The Latest: British regulator considers Russian broadcaster

THE HAGUE, Netherlands – The Latest on the poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Britain (all times local):

12:30 p.m.

Britain’s broadcast regulator says it has launched seven new investigations into the impartiality of Russian state-owned TV channel RT, saying it has seen a rise in potential breaches of its code since the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter.

Regulator Ofcom said it would assess whether RT owner TV Novosti is “fit and proper” to hold a British broadcast license.

Ofcom said in a statement that, until recently, “TV Novosti’s overall compliance record has not been materially out of line with other broadcasters.”

But it added that “since the events in Salisbury, we have observed a significant increase in the number of programs on the RT service that warrant investigation as potential breaches of the Ofcom Broadcasting Code.”

Britain says Russia poisoned the Skripals with a military-grade nerve agent on March 4. Russia denies involvement.

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9 a.m.

Member states of the global chemical weapons watchdog are meeting to discuss the nerve agent attack in Britain on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter.

The Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons was gathering Wednesday at the request of Britain following a report by inspectors from the watchdog into the March 4 incident.

Britain blames Russia for the attack, which it says was carried out by smearing a Soviet-developed nerve agent known as Novichok on a door handle at Sergei Skripal’s house. Moscow denies involvement.

In a summary of its report published last week, the OPCW did not name Novichok, but it confirmed “the findings of the United Kingdom relating to the identity of the toxic chemical that was used in Salisbury.”