A Russian journalist and critic of the Kremlin, reported to have been shot dead in Ukraine, showed up alive at a news conference on Wednesday to declare that his murder was faked by Ukrainian security services in an effort to foil an assassination plot against him.
According to CNN reports, Arkady Babchenko, 41, walked into a room of journalists in Kiev who had been expecting to get an update on his slaying.
He apologised to his wife, Olechka — who on Tuesday was reported to have found him bleeding to death at his apartment — for the “hell” she had gone through. Ukrainian officials offered a jaw-dropping explanation for his so-called death: to expose a Russian plot against him.
The report said two people, suspected of being the person who ordered the hit and the potential assassin, are in the custody of the security services.
The elaborate ruse raised many questions.
Chief among them, why was it necessary to go to such extraordinary lengths to expose the plot, who was in on it, and what did Olechka Babchenko really see when she found the bleeding body of her husband?
Melania Trump tweets 20 days after last public appearance
US First Lady Melania Trump, not seen in public since a hospital operation this month, has sought to dispel rumours about her health and marriage.
“Rest assured, I’m here at the @WhiteHouse with my family,” a tweet posted on her account said.
Gossip has mounted in the 20 days since she was last seen with President Donald Trump as he welcomed home three US detainees from North Korea.
The White House has already dismissed claims about the Trumps’ relationship.
On Twitter, some suggested her husband had actually written the tweet that appeared on her account on Wednesday.
On 14 May, the White House said Mrs Trump, 48, would be admitted to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center near Washington DC for “an embolisation procedure to treat a benign kidney condition.”
“The procedure was successful and there were no complications,” a statement from the White House said after her release on May 20.
But her five-day hospital stay for what was described as relatively minor surgery did little to stop tongues wagging.
She has not been pictured since then, and has only released one previous tweet referring to her medical treatment.
Wild theories have circulated online, including that Mrs. Trump has moved back to New York with their son, Barron, or that she is co-operating with special counsel Robert Mueller.
Saudis release video of Crown Prince in Jeddah amid questions about his whereabouts
Saudi Arabia released video purporting to show Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at a meeting on Tuesday amid recent speculation about his whereabouts.
CNN reported that the kingdom provided it with a video that it said showed the crown prince chairing a Council of Economic Affairs and Development meeting in Jeddah on May 29.
State-run television aired video of the same meeting.
However, CNN said it was unable to verify when the video was shot.
The video was released amid speculation about the crown prince’s well-being following reports of gunfire near the royal palaces in Riyadh on April 21.
State-run SPA media said at the time that an unauthorised, recreational drone flew over the area, prompting security personnel to deal with the situation in an unspecified manner.
Social media videos seemed to show an attempt at shooting down the drone.
The royal palaces of Riyadh are known for their high security.
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There were no casualties, and King Salman was not at his palace at the time, Reuters reported, citing a senior Saudi official.
But the incident led to speculation online about a possible coup attempt and questions about the whereabouts of the king and crown prince.
Since the April 21 incident, the kingdom has released various stills showing the crown prince carrying out official duties.
The images contain no timestamp or marker to indicate when they were taken.
The crown prince, known casually as “MBS,” is spearheading an ambitious plan to reform and transform the Saudi economy by 2030.
Nicaragua using ‘shoot to kill’ strategy on protesters – Amnesty International say
Nicaragua has instituted a “shoot to kill” policy in dealing with protests that has resulted in an “alarming number of deaths,” according to an investigation by Amnesty International.
According to the 34-page report, released Tuesday, the government has violated citizens’ human rights and not only used “excessive force in the context of the protests, but possibly carried out extra-judicial executions in conjunction with pro-government armed groups.”
Civil unrest has entered its sixth week in Nicaragua as protests continue throughout the country. At least 76 people have been killed, according to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, with close to 900 injured in what appears to be the largest protests the country has seen since the civil war ended in 1990.
Human rights lawyer and Amnesty International Director of Americas Erika Guevara-Rosas was quoted by reports as saying the death toll has risen to at least 83.
The Nicaraguan government has reported 15 dead since the conflict began on April 18 over social security reforms that would increase contributions by workers and employers and reduce retired workers’ pensions.
The reforms were subsequently reversed by the government, but the unrest has continued.
Protesters are calling for the removal of President Daniel Ortega and “democratisation” through reforms in the electoral laws, such as advancing the elections. They also demand justice for the fallen victims, calling for an investigation into the violence.
ISIS claims attack on Afghan Interior Ministry
At least one police officer was killed and five others injured in an attack on the Afghan Interior Ministry in Kabul on Wednesday, according to reports.
Ten assailants attacked the ministry after an explosives-laden vehicle detonated at the front gate of the compound, the Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish said. All the attackers were killed by security forces after a nearly two-hour assault.
No information was however given on civilian casualties.
ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack a few hours later in a statement released by ISIS’ media wing, Amaq Agency.
The Amaq statement did not provide the names or specify the number of attackers.
