It’s time to turn off Russian-backed ‘news’ channel in Britain

THE chilling threats by Russian State TV to their “traitors” in Britain might be as close to a confession as we get.

The evidence is starting to look overwhelming that Putin was behind the Salisbury assassination attempt.

5

There is plenty of action we can take. But The Sun does not believe in pulling the England team from the World Cup.

It would be a futile gesture that would just disappoint and enrage English fans.

But, as Boris Johnson said, no British dignitaries should honour the event — which Fifa should never have awarded the rogue state in the first place.

5

The Government should also consider pulling the plug on the Kremlin-backed “news” channel RT, which broadcasts a pro-Putin agenda across Britain.

Jose Mourinho should be smarter than to take Russia’s money as a pundit  after the bid to murder Sergei Skripal and his daughter.  So should ex-SNP leader Alex Salmond, who hosts a chat-show.

There is no free-speech issue. Russia engages in hostile acts against us, as its mouthpiece broadcasts from London.

Ofcom should review its licence.

Korea change

IT is baffling to watch dedicated Trump-haters denounce peace talks between the US and North Korea.

It’s a propaganda coup by Kim Jong-un, they cry. He wants the world to see him as America’s equal and Trump, the idiot, is falling for it.

5

Kim will never actually disarm, they say. He’s playing Trump for the moron he is.  And so on and so on.

What would they rather? No peace talks? More crazy threats of nuclear war until someone  presses the button?

Perhaps they still prefer Obama’s strategy: sit helplessly and do nothing for eight years watching Kim build and test an apocalyptic arsenal in open ­defiance of the world.

5

Maybe tougher sanctions and Trump’s nuclear madman act worked. Maybe Korea’s tubby tyrant is genuinely nervous.

Of course Trump has to be wary. Kim disarming is vanishingly unlikely. But negotiations must be a good thing.

Even his staunchest critics should give credit when it’s due.

MOST READ IN OPINION

THE SUN SAYS

It's refreshing to hear Rachel Reeves say growth must trump Net Zero

ROD LIDDLE

Many Brits will be wishing Trump is our PM after war on woke... BBC don't get it

ROSS CLARK

UK must take chainsaw to bloated public sector departments to rescue economy

THE SUN SAYS

Trump's Net Zero realism will boost US - will UK be brave enough to follow?

VAT’s no good

WE doubt you’re spending the weekend nervously anticipating the thrill of the Chancellor’s Spring Statement on Tuesday.

5

Even Philip Hammond expects it  to be boring. But we do have a word of warning for him:

Ignore the siren calls in the Treasury to cut the annual £85,000 VAT threshold for our small firms.  They are the backbone of our economy — and many Sun readers have risked everything to set one up and run it.

This is not the moment to hit them with higher costs and extra paperwork.

Forget it, Phil.