign elections and said his firm did all the research, analytics and targeting of voters for Trump&rsquo;s digital and TV campaigns. He also boasts he met Trump when he was the Republican presidential candidate &ldquo;many times.&rdquo;

Nix&rsquo;s comments &ldquo;do not represent the values or operations of the firm and his suspension reflects the seriousness with which we view this violation,&rdquo; Cambridge Analytica said in a statement on Tuesday.

Brad Parscale, the 2016 Trump campaign&rsquo;s main digital adviser who dealt regularly with Cambridge Analytica, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Nix&rsquo;s claims.&nbsp;

Jared Kushner, Trump&rsquo;s son-in-law and now a senior adviser, oversaw the Trump campaign&rsquo;s digital operations. One former Trump adviser said Kushner brought Cambridge Analytica into the 2016 campaign effort. Kushner&rsquo;s lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

U.S. law bans foreigners from making contributions or spending money on behalf of a U.S. election campaign but it was not illegal for the Trump campaign to retain Cambridge Analytica&rsquo;s services, according to Bradley Smith, a former Republican member of the U.S. Federal Election Commission.

&ldquo;The fact that they are a British company doesn&rsquo;t add anything to the analysis unless they were giving their services away for free or charging below-market rates,&rdquo; said Smith, now a professor at the Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio.&nbsp;

FTC REVIEW, LAWSUIT

US&nbsp;and European lawmakers have demanded an explanation of how Cambridge Analytica gained access to user data in 2014 and why Facebook failed to inform its users, raising broader industry questions about consumer privacy.

Facebook said it had been told by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the leading U.S. consumer regulator, that it would receive a letter this week with questions about the data acquired by Cambridge Analytica. It said it had no indication of a formal investigation.

&ldquo;The entire company is outraged we were deceived,&rdquo; Facebook said in a statement on Tuesday. &ldquo;We are committed to vigorously enforcing our policies to protect people&rsquo;s information and will take whatever steps are required to see that this happens.&rdquo;

The FTC is reviewing whether Facebook violated a 2011 consent decree it reached with the authority over its privacy practices, a person briefed on the matter told Reuters.

If the FTC finds Facebook violated terms of the consent decree, it has the power to fine the company thousands of dollars a day per violation, which could add up to billions of dollars.&nbsp;

Facebook was also hit on Tuesday in a San Francisco court by the first of what could be many lawsuits by shareholders claiming to suffer losses because the company misled them about its ability to protect user data. The company could also soon face lawsuits on behalf of users whose personal information was exposed.

Facebook and its peers Alphabet Inc&rsquo;s Google and Twitter already face a backlash from users and lawmakers over their role during the U.S. presidential election by allowing the spread of false information that might have swayed voters toward Trump.

Fear of increased regulation hurt other social media firms on Tuesday. Shares of Snap Inc fell 2.5 percent and Twitter Inc fell more than 10 percent.

FOREIGN INFLUENCE

US&nbsp;Senator Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, called on Tuesday for Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify in Congress. Congressional staff said the company would brief U.S. Senate and House aides on Wednesday.&nbsp;

A Congressional official said House Intelligence Committee Democrats plan to interview Cambridge Analytica whistleblower Christopher Wylie. The committee interviewed Nix by video teleconference, according to the Congressional official, but a transcript of that interview has not yet been made public.

The Senate Intelligence Committee, which is conducting a long-term investigation of alleged Russian interference in U.S. politics and a detailed examination of U.S. election security precautions, would carry out its own inquiry of Cambridge Analytica, a Congressional official with direct knowledge of the investigation said.

The White House said it welcomed inquiries, and that the President believes that Americans&rsquo; privacy should be protected.

PERSONAL INFORMATION

In Britain, the Information Commissioner&rsquo;s Office, an independent authority set up to uphold information rights in the public interest, was seeking a warrant from a judge to search the offices of London-based Cambridge Analytica. It was unclear late on Tuesday whether it had obtained it.&nbsp;

Created in 2013, Cambridge Analytica markets itself as a source of consumer research, targeted advertising and other data-related services to both political and corporate clients.

According to the New York Times, it was launched with $15 million in backing from billionaire Republican donor Robert Mercer and a name chosen by the-then future Trump White House adviser Steve Bannon.

Facebook says the data were harvested by a British academic, Aleksandr Kogan, who created an app on the platform that was downloaded by 270,000 people, providing access not only to their own personal data but also their friends&rsquo;.

Facebook said Kogan then violated its policies by passing the data to Cambridge Analytica. Facebook has since suspended both the consulting firm and SCL (Strategic Communication Laboratories), a government and military contractor.

Facebook said it had been told that the data were destroyed. Kogan was not immediately reachable for comment.

Cambridge Analytica has denied all the media claims and said it deleted the data after learning the information did not adhere to data protection rules.&nbsp;

Cambridge Analytica’s board of directors suspended CEO Alexander Nix on Tuesday, shortly before the second part of British broadcaster Channel 4’s expose of the firm’s methods

