UK Tabloid Mistakenly Brands Russia's Federation Council Chairwoman... First Woman in Space

Valentina Tereshkova, a Soviet-era cosmonaut and member of the Russian Parliament recently proposed an amendment to the Russian Constitution, which the country’s Parliament overwhelmingly approved. The amendment resets presidential terms, allowing former and incumbent presidents to take part in new elections.

A British tabloid  has mixed up Valentina Matviyenko, chairwoman of the Federation Council and Speaker of the upper house of the Russian Parliament with Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space. The fact that the two women don’t bear a striking resemblance to one another and that Matvienko is 13 years younger than Tereshkova didn’t seem to faze anyone at the tabloid.

It wrote:

"In a speech ahead of the Federation Council's vote, speaker Valentina Matviyenko, an MP and Soviet-era cosmonaut who was the first woman in space, called the passing of the amendments 'one of the most important issues in (Russia's) modern history".

The story has been on the Daily Mail’s website since 11 March and has not been corrected yet.

In 1963 Valentina Tereshkova became the first and the youngest woman to have flown in space. Aboard the Vostok 6 capsule she orbited the Earth 48 times and spent three days in space before returning. In 2011 she was elected to the lower house of the Russian Parliament.