Foreign
DeSombre Picked for Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced Tuesday his intention to nominate Ambassador Michael George DeSombre as the next Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific. The announcement was made via Trump’s Truth Social platform.
DeSombre, who previously served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand during Trump’s presidency, is currently a Partner at Sullivan Cromwell, leading their Asia Mergers and Acquisitions, as well as the Korea and Southeast Asia practices.
His academic credentials include a magna cum laude degree from Harvard Law School and Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Stanford University, where his thesis focused on Chinese nuclear weapon strategy.
Trump expressed confidence in DeSombre’s ability to serve the United States effectively in this new role.
Russian authorities have announced the arrest of a suspect in connection to the car bomb assassination of General Yaroslav Moskalik, which occurred outside Moscow on Friday. The Federal Security Service (FSB) has identified the suspect as Ignat Kuzin, allegedly a Ukrainian agent.
According to the FSB, Kuzin is accused of rigging a Volkswagen Golf with an improvised explosive device sourced from a Ukrainian intelligence cache. The device was reportedly detonated remotely from Ukrainian territory.
The FSB has released video footage of Kuzin’s arrest.
While Kyiv has yet to comment on the incident, the attack bears resemblance to previous targeted assassinations of military personnel and prominent supporters of the Kremlin’s ongoing offensive in Ukraine. The investigation remains ongoing.
On April 25, 2025, Justice Akintayo Aluko of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, ordered the remand of musician Terry Alexander Ejeh, known professionally as Terry Apala, to the Ikoyi Correctional Centre. This order stems from allegations of Naira note mutilation, a charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Mr. Ejeh is accused of trampling on Naira notes while dancing at a social event on January 5, 2025, an act deemed to contravene Section 21(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007. He pleaded not guilty to the charge.
While the defense counsel requested bail and offered assurances of Mr. Ejeh’s compliance, the prosecution opposed the application. Justice Aluko subsequently dismissed the defense’s request and adjourned the matter to May 5, 2025, for a formal hearing of the bail application. Until then, Mr. Ejeh remains in custody.
Following his attendance at Pope Francis’ funeral in Rome, former President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to voice strong criticism of the American judiciary. In a post presumably written aboard Air Force One, Trump accused courts of obstructing his immigration agenda and perpetuating what he describes as an immigration crisis stemming from President Biden’s policies.
Trump stated that the courts were preventing actions “allowed to do for 250 years,” suggesting this interference could fundamentally alter the nation. He further blamed President Biden for “Open Border MADNESS” and alleged that it allows dangerous individuals, including criminals and the mentally ill, to enter the country unchecked. He also expressed concerns about the logistical impossibility of processing millions of immigrants through the court system.
These comments come amidst recent rulings where federal judges have blocked or limited several of Trump’s executive actions related to immigration and deportations. The former president’s statements underscore the continued intensity and contentiousness surrounding immigration policy within the United States, and the ongoing friction between the executive and judicial branches regarding its implementation.
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