The former Russian spy (a lieutenant-colonel, no less) poisoned in a London hotel was an MI6 agent, the Daily Mail can reveal. Alexander Litvinenko was receiving a retainer of around £2,000 a month from the British security services at the time he was murdered.
The disclosure, by diplomatic and intelligence sources, is the latest twist in the Litvinenko affair, which has plunged relations between London and Moscow to their lowest point since the Cold War. (more)
The wife is the last to know...
“My husband was never an agent for MI6. He was a critic of the Russian government but he spoke out openly. He was well-known. And his special area was organized crime, not intelligence. He was not the kind of person who would be useful to the British security services,” ~Marina Litvinenko (more)
Meanwhile, back in Hollywood...
Michael Mann, director of dramatic thrillers like "Heat" and "Collateral," is set to bring the story of poisoned ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko to the big screen.
According to the Litvinenko Justice Foundation, Mann will direct a film based on the book "Death of a Dissident: The Poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko and the Return of the KGB".
It was co-written by the former Russian spy's widow Marina and his friend Alex Goldfarb. (more)
