Russia KICKS OUT Brit diplomats as spy row ERUPTS - DAILY NEWS

Russia KICKS OUT Brit diplomats as spy row
ERUPTS. RUSSIA has ordered British diplomats to leave
the country as the row over the poisoning of Sergei Skripal erupts. Moscow has demanded they leave in less than
a week. It comes amid a bitter stand off between Britiain
and the Kremlin after Skriplal, 66, and daughter, Yulia, 33, were attacked with a nerve agent
in Salisbury.

Russia has also closed down the British Council
in its country. Earlier this week the UK expelled 23 Russian
diplomats, after Prime Minister Theresa May, 61, ordered the Kremlin to explain the attack. Russia failed to meet May's deadline to respond
after she concluded it was "highly likely" the attack was state-sponsored. The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the
British ambassador, Laurie Bristow, to a meeting on Saturday morning in central Moscow at its
Stalin-era headquarters.

Bristow told reporters afterwards that the
crisis had arisen after "the attempted murder of two people using a chemical weapon developed
in Russia". Britain had only expelled the Russian diplomats
after Moscow had failed to explain how the nerve toxin had got to Britain, he said. "We will always do what is necessary to defend
ourselves," the ambassador told reporters. Russia has accused Britain of failing to provide
any evidence.

Yesterday MPs in the UK piled the pressure
on May to consider withdrawing from the World Cup in Russia in June. Labour MP John Woodcock said: "I would like
to see a parliamentary debate on whether concerted Government action together with other countries
to postpone the World Cup or move it to another venue would be the right way to go. "This is a decision which should be shared
between the Government, the fans and the FA. "I dont want to see anyone dictated to
and I am not calling for England to unilaterally withdraw from the tournament.

"But there is a growing appetite among MPs
to push for concerted international action over the World Cup. "It should be on the table because of the
appalling magnitude of what Russia has done.".