Nerve Agent Attack In London

The United States said Wednesday it was imposing new sanctions on Russia, as it accused the government in Moscow of using a "lethal" nerve agent in the attempted assassination of a former spy in Britain.

Britain demanded on Thursday that Russia provide details about the Novichok nerve agent attack on a former double agent and his daughter after two British citizens were struck down with the same poison.

Britain is foolish if it believes Russia staged a new nerve agent attack in England in the middle of the soccer World Cup, Russia's embassy to the Netherlands wrote on social media on Thursday.

Two people have been hospitalised in a critical condition for exposure to an "unknown substance" in the same British city where former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned.

Yulia Skripal, who was poisoned in England last month along with her Russian ex-spy father, has refused consular assistance from the Russian embassy, a British foreign ministry spokesman said.

Yulia Skripal, who was poisoned with a nerve agent in the English city of Salisbury last month along with her Russian ex-spy father, has been discharged from hospital, the BBC and Sky news reported Tuesday.

Russia on Wednesday accused British and US secret services of being behind the poisoning of a Russian former double agent as the world's chemical weapons watchdog held a closed-door meeting on the incident at Moscow's request.

US President Donald Trump proposed a White House summit when he called Russian President Vladimir Putin last month, prior to the mass expulsion of Russian diplomats from the US, a top Kremlin aide said Monday.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday suggested that the poisoning of a former double agent could benefit the British government by distracting attention from problems around Brexit.

Russian former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with a nerve toxin that had been left on the front door of their home in England, British counter-terrorism police said on Wednesday.

Russian media on Tuesday shared the view that Western countries' coordinated expulsions of Russian diplomats following the poisoning in Britain of a former spy have plunged Moscow's relations with the West into a new "Cold War".

The United States joined Britain's allies in Europe and around the world Monday in expelling scores of suspected Russian spies in an unprecedented response to a nerve agent attack.

Australia will expel two Russian diplomats in response to a nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy in Britain that the British government has blamed on Moscow, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said on Tuesday.

President Donald Trump is considering the expulsion of some Russian diplomats in the United States in solidarity with Britain over the poisoning of a former Russian spy in England, a source familiar with the situation said on Sunday.

European Union leaders backed Britain on Thursday in blaming Moscow over a nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy in England and recalled their envoy to Moscow in a symbolic protest.

The United States said Wednesday it was imposing new sanctions on Russia, as it accused the government in Moscow of using a "lethal" nerve agent in the attempted assassination of a former spy in Britain.

Britain demanded on Thursday that Russia provide details about the Novichok nerve agent attack on a former double agent and his daughter after two British citizens were struck down with the same poison.

Britain is foolish if it believes Russia staged a new nerve agent attack in England in the middle of the soccer World Cup, Russia's embassy to the Netherlands wrote on social media on Thursday.

Two people have been hospitalised in a critical condition for exposure to an "unknown substance" in the same British city where former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned.

Yulia Skripal, who was poisoned in England last month along with her Russian ex-spy father, has refused consular assistance from the Russian embassy, a British foreign ministry spokesman said.

Yulia Skripal, who was poisoned with a nerve agent in the English city of Salisbury last month along with her Russian ex-spy father, has been discharged from hospital, the BBC and Sky news reported Tuesday.

Russia on Wednesday accused British and US secret services of being behind the poisoning of a Russian former double agent as the world's chemical weapons watchdog held a closed-door meeting on the incident at Moscow's request.

US President Donald Trump proposed a White House summit when he called Russian President Vladimir Putin last month, prior to the mass expulsion of Russian diplomats from the US, a top Kremlin aide said Monday.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday suggested that the poisoning of a former double agent could benefit the British government by distracting attention from problems around Brexit.

Russian former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with a nerve toxin that had been left on the front door of their home in England, British counter-terrorism police said on Wednesday.

Russian media on Tuesday shared the view that Western countries' coordinated expulsions of Russian diplomats following the poisoning in Britain of a former spy have plunged Moscow's relations with the West into a new "Cold War".

The United States joined Britain's allies in Europe and around the world Monday in expelling scores of suspected Russian spies in an unprecedented response to a nerve agent attack.

Australia will expel two Russian diplomats in response to a nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy in Britain that the British government has blamed on Moscow, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said on Tuesday.

President Donald Trump is considering the expulsion of some Russian diplomats in the United States in solidarity with Britain over the poisoning of a former Russian spy in England, a source familiar with the situation said on Sunday.

European Union leaders backed Britain on Thursday in blaming Moscow over a nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy in England and recalled their envoy to Moscow in a symbolic protest.