Trump Meets With Kim. Kim Kardashian West, That Is.

By KATIE ROGERS from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2kAvNIs

Stanley Cup Finals: Braden Holtby Bounces Back to Lift the Capitals

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS from NYT Sports https://ift.tt/2xt8N7z

Sanchez Goes the Other Way, and Severino Stays the Course, in a Yankees Win

By BILLY WITZ from NYT Sports https://ift.tt/2sjNjoz

The Mets Get Some Help From Jason Vargas and a Few Fresh Arms

By JAMES WAGNER from NYT Sports https://ift.tt/2IYWipV

Overlooked No More: The Soviet Icon Who Was Hanged for Killing a Czar

By EVA SOHLMAN from NYT Obituaries https://ift.tt/2H3afgB

What You Might Say

By DEB AMLEN from NYT Crosswords & Games https://ift.tt/2LaZHhP

In a First for Germany, Hamburg Bans Diesel Engines. On 2 Roads.

By AMIE TSANG and CHRISTOPHER F. SCHUETZE from NYT Business Day https://ift.tt/2smgXtv

Italy, Arkady Babchenko, Whales: Your Thursday Briefing

By DAN LEVIN from NYT Briefing https://ift.tt/2LJq0Ni

‘The Americans,’ at Last, Lets Us Exhale

By JAMES PONIEWOZIK from NYT Arts https://ift.tt/2sghj4X

The End of ‘The Americans’: Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys on the ‘Devastating’ Finale

By MAUREEN RYAN from NYT Arts https://ift.tt/2J2TCaQ

‘The Americans’ Finale: The Damage Done

By MIKE HALE from NYT Arts https://ift.tt/2H5KH2q

Ambien manufacturer responds to Roseanne: 'Racism is not a known side effect'

The manufacturer of Ambien on Wednesday dismissed actress Roseanne Barr’s suggestion that the sleep aid was to blame for her racist and anti-Semitic tweets that led to the cancellation of her top-rated sitcom.

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Correction: Ukraine-Journalist Killed story

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — In a story May 29 about a Russian journalist killed in Ukraine, The Associated Press and other media organizations reported, based on fabricated information from Ukrainian authorities, that Arkady Babchenko was shot and killed. Babchenko showed up at a news conference on Wednesday, saying that Ukraine's security services faked his death to thwart a plot on his life.

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Please Don't Roast Marshmallows Over the Erupting Hawaii Volcano, USGS Warns

"Is it safe to roast marshmallows over volcanic vents?" one Twitter user asked

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Roman Abramovich becomes an Israeli citizen a month after his UK visa was delayed

Roman Abramovish has become an Israeli citizen a month after the UK delayed renewing his visa in a move that could allow him to return without one. The Chelsea FC owner, who is Jewish, exercised his right under Israel’s Law of Return, which states that Jews from anywhere in the world can become citizens of Israel. The oligarch, worth an estimated £8.6 billion, instantly became Israel’s wealthiest person after receiving his citizenship yesterday.  The 51-year-old had been travelling in and out of the UK for years on a Tier-1 investor visa, designed for wealthy foreigners who invest at least £2 million in Britain. He applied to renew the visa in April but did not immediately receive approval from the Home Office amid diplomatic tension between London and Moscow. It is unclear if the UK decided to reject his application permanently but a source familiar with the matter told The Daily Telegraph that the renewal process seemed to be taking an unusually long time. Amber Rudd ordered a review of the visa status of wealthy Russians after the Salisbury nerve agent attack Credit:  Jack Taylor/Getty Images Europe Mr Abramovich is believed to have returned to Russia after his visa expired. He did not attend Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Manchester United in the FA Cup at Wembley on May 19. Israeli passport holders can travel to Britain without a visa for short periods of time, and can stay as long as six months. Russians must apply for a visa from the British Embassy in Moscow if they wish to travel to Britain. Mr Abramovich's decision comes after the Government suggested it would take a harder line on Russian oligarchs in Britain following the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury in March. Q&A | Roman Abramovich’s visa His private G650 jet touched down at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport on Monday and he was immediately granted Israeli citizenship.  A spokesman for the Israeli interior ministry said he applied at the Israeli embassy in Moscow and was found eligible for citizenship after proving his Jewish heritage.  “He filed a request to receive an immigration permit, his documents were checked according to the Law of Return, and he was indeed found eligible,” the spokesman told Israel’s Channel 10 news.  Mr Abramovich previously purchased a £17.1 mansion in Tel Aviv’s upmarket Neve Tzedek neighbourhood. The house was a former hotel and Mr Abramovich bought it from the husband of Gal Gadot, the Israeli actress who starred in Wonderwoman. 

