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(Reuters) – A crypto venture recently unveiled by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and his new Middle East envoy, billionaire Steve Witkoff, has partnered with a crypto platform that authorities and financial experts say has been used by criminals and Iran-backed militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah. World Liberty Financial Inc, founded by the Witkoff family two months before November’s U.S. election with Trump as a financial beneficiary, presents concerns over ethics and conflicts of interest, say six specialists in U.S. government ethics. Among their biggest concerns is World Liberty’s new partner: Tron crypto platform. Quicker and cheaper than Bitcoin, the Tron network has overtaken its rival as a vehicle for crypto transfers associated with groups designated as terror organizations by Israel, the United States and other countries, Reuters reported in 2023, citing interviews with seven financial crime experts and cryptocurrency investigations specialists. Tron announced last month it was investing $30 million in World Liberty. Tron’s founder, Chinese-born entrepreneur Justin Sun, will join the Trump-Witkoff venture as an advisor, Sun and World Liberty said on social media platform X. The British Virgin Islands-registered Tron is now World Liberty’s largest investor, Sun said. Crypto seizures announced by the Israeli security services since 2021 have frequently singled out Tron’s use by militants, including Hamas whose 2023 attack on Israel killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli authorities, and triggered the Gaza war. Israel’s National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing (NBTCF), which is responsible for such seizures, froze 186 Tron wallets since July 2021, saying they were used by a “designated terrorist organization” or for a “severe terror crime.” Of those, Israeli authorities linked 84 Tron wallets to Hamas or Hamas allies, including Islamic Jihad, 39 to Hezbollah and 63 to unspecified terrorist groups or money changers. The most recent Tron seizure was announced on March 28. Reuters could not independently determine Tron’s use by militant groups, and the NBTCF did not provide evidence for its assertions or respond to requests for more details. Hamas and Hezbollah did not respond to requests for comment. Tron, which profits from transaction fees on its network, told Reuters its technology “has attracted both lawful users and those with illicit motives” but did not specifically respond to claims it has been used by militants. The company “has taken proactive measures to address the risk of illicit activities on its network,” a Tron spokesperson said in response to questions for this story. A collaboration with law enforcement launched in September froze $70 million in illicit funds, the spokesperson said. Sun, the founder, did not respond to a request for comment. On the sidelines of a crypto conference in Abu Dhabi, Eric Trump told Reuters that the use of crypto by criminal groups was “everybody’s foremost concern” but said traditional financial institutions were also used to funnel “bad money.” “Anything can be manipulated if used by the wrong people, and you have to crack down on it,” Trump’s second son said, adding that the crypto industry will do “a great job” of policing itself when it comes to illicit flows. The U.S. Treasury Department has also seized Tron wallets, including an account linked to a group that the department said raised money for Hamas in the wake of the 2023 attack on Israel. In March, the Treasury leveled sanctions against a Lebanon-based money changer who it said provided Hezbollah officials with crypto accounts, including a Tron wallet, to receive funds from Iran. Tron’s investment in World Liberty raised concerns among among ethics experts. “There are red flags all over this,” said Kathleen Clark, a professor at Washington University in St. Louis who specializes in government ethics. Her concerns include the significant size of Tron’s investment in World Liberty, whether Trump could benefit financially from it and the alleged use of Tron by militants including Hamas and Hezbollah. She also highlighted an investigation of Tron founder Sun by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In 2023, the SEC charged Sun with fraud, accusing him of artificially inflating trading volume and concealing payment to celebrities to promote his companies. Sun, who is based in Switzerland and is a citizen of Grenada, said the SEC charges “lack merit.” The case is ongoing. Clark questioned whether World Liberty’s close relationship with Sun would pose a conflict of interest for Trump once his administration takes over the SEC in January. Spokespeople for Trump and his transition team did not directly respond to questions about Trump’s financial ties to World Liberty, the Tron investment and potential conflicts. “President Trump didn’t get into politics for profit,” said transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt. “He’s fighting because he loves the people of this country and wants to make America great again.” Militant groups and criminals like Tron because it gives users the option to conceal their identities, charges low fees and can be converted into cash easily, according to some crypto experts. POTENTIAL CONFLICTS Witkoff co-founded World Liberty and has a stake in a company — WC Digital Fi, LLC — that is entitled to some of World Liberty’s revenues, according to the company’s terms. He is a close friend of Trump’s and a donor to his Republican presidential campaign. He plans to put all his investments in a “blind trust,” said a person familiar with Witkoff’s plans who declined to be identified. The source, however, said Witkoff would retain ownership of his assets. Typically, in a blind trust, an outside manager controls an official’s assets, selling off those that pose a conflict and reinvesting the proceeds into investments unknown to the owner. Witkoff declined to comment. World Liberty did not respond to requests for comment about potential ethical issues and Tron’s investment in the company. Even with a trust, World Liberty sets up potential conflicts of interest, the ethics specialists told Reuters. Witkoff’s Middle East policy recommendations could be affected by what he sees as best for World Liberty as opposed to the United States, they said. Even if Witkoff sets up a trust and isn’t involved in World Liberty’s day-to-day operations, potential conflicts exist so long as he maintains a financial stake in the company, said Richard Painter, ethics counsel to former president George W. Bush and a University of Minnesota professor. “Whether you’re involved in the management of the company or not, that’s not relevant at all. What’s relevant is if you own a financial interest that could be directly impacted by your government work,” said Painter. Trump also faces potential conflicts from World Liberty, the experts said. Trump is listed as “chief crypto advocate” on World Liberty’s website and is entitled to a cut of its revenues, according to the company’s terms and conditions. World Liberty sells a proprietary token that cannot be traded, those terms and conditions say, unlike Bitcoin and other crypto tokens. Trump and other unnamed “affiliates” are entitled to 75% of some World Liberty revenues, according to the terms, raising the possibility of people buying World Liberty coins to try to gain favor with him. “Is this an alternative way of ingratiating yourself with Trump?” Clark said of World Liberty. Trump’s business dealings drew close scrutiny in his first term. While he was in office, at least 20 governments, including Saudi Arabia and China, collectively spent more than $7.8 million at his hotels and other properties, according to a report published by congressional Democrats in January. Trump did not face legal consequences for that spending. The Trump transition team did not respond to a request for information on what steps he would take to address any conflicts from World Liberty. World Liberty’s connection with Trump features heavily on the company’s website. A picture of Trump, ear bandaged after the July assassination attempt on him, greets visitors on the home page. The first people listed as members of the World Liberty team are Trump and his three sons, Don Jr., Eric and Barron, who are described as “Web3 ambassadors.” Trump himself, along with relatives and associates, unveiled the business during a live event on X in September. Don Jr. and Barron did not respond to requests for comment. Through World Liberty, Trump and his family could also benefit from possible regulatory changes that his administration makes involving crypto, the experts said. During the campaign, Trump vowed to name a new SEC chair to replace Gary Gensler, who took on the crypto industry with various lawsuits. Last week, he tapped crypto-friendly Washington lawyer Paul Atkins for the role. