Russia ‘likely’ did poison spy in UK
hit out after the party announced she had “stood down” as shadow work and pensions secretary while she was investigated over an “employment issue”.
She denied agreeing to stand down. UNIVERSITY vice-chancellors earn far more than those in leadership roles elsewhere in the public sector, it has been reported.
According to analysis, their salaries were well above those taken home by chief executives of councils and NHS hospital trusts across several major cities in England. University bosses’ pay continues to be put under the spotlight, with growing concerns over spiralling salary hikes, with several high-profile figures calling for restraint. MUCH-loved comedian Sir Ken Dodd was being mourned yesterday following his death aged 90.
His widow, Lady Anne Dodd, who the funnyman married on Friday, echoed the thoughts of Sir Ken’s millions of fans, describing the star as “a most life-enhancing, brilliant, creative comedian”.
Sir Ken died on Sunday at the home where he was born, in the Liverpool suburb of Knotty Ash.
Sir Paul McCartney, Dawn French, David Walliams and Ant and Dec were among those paying tribute to him, with ex-Beatle Sir Paul saying he had “tears of sadness”.
The star was hailed as a IT IS “highly likely” that Russia was behind the nerve agent attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, Theresa May told MPs yesterday.
The Prime Minister said the substance used was a “military grade” nerve agent produced by Russia and there were only two possible explanations – either Moscow was behind the attack or it had lost control of its stockpile of the poison.
The Prime Minister said Russia’s ambassador Alexander Yakovenko had been summoned to the Foreign Office to explain what happened.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has told him that Moscow must “immediately provide full and complete disclosure” of its novichok nerve gas programme to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, giving Russia until the end of today to respond, said Mrs May.
In a dramatic statement after a meeting of the National Security Council, during which she received the latest intelligence analysis and an update on the investigation, Mrs May told MPs: “It is now clear that Mr Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent of a type “true professor of comedy” and an “all-time great” by fellow comics.
Speaking outside their home, where floral tributes and tickle sticks were left outside, Lady Anne Dodd said she had “lost a most wonderful husband”.
He was knighted for his long career in March last year. developed by Russia. Based on the positive identification of this chemical agent by world-leading experts at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down; our knowledge that Russia has previously produced this agent and would still be capable of doing so; Russia’s record of conducting state-sponsored assassinations; and our assessment that Russia views some defectors as legitimate targets for assassinations; the Government has concluded that it is highly likely that Russia was responsible for the act against Sergei and Yulia Skripal.”
That meant “either this was a direct act by the Russian state against our country” or Vladimir Putin’s government had “lost control of this potentially catastrophically damaging nerve agent”.
The Kremlin has denied the involvement of the Russian government in the nerve agent attack on the Skripals.
But Mrs May said: “On Wednesday we will consider in detail the response from the Russian State.
“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.”
That would result in Mrs May setting out “the full range of measures that we will take in response”.
She said: “This attempted murder using a weapons-grade nerve agent in a British town was not just a crime against the Skripals. It was an indiscriminate and reckless act against the United Kingdom, putting the lives of innocent civilians at risk.
“And we will not tolerate such a brazen attempt to murder innocent civilians on our soil.”
Mrs May used her statement to pay tribute to Wiltshire Police Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, who is in a serious but stable condition at Salisbury District Hospital.