Putin denies wedding rumours
Russian president Vladimir Putin insists there is no truth to rumours that he has split with his wife Lyudmila Aleksandrovna and has plans to marry an Uzbek gymnast less than half his age.
The Moskovski Korrespondent made the claims publicly and has now been forced to shut down because of the story, for which it admits there was no substantiated evidence to support its argument.
Putin has denied all of the rumours and forced the paper's editor Grigori Nekhoroshev to resign.
The president will step down next month and take on a new role as the country's prime minister. Speculation was rife that he would use the transition period to wed Alina Kabayeva.
At 24 years old, the medal-winning gymnast is young enough to be his granddaughter and is famed for her beauty and flexibility.
Born in Uzbekistan, she has won gold and bronze for Russia in two appearances at the Olympics. Last year, she was elected into the State Duma, representing the pro-Kremlin United Russia party.
The Moskovski Korrespondent described the star as a "rhythmic gymnast... known for her extreme natural flexibility, with an emphasis on the extreme".
Putin admitted that he was very fond of the gymnast, but insisted that his marriage was happy.
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