Submitted by admin on Fri, 2006-11-24 08:00. ::
Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, a critic of the Russian government and in particular the war in Chechnya, is shot dead in Moscow. Mr Litvinenko begins to investigate amid claims she was killed because of her work.
Mr Litvinenko meets two Russian men at a London hotel - one a former KGB officer. He also meets academic Mario Scaramella at a sushi bar where he is said to have received documents about the journalist's death. Several hours after his meetings, Mr Litvinenko complains of feeling sick and is admitted to Barnet General Hospital, north London.
Mr Litvinenko is transferred to the University College Hospital, in central London, as his condition worsens. He is placed under armed, police guard.
University College Hospital says Mr Litvinenko has been moved to intensive care. Pictures are released of the ex-agent in hospital, showing how he has suffered dramatic weight and hair loss. Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism unit takes over the investigation into what made him ill. Police say they are treating the case as a suspected "deliberate poisoning" but await toxicology test results. The Kremlin dismisses allegations Russia's government poisoned Mr Litvinenko because of his criticisms of its policies as "sheer nonsense".
Mr Litvinenko is described as "critically ill" by doctors who say his condition has deteriorated. Dr Geoff Bellingan, director of critical care at University College Hospital, rules out thallium as the cause of his sickness. He also says radiation poisoning is unlikely. Doctors cannot say what caused his sickness. Russia's foreign intelligence service denies involvement in the apparent poisoning of Mr Litvinenko. The ex-agent has a heart attack overnight on Wednesday.
Doctors at University College Hospital say Mr Litvinenko is critically ill, after suffering a heart attack overnight on Wednesday. The hospital announce later on Thursday night that Mr Litvinenko had died in intensive care. A hospital spokesman says: "Every avenue was explored to establish the cause of [Mr Litvinenko's] condition." Scotland Yard say in a statement that they are now investigating "an unexplained death".
In an interview with the Times, film-maker Andrei Nekrasov says he spoke to Mr Litvinenko hours before he fell unconscious. Mr Nekrasov says that his friend told him: "I want to survive, just to show them. The bastards got me but they won't get everybody."
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