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President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday that he wants real estate developer Charles Kushner, father of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, to serve as ambassador to France. Trump made the announcement in a Truth Social post, calling Charles Kushner “a tremendous business leader, philanthropist, & dealmaker." Kushner is the founder of Kushner Companies, a real estate firm. Jared Kushner is a former senior Trump adviser who is married to Trump’s eldest daughter, Ivanka. The elder Kushner was pardoned by Trump in December 2020 after pleading guilty years earlier to tax evasion and making illegal campaign donations. Prosecutors alleged that after Charles Kushner discovered his brother-in-law was cooperating with federal authorities in an investigation, he hatched a scheme for revenge and intimidation. RELATED STORY | Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum are discussing tariffs. What should consumers expect? Kushner hired a prostitute to lure his brother-in-law, then arranged to have the encounter in a New Jersey motel room recorded with a hidden camera and the recording sent to his own sister, the man’s wife, prosecutors said. Kushner eventually pleaded guilty to 18 counts including tax evasion and witness tampering. He was sentenced in 2005 to two years in prison — the most he could receive under a plea deal, but less than what Chris Christie, the U.S. attorney for New Jersey at the time and later governor and Republican presidential candidate, had sought. Christie has blamed Jared Kushner for his firing from Trump’s transition team in 2016, and has called Charles Kushner’s offenses “one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes that I prosecuted when I was U.S. attorney.” Trump and the elder Kushner knew each other from real estate circles and their children were married in 2009.( MENAFN - TimesNewswire ) Baisha, China – Cherishing the tropical rainforest and enjoying rainforest moments. On the afternoon of November 30, the opening ceremony of the 2024“Rainforest and You” experience event and the live performance of“Rainforest Time – La'omen Rainforest Harvest Festival” took place at the Rice Cultivation Park in Baisha Li Autonomous County, Hainan Province. This event was hosted by the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park Administration, supported by the Hainan Provincial Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports, and the Hainan Federation of Literary and Art Circles, with co-hosting by the Baisha Li Autonomous County Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Baisha Li Autonomous County People's Government, and Hainan Broadcasting Station. The“Rainforest and You” experience event is an ecological cultural brand initiative planned by Hainan Province, intended to run for five years. The theme is“Cherish the Tropical Rainforest, Enjoy Rainforest Time,” with this year's main venue located in the Baisha area of Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park. As a highlight of this year's“Rainforest and You” experience event, the live performance of“Rainforest Time – La'omen Rainforest Harvest Festival” narrates the evolution of civilization from the Li ethnic group's fishing and hunting in the rainforest to rice farming. Through a celebration that blends tradition and modernity, it fully showcases the ecological treasures of the tropical rainforest national park, the rich and colorful ethnic culture of Baisha Li Autonomous County, and tells a story that connects the past and future-from rainforest to rice field, from village to city-creating a beautiful picture of ecological harmony, reflecting the spirit of the times and cultural confidence. The stage design adheres to the principle of symbiosis between rainforests and villages, creating an immersive experience in the fields and rainforest. The opening ceremony featured a large-scale rural live performance lasting about an hour, composed of four chapters:“Voices of the Rainforest,”“Li Family Rice Cultivation,”“Baisha Autumn Festival,” and“Hilltop Moments.” It included various performance forms such as song and dance, dramas, and traditional instrumental music, realistically depicting agricultural practices and rituals to showcase the harmony between rainforest ecology and human development. The entire performance, centered around“Rainforest Time,” utilized music, dance, and environmental art to interpret the concepts of“Rainforest and Landscape,”“Rainforest and Ethnicity,” and“Rainforest and Villages.” Compared to 2023, this festival features six major highlights: First, it combines the“Rainforest and You” event with the traditional Baisha festival“La'omen,” cleverly merging ancient Li festival traditions with the mystique of the tropical rainforest to create a feast of nature and culture. Second, it established two venues: the Yacha Carnival main venue and the Qingsong original site sub-venue, attracting more visitors and expanding cultural experiences to a broader area. Third, it integrates land art, long table feasts, and original Li folk songs, providing a unique long table dining experience that enhances participation and immersion for