John Reid, the Home Secretary, pledged this week that no diplomatic obstacles would stand in the way of Scotland Yard's investigation. But yesterday Yuri Chaika, Russia's Prosecutor-General, told the nine British counter-terrorism detectives that they would not be allowed to question senior officers in the FSB, Russia's secret service.

Whitehall officials are convinced FSB agents orchestrated the poison plot, but Mr Chaika said: "The issue of the FSB authorities is not on the agenda."

Andrei Lugovoy, the key figure of interest to the police, who was among the last people to see Litvinenko on the day he fell ill, was suddenly admitted to hospital in Moscow yesterday. He claimed that he was too ill with radiation poisoning to speak, but later from his hospital bed said that he had nothing to hide and was ready to meet the detectives.

Even when doctors decide that he is well enough to talk to investigators, the Prosecutor-General says that his men, and not Scotland Yard, will question Mr Lugovoy. In addition, British detectives will have to seek FSB approval to conduct any interviews in Moscow.

Mr Chaika said that during the interviews the British detectives "may participate with our consent, and we might also withhold our consent".

Any trial of a Russian suspect would have to be in Moscow, he added.

Russian officials also said that the British team would not be able to interview Mikhail Trepashkin, a former FSB agent who is serving a four-year sentence for disclosing state secrets. Mr Trepashkin claims to have vital information about the plot to kill Litvinenko.

At a press conference yesterday Mr Chaika again promised his full co-operation with the British inquiry, but gave little tangible sign that he will make it easy for Scotland Yard. He denied that the radioactive substance used to poison Litvinenko could have come from Russia, and emphasised that Britain would have to provide evidence to that effect before he would open a formal investigation.

Alexander Sidorov, a spokesman for the Russian prison service, said: "Trepashkin is serving a sentence for treason, therefore we cannot allow him to contact foreign security services."

Prison officials have moved swiftly to punish Mr Trepashkin for "violating regulations". A district court is to hear an application today to transfer Mr Trepashkin to a tougher, more secure prison, despite concerns from his lawyer about his deteriorating health.

Meanwhile, in Moscow yesterday a search was carried out at the British Embassy for traces of polonium-210 in the room visited by Andrei Lugovoy when he applied for a visa to visit Britain. Experts said they did not expect to find evidence of the radioactive substance.

In England an HPA spokeswoman confirmed that minute quantities of radiation had been found at the Emirates Stadium in North London at "barely detectable levels". She reiterated previous advice that there was no public health concern, adding that the levels picked up were lower than natural background activity.

In a clear sign of growing diplomatic tensions, the Prosecutor-General appeared to link the Litvinenko investigation to the demands by the Kremlin for Britain to hand over Boris Berezovsky, the exiled oligarch, who is one of President Putin's fiercest critics.

British courts have thrice rejected Russian requests for the extradition of the billionaire businessman, but Mr Chaika said that he expected a fresh application "in the near term" for Mr Berezovsky and for Akhmed Zakayev, the Chechen separatist leader.

The two men were close friends with Litvinenko.

Last night British diplomats gave a restrained response to Russia's ultimatum but ruled out any idea of "a swap".

Last night Litvinenko's father said his son would be buried on Friday in a sealed coffin in a Muslim ceremony in or near London. Valter Litvinenko said that the family is negotiating with police and the Health Protection Agency on the location.

# Police in Naples last night seized documents and computers from the home of Mario Scaramella, the self-styled Italian defence consultant who was with Litvinenko when he was poisoned, after prosecutors accused him of "illegally dumping waste".

Mr Scaramella claims he has evidence that leading Italian left-wing politicians are agents of Moscow. However he is increasingly seen as a figure of diminishing credibility. His claims to be an academic have so far failed to stand up, since none of the universities with which he says he is associated - from Naples to New York - have endorsed him.

Britain wants to interview

Andrei Lugovoy Former KGB officer. Worked for a TV station in Moscow run by Boris Berezovsky. Briefly jailed, on release set up business offering bodyguards for wealthy Russians.

Mikhail Trepashkin Former FSB officer. Investigated 1999 bombings of Moscow apartments, which President Putin blamed on Chechen separatists. Mr Trepashkin claimed FSB was behind the explosions.

