REN TV, owned by an associate of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, is embroiled in an embarrassing controversy after its prominent news anchor Tatyana Limanova gave the camera her middle finger at the mention of U.S President Barack Obama’s name in a broadcast to some 120 million people. REN TV has fired Limanova from her post at ‘News 24’ even though she has claimed her gesture was towards crew in the studio and not intended as an insult to U.S. President Barack Obama.