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Mikhail Gorbachev Dead: Twitter Hoax Tricks Thousands

The Huffington Post UK  |  By Posted: Updated: 22/05/2012 19:58

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Former Soviet Union president Mikhail Gorbachev today became the victim of a Twitter hoax, with his death prematurely announced on the micro-blogging network and retweeted by thousands of users, including several experienced journalists.

The source of the hoax appeared to be a rogue account for the Swedish Prime Minister, Fredrik Reinfeldt.


Fredrik Reinfeldt
El Gobierno de Suecia recibe la noticia de la muerte de Mikhail S. Gorbachev, ultimo Presidente de la Union Sovietica y gran hombre de paz

Earlier this afternoon a tweet was posted from the account that read: "The Government of Sweden received the news of the death of Mikhail S Gorbachev, last president of the Soviet Union and great man of peace."

The fact that the tweet was written in Spanish - probably not the first linguistic choice for the Swedish PM - did nothing to prevent the network going into meltdown, with thousands of Twitter users retweeting the message.


nicholas z
Gorbachev has died today. Office of PM of Russia confirms. A page of history has been turned.

For a time Gorbachev became one of the top trending terms and his Wikipedia page briefly indicated today, 22 May, as the day he died.

However, once it became clear that there was no truth in the announcement whatsoever those that had helped to spread the rumour had to rapidly back-pedal.


David Aaronovitch
Re Gorbachev, I may have been hoaxed. Sorry if that's so.

Times columnist David Aaronovitch was one of those taken in.

He tweeted later: "Re Gorbachev, I may have been hoaxed. Sorry if that's so."

Gorbachev, now 81, was hailed for working with former US president Ronald Reagan to reduce the world's nuclear stockpiles and giving the Soviet people more freedom through his policy of glasnost.

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SuperDoc2
35 Fans
08:34 on 23/05/2012
Got twitter dead to rights this time eh?!!
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Thomas Patrick Sullivan
In Lak`ech, (Mayan) “I am another yourself.”
206 Fans
 
07:44 on 23/05/2012
Edgar Cayce, (1877-1945) predicted, in the 1930’s, that a great leader would emerge from Russia. It is my opinion that leader was Mikhail Gorbachev. It was Gorbachev, not Ronald Reagan who was responsible for the peaceful dissolution of the Soviet Union. As inevitable as a house of cards it would have been bloody and nastier with any other top Politburo leader leading the USSR.

Others think Cayce was referring to Vladimir Putin, for preventing US and Israel from invading Iran over its nuclear program and this would’ve been a first step to WWIII. Let’s not forget, Cheney is clinically insane and that Bush does what he’s told.

As bad as events were in the early to late 2000s, it could’ve been much worse without Putin’s intervention over Iran.

I am glad Gorbachev is still with us. In his later years he’s been a staunch advocate for protecting our environment. He's a hero in my book.
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thomaspicken
4 Fans
00:36 on 23/05/2012
INSTEAD OF BEEN INTERESTED IN MAKING MONEY ONLY,WOULD IT NOT BE BETTER IF TWITTER WERE TO CHECK OUT THESE ALLEGATIONS FIRST INSTEAD OF BROADCSTING THEM ? SEEMS TO ME ITS THE IN THING TO DO I.E SEND HOAX MESSAGES
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Thomas Patrick Sullivan
In Lak`ech, (Mayan) “I am another yourself.”
206 Fans
 
07:51 on 23/05/2012
You don't need to yell (capital letters) and try to be more uplifting if you're going to bother to post. Thanks. P S Is that a plank sticking out of your eye? lol
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jhill74893
3 Fans
21:23 on 22/05/2012
Gorbachev, is a great man and someone you could trust, unlike Putin who seems totally untrustworthy. I hope Mr.Gorbachev lives many more years, although he probably still misses his wife who died a few years ago. I wish him well.
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Southern law girl
Researching my viewpoint....
162 Fans
05:14 on 23/05/2012
"I hope Mr.Gorbachev lives many more years"

Me too!
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Flinglebunt
53 Fans
20:17 on 22/05/2012
They were great days back then, when two of the most charismatic leaders in the world embraced them selves in a spirit of peace and understanding.

Reagans great regret was that they came within a whisker of a zero option on nuclear weapons, something millions had prayed for throughtout the cold war. Gorby, descibed at the time by Margaret Thatcher as 'A man I can do business with.' earned the respect of the free world and had he not done what he did one can only guess where the planet would be today.

Along with millions I wish him well in his old age.
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PGU
22 Fans
19:26 on 22/05/2012
Since when was Sweden Spanish speaking?
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