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

“Roman Abramovich becomes an Israeli citizen a month after his UK visa was delayed - The Telegraph” plus 1 more

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

Posted: 29 May 2018 12:00 AM PDT

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.

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.

North Korea issued 'informal apology' to Vietnam over allegedly tricking citizen into assassination - The Telegraph

Posted: 12 Dec 2018 12:00 AM PST

North Korea has issued an informal apology to Vietnam for involving one of its citizens in the assassination of Kim Jong-un's estranged half-brother in Malaysia, South Korean press reports have claimed.

The reports, which cannot be independently verified, cite a senior South Korean government official as saying that North Korea "belatedly apologised" for the alleged recruitment of a Vietnamese woman, Doan Thi Huong, by the son of a former ambassador.

Ms Huong, 29, and Indonesian woman Siti Aisyah, 25 are currently standing trial in Kuala Lumpur for the murder of Kim Jong-nam, after they smeared lethal VX nerve agent on his face at the international airport in February 2017. Both women, who face the death penalty if convicted, are pleading not guilty.

"The Vietnamese government and public were outraged by the involvement of a Vietnamese citizen in the assassination of Kim Jong-nam and bilateral relations chilled," the official said, in comments reported by the Chosun Ilbo.

"Vietnam demanded an official apology from North Korea and threatened to sever diplomatic ties."

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho, who recently visited Vietnam Credit: Pool/Getty Images

The comments follow a high-level visit to Vietnam last week by Ri Yong-ho, the North Korean foreign minister.

Ms Huong and Ms Siti have claimed that they were duped into believing they were taking part in a reality TV prank show in an elaborate murder plot hatched by North Korean intelligence officials.

Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, Ms Huong's lawyer, told The Telegraph that she had been recruited in a Hanoi bar by a North Korean looking for someone interested in working on short movies and video clips. It is believed she was targeted because of her desire to become a famous TV personality.

An ex-colleague who introduced her to the North Korean is one of the witnesses providing evidence to back her story.

North Korea has officially denied its involvement in the audacious assassination, which was carried out almost a year before diplomatic ties began to thaw between Pyongyang, Seoul and Washington.

It is said to have initially refused to apologise to Vietnam over the case but later caved to diplomatic pressure to do so.

In recent months, North Korea, its economy long-crippled by punishing sanctions sparked by the development of its nuclear weapons programme, has been reportedly studying the Vietnamese model of economic development.

The main focus of Mr Ri's visit to Vietnam was for talks with senior officials on how the country lifted itself out of poverty and global isolation to transform its economy while still maintaining tight political control over its citizens.