The suspended chief executive of Cambridge Analytica said in a secretly recorded video broadcast on Tuesday that his UK-based political consultancy’s online campaign played a decisive role in US President Donald Trump’s 2016 election victory. Also read: Facebook data row — UK MPs ask Mark Zuckerberg to give evidence His comments, which could not be verified, are potentially a further problem for Facebook Inc as it faces lawmakers’ scrutiny in the United States and Europe over Cambridge Analytica’s improper use of 50 million Facebook users’ personal data to target voters. The social media network’s shares fell for a second day, closing down 2.5 percent, as investors worried that its dealings with Cambridge Analytica might damage its reputation, deter advertisers and invite restrictive regulation. The company has lost $60 billion (£42.9 billion) of its stock market value over the last two days. Cambridge Analytica’s board of directors suspended CEO Alexander Nix on Tuesday, shortly before the second part of British broadcaster Channel 4’s expose of the firm’s methods. In the program, Nix describes questionable practices used to influence foreign elections and said his firm did all the research, analytics and targeting of voters for Trump’s digital and TV campaigns. He also boasts he met Trump when he was the Republican presidential candidate “many times.” Nix’s comments “do not represent the values or operations of the firm and his suspension reflects the seriousness with which we view this violation,” Cambridge Analytica said in a statement on Tuesday. Brad Parscale, the 2016 Trump campaign’s main digital adviser who dealt regularly with Cambridge Analytica, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Nix’s claims. Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and now a senior adviser, oversaw the Trump campaign’s digital operations. One former Trump adviser said Kushner brought Cambridge Analytica into the 2016 campaign effort. Kushner’s lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment. U.S. law bans foreigners from making contributions or spending money on behalf of a U.S. election campaign but it was not illegal for the Trump campaign to retain Cambridge Analytica’s services, according to Bradley Smith, a former Republican member of the U.S. Federal Election Commission. “The fact that they are a British company doesn’t add anything to the analysis unless they were giving their services away for free or charging below-market rates,” said Smith, now a professor at the Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio. FTC REVIEW, LAWSUIT US and European lawmakers have demanded an explanation of how Cambridge Analytica gained access to user data in 2014 and why Facebook failed to inform its users, raising broader industry questions about consumer privacy. Facebook said it had been told by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the leading U.S. consumer regulator, that it would receive a letter this week with questions about the data acquired by Cambridge Analytica. It said it had no indication of a formal investigation. “The entire company is outraged we were deceived,” Facebook said in a statement on Tuesday. “We are committed to vigorously enforcing our policies to protect people’s information and will take whatever steps are required to see that this happens.” The FTC is reviewing whether Facebook violated a 2011 consent decree it reached with the authority over its privacy practices, a person briefed on the matter told Reuters. If the FTC finds Facebook violated terms of the consent decree, it has the power to fine the company thousands of dollars a day per violation, which could add up to billions of dollars. Facebook was also hit on Tuesday in a San Francisco court by the first of what could be many lawsuits by shareholders claiming to suffer losses because the company misled them about its ability to protect user data. The company could also soon face lawsuits on behalf of users whose personal information was exposed. Facebook and its peers Alphabet Inc’s Google and Twitter already face a backlash from users and lawmakers over their role during the U.S. presidential election by allowing the spread of false information that might have swayed voters toward Trump. Fear of increased regulation hurt other social media firms on Tuesday. Shares of Snap Inc fell 2.5 percent and Twitter Inc fell more than 10 percent. FOREIGN INFLUENCE US Senator Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, called on Tuesday for Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify in Congress. Congressional staff said the company would brief U.S. Senate and House aides on Wednesday. A Congressional official said House Intelligence Committee Democrats plan to interview Cambridge Analytica whistleblower Christopher Wylie. The committee interviewed Nix by video teleconference, according to the Congressional official, but a transcript of that interview has not yet been made public. The Senate Intelligence Committee, which is conducting a long-term investigation of alleged Russian interference in U.S. politics and a detailed examination of U.S. election security precautions, would carry out its own inquiry of Cambridge Analytica, a Congressional official with direct knowledge of the investigation said. The White House said it welcomed inquiries, and that the President believes that Americans’ privacy should be protected. PERSONAL INFORMATION In Britain, the Information Commissioner’s Office, an independent authority set up to uphold information rights in the public interest, was seeking a warrant from a judge to search the offices of London-based Cambridge Analytica. It was unclear late on Tuesday whether it had obtained it. Created in 2013, Cambridge Analytica markets itself as a source of consumer research, targeted advertising and other data-related services to both political and corporate clients. According to the New York Times, it was launched with $15 million in backing from billionaire Republican donor Robert Mercer and a name chosen by the-then future Trump White House adviser Steve Bannon. Facebook says the data were harvested by a British academic, Aleksandr Kogan, who created an app on the platform that was downloaded by 270,000 people, providing access not only to their own personal data but also their friends’. Facebook said Kogan then violated its policies by passing the data to Cambridge Analytica. Facebook has since suspended both the consulting firm and SCL (Strategic Communication Laboratories), a government and military contractor. Facebook said it had been told that the data were destroyed. Kogan was not immediately reachable for comment. Cambridge Analytica has denied all the media claims and said it deleted the data after learning the information did not adhere to data protection rules.

Suspended Cambridge Analytica CEO claims influence on US election, Facebook questioned

Facebook&#39;s CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been asked to appear before a British parliamentary committee. Zuckerberg has been asked to clarify claims that suggest that millions of users&#39; data was harvested for use in political campaigns.

Damian Collins, chairman of the House of Commons digital, culture, media and sports committee, wrote to Zuckerberg asking for his own account of &quot;this catastrophic failure of process&quot;.&nbsp;

Mark Zuckerberg-led Facebook has been slammed on various occasions in the past for failing to maintain user privacy, but this time social media giant finds itself amid a scandal of much bigger proportion.

The company has come under fire over revelations that UK-based data analysis firm Cambridge Analytica harvested and misused data of 50 million users to help US President Donald Trump win the 2016 election.&nbsp;

According to reports, US, UK regulators and authorities have initiated a probe into the case; a judgment is likely to be out once the investigation is done.&nbsp;

Mark Zuckerberg-led Facebook has been slammed on various occasions in the past for failing to maintain user privacy

Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been asked to appear before a British parliamentary committee. Zuckerberg has been asked to clarify claims that suggest that millions of users' data was harvested for use in political campaigns. Damian Collins, chairman of the House of Commons digital, culture, media and sports committee, wrote to Zuckerberg asking for his own account of "this catastrophic failure of process". Mark Zuckerberg-led Facebook has been slammed on various occasions in the past for failing to maintain user privacy, but this time social media giant finds itself amid a scandal of much bigger proportion. The company has come under fire over revelations that UK-based data analysis firm Cambridge Analytica harvested and misused data of 50 million users to help US President Donald Trump win the 2016 election. According to reports, US, UK regulators and authorities have initiated a probe into the case; a judgment is likely to be out once the investigation is done.

Facebook data row: UK MPs ask Mark Zuckerberg to give evidence

The Kremlin said on Monday that London would either have to back up its assertions that Russia was behind the poisoning of a former spy and his daughter in Britain with evidence or apologise &quot;sooner or later.&quot;

Earlier, Kremlin said that UK&#39;s accusations that Putin ordered the Salisbury nerve agent attack were &ldquo;shocking and unforgivable&rdquo;.

Britain had accused Russia of being responsible for the use of a Soviet-era nerve agent called Novichok which was used to poison Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a conference call with reporters that Britain&#39;s allegations were &quot;difficult to explain... groundless and slanderous&quot;.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had said repeatedly that Moscow would retaliate soon for the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats by Theresa May.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Peskov repeated denials that Russia had ordered the attack on Sergei Skripal, a former Russian double agent, and his daughter, Yulia, in Salisbury.&nbsp;

&ldquo;Any references to our president is nothing other than shocking and unforgivable from the point of view of diplomatic behaviour,&rdquo; he said.

President Vladimir Putin on Sunday rubbished claims that Russia poisoned a former spy in Britain, on the eve of international chemical weapons experts heading to Britain to probe 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 after winning a fourth term as president.

&quot;We have destroyed all chemical weapons,&quot; he added, rejecting Britain&#39;s claim that only Moscow could be behind the nerve agent attack on former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

Putin said Russia is &quot;ready to take part in the investigation&quot;, although earlier on Sunday British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson accused the Russians of &quot;smug sarcasm and denial&quot; in response to the accusations.

