U.K. finds source of nerve poisoning

LONDON — British detectives investigating the poisoning of two people by the nerve agent Novichok in southwestern England said Friday that a small bottle found in the home of one of the victims tested positive for the deadly substance. Dawn Sturgess, 44, and Charlie Rowley, 45, were sickened on June 30 in a town not far from Salisbury, where British authorities say a Russian ex-spy and his daughter were poisoned with Novichok in March. Sturgess died in a hospital on Sunday. Rowley, her partner, initially was in critical condition, but has regained consciousness. The Metropolitan Police said the small bottle was found during searches of Rowley’s house Wednesday, and scientists confirmed the substance in the bottle was Novichok. Police are still looking into where the bottle came from and how it came to be in Rowley’s house. Further tests will be carried out to establish whether it is from the same batch that was used to poison Russian exspy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in March.