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| Man tests positive for radiation | |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Italian Mario Scaramella, a contact of dead ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko, has tested positive for polonium-210. | Italian Mario Scaramella, a contact of dead ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko, has tested positive for polonium-210. |
| Mr Scaramella is not thought to be suffering symptoms but significant amounts of the substance have been found in the academic's body. | |
| He met Mr Litvinenko at sushi restaurant Itsu in central London on the day he fell ill. | He met Mr Litvinenko at sushi restaurant Itsu in central London on the day he fell ill. |
| Meanwhile, the post-mortem examination on Mr Litvinenko, a former KGB agent, has started. | Meanwhile, the post-mortem examination on Mr Litvinenko, a former KGB agent, has started. |
| Those present at the examination at the Royal London Hospital, in east London, will wear protective clothing to avoid contamination by traces of the polonium-210 isotope. | Those present at the examination at the Royal London Hospital, in east London, will wear protective clothing to avoid contamination by traces of the polonium-210 isotope. |
| Mr Scaramella is involved in an Italian parliamentary inquiry into KGB activity and was sufficiently worried by the contents of an e-mail to ask for advice from Mr Litvinenko. | |
| 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 |
| They met at Itsu on 1 November, although in the aftermath the Italian academic suggested he had not eaten anything. | |
| A Health Protection Agency statement said: "The agency can confirm it was informed this morning that tests have established that a further person - who was in direct and very close contact with Mr Litvinenko - has a significant quantity of the radioactive isotope Polonium-210 in their body. | |
| "This person is now to be investigated further in hospital." | |
| The probe into Mr Litvinenko's death has seen two planes tested for radiation and a third is due back from Moscow for checks. | |
| Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell and Olympics chief Lord Coe travelled on one of the aircraft already tested. | Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell and Olympics chief Lord Coe travelled on one of the aircraft already tested. |
| The pair took a British Airways flight to Barcelona in November on board one of the two planes that have already been tested for traces of radiation. | The pair took a British Airways flight to Barcelona in November on board one of the two planes that have already been tested for traces of radiation. |
| Mr Litvinenko died last week in a London hospital | Mr Litvinenko died last week in a London hospital |
| Russia reiterated assurances it would co-operate fully with the inquiry into Mr Litvinenko's death. | |
| Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said: "The ball is now with Britain, everything depends on British investigators." | Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said: "The ball is now with Britain, everything depends on British investigators." |
| Mr Litvinenko, an ex-KGB officer and critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, died last week of radiation poisoning attributed to polonium-210. | Mr Litvinenko, an ex-KGB officer and critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, died last week of radiation poisoning attributed to polonium-210. |
| The investigation into the spy's death has unearthed traces of radiation at 12 locations, including the two planes. | The investigation into the spy's death has unearthed traces of radiation at 12 locations, including the two planes. |
| 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 |
| British Airways is contacting 33,000 passengers from 221 flights, but the airline and the government have stressed any risk to public health low. | |
| A total of 217 people have been seen by a specialist assessment clinic. | A total of 217 people have been seen by a specialist assessment clinic. |
| Investigators may be able to trace the origin of the polonium-210. | Investigators may be able to trace the origin of the polonium-210. |
| Ian Hutcheon, an expert in nuclear forensics, said: "If you have samples of the material, you can gather information about where they were or were not produced by analysing trace constituents." | Ian Hutcheon, an expert in nuclear forensics, said: "If you have samples of the material, you can gather information about where they were or were not produced by analysing trace constituents." |
| Yegor Gaidar became violently ill with a mystery illness Ex-PM has mystery illness | Yegor Gaidar became violently ill with a mystery illness Ex-PM has mystery illness |
| On Friday the British Embassy in Moscow said there was no information to suspect any link between Mr Litvinenko's death and the illness of former prime minister of Russia Yegor Gaidar. | |
| Mr Gaidar fell ill last week on a visit to Ireland and his daughter Maria told the BBC doctors believe he was poisoned. Police are investigating. | Mr Gaidar fell ill last week on a visit to Ireland and his daughter Maria told the BBC doctors believe he was poisoned. Police are investigating. |
| Meanwhile, the FBI said it had been asked to join the British investigation into Mr Litvinenko's death and that its experts in weapons of mass destruction would assist with some of the scientific analysis. | Meanwhile, the FBI said it had been asked to join the British investigation into Mr Litvinenko's death and that its experts in weapons of mass destruction would assist with some of the scientific analysis. |
| Friends of Mr Litvinenko say Russian intelligence agents plotted to kill the former spy. | Friends of Mr Litvinenko say Russian intelligence agents plotted to kill the former spy. |
| Polonium-210 was discovered in his body, with more traces found at venues he visited in London on 1 November. | Polonium-210 was discovered in his body, with more traces found at venues he visited in London on 1 November. |