Earlier, Kremlin said that UK's accusations that Putin ordered the Salisbury nerve agent attack were 'shocking and unforgivable'

The Kremlin said on Monday that London would either have to back up its assertions that Russia was behind the poisoning of a former spy and his daughter in Britain with evidence or apologise "sooner or later." Earlier, Kremlin said that UK's accusations that Putin ordered the Salisbury nerve agent attack were “shocking and unforgivable”. Britain had accused Russia of being responsible for the use of a Soviet-era nerve agent called Novichok which was used to poison Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a conference call with reporters that Britain's allegations were "difficult to explain... groundless and slanderous". Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had said repeatedly that Moscow would retaliate soon for the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats by Theresa May. Speaking to reporters on Friday, Peskov repeated denials that Russia had ordered the attack on Sergei Skripal, a former Russian double agent, and his daughter, Yulia, in Salisbury. “Any references to our president is nothing other than shocking and unforgivable from the point of view of diplomatic behaviour,” he said. President Vladimir Putin on Sunday rubbished claims that Russia poisoned a former spy in Britain, on the eve of international chemical weapons experts heading to Britain to probe 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 after winning a fourth term as president. "We have destroyed all chemical weapons," he added, rejecting Britain's claim that only Moscow could be behind the nerve agent attack on former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. Putin said Russia is "ready to take part in the investigation", although earlier on Sunday British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson accused the Russians of "smug sarcasm and denial" in response to the accusations.

Kremlin asks UK for evidence on spy attack allegations

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

Chaos broke out after a man drove into a pub in Gravesend, UK. The incident took place on Saturday night after the man was reportedly not allowed an entry inside the pub.&nbsp;

Locals report of a car being driven right into a nightclub here. Some say that the man was asked to leave the venue after which the accident happened.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
GRAVESEND: Reports of a car having been driven into the outer area of Blake&rsquo;s nightclub by someone after allegedly not being allowed in. Also reports of a fight. <a href="https://t.co/tY2qju9xEU">pic.twitter.com/tY2qju9xEU</a>
&mdash; Kent 999s (@Kent_999s) <a href="https://twitter.com/Kent_999s/status/975170598749040640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Online footage of the accident available on social media shows a car inside a marquee at Blake&rsquo;s nightclub on Queen Street.

Reports suggest a man arrested and few injured in the accident.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
GRAVESEND update: Police say that at least 13 people were injured when a Suzuki Vitara was driven into Blake&rsquo;s nightclub on Queen Street last night. Some people suffered broken bones. Police believe that some injured people left the scene. A man (21) was arrested. <a href="https://t.co/hGXMyhd8Fl">pic.twitter.com/hGXMyhd8Fl</a>
&mdash; Kent 999s (@Kent_999s) <a href="https://twitter.com/Kent_999s/status/975311511198601216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

Reports suggest a man arrested and few injured in the accident

Chaos broke out after a man drove into a pub in Gravesend, UK. The incident took place on Saturday night after the man was reportedly not allowed an entry inside the pub. Locals report of a car being driven right into a nightclub here. Some say that the man was asked to leave the venue after which the accident happened. GRAVESEND: Reports of a car having been driven into the outer area of Blake’s nightclub by someone after allegedly not being allowed in. Also reports of a fight. pic.twitter.com/tY2qju9xEU — Kent 999s (@Kent_999s) March 18, 2018 × Online footage of the accident available on social media shows a car inside a marquee at Blake’s nightclub on Queen Street. Reports suggest a man arrested and few injured in the accident. GRAVESEND update: Police say that at least 13 people were injured when a Suzuki Vitara was driven into Blake’s nightclub on Queen Street last night. Some people suffered broken bones. Police believe that some injured people left the scene. A man (21) was arrested. pic.twitter.com/hGXMyhd8Fl — Kent 999s (@Kent_999s) March 18, 2018 ×

UK: Man drives car into nightclub after entry denied

A UK laboratory could be the source of the nerve agent used on a former Russian double agent in the English city of Salisbury, Russia&#39;s EU ambassador suggested in an interview aired on BBC&#39;s Andrew Marr on Sunday.&nbsp;

&quot;When you have a nerve agent or whatever, you check it against certain samples that you retain in your laboratories. And Porton Down, as we now all know, is the largest military facility in the United Kingdom that has been dealing with chemical weapons research. And it&#39;s actually only eight miles from Salisbury,&quot; Vladimir Chizhov told Marr in an interview conducted in Brussels on Friday (March 16).

When asked if he was suggesting that Porton Down was responsible for this nerve agent, Chizhov said: &quot;I don&#39;t know. I don&#39;t have any evidence of anything having been used.&quot;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/kremlin-furious-as-britain-blames-putin-for-ex-spy-attack-36103">Kremlin furious as Britain blames Putin for ex-spy attack </a>

Britain has accused the Kremlin of orchestrating a nerve toxin attack in Salisbury which left former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia Skripal, 33, critically ill in hospital.&nbsp;

British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday expelled<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/britains-may-says-russia-responsible-for-attack-on-ex-spy-in-uk-35826"> 23 diplomats</a> and suspended high-level contacts with Russia including for the World Cup, saying her government found Moscow &quot;culpable&quot; of a nerve agent attack on a former spy.

The left-wing leader has drawn criticism from his own MPs for failing to fully back the Conservative government, which said Moscow was &quot;culpable&quot; for the March 4 attack. President Vladimir Putin, on Tuesday, faced a midnight deadline to explain to Britain how a nerve agent developed by the Soviet Union was used to strike down a former Russian double agent who passed secrets to British intelligence.

Also&nbsp;read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/uk-labour-leader-suggests-mafia-like-groups-behind-spy-attack-36046">UK Labour leader suggests &#39;mafia-like groups&#39; behind spy attack</a>

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.

Britain has accused the Kremlin of orchestrating a nerve toxin attack in Salisbury which left former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia Skripal, 33, critically ill in hospital

A UK laboratory could be the source of the nerve agent used on a former Russian double agent in the English city of Salisbury, Russia's EU ambassador suggested in an interview aired on BBC's Andrew Marr on Sunday. "When you have a nerve agent or whatever, you check it against certain samples that you retain in your laboratories. And Porton Down, as we now all know, is the largest military facility in the United Kingdom that has been dealing with chemical weapons research. And it's actually only eight miles from Salisbury," Vladimir Chizhov told Marr in an interview conducted in Brussels on Friday (March 16). When asked if he was suggesting that Porton Down was responsible for this nerve agent, Chizhov said: "I don't know. I don't have any evidence of anything having been used." Also read: Kremlin furious as Britain blames Putin for ex-spy attack Britain has accused the Kremlin of orchestrating a nerve toxin attack in Salisbury which left former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia Skripal, 33, critically ill in hospital. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday expelled 23 diplomats and suspended high-level contacts with Russia including for the World Cup, saying her government found Moscow "culpable" of a nerve agent attack on a former spy. The left-wing leader has drawn criticism from his own MPs for failing to fully back the Conservative government, which said Moscow was "culpable" for the March 4 attack. President Vladimir Putin, on Tuesday, faced a midnight deadline to explain to Britain how a nerve agent developed by the Soviet Union was used to strike down a former Russian double agent who passed secrets to British intelligence. Also read: UK Labour leader suggests 'mafia-like groups' behind spy 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.

