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| Poisoned ex-spy condition serious | Poisoned ex-spy condition serious |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| A former Russian KGB colonel living in Britain and poisoned by the toxic chemical thallium remains in a serious condition in hospital. | A former Russian KGB colonel living in Britain and poisoned by the toxic chemical thallium remains in a serious condition in hospital. |
| Alexander Litvinenko, an ex-KGB colonel and vocal critic of President Vladimir Putin, fell ill on 1 November after a meeting at a London sushi bar. | |
| A clinical toxicologist said Mr Litvinenko, 43, had been poisoned with a potentially lethal dose of the metal. | A clinical toxicologist said Mr Litvinenko, 43, had been poisoned with a potentially lethal dose of the metal. |
| He is in a serious but stable condition in University College Hospital, London. | He is in a serious but stable condition in University College Hospital, London. |
| He is reported to be under armed guard. | He is reported to be under armed guard. |
| Mr Litvinenko's friend Alex Goldfarb, who has been visiting him in hospital, said doctors told him he had a 50/50 chance of surviving the next three to four weeks. | Mr Litvinenko's friend Alex Goldfarb, who has been visiting him in hospital, said doctors told him he had a 50/50 chance of surviving the next three to four weeks. |
| "Alexander is a very, very strong man and we all hope that he will get through this," he said. | "Alexander is a very, very strong man and we all hope that he will get through this," he said. |
| "He's a very fit man, he never smoked, he never drank, he would run five miles a day, but now he has lost all his hair, he has inflammation in the throat, so he cannot swallow, he has to be fed intravenously, he is very weak, and has not eaten properly for many days." | |
| 'Seriously sick' | 'Seriously sick' |
| Mr Litvinenko had been investigating the murder of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, an outspoken critic of Mr Putin and Russian policy in Chechnya, who was shot dead in her Moscow apartment building last month. | |
| Speaking to the BBC last week, he said a contact had approached him to say they should talk, and they arranged to meet at a restaurant in Piccadilly. | Speaking to the BBC last week, he said a contact had approached him to say they should talk, and they arranged to meet at a restaurant in Piccadilly. |
| Several hours after the meeting, I started to feel sick Alexander Litvinenko, former Russian agent Profile: Alexander Litvinenko | Several hours after the meeting, I started to feel sick Alexander Litvinenko, former Russian agent Profile: Alexander Litvinenko |
| "He gave me some papers which contained some names - perhaps names of those who may have been involved in the murder of Anna Politkovskaya - and several hours after the meeting I started to feel sick." | |
| Two weeks later Mr Litvinenko was taken seriously ill and admitted to hospital. | Two weeks later Mr Litvinenko was taken seriously ill and admitted to hospital. |
| Clinical toxicologist John Henry said Mr Litvinenko was "quite seriously sick" and there was "no doubt" he had been poisoned by thallium, probably on 1 November. | Clinical toxicologist John Henry said Mr Litvinenko was "quite seriously sick" and there was "no doubt" he had been poisoned by thallium, probably on 1 November. |
| He said thallium was a "little bit like table salt" and that a very small amount could be lethal. | He said thallium was a "little bit like table salt" and that a very small amount could be lethal. |
| "It is tasteless, colourless, odourless. It takes about a gram - you know, a large pinch of salt like in your food - to kill you." | "It is tasteless, colourless, odourless. It takes about a gram - you know, a large pinch of salt like in your food - to kill you." |
| You could say it [thallium] is only available to secret services Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky What is thallium? | You could say it [thallium] is only available to secret services Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky What is thallium? |
| "He looks like a ghost. He lost all his hair. He hasn't eaten for 18 days. He looks like an old man... a month ago he was a fit, handsome young man." | "He looks like a ghost. He lost all his hair. He hasn't eaten for 18 days. He looks like an old man... a month ago he was a fit, handsome young man." |
| He added: "I think this is the work of the Russian Secret Service." | He added: "I think this is the work of the Russian Secret Service." |
| Dr Andres Virchis, a doctor from Barnet Hospital who earlier treated Mr Litvinenko, said his bone marrow had failed and he was not producing any normal immune cells. | Dr Andres Virchis, a doctor from Barnet Hospital who earlier treated Mr Litvinenko, said his bone marrow had failed and he was not producing any normal immune cells. |
| That was "presumably as the effect of the thallium or even potentially some other unknown substances that we're not aware of", he said. | That was "presumably as the effect of the thallium or even potentially some other unknown substances that we're not aware of", he said. |
| Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky, who also lives in Britain, said thallium was a "special" poison, that "you couldn't just get over the counter". | Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky, who also lives in Britain, said thallium was a "special" poison, that "you couldn't just get over the counter". |
| "You could say it is only available to secret services," he said. | "You could say it is only available to secret services," he said. |
| There has been no comment from the Kremlin and the Russian media is reportedly keeping quiet on the incident. | There has been no comment from the Kremlin and the Russian media is reportedly keeping quiet on the incident. |
| British citizen | British citizen |
| Scotland Yard said there had been no arrests but inquiries were continuing. Officers questioned Mr Litvinenko in hospital for several hours on Sunday. | Scotland Yard said there had been no arrests but inquiries were continuing. Officers questioned Mr Litvinenko in hospital for several hours on Sunday. |
| Journalist Anna Politkovskaya was shot dead earlier this yearMr Litvinenko fled Russia and was granted political asylum in Britain in 2001. | |
| He is believed to have taken British citizenship this year, although this has not been confirmed by the Home Office. | He is believed to have taken British citizenship this year, although this has not been confirmed by the Home Office. |
| Oleg Gordievsky, another former KGB colonel who defected to the UK and knows Mr Litvinenko well, said: "This assassination attempt was an attempt to kill a British citizen on British soil. It is absolutely outrageous." | Oleg Gordievsky, another former KGB colonel who defected to the UK and knows Mr Litvinenko well, said: "This assassination attempt was an attempt to kill a British citizen on British soil. It is absolutely outrageous." |
| He told the BBC he believed Mr Litvinenko was poisoned when he drank a cup of tea at the flat of an old Russian friend - before the lunchtime meeting at the sushi restaurant. | He told the BBC he believed Mr Litvinenko was poisoned when he drank a cup of tea at the flat of an old Russian friend - before the lunchtime meeting at the sushi restaurant. |
| In a book, Blowing up Russia: Terror from Within, Mr Litvinenko alleged that agents of the KGB's successor, the Federal Security Service (FSB), co-ordinated the 1999 apartment block bombings in Russia that killed more than 300 people. | |
| Russian officials blamed the explosions on Chechen separatists and in that year the Kremlin launched a new military offensive on Chechnya. | Russian officials blamed the explosions on Chechen separatists and in that year the Kremlin launched a new military offensive on Chechnya. |