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Calling a spade a shovel?

FT.com reports:

"Strains in relations between Britain and Russia were laid bare on Sunday when a cabinet minister accused President Vladimir Putin of “huge attacks” against democracy and individual liberty.

Peter Hain, the Northern Ireland secretary and candidate to become Labour’s deputy leader, said relations between the two countries were at a “very, very tricky stage”.

His comments come after the death in London of Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian spy and exiled critic of the Kremlin, who was poisoned with the radioactive substance, polonium 210".

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