UK lab could be source of toxin used on former spy: Russia EU ambassador

Britain&#39;s banks, energy and water companies are all said to be on high alert against the threat of a possible Russian cyber-attack amid an escalating diplomatic row between the two countries over the poisoning of a former Russian double agent on British soil.

Fears that Moscow could target Britain&#39;s critical national infrastructure came as Russia&#39;s ambassador to the European Union (EU) suggested a UK research laboratory could be the source of the deadly nerve agent used in the attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

&quot;When you have a nerve agent or whatever, you check it against certain samples that you retain in your laboratories. And Porton Down, as we now all know, is the largest military facility in the United Kingdom that has been dealing with chemical weapons research. And it&#39;s actually only eight miles from Salisbury,&quot; Vladimir Chizhov told the BBC.

He stressed that Russia had &quot;nothing to do&quot;&nbsp;with the poisoning and that it did not stockpile the poison. Chizhov&#39;s comments came as a Russian foreign ministry spokesperson also tried to lay the blame on Britain, saying the UK was one of the most likely sources of the nerve agent, along with the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Sweden or possibly the US.

Meanwhile, officers from Britain&#39;s Special Branch of intelligence and security services are investigating death threats against another Russian dissident living in the UK, who has received a series of threatening emails linking his fate to Skripal.

Valery Morozov, 63, who claimed political asylum in the UK after blowing the whistle on Kremlin corruption, received a series of emails last week, warning: &quot;They came for Sergei, they will come for you.&quot;

According to &#39;The Sunday Times&#39;, Morozov received threats from an anonymous encrypted email address and immediately reported them to Surrey police. When he did not reply, Morozov received a second email, warning: &quot;Do you not care what will happen to you? Waiting for your confirmation.&quot;

Scotland Yard has issued a renewed appeal for information from anyone who may have seen a burgundy red BMW owned by 66-year-old Skripal, the former Russian spy who was found unconscious on March 4 in Salisbury along with his daughter, Yulia. The pair remain critical but stable in hospital.

British Prime Minister Theresa May informed Parliament earlier this week that the poison has been identified as being part of a group of military-grade nerve agents known as Novichok developed by the former Soviet Union.

Soon after she announced the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats identified as &quot;undeclared intelligence officers&quot;, the Kremlin expelled the same number based in Russia and also announced the closure of the British Consulate-General in St Petersburg as well as the British Council in Moscow.

Today, the UK government said that independent investigators from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) will arrive in Britain tomorrow to kick off their investigation into the nerve agent used in the attempted assassinations of the Skripals.

The team from The Hague will meet with officials from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory in Porton Down and the police to discuss the process for collecting samples, including environmental ones.

The Foreign Secretary (Boris Johnson) revealed this morning that we have information indicating that within the last decade, Russia has investigated ways of delivering nerve agents likely for assassination.

&quot;And part of this programme has involved producing and stockpiling quantities of Novichok. This is a violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention,&quot;&nbsp;a Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) statement said.

The results of the OPCW investigation are expected to take a minimum of two weeks.

Meanwhile, Johnson is set to meet his EU counterparts and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg for talks in Brussels tomorrow to deliberate on joint action against Russia.&nbsp;

Britain's banks, energy and water companies are all said to be on high alert against the threat of a possible Russian cyber-attack

Britain's banks, energy and water companies are all said to be on high alert against the threat of a possible Russian cyber-attack amid an escalating diplomatic row between the two countries over the poisoning of a former Russian double agent on British soil. Fears that Moscow could target Britain's critical national infrastructure came as Russia's ambassador to the European Union (EU) suggested a UK research laboratory could be the source of the deadly nerve agent used in the attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. "When you have a nerve agent or whatever, you check it against certain samples that you retain in your laboratories. And Porton Down, as we now all know, is the largest military facility in the United Kingdom that has been dealing with chemical weapons research. And it's actually only eight miles from Salisbury," Vladimir Chizhov told the BBC. He stressed that Russia had "nothing to do" with the poisoning and that it did not stockpile the poison. Chizhov's comments came as a Russian foreign ministry spokesperson also tried to lay the blame on Britain, saying the UK was one of the most likely sources of the nerve agent, along with the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Sweden or possibly the US. Meanwhile, officers from Britain's Special Branch of intelligence and security services are investigating death threats against another Russian dissident living in the UK, who has received a series of threatening emails linking his fate to Skripal. Valery Morozov, 63, who claimed political asylum in the UK after blowing the whistle on Kremlin corruption, received a series of emails last week, warning: "They came for Sergei, they will come for you." According to 'The Sunday Times', Morozov received threats from an anonymous encrypted email address and immediately reported them to Surrey police. When he did not reply, Morozov received a second email, warning: "Do you not care what will happen to you? Waiting for your confirmation." Scotland Yard has issued a renewed appeal for information from anyone who may have seen a burgundy red BMW owned by 66-year-old Skripal, the former Russian spy who was found unconscious on March 4 in Salisbury along with his daughter, Yulia. The pair remain critical but stable in hospital. British Prime Minister Theresa May informed Parliament earlier this week that the poison has been identified as being part of a group of military-grade nerve agents known as Novichok developed by the former Soviet Union. Soon after she announced the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats identified as "undeclared intelligence officers", the Kremlin expelled the same number based in Russia and also announced the closure of the British Consulate-General in St Petersburg as well as the British Council in Moscow. Today, the UK government said that independent investigators from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) will arrive in Britain tomorrow to kick off their investigation into the nerve agent used in the attempted assassinations of the Skripals. The team from The Hague will meet with officials from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory in Porton Down and the police to discuss the process for collecting samples, including environmental ones. The Foreign Secretary (Boris Johnson) revealed this morning that we have information indicating that within the last decade, Russia has investigated ways of delivering nerve agents likely for assassination. "And part of this programme has involved producing and stockpiling quantities of Novichok. This is a violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention," a Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) statement said. The results of the OPCW investigation are expected to take a minimum of two weeks. Meanwhile, Johnson is set to meet his EU counterparts and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg for talks in Brussels tomorrow to deliberate on joint action against Russia.

UK on high alert against Russian cyber-attack threat

Britain&#39;s opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on Friday suggested &quot;mafia-like groups&quot; in Russia could have been responsible for the nerve attack on a former double agent.