visitors. Fourth, setting the event venue in rice fields allows visitors to experience the beauty of nature and the labor of the Li people firsthand. Fifth, live demonstrations and interactive experiences of Baisha Li's intangible cultural heritage allow visitors to deeply appreciate the unique charm of Li culture. Sixth, diverse folk cultural performances enhance visitor engagement and deepen their experience of the unique flavor of Li agricultural traditions. The performance seamlessly transitions from the first note to the last, with choreography that ensures smooth continuity, allowing actors to flow through the space and progressively build emotional rhythm, vividly showcasing the integration of theme and art. In addition to the live performance of“Rainforest Time – La'omen Rainforest Harvest Festival,” a sub-venue was also established in Yongchu Village, Qingsong Township, Baisha Li Autonomous County, hosting welcoming, opening, and blessing rituals, along with events like the Mountain Festival, Shalan Harvest Ceremony, and long table feast, creating a rich atmosphere for the public to learn about Baisha's diverse ethnic culture and tropical rainforest. The event was broadcast live globally via the Hainan Radio and Television Group's Free Trade Channel, attracting numerous visitors and citizens to watch both on-site and online. Notable attendees included Li Jun, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director of the Hainan Provincial People's Congress, Fu Yuelan, former Deputy Director of the Hainan Provincial People's Congress, Liu Zhaojun, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the Hainan Forestry Bureau, Deng Weiqiang, Secretary of the Baisha Li Autonomous County Committee, and Huang Cong, Mayor of Baisha Li Autonomous County. In addition to the live performance, the main venue in Baisha also hosted the“Qixi Forest Friends Meeting – Celebrate Li Ethnic Qixi in Baisha, Cherish the Green Mountains” social event, rainforest study activities, and a series of“Rainforest+” themed events, creating a comprehensive atmosphere for the public to learn about the tropical rainforest and further enhancing the recognition of Hainan's tropical rainforest and its rich biodiversity, encouraging more people to understand, love, enter, and protect the rainforest. Since General Secretary Xi Jinping announced the establishment of the first national parks in October 2021, Hainan has adhered to his earnest instructions, prioritizing protection by implementing conservation and restoration of the tropical rainforest ecosystem, rare species, natural heritage, and landscapes, significantly improving the ecological quality of national parks. The population of Hainan gibbons has increased year after year, and the ecological path of the national park continues to improve; the tourism road around national parks and its green industry belt have been meticulously developed, creating premium rainforest tourism routes and actively exploring pathways for realizing the value of ecological products such as“Two Mountains Loans” and“Ecological Prices,” while launching a series of popular agricultural brands featuring rainforest characteristics, ensuring that the revitalization path of the national park becomes increasingly beautiful and the development path continues to widen. MENAFN30112024006250013577ID1108942201 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. 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Braden Smith set career highs with 34 points and six 3-pointers as No. 21 Purdue pulled away from Toledo 83-64 in a nonconference matchup on Sunday night in West Lafayette, Ind. Smith went 12 of 22 from the floor and added 12 assists and three steals for the Boilermakers (9-4). Trey Kaufman-Renn added 23 points on 11-of-14 shooting, and Fletcher Loyer chipped in 17 points. Sam Lewis collected 13 points and 11 rebounds, and Sonny Wilson also scored 13 points to lead Toledo (6-6). Seth Hubbard supplied 11 points. The Rockets trailed by 11 at halftime and by 13 after two free throws by Smith with 18:24 to go in the game. Four Toledo players then contributed points to an 8-0 run to pull within 43-38 with 16:44 to play. The lead hovered between five and 10 points until Smith's layup began a 17-2 spree that effectively sealed the win. Toledo, which finished at 40.6 percent from the floor, missed nine straight shots as Purdue took off. Smith entered the game averaging 12.9 points per game. The Boilermakers shot 49.2 percent from the floor and 10 of 28 on 3-point attempts. The Rockets made just 2 of 14 from deep. Toledo led 12-10 on Hubbard's jumper with 13:43 left in the first half, but the Rockets went cold. They missed 11 of their next 12 shots, and the Boilermakers heated up. Smith scored nine points in an 18-2 burst, which Loyer capped with a three-point play with 5:39 left in the half. Purdue made 7 of 9 shots from the floor during the run. The Boilermakers led 39-28 at the break after shooting 50 percent from the floor. Smith had 17 points and Loyer had 12, with each player making three 3-pointers. Wilson had seven first-half points for the Rockets, who fell to 36.4 percent shooting for the half after making 5 of 9 to begin the game. --Field Level Media