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The Latest: US seeks urgent UN meeting on Gaza rocket attack

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Latest on the violence along the Israel-Gaza border (all times local):

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Murder of anti-Kremlin war reporter shocks Russians

Russia's embattled liberal community was reeling Wednesday from the murder of fiercely anti-Kremlin journalist Arkady Babchenko who was gunned down in Ukraine after leaving Moscow following a campaign of harassment. A prominent Russian war correspondent, Babchenko, 41, was murdered on Tuesday evening in a contract-style killing in the stairwell of his building in the Ukrainian capital Kiev where he moved last year. The journalist was killed less than a month after President Vladimir Putin was inaugurated for his fourth Kremlin term and as Russia gears up to host the World Cup later this month.

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'Deadliest Catch' Star Blake Painter Found Dead At Age 38

Another early death has struck "Deadliest Catch."

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Mexican President Sends Trump A Blunt Message About Paying For The Wall

President Donald Trump called out Mexico on Tuesday, vowing yet again that the

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Ethiopian govt and opposition start talks on amending anti-terrorism law

By Aaron Maasho ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopia's ruling coalition started talks with opposition groups on Wednesday on amending provisions of an anti-terrorism law that critics say has criminalised dissent, state-affiliated media said. Watchdog groups say the 2009 law's broad definitions have been used indiscriminately against anyone who opposes government policy. The discussions follow the release on Tuesday of opposition leader Andargachew Tsige, who was sentenced to death under the law in 2009 over his role in the opposition group Ginbot 7, which the government has labelled a terrorist organisation.

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Fans Want 'Roseanne' To Continue -- Just Without Roseanne

The success of the rebooted version of "Roseanne" on ABC may not have been due

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New top story on Hacker News: Footsteps, Pressure Sensors, and AI: The Next Step in Airport Security

Footsteps, Pressure Sensors, and AI: The Next Step in Airport Security
8 by rbanffy | 1 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: How to Install Tensorflow GPU with CUDA 9.2 for Python on Ubuntu

How to Install Tensorflow GPU with CUDA 9.2 for Python on Ubuntu
6 by Aryal007 | 0 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: GiveCampus (YC S15) is hiring a Director of Product to advance education

GiveCampus (YC S15) is hiring a Director of Product to advance education
1 by mkong1 | 0 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: High-Quality Schools Are Enough to Increase Achievement Among the Poor

High-Quality Schools Are Enough to Increase Achievement Among the Poor
43 by MaysonL | 15 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Simplify Login with Application Load Balancer Built-In Authentication

Simplify Login with Application Load Balancer Built-In Authentication
4 by wanghq | 0 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: OpenBSD's httpd gets URL rewrite

OpenBSD's httpd gets URL rewrite
32 by njn | 1 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: UK Airprox board says police drone and jet had 'near-miss'

UK Airprox board says police drone and jet had 'near-miss'
24 by jaytaylor | 14 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Show HN: JavaScript/WebGL webcam face swap with color correction

Show HN: JavaScript/WebGL webcam face swap with color correction
22 by xavierwebgl | 6 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Judge Dismisses Kaspersky Suit Challenging Software Ban

Judge Dismisses Kaspersky Suit Challenging Software Ban
46 by wglb | 27 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: I Write Letters to CEOs

I Write Letters to CEOs
193 by henryjones | 64 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: China overtakes U.S. for healthy lifespan: WHO data

China overtakes U.S. for healthy lifespan: WHO data
225 by Element_ | 150 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: How a Pentagon Contract Became an Identity Crisis for Google

How a Pentagon Contract Became an Identity Crisis for Google
64 by lego_bot | 55 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Predicting Stock Performance with Natural Language Deep Learning

Predicting Stock Performance with Natural Language Deep Learning
145 by prostoalex | 49 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Buffett Proposed $3 Billion Uber Investment But Deal Crumbled

Buffett Proposed $3 Billion Uber Investment But Deal Crumbled
103 by tristanj | 59 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Ask HN: How to blog things I've learnt in graduate school?

