The world in brief

For envoy, Russia accepts Huntsman

MOSCOW — Moscow has given its consent to President Donald Trump’s proposal to make Jon Huntsman the next U.S. ambassador to Russia, a top Russian diplomat said.

Trump on Tuesday nominated Huntsman, a former ambassador to China and to Singapore, for the Moscow post.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted as telling state television Wednesday that “we have given agreement, knowing Mr. Huntsman’s biography very well, understanding that he is a high professional.”

Nonetheless, there were signs of unease with Huntsman being a devout Mormon.

Russian state TV quoted analyst Alexander Domrin of the Higher School of Economics as saying “this is a religious tendency with many signs of a totalitarian sect. Of course, in the first line he will be loyal not to the United States and Washington, but to his own sect.”

Ex-leader’s assets

frozen in Brazil

SAO PAULO — Brazil’s central bank has frozen four bank accounts belonging to ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva because of his recent conviction on corruption charges, the federal judge who heard his case said Wednesday.

The assets in question amount to more than $190,000, according to the office of Sergio Moro, who sentenced Silva to 9½ years in prison in connection with a sprawling graft probe involving state-run oil giant Petrobras.

Moro also barred the ex-president from using three apartments, a piece of land and two cars linked to him. None can be sold until there is a final ruling on the case.

The former president denies any wrongdoing and remains free pending a decision on his appeal.

Netanyahu caught rapping ‘crazy’ EU

BUDAPEST, Hungary — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was caught Wednesday by a live microphone railing against the European Union’s “crazy” insistence on resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a precondition for closer ties.

Netanyahu was meeting with leaders of Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia at a regional summit. Netanyahu was discussing Iran, Syria, the Islamic State extremist group, and EU-Israel relations when some of his comments — and those of other leaders at the meeting closed to the media — were accidentally broadcast to journalists in another room covering the conference.

Netanyahu also made a rare public admission that Israel has struck Iranian arms convoys in Syria bound for Hezbollah “dozens and dozens of times.”

The Israeli premier was overheard blasting the EU’s approach to Israel, saying “it’s crazy. I think it’s actually crazy” that the 28-nation bloc maintains that resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must come before closer trade ties.

“There is no logic here. Europe is undermining its security by undermining Israel. Europe is undermining its progress by undermining the connection with Israeli innovation because of a crazy attempt to create conditions [for peace with the Palestinians],” Netanyahu said.

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