Snowden, Rushdie back calls to uphold independence of French daily

Around 500 leading writers, artists and activists, including US whistleblower Edward Snowden and novelist Salman Rushdie, on Friday signed an open letter supporting reporters at French daily Le Monde in their battle for guarantees of editorial independence.

France's centre-left paper of record has been plunged into turmoil by the failure of Czech energy billionaire Daniel Kretinsky, who bought a stake in the broadsheet last year, to sign an agreement on the paper's editorial freedom.

The journalists have given him until September 17 to sign the accord.

"At this time when even facts are being challenged, the liberty and independence of the press are more precious public assets than ever," the open letter published on the website of Le Monde read, warning that the paper's editorial freedom was "under threat." Kretinsky last year bought a 49-percent stake in a holding company owned by Matthieu Pigasse, one of Le Monde's biggest shareholders.

The deal gave him a stake in the daily created