Ask HN: How to blog things I've learnt in graduate school?
149 by jamesecurry | 47 comments on Hacker News.
Hi, Currently, I'm pursuing a masters in Control systems. After looking for a couple of blogs by researchers and graduate students I've had some trouble understanding in how to document/write the things I'm learning in graduate school. Ideally, I'd like to write to help understand how deep my understanding of the subject is but also be a way to contact people who are interested in the field of control systems & machine learning as two overlapping fields via a personal blog. A few of my concerns involve: 1. How to maintain a technical blog without sounding like an academician i.e examples of other good blogs. 2. How to spread the knowledge from the courses I'm taking legally i.e. how much out of class homeworks/material is it okay to share? Thanks for reading!

New top story on Hacker News: Why Is Front-End Development So Unstable?

Why Is Front-End Development So Unstable?
188 by njn | 167 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Architecture of a Database System (2007) [pdf]

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138 by Tomte | 10 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Signed Integers Are Two’s Complement

Signed Integers Are Two’s Complement
90 by scott_s | 45 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Uber, Google and others pay London Evening Standard for favorable coverage

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299 by tomjakubowski | 46 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Actix: a small, pragmatic, and fast Rust web framework

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307 by fafhrd91 | 70 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Intel Announces Optane DIMMs

Intel Announces Optane DIMMs
324 by p1esk | 143 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Reddit just passed Facebook as #3 most popular website in US

Reddit just passed Facebook as #3 most popular website in US
1034 by Mahn | 479 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: The Slippery Math of Causation

The Slippery Math of Causation
103 by dfee | 19 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Show HN: Write every day, measure your progress, achieve your writing goals

Show HN: Write every day, measure your progress, achieve your writing goals
169 by rayalez | 55 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Mary Meeker Internet Trends Report 2018

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171 by kbal11 | 57 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Depressing and faintly terrifying days for the C standard [pdf]

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169 by signa11 | 215 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Build2, a Cargo-like dependency and build manager for C/C++

Build2, a Cargo-like dependency and build manager for C/C++
148 by firebacon | 46 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Walmart will begin offering to subsidize college tuition for its U.S. workers

Walmart will begin offering to subsidize college tuition for its U.S. workers
343 by DoreenMichele | 221 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: How to Sell – a guide for SaaS startups

How to Sell – a guide for SaaS startups
209 by jhchen | 29 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Accountancy used to be boring and safe, but today it’s neither

Accountancy used to be boring and safe, but today it’s neither
112 by NN88 | 86 comments on Hacker News.

Fox News Breaking News Alert

Fox News Breaking News Alert

Suspect charged in death of Tennessee sheriff's deputy

05/30/18 11:21 PM

Fox News Breaking News Alert

Fox News Breaking News Alert

Harvey Weinstein indicted by NY grand jury on rape, criminal sexual act charges, DA says

05/30/18 5:44 PM

Fox News Breaking News Alert

Fox News Breaking News Alert

President Trump signs 'Right to Try' bill into law

05/30/18 12:56 PM

Fox News Breaking News Alert

Fox News Breaking News Alert

Tennessee sheriff's deputy shot and killed, reports say

05/30/18 10:55 AM

You Won't Believe Everything Philippine Boxer-Politician Manny Pacquiao's Did for an Ice Cream Vendor

World champion boxer Manny Pacquiao is a devout Christian and has displayed his heart for the needy, including his love of the Filipino people many times. 