He said that the Russian state targeted Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the English city of Salisbury. 
&quot;Either this was a crime authored by the Russian state; or that state has allowed these deadly toxins to slip out of the control it has an obligation to exercise,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

&quot;If the latter, a connection to Russian mafia-like groups that have been allowed to gain a toehold in Britain cannot be excluded.&quot; 
He added: &quot;To rush way ahead of the evidence being gathered by the police, in a fevered parliamentary atmosphere, serves neither justice nor our national security.&quot;

The left-wing leader has drawn criticism from his own MPs for failing to fully back the Conservative government, which said Moscow was &quot;culpable&quot; for the March 4 attack. <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/putin-faces-midnight-deadline-to-explain-nerve-attack-on-former-spy-to-uk-35654">President Vladimir Putin</a>, on Tuesday, faced a midnight deadline to explain to Britain how a nerve agent developed by the Soviet Union was used to strike down a former Russian double agent who passed secrets to British intelligence.

Corbyn condemned the &quot;barbaric&quot; incident, which left Skripal and his daughter in a critical condition and also injured a police officer.

He said Labour was &quot;no supporter of the Putin regime&quot;, but &quot;that does not mean we should resign ourselves to a &#39;new Cold War&#39; of escalating arms spending, proxy conflicts across the globe and a McCarthyite intolerance of dissent&quot;.

Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, have been in hospital in a critical condition since March 4 when they were found unconscious on a bench outside a shopping centre in the southern English cathedral city of Salisbury.

Prime Minister Theresa May said it was &quot;highly likely&quot; Moscow was to blame after Britain identified the substance as part of the Novichok group of nerve agents which were developed by the Soviet military during the 1970s and 1980s.

Britain <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/britain-and-russia-brace-for-showdown-as-deadline-expires-for-nerve-attack-explanation-35763">braced for a showdown</a> 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.

Britain's opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said that the Russian state targeted Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the English city of Salisbury

Britain's opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on Friday suggested "mafia-like groups" in Russia could have been responsible for the nerve attack on a former double agent. He said that the Russian state targeted Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the English city of Salisbury. "Either this was a crime authored by the Russian state; or that state has allowed these deadly toxins to slip out of the control it has an obligation to exercise," he said. "If the latter, a connection to Russian mafia-like groups that have been allowed to gain a toehold in Britain cannot be excluded." He added: "To rush way ahead of the evidence being gathered by the police, in a fevered parliamentary atmosphere, serves neither justice nor our national security." The left-wing leader has drawn criticism from his own MPs for failing to fully back the Conservative government, which said Moscow was "culpable" for the March 4 attack. President Vladimir Putin, on Tuesday, faced a midnight deadline to explain to Britain how a nerve agent developed by the Soviet Union was used to strike down a former Russian double agent who passed secrets to British intelligence. Corbyn condemned the "barbaric" incident, which left Skripal and his daughter in a critical condition and also injured a police officer. He said Labour was "no supporter of the Putin regime", but "that does not mean we should resign ourselves to a 'new Cold War' of escalating arms spending, proxy conflicts across the globe and a McCarthyite intolerance of dissent". Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, have been in hospital in a critical condition since March 4 when they were found unconscious on a bench outside a shopping centre in the southern English cathedral city of Salisbury. Prime Minister Theresa May said it was "highly likely" Moscow was to blame after Britain identified the substance as part of the Novichok group of nerve agents which were developed by the Soviet military during the 1970s and 1980s. 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.

UK Labour leader suggests 'mafia-like groups' behind spy attack

British scientist Professor Stephen Hawking has passed away, a family spokesman confirmed today.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wDDNDeYZItM" width="560"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

The 76-year-old legendary scientist&nbsp;made breakthrough contribution and exploration in the areas of theoretical cosmology. He focused on the evolution of the universe as governed by the laws of general relativity.

Also known for his extensive work in the study of black holes,&nbsp;Professor Stephen Hawking made watershed contributions in facilitating a better understanding of the origin and evolution of the universe.

Some of his most notable and significant breakthroughs in the world of physics are listed below:

-- Cosmological singularity theorems, showing the inevitability of the Big Bang and a beginning in time.&nbsp;

-- Black hole horizons and uniqueness and discovering the event horizon.

-- Black hole radiation and laws of thermodynamics.

-- Quantum fluctuations as primordial seeds for large-scale structure.

-- He also proved that quiescent black holes must be axisymmetric.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Sad to hear of the passing of scientist Stephen Hawking. His brilliant mind made our world and our universe a less mysterious place. And his courage and resilience will remain an inspiration for generations <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PresidentKovind?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PresidentKovind</a>
&mdash; President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) <a href="https://twitter.com/rashtrapatibhvn/status/973777063600680961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Professor Stephen William Hawking was born on 8th January 1942 in Oxford, United Kingdom. In 1974 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). Hawking was also announced as one of the winners of the Fundamental Physics Prize, one of the most prestigious awards&nbsp;in the field of science.

Hawking was diagnosed with an early-onset of a slow-progressing form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The disease is known to damage motor system in the body and is alternatively known as motor neurone disease or Lou Gehrig&#39;s disease

According to reports, Hawking passed away peacefully at his residence in Cambridge, UK.&nbsp;

Professor Hawking&#39;s children, Lucy, Robert and Tim released a statement expressing their deep sadness.

&quot;He was a great scientist and an extraordinary man whose work and legacy will live on for many years. His courage and persistence with his brilliance and humour inspired people across the world. He once said, &#39;It would not be much of a universe if it wasn&#39;t home to the people you love.&#39; We will miss him forever,&quot; the statement read.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

According to reports, Hawking passed away peacefully at his residence in Cambridge, UK

British scientist Professor Stephen Hawking has passed away, a family spokesman confirmed today. × The 76-year-old legendary scientist made breakthrough contribution and exploration in the areas of theoretical cosmology. He focused on the evolution of the universe as governed by the laws of general relativity. Also known for his extensive work in the study of black holes, Professor Stephen Hawking made watershed contributions in facilitating a better understanding of the origin and evolution of the universe. Some of his most notable and significant breakthroughs in the world of physics are listed below: -- Cosmological singularity theorems, showing the inevitability of the Big Bang and a beginning in time. -- Black hole horizons and uniqueness and discovering the event horizon. -- Black hole radiation and laws of thermodynamics. -- Quantum fluctuations as primordial seeds for large-scale structure. -- He also proved that quiescent black holes must be axisymmetric. Sad to hear of the passing of scientist Stephen Hawking. His brilliant mind made our world and our universe a less mysterious place. And his courage and resilience will remain an inspiration for generations #PresidentKovind — President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) March 14, 2018 × Professor Stephen William Hawking was born on 8th January 1942 in Oxford, United Kingdom. In 1974 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). Hawking was also announced as one of the winners of the Fundamental Physics Prize, one of the most prestigious awards in the field of science. Hawking was diagnosed with an early-onset of a slow-progressing form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The disease is known to damage motor system in the body and is alternatively known as motor neurone disease or Lou Gehrig's disease According to reports, Hawking passed away peacefully at his residence in Cambridge, UK. Professor Hawking's children, Lucy, Robert and Tim released a statement expressing their deep sadness. "He was a great scientist and an extraordinary man whose work and legacy will live on for many years. His courage and persistence with his brilliance and humour inspired people across the world. He once said, 'It would not be much of a universe if it wasn't home to the people you love.' We will miss him forever," the statement read.

