Washington, Jun 2: President Donald Trump has tapped Bill Pulte, head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, to be the acting director of national intelligence — putting a real estate scion and fierce Trump loyalist in a key national security post as the U.S. remains at war with Iran.

Trump made the surprise announcement Tuesday on social media that Pulte would be replacing Tulsi Gabbard, the former Hawaii congresswoman who served as the director of national intelligence.

The Republican president cited Pulte’s work at the FHFA and his role as chair of the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, saying that the 38 year-old “has deep experience managing the most sensitive matters in America, the safety and soundness of the Markets, and over 10 Trillion Dollars at Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, a substantial increase from where it was just 12 months ago.”

Pulte’s sudden elevation to a role coordinating sensitive national security matters is a sign of how Trump is putting a priority on loyalty over a traditional resume full of previous military and intelligence assignments. It’s unclear what national security expertise Pulte has, but he has been a frequent guest on Air Force One as Trump has traveled to Mar-a-Lago, his home and club in Palm Beach, Florida.

As the grandson of the founder of PulteGroup, one of the country’s largest homebuilders, Pulte has cut a combative streak on social media and used his post at the FHFA to attack perceived opponents of the Trump administration.

His time overseeing mortgage finance has been linked with criminal referrals for mortgage fraud by public officials Trump sought to punish, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat; Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.; and Lisa Cook, a member of the Federal Reserve, who was nominated by a Democratic president, Joe Biden.

Pulte has famously gone after then-Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for not cutting the central bank’s benchmark interest rates as aggressively as the president wanted. He has also been linked to ideas such as the 50-year mortgage and efforts to lower mortgage rates through the purchase of home loan debt that have not paid off as promised.

Trump said Pulte will keep his other positions even as he fills in for Gabbard, who resigned last month after revealing her husband’s cancer diagnosis.

If formally nominated, Pulte would need to be confirmed by the Senate to hold the position full time.

Beijing, Jun 2: China’s leading cartographic scientist Zhou Chenghu, a former deputy director of the Institute of Geographic Sciences, has been detained by anti-corruption officials.

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), China’s top internal disciplinary and supervisory body, on Monday said that 62-year-old Zhou is under investigation for “suspected serious violations of duty”.

It, however, did not reveal any details of the allegations, the Hong Kong- based South China Morning Post reported on Tuesday.

In China, cartographic scientists play a crucial role in the country’s maritime and border disputes with various neighbours, including India. Maps highlighted China’s claims over the disputed regions.

They also play a key role in mapping out the natural resources, including mining.

Zhou’s primary research fields include spatial data mining, geographic systems modelling, hydrology and water resources, and the application of geographic information systems and remote sensing.

In late May, the state-run Economic Observer, a weekly Chinese newspaper, cited “informed sources” and said Zhou was taken away by disciplinary inspectors from the lobby of his research institute building in late April.

His personal details have since been removed from the list of academicians on the official CAS website.

Public records show that Zhou had distinct links to more than 20 companies, holding shares in at least 17 of them.

According to the Economic Observer, Zhou’s ties to numerous associated companies were “a possible driver” behind the investigation.

The business operations of Zhongke Yuntu, a company co-founded by Zhou, encompass satellite remote-sensing application system integration, geological exploration technical services and the sale of intelligent unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), among others.

Since Chinese President Xi Jinping took power, hundreds of officials, including several top military officials, have been arrested and prosecuted on corruption and discipline violation charges.