from CBNNews.com https://ift.tt/2kCwq4x

‘The Americans,’ at Last, Lets Us Exhale

By JAMES PONIEWOZIK from NYT Arts https://ift.tt/2sghj4X

Newly Released Manuscript is Earliest Known Fragment from the Gospel of Mark

The earliest fragment of the Gospel of Mark, dating between A.D. 150 - 250, was recently published by the Egypt Exploration Society from a Greek papyrus.

from CBNNews.com https://ift.tt/2H8oVew

The End of ‘The Americans’: Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys on the ‘Devastating’ Finale

By MAUREEN RYAN from NYT Arts https://ift.tt/2J2TCaQ

'I Know I'm Going to Get Killed': The UK's Stunning Punishment for a Man Who Protested Radical Islam

The arrest and imprisonment of Stephen Lennon, better known as Tommy Robinson, has set off protests around the world.

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‘The Americans’ Finale: The Damage Done

By MIKE HALE from NYT Arts https://ift.tt/2H5KH2q

Trump touts new conspiracy: Mueller's team will be 'meddling' in midterms

President Trump on Tuesday accused, without evidence, investigators working on special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe of a partisan plot to meddle in the 2018 midterm elections.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2L4u2P7

Pompeii's Unluckiest Man Excavated, Internet Gives Him Second Life

The remains of a man trying to escape the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2H2uz1L

No Charges For Teacher Who Drowned Raccoons In Front Of Students

A high school teacher in Ocala, Florida, who was caught on camera getting his

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2shDojo

The stunning rise and fall of Eric Greitens

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens announces his resignation during a hastily called press conference, May 29, 2018. Politicians rise and fall, but it is difficult to think of an ascent as swift, or a downfall as brutal, as that of Gov. Eric Greitens of Missouri. Celebrated only months ago as a potential Republican presidential candidate, Greitens resigned the governorship on Tuesday, as state legislators in Jefferson City expanded their inquiry into potential wrongdoing related to campaign fundraising — and moved to impeach him over the alleged blackmail and sexual assault of a woman with whom he’d once had an extramarital relationship.

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Hawaii lava crosses key highway, destroys utility poles

HONOLULU (AP) — Lava crossed a key highway in the mostly rural district of the Big Island where Kilauea volcano was erupting, local authorities in Hawaii said Tuesday.

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Mary Kay Letourneau Defends Relationship With Vili Fualaau in New Documentary

The former teacher was jailed for her relationship with her then-sixth grade student, Vili Fualaau.

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Mom Blasts Southwest Airlines For Asking To 'Prove' Biracial Son Was Hers

A Southwest Airlines employee asked a college basketball coach over the

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2kA8yhG

Photos: 17 injured following pileup in dense fog in Southern California

Over a dozen cars were involved in a chain-reaction pileup near Cajon Pass in Southern California on Wednesday morning amid dense fog.

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What Medical Schools Are Doing to Reduce Student Debt

The rising cost of higher education makes affording medical school tough for the vast majority of students. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, 75 percent of medical students who graduated in 2017 borrowed student loans to pay for school. Among U.S. medical school graduates who borrowed, those who attended public institutions finished their degrees with nearly $170,000 on average in student loans, according to data submitted to U.S. News by 52 ranked schools in an annual survey.

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Bernie Sanders 'is considering another run for the presidency,' former campaign manager says

Jeff Weaver, who managed Sen. Bernie Sanders’s 2016 presidential bid, says the Vermont independent “is considering another run” in 2020.

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The Right-To-Try Bill Puts Patients At Risk In The Name Of Helping Them

Congress recently approved the federal right-to-try bill after a months-long

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2LJYkaU

Two Belgian policewomen shot dead: What we know

A gunman killed two female police officers and a man in a parked car in the eastern Belgian city of Liege, before he was shot dead by police. The assailant is suspected of being radicalised in prison by Islamist militants. - At around 10:30 am (0830 GMT), a man followed two female police officers in Liege, stabbed them several times, then grabbed their firearms and shot them both dead.

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Mississippi Delta: Still the heart of poverty

Photos: Yahoo News national correspondent Holly Bailey journeyed to the Mississippi Delta to find lingering poverty and racial disparities that profoundly moved both Martin Luther King, Jr., and Robert F. Kennedy fifty years earlier.

