January 17, 2008 (LPAC)--The political clash between Russia and Britain is deepening, with Russia's Federal Security Service interviewing the Russian employees of the British Council,- which Russia ordered closed late last year, but which had re-opened its St Petersburg office after the New Year despite the ban. The British Council has said it is "deeply concerned'' by the developments, and this is why it has temporarily closed the St Petersburg office. The BC office in the Yekaterinburg was also closed today.

The Federal Security Service, on Jan. 15 said it is conducting "explanatory work'' with the BC Russian employees with the aim of "protecting Russian citizens from possibly being drawn into the Britons' provocative games as tools.'' Also on Jan. 15, St. Petersburg police stopped Stephen Kinnock, one of the BC's directors and son of Lord Kinnock, former leader of the Labour Party, for violating a traffic sign. He refused to take an alcohol test, and yesterday was being interviewed by police. Kinnock was the person who reopened the office in St. Petersburg Jan. 14. Miliband in London said that, "We've heard very serious reports of intimidation and harassment of British Council officials. Obviously we take that very seriously indeed. ... Any intimidation or harassment of officials is obviously completely unacceptable.''

Tensions generated by alleged "spy scandals" are also being generated on Russia's far east border, with right-wing operations in Japan. Today, Japanese police reported that they are holding an official of the Japanese Cabinet Information Research Office for allegedly handing over classified information to the Russian Embassy, and the right-wing crew in Japan is making a big show, staging demonstrations against the Russian Embassy in Tokyo today. The information was allegedly sensitive domestic and foreign policy information. The Embassy has dismissed the report as a deliberate ploy by "certain forces" to harm bilateral relations.

The right-wingers are out in their usual way, driving black buses through Tokyo with big loudspeakers denouncing Russia, especially over the disputed South Kuril Islands. This far-right crowd are known to be fierce opponents of Prime Minister Fukuda's LDP, Novosti reported today.