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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| More tests for dead spy's contact | More tests for dead spy's contact |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Doctors are due to carry out more tests on a contact of Alexander Litvinenko who has tested positive for the same substance found in the Russian's body. | Doctors are due to carry out more tests on a contact of Alexander Litvinenko who has tested positive for the same substance found in the Russian's body. |
| Italian Mario Scaramella is not thought to be suffering physical symptoms from the traces of radioactive polonium-210 but the amount found is "of concern". | Italian Mario Scaramella is not thought to be suffering physical symptoms from the traces of radioactive polonium-210 but the amount found is "of concern". |
| Health officials stressed the public were in no way at risk. | Health officials stressed the public were in no way at risk. |
| Mr Scaramella was one of the last people to have met Mr Litvinenko before his death. | |
| Mr Litvinenko's wife Marina is said to have been "very slightly contaminated" but is not ill. | |
| Pat Troop, chief executive of the Health Protection Agency, commenting on the number of public locations at which traces of radioactive material have been found, said: "Every time the police have found a location there is some testing and we then go in to do a public-health risk assessment. | Pat Troop, chief executive of the Health Protection Agency, commenting on the number of public locations at which traces of radioactive material have been found, said: "Every time the police have found a location there is some testing and we then go in to do a public-health risk assessment. |
| "People should be reassured that we're not allowing anything to be open if we are not content about it." | "People should be reassured that we're not allowing anything to be open if we are not content about it." |
| The agency said the levels of polonium-210 discovered in Mrs Litvinenko were "not significant enough to result in any illness in the short term and any increased risk in the long term was likely to be very small". | The agency said the levels of polonium-210 discovered in Mrs Litvinenko were "not significant enough to result in any illness in the short term and any increased risk in the long term was likely to be very small". |
| Mr Litvinenko's wife, Marina, was slightly contaminated but is not currently ill. | Mr Litvinenko's wife, Marina, was slightly contaminated but is not currently ill. |
| Mr Scaramella met Mr Litvinenko, who had been a critic of the Russian government since defecting to the UK, at a sushi restaurant in central London on 1 November. | Mr Scaramella met Mr Litvinenko, who had been a critic of the Russian government since defecting to the UK, at a sushi restaurant in central London on 1 November. |
| It was later that day that Mr Litvinenko, a former KGB agent, fell ill. | It was later that day that Mr Litvinenko, a former KGB agent, fell ill. |
| Mr Scaramella has been admitted to London's University College Hospital and is expected to undergo further tests over the weekend. | Mr Scaramella has been admitted to London's University College Hospital and is expected to undergo further tests over the weekend. |
| Dr Keith Patterson, of University College Hospital, said on Friday that the level of polonium-210 found in Mr Scaramella's body was of a "considerably lower level" than that found in Mr Litvinenko's body. | Dr Keith Patterson, of University College Hospital, said on Friday that the level of polonium-210 found in Mr Scaramella's body was of a "considerably lower level" than that found in Mr Litvinenko's body. |
| Mr Scaramella showed no symptoms of radiation poisoning, he added. | Mr Scaramella showed no symptoms of radiation poisoning, he added. |
| A post-mortem examination on Mr Litvinenko, who died on 23 November, was completed on Friday. | A post-mortem examination on Mr Litvinenko, who died on 23 November, was completed on Friday. |
| HAVE YOUR SAY I work in the one of the office buildings where polonium-210 has been detected, and we have had no assistance at all from the authorities Gate, London Send us your experiences | HAVE YOUR SAY I work in the one of the office buildings where polonium-210 has been detected, and we have had no assistance at all from the authorities Gate, London Send us your experiences |
| Those present at the examination at the Royal London Hospital, in east London, wore protective clothing to avoid contamination by traces of the polonium-210 isotope. Results may not be available for several days. | Those present at the examination at the Royal London Hospital, in east London, wore protective clothing to avoid contamination by traces of the polonium-210 isotope. Results may not be available for several days. |
| Mr Scaramella is involved in an Italian parliamentary inquiry into KGB activity and had been sufficiently worried by the contents of an e-mail to ask for advice from Mr Litvinenko. | Mr Scaramella is involved in an Italian parliamentary inquiry into KGB activity and had been sufficiently worried by the contents of an e-mail to ask for advice from Mr Litvinenko. |
| The e-mail said that he, Mr Litvinenko and an Italian senator, Paolo Guzzanti, were possible targets for assassination. | The e-mail said that he, Mr Litvinenko and an Italian senator, Paolo Guzzanti, were possible targets for assassination. |
| Mr Guzzanti has indicated he fears for his life and is contacting Italian authorities to check if he has been poisoned. | Mr Guzzanti has indicated he fears for his life and is contacting Italian authorities to check if he has been poisoned. |
| Friends of Mr Litvinenko believe he was poisoned because of his criticisms of the Putin government. | Friends of Mr Litvinenko believe he was poisoned because of his criticisms of the Putin government. |
| The Kremlin has denied any suggestion it was involved in his death in any way as "sheer nonsense". | The Kremlin has denied any suggestion it was involved in his death in any way as "sheer nonsense". |
| EXPOSURE RISK Contact with carrier's sweat or urine could lead to exposureBut polonium-210 must be ingested to cause damageRadiation has very short range and cannot pass through skinWashing eliminates traces | EXPOSURE RISK Contact with carrier's sweat or urine could lead to exposureBut polonium-210 must be ingested to cause damageRadiation has very short range and cannot pass through skinWashing eliminates traces |
| However, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said his government was prepared to answer questions from British experts investigating Mr Litvinenko's poisoning but no questions had yet been submitted. | However, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said his government was prepared to answer questions from British experts investigating Mr Litvinenko's poisoning but no questions had yet been submitted. |
| "The ball is in the British court," he told a news conference. | "The ball is in the British court," he told a news conference. |
| "When these questions are formulated and sent to us through the relevant channels, they will be considered objectively," he added. | "When these questions are formulated and sent to us through the relevant channels, they will be considered objectively," he added. |
| The British Embassy in Moscow has said there was no information to suspect any link between Mr Litvinenko's death and the illness suffered by former prime minister of Russia Yegor Gaidar in the Republic of Ireland. | The British Embassy in Moscow has said there was no information to suspect any link between Mr Litvinenko's death and the illness suffered by former prime minister of Russia Yegor Gaidar in the Republic of Ireland. |
| Meanwhile, British Airways is still trying to contact 33,000 passengers from 221 flights after traces of radioactive material were found on two if its planes. | Meanwhile, British Airways is still trying to contact 33,000 passengers from 221 flights after traces of radioactive material were found on two if its planes. |
| The airline and the government have stressed any risk to public health is low. | The airline and the government have stressed any risk to public health is low. |