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Vacationers on cruise ship stuck for 2 days in Tampa port

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Hundreds of passengers on a Carnival Cruise ship were supposed to be enjoying sun and fun, but instead they were kept in port in Tampa for two days.

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Mattis says U.S. to continue operations in South China Sea

By Idrees Ali ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Tuesday that the United States would continue to confront what Washington sees as China's militarization of islands in the South China Sea, despite drawing condemnation from Beijing for an operation in the region over the weekend. Reuters first reported that two U.S. Navy warships sailed near South China Sea islands claimed by China on Sunday, even as President Donald Trump seeks Chinese cooperation on North Korea. The operation, known as "freedom of navigation," was the latest attempt to counter what Washington sees as Beijing's efforts to limit freedom of navigation in the strategic waters, where Chinese, Japanese and some Southeast Asian navies operate.

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Televangelist Claims He Needs $54 Million Private Jet To Spread The Gospel

A Louisiana televangelist is convinced that God wants him to own a fourth

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2siVRfM

Evacuation orders canceled in North Carolina after officials deem Lake Tahoma Dam safe

Heavy rainfall led to a landslide that compromised the Lake Tahoma Dam in western North Carolina early Wednesday morning.

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People Now: Amber Rose Opens Up About Her Breast Reduction — Watch the Full Episode

Your latest celebrity news and top headlines for May 30th on "People Now".

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Donald Trump Jr. retweets Roseanne Barr's discredited George Soros claims

Donald Trump Jr. saw fit to retweet Roseanne Barr's claims that billionaire Democratic donor George Soros was "a Nazi."

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2,000 People Evacuated in North Carolina After Alberto Triggers Mudslides and Flooding

Mudslides triggered by the soggy remnants of Alberto forced evacuations below a dam and closed an interstate highway in the western mountains of North Carolina on Wednesday

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New Jersey police investigated after punching woman in the head during arrest

Police officers have been reassigned to administrative duty amid an investigation into a video posted online showing an officer punching a woman on a beach in New Jersey. Wildwood police said on their Facebook page that 20-year-old Emily Weinman, of Philadelphia, faces several charges, including two counts of aggravated assault on a police officer, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Video of Saturday's incident shows an officer striking the woman's head twice as she's down on the sand. Voices are heard yelling "stop resisting," though it's unclear who was talking. The video doesn't show what led to the confrontation. Wildwood Police Chief Robert Regalbuto said he finds the video "alarming" but doesn't want to "rush to any judgment" until the investigation is complete. Wildwood Mayor Ernie Troiano Jr told The Philadelphia Inquirer that the episode was a "shame," but said police would soon release body camera footage showing officers being insulted and spat upon. Weinman is also charged with spitting at an officer. The police officer was filmed on New Jersey beach Credit: @HewittLexy "It wasn't just that this officer decided to beat her up," he said. "That wasn't the case." Troiano declined comment on the use of force, saying he didn't know the whole story, but added: "We don't like to see anyone get hit, period. But then again, when you have someone who's aggressively attacking you or spitting at you . I wasn't there. I don't know." He also expressed frustration at the amount of underage drinking, saying no one is allowed to drink in public or on the beach in Wildwood unless they are attending an event that has received a permit to allow drinking. Wildwood police asked anyone who was present and has video of the altercation to come forward to help their internal affairs investigation, in which Cape May County officers will also be assisting. A listed phone number for Weinman wasn't immediately found. 

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Spiderman's French fairy tale sparks migrant pride and envy

At the French migrant workers' hostel where "Spiderman" Mamoudou Gassama was sleeping on a floor before becoming a folk hero for saving a child, his exploits have triggered a wave of pride tinged with envy. This week television crews swarmed the centre in the eastern Paris suburb of Montreuil to find out more about the 22-year-old Malian who was captured on video scaling an apartment block to bring a child hanging from a balcony to safety. Many residents were unaware the shy youth was living at the hostel and happy to see him hailed for his bravery by President Emmanuel Macron and being placed on a fast track to French citizenship.