Russia wants to extradite

Boris Berezovsky Russia's first billionaire. Mr Berezovsky, 61, fell out with Mr Putin and sought asylum in Britain. Employed Litvinenko and other dissidents. Wanted by Kremlin for alleged corruption

Akhmed Zakayev Foreign Minister of the Chechen government in exile, he is accused by Russia of terrorist attacks. Mr Zakayev, 50, lived next door to Litvinenko and saw him hours before he fell ill

Interfax news agency reported that British and Russian investigators on Tuesday and Wednesday interrogated Mr. Kovtun.

Mr. Kovtun and an associate, Andrei Lugovoi, have told the Russian media they went to London as part of a group of Moscow soccer fans, and met briefly with their exiled countryman to discuss business matters. Later, they attended a soccer game between CSKA Moscow and Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in north London.

Both men have told reporters in Moscow that someone is trying to frame them in Mr. Litvinenko's death.

Meanwhile in London, friends said Mr. Litvinenko was to be buried Thursday in that city.

Around 30 family members and friends have travelled to Britain from Russia and Italy to attend the ceremony in north London, according to a family friend who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release details about the service.

British police on Wednesday upgraded their inquiry, saying they were treating the death of Mr. Litvinenko as murder - rather than as a suspicious death.

Officers continued inquiries in Moscow, where they are seeking to question several man but are facing resistance from Russian authorities.

Mr. Litvinenko's friend Alexander Goldfarb said Thursday he could not confirm the date of the funeral in advance, but insisted it would be a nonreligious ceremony.

"There has been suggestion that he had converted to Islam before his death; that is completely wrong - he was not a religious man. His wife has insisted that the funeral is nondenominational," Goldfarb told The Associated Press.

Mr. Olmert said conditions were not ripe to reopen long-dormant talks with Syria and added that he received no indications from U.S. President George W. Bush during a recent visit to Washington that the U.S. would push Israel to start such talks.

Syrian President Bashar Assad has called in recent months for a new round of talks with Israel, but Mr. Olmert has rejected them out of hand.

"The question of what Israel can offer Syria has been raised before. The question is, what can we get from the Syrians if enter negotiations," he said.

Mr. Olmert, however, said that Israel was deeply interested in restarting new talks with the Palestinians and would work, "with all our might" to make them happen.

He also welcomed a peace initiative put forward by Saudi Arabia, saying it contains "interesting elements that should not be ignored." However, he did not fully endorse the plan, which called for Israel to withdraw from all of the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, a stipulation Israel rejects.

Mr. Olmert also rejected suggestions that Israel's recent cease-fire with Palestinian militants in Gaza would simply allow the militants to rearm and regroup for another round of fighting, saying that Israel would not allow that to happen.

The factions demand Israel halt all its operations in the Palestinian territories, stop chasing down what it calls wanted militants and release the frozen tax revenues of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA).

It also calls on Israel to withdraw forces from the territories which were reoccupied after the eruption of the second Palestinian uprising in 2000.

But the governing Hamas has boycotted the meetings of the committee, saying that the time was not suitable for such talks as the stalled talks over unity government was more important than talking about the ceasefire.

A ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinians went into effect on Nov. 26, under which Israel withdrew forces from the Gaza Strip in exchange for stopping rocket attacks against Israel.

The truce has been largely held by Israel and major Palestinian factions though it was neglected by some minor Palestinian militant groups, which continued the rocket attacks against Israel regardless of the ceasefire.

In face of continuous rocket attacks, Israeli Security Cabinet voted on Sunday to maintain a policy of restraint in Gaza but Defense Minister Amir Peretz clearly rejected extension of the ceasefire to the West Bank.

The CRIF representative tried with all his might to convince Dray that his organization is taking an absolutely objective position with regard to the presidential race in France. But Dray stuck to his guns. "You are going to pay dearly for your one-sided mustering," he went on to shout. "Segolene will be president, and you will have to pray for her to receive you for a discussion."

The incident occurred Sunday evening, a few minutes before the discussion that Royal held with journalists about what she viewed as a successful visit to Israel. Dray, an influential parliament member with the Socialist Party, expressed the anger that has built up in the Royal camp against the Jewish community, and especially against the organization headed by Roger Cukierman.

It is an open secret that the Jews as an organized body have sworn allegiance to the candidate of the right, Sarkozy. At every opportunity, he meets with them and consults with them. At every opportunity they evince enthusiasm for him that is intended to convey the impression they are supporting him in his race for the presidency.

