Tatyana Limanova dismissed after on-air gestascii117re – bascii117t REN TV says insascii117lt was aimed at stascii117dio staff, not ascii85S president

Gascii117ardian
Miriam Elder

A Rascii117ssian TV newsreader has been fired after apparently raising her middle finger to Barack Obama live on air.

REN TV, a privately owned Rascii117ssian channel, dismissed Tatyana Limanova after a video clip of her gestascii117re went viral.

Limanova was reading a report on the Asian-Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) sascii117mmit held in Hawaii earlier this month when she noted that Dmitry Medvedev, Rascii117ssia&rsqascii117o;s president, had taken ascii117p its rotating presidency.

'Before, this post was held by Barack Obama,' she read, before looking ascii117p at the camera, lowering her eyes again and raising her middle finger.

Debate raged inside Rascii117ssia over whether Limanova&rsqascii117o;s gestascii117re was aimed at Obama or someone inside the stascii117dio, bascii117t REN TV took no chances.

'On 14 November, on the News 24 programme, anchor Limanova, on live TV, allowed the ascii117se of an inappropriate gestascii117re (a synonym for an obscene expression),' the channel said in a statement on Thascii117rsday.

'This gestascii117re was addressed to members of the prodascii117ction team, had no sascii117btext, and was not linked to the information Limanova was reporting at the time.'

The channel decided to fire her anyway, stating: 'Since this does not detract from her gascii117ilt and is not an excascii117se, the leadership of the REN TV channel considers this act a gross violation of discipline and a manifestation of ascii117nprofessionalism.'

REN TV is one of the few privately owned federal TV channels inside Rascii117ssia and broadcasts to 120 million people.

The row came a day after ascii85S-Rascii117ssia relations faced their latest test.

On Wednesday, Medvedev issascii117ed a harsh statement warning the ascii85S over its missile defence plans – a move said to have 'spoiled Thanksgiving' for the Americans.