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A10 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 23 May 2018

Purported mother of poisoned Russian spy speaks out

Associated Press terview, wiping away tears.
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian "I'm 90, and I don't pose a
state TV has interviewed a danger to anyone." Skri-
woman it claims to be the pal's mother has not spo-
mother of a former Russian ken in public before, and
spy poisoned in Britain. the British authorities have
Sergei Skripal was dis- never mentioned her. The
charged from a British hos- Russian embassy last month
pital last week more than mentioned that Skripal's
two months after he was cousin takes care of his el-
poisoned with a nerve derly mother. Skripal is a
agent. His daughter, who former Russian intelligence
was also poisoned, was dis- officer who was arrested
charged last month. in 2004 and convicted of
The Skripals have been spying for Britain before
taken to an undisclosed lo- coming to the U.K. as part
cation and have not been of a 2010 prisoner swap.
seen in public. He had been living quietly
Russia's Channel One on in the English city of Salis-
Monday showed an inter- bury, 90 miles (145 kilome-
view with the woman it said ters) southwest of London,
was Sergei Skripal's mother. when he was poisoned.
The woman said she has The woman purported to
not talked to her son since be Skripal's mother said
he was hospitalized and she used to talk to her son
appealed for British authori- every week on the phone.
ties to allow Skripal to give She appealed for the British
her a call. "I haven't seen authorities to let her speak
my son in 14 years. I want In this Tuesday, March 6, 2018 file photo, Police officers stand outside the house of former Russian to her son and to allow Skri-
to meet him, I want to hold double agent Sergei Skripal who was found critically ill Sunday following exposure to an "un- pal's cousin Viktoria, who
him tight close to my heart," known substance" in Salisbury, England. was previously denied a UK
the woman said in the in- Associated Press visa, to visit him in Britain.q

Russia adopts bill that could stymie trade with US

Associated Press allows the Russian president to the West against further
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's to "ban or suspend coop- sanctions on Russia.
parliament on Tuesday ad- eration with a hostile state" "Everyone who wants to im-
opted a wide-ranging bill and ban imports of goods pose these restrictions on
that could freeze crucial from unnamed countries. our rights and on our citi-
exports to the United States The original bill proposed zens needs to understand
and imports to Russia from specific restrictions to U.S. that Russia will respond
the U.S. and other coun- imports including drugs to this," lawmaker Andrei
tries. as well as banning crucial Isayev said speaking of
The bill, drafted by lead- exports, such as titanium, Western sanctions.
ing lawmakers at the State to the U.S. But lawmakers Russia has been slapped
Duma in response to the toned it down to get rid of with a flurry of sanctions re-
latest round of U.S. sanc- references to specific re- lating to its annexation of
tions, lays out a wide range strictions before adopting Ukraine's Crimea in 2014,
Russian lawmakers work during a session of the State Duma, of restrictions for U.S. busi- the bill. support for separatists in
Russian parliament's lower house in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, nesses in Russia and for Many lawmakers who eastern Ukraine and the
May 22, 2018. cooperation with the U.S. backed the bill on Tuesday suspected meddling in the
Associated Press Among other things, the bill portrayed it as a warning 2016 U.S. elections.q