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Public inquiry launched into Alexander Livinenko's death

THE government belatedly announced a public inquiry yesterday into the murky events surrounding the death of KGB defector Alexander Litvinenko over seven years ago.

Mr Litvinenko died in November 2006 in a London hospital after he was poisoned with with radioactive polonium as he took tea with two Russian men.

His family allege that he was working for MI6 at the time and was killed on the orders of Russian intelligence chiefs.

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