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US general says some Taliban interested in peace

WASHINGTON (AP) — Some elements of the Taliban in Afghanistan are showing interest in peace talks, the top U.S. commander in Kabul said Wednesday, citing "off stage" contacts involving what he described as mid- and high-level leaders of the insurgency.

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18 of the Most Beautiful Bridges in the World

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Kremlin says it is Roman Abramovich's right to take Israeli citizenship

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich had every right to take Israeli citizenship, saying his choice to acquire another passport was no big deal. Abramovich, the owner of Chelsea soccer club who has found himself without a visa to Britain, took Israeli citizenship on Monday and will move to Tel Aviv where he has bought a property, the Israeli news website Ynet said. Abramovich, 51 has traditionally enjoyed good relations with the Kremlin and served as a regional governor in a remote Russian region from 2000-2008.

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'Murdered' journalist Arkady Babchenko turns up alive after death staged to 'expose Russian plot'

By Wednesday afternoon, most of Arkady Babchenko's friends and colleagues had gone through the familiar cycle of grief and confusion that follows the killing of a Russian dissident journalist.  Obituaries had been written, travel arrangements were in train for the funeral, and Western politicians including Boris Johnson had announced they were "appalled".  Meanwhile, Ukraine had blamed Russia, Russia had blamed Ukraine, and both launched rival investigations to prove their stories.  And journalists in both countries, taught by bitter experience not to trust official probes into the deaths of their colleagues, pledged to run their own investigations. But then came a twist that no one could have predicted: Vasily Gritsak, the head of Ukraine's Security Service (SBU), called a press conference and announced the whole thing had been a hoax.  Arkady Babchenko, centre, told a Press conference in Kiev the reported murder was part of sting operation to catch a hit squad Credit: VALENTYN OGIRENKO /Reuters For a moment, there was an uncomprehending silence. Then a door opened, and in shuffled a familiar shaven headed man.  Arkady Babchenko was wearing light trousers and a black hoodie. And he was looking somewhat sheepish.  "I have buried many friends and colleagues many times and I know the sickening feeling," he said, by way of explanation. "I am sorry you had to experience it. But there was no other way." "Special apologies to my wife. Olechka, I am sorry, but there were no options here," he said. "The operation took two months to prepare. I was told a month ago. As a result of the operation, one person has been captured, he is being held," he added.  Mr Gritsak said Mr Babchenko's fake death, which fooled his closest friends and family, as well as international media and world leaders, had allowed Ukrainian agents to thwart a genuine plot to take the journalist's life.  Arkady Babchenko was a fierce critic of Vladimir Putin Credit: Vitalii Nosach/Reuters Staging the murder, he implied, was necessary to gain evidence of communication between the hit man and his handlers, who he said worked for the Russian security services.  Yury Lutsenko, Ukraine's prosecutor general, said the alleged plot had involved a Ukrainian citizen recruited by Russian handlers to carry out the murder.  The SBU later released video of what they said was money being handed to the hired killer.  While I am very happy Arkady is alive I am also angry and confused because my fellow reporters and I spent yesterday posting and reading memories we shared of him and feeling very down and out. This was apparently some kind of sting operation. I hope it was worth it.— Simon Ostrovsky (@SimonOstrovsky) May 30, 2018 The death and resurrection of Russia's most famous war correspondent is one of the strangest episodes in the bitter confrontation between Russia and Ukraine.  Kiev hailed a victory and Moscow condemned a stunt. Konstantin Kosachev, head of the international affairs committee of the upper house of the Russian parliament, compared Ukraine's actions to Britain accusing Moscow of being behind the nerve gas poisonings of a Russian former spy and his daughter in England. Russia vehemently denies poisoning Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia Skripal. "The logic is the same - to defame Russia," Kosachev told the state news agency Tass. But the move also drew criticism from journalists and media freedom groups who said it undermined faith in reporting and played into the hands of governments who dismiss unwelcome coverage as fake news.  News of Mr Babchenko's "death" sent shock waves through the Russian journalistic community and opposition circles when it was announced on Tuesday evening.  