News24/7: May 2018

Thursday, 31 May 2018

Blurred Lines Between Journalists and What We Cover

By DAMIEN CAVE from NYT World https://ift.tt/2LMMGMA

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

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

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By NATALIE PROULX from NYT The Learning Network https://ift.tt/2xsIxua

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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Cambridge Analytica’s Parent Company Helped Shape Saudi Arabia’s Reform Movement

By DANNY HAKIM from NYT Business Day https://ift.tt/2JfmsUr

Man tied to California blast victim freed, charge dropped

LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) — A Southern California man arrested on suspicion of having explosives after a blast killed his ex-girlfriend at her day spa has walked free after U.S. prosecutors said Tuesday that they had dropped the charge against him.

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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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Fast lava from Hawaii's Kilauea volcano closes highway

By Jolyn Rosa HONOLULU (Reuters) - Fast-moving lava from Hawaii's Kilauea volcano forced officials to close part of a highway on Tuesday, and they warned that sharp, thin strands of volcanic glass fibers carried by the wind could injure eyes and lungs. As lava crossed Highway 132, officials shut a stretch of road from Lava Tree State Park to Four Corners and told residents who had not evacuated to leave the area immediately. The lava flow destroyed a farm where Kevin Hopkins and partners raise tropical fish and the ornamental carp known as koi.

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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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Family of saved boy thank Malian 'Spider-Man' Mamoudou Gassama, as 'true hero' receives French residency

The family of a small boy found hanging from a balcony in Paris have expressed heartfelt thanks to the Malian migrant who saved him. "He's truly a hero," the boy's grandmother said of Mamoudou Gassama, who climbed four floors before a crowd of well-wishers to pluck the child from danger. The four-year-old's father, who had allegedly left him in their flat to go shopping, and then stayed out longer than planned to play Pokemon Go, faces charges of child neglect. The daring rescue, which has earned him the nickname of Spider-Man, saw Mr Gassama become an overnight national hero and he was offered French citizenship. President Emmanuel Macron awarded him a medal for bravery after inviting him to the Elysée Palace on Monday and offered him a job in the fire brigade. “Thank you France. That’s all I can say,” said Mr Gassama after coming out of the state prefecture in of Bobigny, north or Paris, where he was handed a residency permit while awaiting full citizenship. It transpires that the boy had left Réunion, the French Indian Ocean island, where his mother and grandmother live, only three weeks ago for Paris to join his father, who works in the capital. His mother and the couple's second child were due to join them in June. The boy had already fallen one or two floors before somehow managing to grab hold of the fourth-floor balcony, as he is said to have pointed upwards when a resident in the neighbouring fourth-floor flat asked where he came from. His mother told Antenne Réunion that the boy's father had little experience looking after him on his own and that this was not the first time he had left him alone. "I can't justify what my husband did. People will say it could have happened to anyone and it has happened to other people. My son was just lucky," she said. Speaking of Mr Gassama’s act, she said: “If I were to meet him, I think I would say what everyone is saying: thank you, thank you!” “At any rate, I wouldn’t have been able to go one better than the president. He has been recompensed for his act.” There have been questions over why a man on the balcony of the neighbouring fourth-floor flat couldn’t simply pull him to safety. Mamoudou Gassam rescues young child from building in Paris Credit: Telegraph But the neighbour told Le Parisien that he could only hold the boy’s hand but not pull him up because there was a divider separating the two balconies and he feared dropping him. "I didn't want to take the risk of letting go of his hand, I thought it better to do things step by step," he said. The child had been wearing a Spiderman outfit, he said, and was bleeding from his toe and had a torn nail. The boy was briefly taken into care by French authorities while police questioned his father, who was reportedly devastated, but social services concluded that the child risked no further imminent danger so gave him back custody. However, the father faces charges of failing in one's legal duty as a parent, punishable by a maximum two years in prison and a fine of €30,000 (£26,000). His mother is also due to be interviewed by social workers in Réunion. Emmanuel Macron awarded Mamadou Gassama a special medal and diploma for bravery and devotion Credit: POOL As for Mr Gassama, the 22-year-old left his native Mali in West Africa as a teenager in 2013, according to Le Monde. He crossed the Sahara desert through Burkina Faso, Niger and Libya and then traversed the Mediterranean to Italy in 2014 at his second attempt. His first bid failed when he was intercepted at sea by police. He told Mr Macron that he had travelled to France because he did not know anyone in Italy and his brother had been living in France for many years. According to Le Figaro, he has been living in squalid migrant lodgings in Montreuil, east of Paris, with three brothers and several cousins.

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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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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

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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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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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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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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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George Soros responds to Roseanne Barr's false claim that he is 'a Nazi'

Billionaire financier and philanthropist George Soros has dismissed attacks from Roseanne Barr, the star of ABC’s now-cancelled sitcom Roseanne, who falsely accused the Jewish businessman of being a Nazi. Ms Barr went on a Twitter tirade on Tuesday morning, making racist comments about members of the Obama administration and falsely claiming that Chelsea Clinton was married to a nephew of Mr Soros – a Hungarian-born businessman and major left-wing donor. After Ms Clinton corrected the falsehood, Ms Barr tweeted a half-apology, writing: “Sorry to have tweeted incorrect info about you!I[sic] please forgive me!".

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The Latest: Top NK official, Pompeo have dinner in NY

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on diplomacy between the United States and North Korea (all times local):

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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

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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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Tesla in autonomous mode hits parked police car

Police in a Southern California coastal town said that a Tesla in autonomous mode hit a patrol car parked on the side of a road on Tuesday. No one was in the patrol car when the collision took place in the late morning, the Laguna Beach Police Department said in a message posted along with photos on Twitter. "When using Autopilot, drivers are continuously reminded of their responsibility to keep their hands on the wheel and maintain control of the vehicle at all times," a Tesla spokeswoman said in response to an AFP inquiry.

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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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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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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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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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'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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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.