Video: Legendary scientist Stephen Hawking dies at 76

<table border="0" width="100%">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td colspan="2">
			Prime Minister Theresa May&nbsp;on Wednesday&nbsp;paid tribute to world-renowned British scientist Stephen Hawking as &quot;a brilliant and extraordinary mind&quot; whose legacy &quot;will not be forgotten&quot; after his death at the age of 76.

			 
			May wrote on her Twitter page that Hawking was &quot;one of the great scientists of his generation&quot;, adding that &quot;his courage, humour and determination to get the most from life was an inspiration&quot;.
			</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

May wrote on her Twitter page that Hawking was "one of the great scientists of his generation", adding that "his courage, humour and determination to get the most from life was an inspiration"

Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday paid tribute to world-renowned British scientist Stephen Hawking as "a brilliant and extraordinary mind" whose legacy "will not be forgotten" after his death at the age of 76. May wrote on her Twitter page that Hawking was "one of the great scientists of his generation", adding that "his courage, humour and determination to get the most from life was an inspiration".

UK's May hails Hawking as 'brilliant and extraordinary mind'

Russia warned Britain on Tuesday to expect reprisals if it announces sanctions over the poisoning of a former double agent, as the US and other allies joined London in demanding answers on how a Soviet-designed nerve agent was used in the attack.

British Prime Minister Theresa May says Russia was &quot;highly likely&quot; to be behind the attack, giving Moscow until midnight Tuesday to provide answers on the March 4 poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

In Moscow, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov insisted &quot;Russia is not guilty&quot;, saying it was ready to cooperate with Britain but complaining that its request for samples of the nerve agent had been rejected.

The Russian embassy said it had formally demanded the government allow a joint investigation, saying &quot;without that, there can be no sense in any statements from London&quot;.

In the first sign of the practical implications of the growing diplomatic crisis, Russia threatened to bar all British media if British authorities banned the Kremlin-backed RT broadcaster.

British regulator Ofcom has warned it could review RT&#39;s licence if Russia were found to have been responsible for the attack on Skripal, who came to Britain in a 2010 spy swap.

The United States, NATO and the European Union have all backed Britain in its stand-off with Moscow, following what is believed to be the first nerve agent attack in Europe since World War II.

In a phone call with May on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump said Russia must &quot;provide unambiguous answers&quot;.

The two leaders &quot;agreed on the need for consequences for those who use these heinous weapons in flagrant violation of international norms&quot;, the White House said.

Allies back Britain&nbsp;

May on Monday gave Moscow an ultimatum to explain whether Skripal&#39;s attempted murder was a state-sponsored attack, or whether it had &quot;lost control&quot; of the nerve agent.

She demanded Moscow disclose details of the development of the Novichok nerve agents programme to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

But addressing OPCW, Russian ambassador Alexander Shulgin accused British officials of launching &quot;vicious attacks&quot; against Moscow and &quot;fomenting hysteria&quot;.

Pharmacology experts said Novichok, a broad category of more than 100 nerve agents developed by the Soviet Union during the late stages of the Cold War, was &quot;more dangerous and sophisticated&quot; than sarin or VX.

May will gather her National Security Council on Wednesday morning &quot;to discuss the response from Russia&quot;, and will then give a statement to MPs, her spokesman said.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson attempted to rally support on Tuesday by calling his counterparts and vowing that if Russian was responsible, &quot;this would be further reckless behaviour which threatens the international community and requires an international response,&quot; according to a Foreign Office statement.

Canadian ambassador Timothy Edwards told the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) the two scenarios outlined by May were &quot;deeply troubling&quot;.

European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans said the EU was united in &quot;unwavering&quot; solidarity, while German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was taking the British accusation &quot;extremely seriously&quot;.

French President Emmanuel Macron said for his part the attack was &quot;unacceptable&quot; and &quot;reaffirmed France&#39;s commitment to fighting impunity when it comes to chemical weapons use,&quot; his office said.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the incident was &quot;of great concern&quot; amid reports that Britain was consulting NATO allies about possibly invoking its Article 5 principle of common defence.

They will not recover

Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, remain in critical condition in hospital after being found unconscious on a bench outside a shopping centre in the southwestern city of Salisbury on March 4.

May said Moscow had previously produced a group of nerve agents known as Novichok, had a history of state-sponsored assassinations and viewed defectors such as Skripal as legitimate targets.

Vil Mirzayanov, a chemist who worked on the Novichok programme and now lives in the United States, said the nerve agent&#39;s effects were &quot;brutal&quot;.

&quot;These people are gone -- the man and his daughter. Even if they survive they will not recover,&quot; the 83-year-old told The Telegraph newspaper.

A policeman was also taken ill, and police revealed Tuesday that 35 people were assessed at the time, all but one of whom were swiftly released. That person is being monitored as an outpatient.

The case has prompted comparisons with the 2006 radiation poisoning of former spy and Kremlin critic Alexander Litvinenko, which a British public inquiry blamed on Russia.

In a further twist, former senior Russian executive Nikolai Glushkov, linked to late Kremlin opponent Boris Berezovsky, was found dead in London in unexplained circumstances, British and Russian media reported.

British Prime Minister Theresa May says Russia was 'highly likely' to be behind the attack, giving Moscow until midnight Tuesday to provide answers

