Editor quits Russian paper after takeover

The editor of Kommersant, the daily Russian business newspaper, has quit just a month after it was a sold. The paper's new owner, Alisher Usmanov, a steel magnate with ties to the state gas monopoly Gazprom and close to President Putin, is said to have "accepted the resignation" of the editor, Vladislav Borodulin, on Friday. According to a spokesman: "His decision to resign wasn't forced, but evidently they expressed different views on how the publishing house should be developed." Kommersant (circ. 115,000) is widely respected for its business and finance coverage. But, unlike other large papers that have muted criticism of Putin, it has remained highly critical. (Via Moscow Times)