In Britain, a former Russian spy named Alexander Litvinenko has died under mysterious circumstances. A highly toxic radioactive substance was found in his urine, leading authorities to believe he was poisoned. In a statement written on his deathbed, Litvinenko wrote a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin. It read: “You have succeeded in silencing one man, but the howl of protest from around the world will reverberate, Mr. Putin, in your ears for the rest of your life.” At the time of his death, Litvinenko was investigating the death of Anna Politkovskaya, the Russian journalist and government critic who was shot at her Moscow apartment last month.