Russia warned Britain on Tuesday to expect reprisals if it announces sanctions over the poisoning of a former double agent, as the US and other allies joined London in demanding answers on how a Soviet-designed nerve agent was used in the attack. British Prime Minister Theresa May says Russia was "highly likely" to be behind the attack, giving Moscow until midnight Tuesday to provide answers on the March 4 poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. In Moscow, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov insisted "Russia is not guilty", saying it was ready to cooperate with Britain but complaining that its request for samples of the nerve agent had been rejected. The Russian embassy said it had formally demanded the government allow a joint investigation, saying "without that, there can be no sense in any statements from London". In the first sign of the practical implications of the growing diplomatic crisis, Russia threatened to bar all British media if British authorities banned the Kremlin-backed RT broadcaster. British regulator Ofcom has warned it could review RT's licence if Russia were found to have been responsible for the attack on Skripal, who came to Britain in a 2010 spy swap. The United States, NATO and the European Union have all backed Britain in its stand-off with Moscow, following what is believed to be the first nerve agent attack in Europe since World War II. In a phone call with May on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump said Russia must "provide unambiguous answers". The two leaders "agreed on the need for consequences for those who use these heinous weapons in flagrant violation of international norms", the White House said. Allies back Britain May on Monday gave Moscow an ultimatum to explain whether Skripal's attempted murder was a state-sponsored attack, or whether it had "lost control" of the nerve agent. She demanded Moscow disclose details of the development of the Novichok nerve agents programme to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). But addressing OPCW, Russian ambassador Alexander Shulgin accused British officials of launching "vicious attacks" against Moscow and "fomenting hysteria". Pharmacology experts said Novichok, a broad category of more than 100 nerve agents developed by the Soviet Union during the late stages of the Cold War, was "more dangerous and sophisticated" than sarin or VX. May will gather her National Security Council on Wednesday morning "to discuss the response from Russia", and will then give a statement to MPs, her spokesman said. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson attempted to rally support on Tuesday by calling his counterparts and vowing that if Russian was responsible, "this would be further reckless behaviour which threatens the international community and requires an international response," according to a Foreign Office statement. Canadian ambassador Timothy Edwards told the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) the two scenarios outlined by May were "deeply troubling". European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans said the EU was united in "unwavering" solidarity, while German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was taking the British accusation "extremely seriously". French President Emmanuel Macron said for his part the attack was "unacceptable" and "reaffirmed France's commitment to fighting impunity when it comes to chemical weapons use," his office said. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the incident was "of great concern" amid reports that Britain was consulting NATO allies about possibly invoking its Article 5 principle of common defence. They will not recover Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, remain in critical condition in hospital after being found unconscious on a bench outside a shopping centre in the southwestern city of Salisbury on March 4. May said Moscow had previously produced a group of nerve agents known as Novichok, had a history of state-sponsored assassinations and viewed defectors such as Skripal as legitimate targets. Vil Mirzayanov, a chemist who worked on the Novichok programme and now lives in the United States, said the nerve agent's effects were "brutal". "These people are gone -- the man and his daughter. Even if they survive they will not recover," the 83-year-old told The Telegraph newspaper. A policeman was also taken ill, and police revealed Tuesday that 35 people were assessed at the time, all but one of whom were swiftly released. That person is being monitored as an outpatient. The case has prompted comparisons with the 2006 radiation poisoning of former spy and Kremlin critic Alexander Litvinenko, which a British public inquiry blamed on Russia. In a further twist, former senior Russian executive Nikolai Glushkov, linked to late Kremlin opponent Boris Berezovsky, was found dead in London in unexplained circumstances, British and Russian media reported.

Russia warns of reprisals if UK acts over spy attack

United States President Donald Trump has on Tuesday backed the British Government&#39;s theory which holds Russia responsible for the poison attack that left a former Russian double agent and his daughter comatose on a park bench last week.

&quot;It sounds to me like it would be Russia, based on all the evidence they have. It sounds to me like they believe it was Russia and I would certainly take that finding as fact,&quot; CNN reported Trump as telling reporters outside the White House.

Trump further underscored that &quot;As soon as we get the facts straight, if we agree with them, we will condemn Russia or whoever it may be.&quot;

British Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday stated that it was &quot;highly likely&quot; Russia was to blame for the attack.

In a strongly worded statement to the House of Commons May said the &quot;military grade&quot; nerve agent used in the attack had been identified as Novichok, a substance developed in the Soviet Union in the 1970s.

In a move that is likely to plunge the UK-Russia ties to a new low, the British Prime Minister has demanded a response from the Russian government by the end of Tuesday, making it clear &quot;Should there be no credible response, we will conclude that this action amounts to an unlawful use of force by the Russian state against the United Kingdom.&quot;

Dismissing May&#39;s comments Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, told CNN, &quot;This is a circus show in the British Parliament. The conclusion is obvious.&quot;

Retired military intelligence officer Skripal, 66, and his daughter, Yulia, 33, were found slumped on a bench in Salisbury city centre on March 4.

British Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday stated that it was 'highly likely' Russia was to blame for the attack

United States President Donald Trump has on Tuesday backed the British Government's theory which holds Russia responsible for the poison attack that left a former Russian double agent and his daughter comatose on a park bench last week. "It sounds to me like it would be Russia, based on all the evidence they have. It sounds to me like they believe it was Russia and I would certainly take that finding as fact," CNN reported Trump as telling reporters outside the White House. Trump further underscored that "As soon as we get the facts straight, if we agree with them, we will condemn Russia or whoever it may be." British Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday stated that it was "highly likely" Russia was to blame for the attack. In a strongly worded statement to the House of Commons May said the "military grade" nerve agent used in the attack had been identified as Novichok, a substance developed in the Soviet Union in the 1970s. In a move that is likely to plunge the UK-Russia ties to a new low, the British Prime Minister has demanded a response from the Russian government by the end of Tuesday, making it clear "Should there be no credible response, we will conclude that this action amounts to an unlawful use of force by the Russian state against the United Kingdom." Dismissing May's comments Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, told CNN, "This is a circus show in the British Parliament. The conclusion is obvious." Retired military intelligence officer Skripal, 66, and his daughter, Yulia, 33, were found slumped on a bench in Salisbury city centre on March 4.

Ex-spy poisoning: Trump backs UK

Russia today rejected Britain&#39;s demand that Moscow provide an explanation over the poisoning of an ex-double agent and said London should provide Moscow with access to the nerve agent.

&quot;Before giving ultimatums it&#39;s better to honour your own obligations on international law,&quot; Lavrov told reporters, referring to the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Russia&#39;s top diplomat said that Britain should have sent Moscow an official request about the substance used on its soil.

Lavrov said Russia had not received such a request and also demanded to be given access to the Russian-made nerve agent used to poison former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

&quot;Through an official note we had demanded access to this substance,&quot; Lavrov said, adding that Russia also asked to be informed about the investigation. &quot;Our requests have been denied.&quot;

&quot;If the procedures stipulated by the convention will be implemented I assure you that Russia will fulfil its obligations,&quot; Lavrov said.

He insisted that Moscow was not to blame for the poisoning of the former agent said it was ready to cooperate with London.

&quot;Russia is not guilty. Russia is ready to cooperate according to the Chemical Weapons Convention, if Britain takes the trouble and condescends to carry out its international obligations according to the same document,&quot; Lavrov told a press conference.

