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Trump Taps Stefanik to Be UN Ambassador

House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY) reacts at a press conference at the Republican National Committee after a meeting with former President Donald Trump and the House Republican Conference, in Washington, US, June 13, 2024. (Reuters)
House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY) reacts at a press conference at the Republican National Committee after a meeting with former President Donald Trump and the House Republican Conference, in Washington, US, June 13, 2024. (Reuters)
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Trump Taps Stefanik to Be UN Ambassador

House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY) reacts at a press conference at the Republican National Committee after a meeting with former President Donald Trump and the House Republican Conference, in Washington, US, June 13, 2024. (Reuters)
House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY) reacts at a press conference at the Republican National Committee after a meeting with former President Donald Trump and the House Republican Conference, in Washington, US, June 13, 2024. (Reuters)

Donald Trump has chosen Republican Representative Elise Stefanik to serve as US ambassador to the United Nations, the president-elect said in a statement shared with Reuters on Monday.

"I am honored to nominate Chairwoman Elise Stefanik to serve in my Cabinet as US Ambassador to the United Nations. Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter," Trump said.

Stefanik, 40, a New York representative and House Republican Conference chair, has been a fierce Trump ally.

She could not be immediately reached for comment.

The United Nations has been planning for Trump's return and the cuts to US funding and engagement with the world body that are likely to come with his second term as president.

A US retreat at the UN could open the door for China, which has been building its influence in global diplomacy.

Trump has offered few specifics about foreign policy in his second term but supporters say the force of his personality and his "peace through strength" approach will help bend foreign leaders to his will. He has vowed to solve the war in Ukraine and is expected to give strong support to Israel in its conflicts with Hamas and Hezbollah in Gaza and southern Lebanon.

Among the top concerns at the UN are whether the United States will decide to contribute less money to the 193-member world body and withdraw from key multinational institutions and agreements, including the World Health Organization and the Paris climate agreement.

Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon congratulated Stefanik on her nomination on Monday. "At a time when hate and lies fill the halls of the UN, your unwavering moral clarity is needed more than ever. Wishing you success in standing firm for truth and justice," he said in a post on social media platform X.

Stefanik took a Republican leadership position in the House of Representatives in 2021 when she was elected to replace Liz Cheney, who was ousted for criticizing Trump's continued false claims of election fraud.

Her first turn in the national limelight came when she mounted an impassioned defense of Trump at his first impeachment trial in 2019, leading the then-president to declare that "a star is born."

Stefanik was the youngest woman ever elected to Congress when she first won her district, which had voted twice for Democratic President Barack Obama and had been represented by Democrats in Congress since 1993.

She was seen as a potential vice president pick for Trump before he selected J.D. Vance.

Trump said on Saturday that former Republican presidential contender Nikki Haley will not be asked to join his administration.

Haley served as the US ambassador to the United Nations under Trump during his previous term and had endorsed Trump for president despite having criticized him harshly when she ran against him in the party primaries.

Trump is meeting with potential candidates to serve in his administration before his Jan. 20 inauguration as president.

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Public Mourns 35 Killed in Attack at Sports Complex in Southern Chinese City

A man offers flowers outside the "Zhuhai People's Fitness Plaza" where a man rammed his car into people exercising at the sports center, in Zhuhai in southern China's Guangdong province on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP)
A man offers flowers outside the "Zhuhai People's Fitness Plaza" where a man rammed his car into people exercising at the sports center, in Zhuhai in southern China's Guangdong province on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP)
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Public Mourns 35 Killed in Attack at Sports Complex in Southern Chinese City

A man offers flowers outside the "Zhuhai People's Fitness Plaza" where a man rammed his car into people exercising at the sports center, in Zhuhai in southern China's Guangdong province on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP)
A man offers flowers outside the "Zhuhai People's Fitness Plaza" where a man rammed his car into people exercising at the sports center, in Zhuhai in southern China's Guangdong province on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP)

Members of the public paid their respects Wednesday to people killed by a driver who rammed into people exercising a sports complex in southern China, as the country mourned, but little information was available about the suspect or the victims in the attack.

The crash Monday night in Zhuhai killed 35 people and severely injured 43 others, and the driver was detained as he was trying to escape. Authorities said the 62-year-old man with the surname Fan was upset over his divorce settlement.

Members of the public had started bringing flowers in honor of the victims Tuesday night and continued into Wednesday.

There was a light police presence in the morning at the Zhuhai sports complex, which was closed until further notice, but the number of officers increased as the morning passed.

While police allowed people to leave bouquets of flowers in memory of the dead just outside the entrance of the sports complex, volunteers then quickly moved the flowers inside to the sports center.

“May there be no thugs in heaven,” said the message on one bouquet. “Good deeds will be rewarded and evil deeds will be punished.”

The attack occurred on the eve of the Zhuhai Airshow, an aviation exhibition sponsored by the People's Liberation Army that is held every two years.

China authorities often make extra efforts to tightly control information around major or sensitive events like the airshow. Censors also take extra care around major catastrophes or violence, often censoring eyewitness accounts. Clear information on the death and injury toll was not available for almost 24 hours after the attack.

Videos were quickly censored inside China, though they circulated outside the Great Firewall. They were posted by Teacher Li, an artist turned dissident who runs a X account with 1.7 million followers that posts crowdsourced videos about news in China.

Articles from Chinese media featuring interviews with survivors were quickly taken down Monday and Tuesday. The news that trended about the attack was largely based on official statements from authorities.

Police said their preliminary investigation found Fan was dissatisfied with the split of financial assets in his divorce. Beyond that description, further information was not available on his divorce or alleged motive.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping called for the “strict” punishment of the perpetrator according to law, in a statement Tuesday evening.

He also called on all local governments “to strengthen prevention and control of risks at the source, strictly prevent extreme cases from occurring, and to resolve conflicts and disputes in a timely manner,” according to the official Xinhua news agency.