Moscow newspaper closed after spreading Putin rumours

The Russian newspaper "Moskowskij Korrespondent" spread rumours that Russian head of state Vladimir Putin was divorcing his wife to marry a former athlete. The paper was promptly closed down. Laura Cernhoshi comments: "Suddenly the famous newspaper had 'financial difficulties'. And the excuses of the owner of the paper, Alexander Lebedev, a former KGB man who is now a billionaire and politician, that he was away on a fishing trip when the article was published didn't suffice to calm Putin's nerves. ... In view of the fate of the 111 journalists who have been killed in Russia since 2000, it's small consolation that the newspaper has only been closed down. The Russian authorities have had no qualms about confiscating 92 publications that didn't suit those in power over the past year, and thousands of journalists have been attacked. The 'Moskowskij Korrespondent' journalists can consider themselves lucky that the only thing they've lost is their jobs."

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