Separately, a spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, Maria Zakharova, said the ministry had summoned the British ambassador, Laurie Bristow, amid the escalating poisoning row.(AFP)

&nbsp;

'Before giving ultimatums it's better to honour your own obligations on international law,' Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters

Russia today rejected Britain's demand that Moscow provide an explanation over the poisoning of an ex-double agent and said London should provide Moscow with access to the nerve agent. "Before giving ultimatums it's better to honour your own obligations on international law," Lavrov told reporters, referring to the Chemical Weapons Convention. Russia's top diplomat said that Britain should have sent Moscow an official request about the substance used on its soil. Lavrov said Russia had not received such a request and also demanded to be given access to the Russian-made nerve agent used to poison former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. "Through an official note we had demanded access to this substance," Lavrov said, adding that Russia also asked to be informed about the investigation. "Our requests have been denied." "If the procedures stipulated by the convention will be implemented I assure you that Russia will fulfil its obligations," Lavrov said. He insisted that Moscow was not to blame for the poisoning of the former agent said it was ready to cooperate with London. "Russia is not guilty. Russia is ready to cooperate according to the Chemical Weapons Convention, if Britain takes the trouble and condescends to carry out its international obligations according to the same document," Lavrov told a press conference. Separately, a spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, Maria Zakharova, said the ministry had summoned the British ambassador, Laurie Bristow, amid the escalating poisoning row.(AFP)

Ex-Russian spy's poisoning in UK: Russia rejects Britain's ultimatum, wants access to nerve agent

President Vladimir Putin faces a midnight deadline to explain to Britain how a nerve agent developed by the Soviet Union was used to strike down a former Russian double agent who passed secrets to British intelligence.

Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, have been in hospital in a critical condition since March 4 when they were found unconscious on a bench outside a shopping centre in the southern English cathedral city of Salisbury.

Prime Minister Theresa May said it was &quot;highly likely&quot; Moscow was to blame after Britain identified the substance as part of the Novichok group of nerve agents which were developed by the Soviet military during the 1970s and 1980s.

&quot;It is now clear that Mr Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia,&quot; May said.&nbsp;

&quot;Either this was a direct act by the Russian state against our country. Or the Russian government lost control of this potentially catastrophically damaging nerve agent and allowed it to get into the hands of others.&quot;

May gave Putin, who faces a presidential election on March 18, until end of Tuesday to explain what happened or face what she said were &quot;much more extensive&quot; measures against the $1.5 trillion Russian economy.

The Russian ambassador, Alexander Yakovenko, was summoned to the Foreign Office and given until the end of Tuesday to provide an explanation. Russia has denied any role in the attack on Skripal and his daughter.

US&nbsp;Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the United States had &quot;full confidence&quot; in Britain&#39;s assessment that Russia was likely responsible. US&nbsp;President Donald Trump has not yet publicly commented on the attack.

Earlier, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the United States stood by Britain, calling it America&#39;s &quot;closest ally,&quot; but she stopped short of blaming Russia for the attack.&nbsp;

The European Union also said it would stand by Britain, which is due to leave the bloc in just over a year&#39;s time. May spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron, who Downing Street said condemned the attack and offered his solidarity with Britain.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the use of any nerve agent was horrendous and completely unacceptable.

Nerve agent&nbsp;

Russia said May&#39;s allegations were politically motivated.

&quot;It is a circus show in the British parliament,&quot; the TASS news agency quoted Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying. &quot;The conclusion is obvious: It&#39;s another political information campaign, based on a provocation.&quot;

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.&nbsp;

A British public inquiry found the killing of Litvinenko had probably been approved by Putin and carried out by two Russians, Dmitry Kovtun and Andrei Lugovoy - a former KGB bodyguard who later became a member of the Russian parliament.

Both denied responsibility, as did Moscow.

Putin, who took over as Kremlin chief from Boris Yeltsin on the last day of 1999, has denied allegations that Russia meddled in the 2016 US&nbsp;presidential election and says the West has repeatedly tried to undermine Russian interests.

Skripal betrayed dozens of Russian agents to British intelligence before his arrest in Moscow 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.&nbsp;

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.

Novichok agents are believed to be five to 10 times more lethal than the more commonly known VX and Sarin. They cause a slowing of the heart and restriction of the airways, leading to death by asphyxiation, University of Reading pharmacology professor Gary Stephens said.

Russian state television said Skripal had been recruited by the British when working as Russia&#39;s military attache in Spain and that he had handed over 20,000 pages of secret documents to MI6, Britain&#39;s foreign spy service.

A British policeman who was one of the first to attend to the stricken spy was also affected by the nerve agent. He is now conscious in a serious but stable condition, police said. 
&nbsp;

Russia said May's allegations were politically motivated

President Vladimir Putin faces a midnight deadline to explain to Britain how a nerve agent developed by the Soviet Union was used to strike down a former Russian double agent who passed secrets to British intelligence. Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, have been in hospital in a critical condition since March 4 when they were found unconscious on a bench outside a shopping centre in the southern English cathedral city of Salisbury. Prime Minister Theresa May said it was "highly likely" Moscow was to blame after Britain identified the substance as part of the Novichok group of nerve agents which were developed by the Soviet military during the 1970s and 1980s. "It is now clear that Mr Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia," May said. "Either this was a direct act by the Russian state against our country. Or the Russian government lost control of this potentially catastrophically damaging nerve agent and allowed it to get into the hands of others." May gave Putin, who faces a presidential election on March 18, until end of Tuesday to explain what happened or face what she said were "much more extensive" measures against the $1.5 trillion Russian economy. The Russian ambassador, Alexander Yakovenko, was summoned to the Foreign Office and given until the end of Tuesday to provide an explanation. Russia has denied any role in the attack on Skripal and his daughter. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the United States had "full confidence" in Britain's assessment that Russia was likely responsible. US President Donald Trump has not yet publicly commented on the attack. Earlier, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the United States stood by Britain, calling it America's "closest ally," but she stopped short of blaming Russia for the attack. The European Union also said it would stand by Britain, which is due to leave the bloc in just over a year's time. May spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron, who Downing Street said condemned the attack and offered his solidarity with Britain. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the use of any nerve agent was horrendous and completely unacceptable. Nerve agent Russia said May's allegations were politically motivated. "It is a circus show in the British parliament," the TASS news agency quoted Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying. "The conclusion is obvious: It's another political information campaign, based on a provocation." 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 British public inquiry found the killing of Litvinenko had probably been approved by Putin and carried out by two Russians, Dmitry Kovtun and Andrei Lugovoy - a former KGB bodyguard who later became a member of the Russian parliament. Both denied responsibility, as did Moscow. Putin, who took over as Kremlin chief from Boris Yeltsin on the last day of 1999, has denied allegations that Russia meddled in the 2016 US presidential election and says the West has repeatedly tried to undermine Russian interests. Skripal betrayed dozens of Russian agents to British intelligence before his arrest in Moscow 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. 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. Novichok agents are believed to be five to 10 times more lethal than the more commonly known VX and Sarin. They cause a slowing of the heart and restriction of the airways, leading to death by asphyxiation, University of Reading pharmacology professor Gary Stephens said. Russian state television said Skripal had been recruited by the British when working as Russia's military attache in Spain and that he had handed over 20,000 pages of secret documents to MI6, Britain's foreign spy service. A British policeman who was one of the first to attend to the stricken spy was also affected by the nerve agent. He is now conscious in a serious but stable condition, police said.

Putin faces midnight deadline to explain nerve attack on former spy to UK

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