Hackers post fake news on Reuters site

15 August 2012 - 19:13 By Sapa-AFP
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Hacker. File photo
Hacker. File photo
Image: Gallo Images/Thinkstock

The Reuters News website has been hacked for the second time this month, with a fake report that Saudi Arabia's foreign minister prince Saud al-Faisal has died, the news agency said Wednesday.

"The blogging platform of the Reuters News website was hacked on Wednesday," Reuters said on its website.

The fake posting was "illegally posted on a Reuters journalist's blog," the company said.

"Reuters News did not report the false story and the fabricated posting on reuters.com has been deleted."

There was no immediate information about who was behind the hacking, which followed another attack on the Reuters blogging platform on August 3.

In that incident, "fabricated" stories including a purported interview with a Syrian rebel leader appeared.

Reuters said it did not carry out that interview and that the blogging platform was taken offline in order for the problem to be addressed.

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