SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
The UK says that a Soviet-developed Novichok nerve agent was used against Sergei Skripal, his daughter, and bystanders, and has given Russia "until midnight tonight" to explain how it came to be used:
British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Tuesday that Russia has "until midnight tonight" to explain how a lethal Novichok nerve agent that was developed in Russia came to be used on U.K. soil. Johnson said Britain is preparing to take "commensurate but robust" action.
Reiterating British Prime Minister Theresa May's statement that it was "highly likely" Russia was to blame for the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, Johnson said, "the use of this nerve agent would represent the first use of nerve agents on the continent of Europe since the Second World War."
Meanwhile, police are probing the death of a Russian exile living in London:
Nikolai Glushkov, a Russian exile who was a close friend of a noted critic of President Vladimir Putin, has died from an "unexplained" cause in London, police say. The Metropolitan Police says that its counter-terrorism unit is handling the case "because of associations that the man is believed to have had."
Glushkov, 68, was a close friend of former Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky, a prominent critic of the Kremlin who was found dead in 2013. At the time, an inquiry found he had hanged himself — but Glushkov publicly disputed the idea that his friend and former business ally would have killed himself.
As British media began reporting Glushkov's death, the police issued a statement saying, "An investigation is underway following the death of a man in his 60s in Kingston borough."
Previously: Former Russian Spy Exposed to "Unknown Substance" in Salisbury, England
Use of Nerve Agent Confirmed in Skripal Assassination Attempt
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 14 2018, @12:28AM (16 children)
Have the UK government absolutely ruled out other players? Skirpal was a known associate of Christopher Steele who has ties to Fusion GPS, an allegedly Soros funded organization [dailycaller.com] with a history of trying to frame Russia.
(Score: 4, Funny) by stretch611 on Wednesday March 14 2018, @12:36AM (2 children)
You are absolutely right... Hillary Clinton is to blame. She killed/attempted to kill these former Russian spies so that they would not reveal her ties to the Russian government. /s
Now with 5 covid vaccine shots/boosters altering my DNA :P
(Score: 2, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 14 2018, @12:46AM
Nah dude, Hillary is too busy. [pinimg.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 14 2018, @02:23AM
And it all ties in to "57" and the Heinz Tomato Sauce Plot to rule the world. ;)
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 14 2018, @12:55AM (10 children)
You're holding the razor wrong. You might even cut yourself.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 14 2018, @01:03AM (9 children)
Well fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice...
At what point do we stop believing a single thing our politicians say?
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Azuma Hazuki on Wednesday March 14 2018, @02:20AM (4 children)
In 1972 (was it '72?) when Nixon said "I am not a crook." So, 45+ years ago.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 14 2018, @03:37AM (3 children)
"I am not a crook." [youtube.com] Says November 17, 1973.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 14 2018, @08:06AM (2 children)
5 Alien Races in Contact with Earth Right Now [youtube.com]
Couldn't you have at least used something more reputable, like The Onion? Geez Louise!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 14 2018, @11:59AM (1 child)
The Trumpists, the Putinists, the Ergodanists … who are the other two? :-)
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 14 2018, @04:30PM
> The Trumpists, the Putinists, the Ergodanists … who are the other two? :-)
The Clintonians, and the Cardassi-- I mean, the Kardashians.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 14 2018, @02:46AM
Besides, the co-inventor of the stuff is in the US (working at Rutgers in NJ) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vil_Mirzayanov [wikipedia.org]
(Score: 2) by captain normal on Wednesday March 14 2018, @05:56AM (2 children)
Or stop believing any single thing an anonymous coward posts.
When life isn't going right, go left.
(Score: 0, Redundant) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 14 2018, @08:45AM (1 child)
This is also true.
Christopher Steele wasn't just an associate, [zerohedge.com] he reportedly led the investigation [independent.co.uk] into the incident which occurred near Porton Down. [wikipedia.org]
Occams Razor [wikipedia.org] means not making outlandish assumptions. One should not assume foul play by a foreign power when motive and method exist closer to home.
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 14 2018, @10:16AM
Occam's Razor tells me that ikf it comes from Zerohedge, it's likely a steaming pile of bullshit.
You might as well quote InfoWars or Rush "pill me baby!" Limbaugh. Hell, pull out some old Dilbert cartoons, they'd probably be more accurate..
Sigh.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by janrinok on Wednesday March 14 2018, @09:10AM (1 child)
And how many of these other players have access to Novichok? And, if they do, where did they get if from? It is a chemical nerve agent manufactured only in Russia. It is still not licensed to others because the Russians believe it is capable of defeating some of the west's chemical defences. They have, until now, protected it well. The reason they want to see how the UK has identified it is to learn just how much the UK knows about it, because that might indicate how our chemical defences are being upgraded.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 14 2018, @08:01PM
I've read it's a family of Soviet era nerve agents that can be manufactured using off the shelf phosphates. I read elsewhere this week that Syrian forces discovered a stockpile of chemical weapons after capturing a militant base. [cnbc.com]