Putin denies ordering attack on former spy

British officials are weighing the evidence in last week’s targeted attack on a former spy, with one lawmaker telling the BBC he would be “surprised” if Prime Minister Theresa May didn’t publicly blame Russian officials for the assassination attempt. May could make an announcement about the investigation soon. On Sunday, health officials said they found traces of the nerve agent used against Sergei Skripal and his daughter in a pub and restaurant in Salisbury, where the attack took place. While saying the small amounts of poison did not pose a significant risk, they urged patrons of either business to wash their clothes, double-bag articles for dry cleaning, and wipe down items like jewelry. Sergei and Yulia Skripal, found unresponsive on a public park bench on March 4, remain in critical condition at a local hospital. Skripal worked for Russian military intelligence and passed secrets to the British in the 1990s and early 2000s. He settled in Britain after a prisoner exchange in 2010. Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed accusations of official Russian involvement in the assassination attempt, telling a British reporter he wanted to see evidence before discussing the incident: “You first get to the bottom of things over there, and after that we can discuss it.”