BEIJING, Dec. 1 -- Britain is monitoring five
planes and two dozen sites in and around London for radiation. It's part of an
ever-widening probe into the poisoning of a former Russian spy that has strained
relations with Moscow.
British Airways
said three aircraft under its fleet had been taken out of service as part of the
probe. All had flown between Moscow and London, one is still in Moscow.
The airline confirmed that very low traces of a
radioactive substance had been found on the two planes being held in London.
A third BA plane remains on the ground in Moscow and
has not yet been tested.
The fourth plane, a Russian Transaero 7-37, which
arrived at Heathrow from Moscow on Thursday morning, has been cleared of
radioactivity. A fifth Russian plane is now being monitored.
Thousands of passengers aboard some 2-hundred flights
have been asked to report any symptoms of radiation poisoning.
John Reid, British Home Secretary, said,"To date around 24 venues have or are being monitoredand experts have confirmed traces of contamination at around 12 of these venues. Police continue to
tracepossible witnesses and to examine Mr Litvinenko's movements at relevant
times. It is probable of the investigation will continue to bring additional
locations to attention for screening."
Reid did not say whether the radioactivity found at
the sites was Polonium-2-10, used to poison former KGB agent Vladimir
Litvinenko, who died a week ago. He also reiterated that there would be no
political or diplomatic barriers to the investigation, a pledge that was also
made by Prime Minister Tony Blair earlier in the week.
(Source: CCTV)
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Ex-spy contact under police guard
BEIJING, Nov. 29 (Xinhuanet) -- An Italian security expert
who met with former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko the day he fell ill with
radiation poisoning was under British protection and tested for contamination
Tuesday, and officials ordered tests for eight people who exhibited possible
symptoms.
Mario Scaramella, the Italian security
expert, who helped investigate KGB activity in Italy during the Cold War, said
he met Alexander Litvinenko at a London sushi restaurant on Nov. 1.
Russia denies intelligence service's
role in ex-agent's death
MOSCOW, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- Russian Defense Minister
Sergei Ivanov denied claims that Russia's intelligence service was involved in
the death of former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko.
"I rule out this possibility and see no sense in it. I was
not personally acquainted with Litvinenko, but I know that he worked in a
division of the Federal Security Service (FSB) which dealt with organized
crime," Ivanov said in an interview with Germany's Der Spiegel magazine, the
transcript of which was posted on his ministry's website on Tuesday.
Radioactive traces found in
London
BEIJING, Nov. 28 (Xinhuanet) -- Traces of radiation have
been found at several more sites in London during investigations into the death
of a former Russian spy, British Home Secretary John Reid said on Monday.
Besides Alexander Litvinenko's home and a hotel and
restaurant he visited on Nov. 1, the day he fell ill with radiation poisoning,
"several other premises" also have the indications of radiation. But Reid didn't
give the names of the places and said there was no need for public alarm.
UK police probes death of ex-Russian
spy
BEIJING, Nov. 27 (Xinhuanet) -- The British police sought
to investigate the death of Alexander V. Litvinenko, a former Russian KGB agent,
said a British official on Sunday.
"British policemen have gone as far as saying no more than
this is a suspicious death that they are investigating and they have ruled out
no option," said John Reid, the Home Secretary and Britain's most senior law
enforcement official.
300 tested for radiation traces after
ex-spy's death
BEIJING, Nov. 27 (Xinhuanet) -- After investigating the
death of a former Russian spy, health authorities in Britain tested 300 people
for traces of radiation Sunday, who are also customers of restaurant and hotel
visited by radiation victim Alexander Litvinenko.
Litvinenko, 43, a former KGB agent died Thursday of heart
failure after falling gravely ill from what doctors said was poisoning by the
radioactive element polonium-210.
Poisoned former Russian spy
dies
LONDON, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- Former Russian spy Alexander
Litvinenko who was poisoned by an unknown toxic substance three weeks ago died
on Thursday at the intensive care unit of London's University College Hospital
(UCH).
The UCH said in a statement that doctors couldn't
determine the cause of the death of Litvinenko, who has been hospitalized in the
UCH since last Friday.
UK police probe plot to kill
ex-Russian spy
BEIJING, Nov. 20 (Xinhuanet) -- British police Sunday
confirmed they are investigating a suspected plot to kill a former Russian spy
by poisoning him with the toxic metal thallium.
British press reported exiled agent Alexander Litvinenko,
an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been hospitalized
in University College Hospital in London since the begining of the month with
symptoms of near-fatal poisoning.