Ukrainian police officers guard the entrance to Babchenko's home in Kiev after his body was apparently found Credit: VALENTYN OGIRENKO /Reuters Ukrainian police said the veteran war correspondent had been killed by a gunman lurking in the stairwell outside his Kiev flat late on Tuesday evening.  Police said his wife, Olga, found his body on the threshold of the flat with several gunshot wounds in his back and that he died in an ambulance on the way to hospital.  All of this seemed entirely plausible to those who knew him. The 2016 Kiev murder of Pavel Sheremet, another journalist, has still not been solved Credit: VALENTYN OGIRENKO Mr Babchenko was an implacable public critic of the Kremlin whose public statements had become increasingly abrasive, and the death appeared to fit with a pattern of murders in Kiev.  The unsolved deaths include that of Pavel Sheremet, a prominent Belarusian born liberal journalist who was blown up in his car in 2016.  The gunman in the stairwell and the shots in the back also recalled the deaths of two other prominent Kremlin critics - Anna Politkovskaya and Boris Nemtsov, who were murdered in Moscow in 2006 and 2015.  One Russian war photographer and friend of Mr Babchenko told the Telegraph he was "not surprised," on reflection, that his friend had been killed.  Babchenko had fled Russia over fears to his safety Credit: Akrady Babchenko/Facebook Several acquaintances of Mr Babchenko, many of whom had posted tributes online or even written obituaries for the Russian and foreign media, expressed relief mixed with deep unease over the deception.  And media freedom groups condemned the hoax, saying it could put other journalists in danger and play into the hands of those behind real murders.  "It is pathetic and regrettable that the Ukrainian police have played with the truth, whatever their motive," said Christophe Deloire, the head of Reporter Without Borders. "All it takes is one case like this to cast doubt on all the other political assassinations." Babchenko, a conscript in the Chechen wars, was a fierce critic of Putin Credit: Akrady Babchenko/Facebook Nor did it shine a light on the other unsolved murders - which some Ukrainian activists say the authorities have been distinctly reluctant to investigate with anything like the same level of commitment.  When a Ukrainian journalist asked about the investigation into "a real murder - that of Pavel Sheremet," Mr Gritsak replied: "We have a different topic today." The Russian government, which in the morning had condemned Mr Babchenko's murder and denied accusations of involvement, in the evening welcomed his recovery and swiftly condemned the hoax as "propaganda."  Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko  Credit: AP "The fact that Babchenko is alive is the best news" said Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the foreign ministry. "The fact that the whole story was created for propaganda effect is obvious." The Ukrainian government was defiant over the operation on Wednesday night. "I congratulate the SBU. You have conducted a brilliant operation to protect the life of Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko," Petro Poroshenko, the Ukrainian president, wrote on Facebook.  Anton Geraschenko, an aide to the Ukrainian interior ministry, justified the pain caused to Mr Babchenko's family and friends by the hoax saying Sherlock Holmes had used the same tactic. "Wasn't that also painful for his relatives and Dr Watson," he wrote on Facebook.  Ukrainian Journalists, who originally rallied at Independence Square in Kiev to mourn anti-Kremlin journalist Arkady Babchenko, celebrate after he appeared alive and well  Credit: AFP Dozens of journalists descended upon the central square in Kiev late on  Wednesday, laughing, hugging and quaffing sparkling wine as they celebrated the "resurrection" of Mr Babchenko. "It's an incredible story of a resurrection," joked Russian journalist Pavel Kanygin who like several of his Russian colleagues had rushed to Kiev to cover the story. "It's a miracle, but a miracle that turned out to be a staged drama". Mr Babchenko himself was in a meeting with Mr Poroshenko as the group of journalists from local and international media popped corks and took selfies. "We were preparing for the funeral, Many of us didn't sleep last night. We bought plane tickets for the first flight to Kiev," said Kanygin, who works for the investigative Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta. ATR journalists react on Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko's appearance during a news conference, in the ATR newsroom in Kiev Credit: Reuters He was at the offices of the Ukrainian private television ATR, where Mr Babchenko works, when the "murdered" journalist made his surprise reappearance. "Everybody just erupted, shouting 'hooray, he's alive,' it was an incredible moment," he said.

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