Search experts in protective gear examine the home of Dawn Sturgess, who died after being affected by the nerve agent. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls/File Photo
Search experts in protective gear examine the home of Dawn Sturgess, who died after being affected by the nerve agent. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls/File Photo

UK police ‘identify Russian nerve agent suspects'



British police have identified several Russian suspects from security camera footage collected after a nerve agent attack targeting a former double agent that left a woman dead, according to a report Thursday.

Investigators have cross-checked footage from security cameras in the southern English city of Salisbury with aircraft passenger records and are “sure” those behind the attack in March are Russians, according to an unnamed source cited by the domestic Press Association news agency.

Sergei Skripal, 66, his daughter Yulia, 33, have been released from hospital but a woman unconnected with the Skripals died earlier this month after spraying herself unwittingly with the deadly Novichok agent after retrieving a discarded perfume bottle.

Details of the apparent identification of suspects came as an inquest was due to open on Thursday of Dawn Sturgess, 44, who died eight days after coming into contact with Novichok from the same batch used in the attempted murders of the Skripals.

The bottle was found during a search of her partner Charlie Rowley, 45, at his home in Amesbury, some nine miles from the where the Skripals live. He remains in hospital but has been able to tell police what happened.

The pair were known to have travelled to a public park the day before they were stricken which was just a few hundred yards from where Mr Skripal and his daughter were found slumped on a bench in the centre of the small military city in March. They later caught a bus together to Amesbury where they fell ill.

The area where Mr Skripal was found is covered by numerous security cameras installed across the city last year in a £400,000 project. The high-definition footage is sharp enough to identify individual car number plates, council leader Matthew Dean told The National.

“Investigators believe they have identified the suspected perpetrators of the Novichok attack through CCTV and have cross-checked this with records of people who entered the country around that time,” the source told PA. “They (the investigators) are sure they (the suspects) are Russian.”

Police were Wednesday carrying out a finger-tip search of the park.

Experts have said that the accidental or deliberate discarding of the bottle was likely a major error, that could potentially tie the assassination team to the attack through DNA retrieved from the bottle.

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The Metropolitan Police declined to comment on the report on Thursday but the conclusion would back the UK government’s assertion that Russia was behind the attack. Ministers have said Russia’s link to Novichok, the Kremlin’s history of targeted assassinations in the UK – including the murder of former spy Alexander Litvinenko in 2006 using radioactive material - and the rarity of the nerve agent all signalled Russian state involvement.

The attack resulted in a tit-for-tat expulsion of diplomats by the UK and its allies and Russia and sent relations between the countries plunging to their worst levels in years. It also prompted the UK to successfully push for changes at the global chemical weapons watchdog that would allow inspectors to attribute blame for attacks using banned substances.

Russia has always denied that Russia was behind the attack. President Vladimir Putin told US broadcaster Fox News this week that unspecified domestic issues could have been responsible for the attack.

“We recently heard that two people suffered,” he said. “I have never even heard the names of these people. What kind of package? What chemical formula? Maybe there is some other reason for death.”

The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol

Power: 154bhp

Torque: 250Nm

Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option 

Price: From Dh79,600

On sale: Now

Haircare resolutions 2021

From Beirut and Amman to London and now Dubai, hairstylist George Massoud has seen the same mistakes made by customers all over the world. In the chair or at-home hair care, here are the resolutions he wishes his customers would make for the year ahead.

1. 'I will seek consultation from professionals'

You may know what you want, but are you sure it’s going to suit you? Haircare professionals can tell you what will work best with your skin tone, hair texture and lifestyle.

2. 'I will tell my hairdresser when I’m not happy'

Massoud says it’s better to offer constructive criticism to work on in the future. Your hairdresser will learn, and you may discover how to communicate exactly what you want more effectively the next time.

3. ‘I will treat my hair better out of the chair’

Damage control is a big part of most hairstylists’ work right now, but it can be avoided. Steer clear of over-colouring at home, try and pursue one hair brand at a time and never, ever use a straightener on still drying hair, pleads Massoud.

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
Ticket prices
  • Golden circle - Dh995
  • Floor Standing - Dh495
  • Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
  • Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
  • Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
  • Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
  • Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
  • Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

Squid Game season two

Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk 

Stars:  Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun

Rating: 4.5/5

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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
UAE v IRELAND

All matches start at 10am, and will be played in Abu Dhabi

1st ODI, Friday, January 8

2nd ODI, Sunday, January 10

3rd ODI, Tuesday, January 12

4th ODI, Thursday, January 14

Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule

 

  • 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
  • 2nd Test Thursday-Monday at Colombo
  • 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
The specs

Common to all models unless otherwise stated

Engine: 4-cylinder 2-litre T-GDi

0-100kph: 5.3 seconds (Elantra); 5.5 seconds (Kona); 6.1 seconds (Veloster)

Power: 276hp

Torque: 392Nm

Transmission: 6-Speed Manual/ 8-Speed Dual Clutch FWD

Price: TBC

What is hepatitis?

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, which can lead to fibrosis (scarring), cirrhosis or liver cancer.

There are 5 main hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E.

Hepatitis C is mostly transmitted through exposure to infective blood. This can occur through blood transfusions, contaminated injections during medical procedures, and through injecting drugs. Sexual transmission is also possible, but is much less common.

People infected with hepatitis C experience few or no symptoms, meaning they can live with the virus for years without being diagnosed. This delay in treatment can increase the risk of significant liver damage.

There are an estimated 170 million carriers of Hepatitis C around the world.

The virus causes approximately 399,000 fatalities each year worldwide, according to WHO.

 

Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage

Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid 

Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani

Rating: 4/5

Padmaavat

Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh

3.5/5

Januzaj's club record

Manchester United 50 appearances, 5 goals

Borussia Dortmund (loan) 6 appearances, 0 goals

Sunderland (loan) 25 appearances, 0 goals

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

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