Copies of the London Evening Standard newspaper are pictured in central London, on January 21, 2009. Russian tycoon and former KGB agent Alexander Lebedev vowed Wednesday to back "free and independent" journalism in London's Evening Standard after buying a majority stake in the struggling newspaper. Lebedev agreed to pay a nominal sum -- reportedly one pound -- to buy what he called the "iconic" daily, which like other newspapers is battling amid radical upheaval in the industry in the face of the explosion of online news. AFP PHOTO/SHAUN CURRY (Photo credit should read SHAUN CURRY/AFP/Getty Images)
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