{Russian media magnate arrested

The head of Russia's leading independent media group, Vladimir Gusinksky, has been arrested.

No official reason has been given from the prosecutors office but one report from Moscow says he has been accused of stealing ten million dollars worth of state property.

Mr Gusinsky owns the NTV television channel which has often been criticial of President Putin and his government.

Mr Putin, who is in Spain for an official visit, said he was not aware of the arrest.

The BBC Moscow correspondent says the arrest is widely assumed to have a political dimension.

In May, offices of Mr Gusinsky's Media-Most group were raided by armed tax police who said the group had broken privacy laws and revealed bank secrets.

But the company said then it was being punished for running material critical of President Putin's government. The raid was condemned by the Mayor of Moscow, Yuri Luzhkov, and other Russian politicians, and Washington expressed concern about press freedom in Russia.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service