This is the reason Royal did not accept an invitation to meet with the heads of the organization in recent months. This is also the reason she ignored their existence when she decided at the last minute to pop over to Israel and the reason the party spokesman related to the representative of the organization as though he were a leper.

In the past, French leaders who came to visit Israel would take along a representative of CRIF, to demonstrate their connection to the Jews. Royal came to Israel with her own people and left the people of the organization helpless. The latter scorned her at first and saw her as a passerby who had stumbled into a battle of titans. Later on, when she started to gather momentum, they sent out probes to her camp to create conditions for friendship. When she defeated the men in her party in the first round, the heads of CRIF realized they had erred in their bet. After they recovered from the shock of her victory, they were certain that in the final race, their man, Sarkozy, would defeat her with one hand tied behind his back. And now, the latest surveys are indicating a close race with a slight edge for Royal.

What should they do? They are trying to carry out an elegant retreat and signal to the Royal camp that the Jews, in fact, have not yet decided who they think is the preferable candidate. However, it is possible that CRIF's mustering for Sarkozy has already created a deep crisis of trust with the Royal camp.

It has always happened that when France faces major decisions, the Jews try to appear neutral. In a desperate attempt not to become embroiled with the leading political forces, they have tried to adopt an open-bridges policy in their contacts with the two major parties.

However, recently they have been attacked by an acute desire to resemble the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). For years, the American lobby has been standing up as a defensive wall behind the hawkish views in Israel. The heads of the right have been greeted as heroes at its conferences, whereas the heads of the left have pleaded in vain for similar treatment.

The heads of CRIF took a step and learned it came with a price. "It has never yet happened to us that we have not had a connection with any key person in a candidate's headquarters," admitted a senior figure in the organization.

This is why they are trying to make a pilgrimage to Julian Dray, so he can blaze a path for them to the candidate's heart. However Dray, a declared Jew and staunch supporter of Israel whose brother works here as a doctor, has turned his back on them.

It is no wonder, then, that the first to make accusations against Royal in the wake of her visit to Israel have been the heads of CRIF. While in official Israel they have forgiven her for her stumble in Lebanon and have seen it as the mistake of a novice, the heads of CRIF have attacked her for daring to meet with a Hezbollah representative. The organization has issued an extraordinary statement of condemnation in which it reminded Royal that the Shi'ite organization is responsible for mass murders, and that its radio station disseminates anti-Semitism. All is fair in war - and both sides are sharpening their swords in anticipation of the continuation of the fight.

This situation does not work to the benefit of French Jews, of Israel and of relations between the two countries. CRIF achieved its greatness because it appeared to be a bridge that stretched over the turbulent waters of French politics. This is the reason the elders of the country, no matter from which camp, went to the trouble of accepting every invitation to appear before its members, in the knowledge that the Jewish organization is a French institution that rises above political disputes.

And there is another risk inherent here. When the alliance between the Jews and the presidential candidate of the right becomes a consolidated fact, the voters from Muslim backgrounds will flock to the Socialist candidate to serve as a counterweight to the Jews.

To the extent that the Jews will expect a return for their support of Sarkozy, the Muslims will expect a similar return for their support of Royal. If this happens, the distance between the two communities, which are embroiled in any case, is liable to grow even larger.

The declaration, which follows a series of indications that suggested she might run, pits her against Sarkozy, the tough talking interior minister and UMP party chief, who confirmed last month he would seek the nomination at a special party meeting on Jan. 14.

Sarkozy is the overwhelming favourite to win the nomination, which would pit him against Socialist Segolene Royal in next April's election.

He is neck-and-neck with Royal in the opinion polls but he has faced accusations from some in the party that his hardline stance and autocratic leadership style will alienate many mainstream voters.

He has invited critics to challenge him in a mini-primary, which kicks off with a debate this weekend.

The contest, modest compared to six weeks of rallies and televised debates the opposition Socialists use to pick Royal mid-month, is seen as a sop to internal critics and a response to polls showing UMP members wanted a full-blooded primary.

Alliot-Marie, who has clashed with Sarkozy in the past, said she would support him if he had the backing of the party.

"If, in a few weeks, it appears that Nicolas Sarkozy is the candidate with the greatest chance of winning...I will support him," the paper quoted her as saying.

"And I am sure that Nicolas Sarkozy will do the same for me," she said.