Russia Defends WHO Notification on Siberian Plague Lab Worker Death

Russia confirmed it properly notified the World Health Organization about the death of a lab worker at a Siberian plague institute, while accusing media of spreading false information. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made the statement Wednesday. Peskov responded to an ABC News report that the U.S. filed a formal diplomatic complaint urging greater transparency. The worker died in undisclosed circumstances, prompting quarantine of dozens and a health official's dispatch to Irkutsk region. Peskov directed the public to rely on state watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, which reported no plague cases among contacts. He also said no Putin-Trump call was scheduled, despite Trump's claim he would speak with Putin soon.