Reuters, Washington
U.S. President Donald Trump will nominate Jon Huntsman, an envoy to China under former Democratic President Barack Obama, as U.S. ambassador to Russia, the White House said on Tuesday.
The job, all the more high-profile because of allegations that Russia meddled in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, requires confirmation by the U.S. Senate.
If confirmed, Huntsman, who has long been expected to be Trump’s pick for the job, will head to Moscow as the U.S. Congress and a special counsel investigate Russia’s role in the 2016 presidential election and allegations that Trump’s campaign had ties to Moscow.
North Korea conducts public executions
Reuters, Seoul
North Korea carries out public executions on river banks and at school grounds and marketplaces for charges such as stealing copper from factory machines, distributing media from South Korea and prostitution, a report issued on Wednesday said.
The report, by a Seoul-based non-government group, said the often extra-judicial decisions for public executions are frequently influenced by “bad” family background or a government campaign to discourage certain behavior.
Putin to visit Finland on July 27
Reuters, Helsinki
Russia’s president Vladimir Putin will visit Finland on July 27 to discuss international and bilateral issues with his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinisto, Niinisto’s office said on Wednesday.
The visit coincides with the 100th anniversary year of Finland’s independence from Russia.
Egypt police trap and kill top militants
AFP, Cairo
Egyptian police have killed three top Islamist militants in two separate operations, including two caught trying to move to a new hideout on Cairo’s outskirts, the government said Tuesday.
The interior ministry said the two militants killed in New Cairo were senior members of the Hasam group-an extremist movement the government .
accuses of links to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.
The third man, a jihadist who was gunned down in the restive North Sinai province, was a leader of a militia affiliated with the Islamic State group, the ministry said in a separate statement.
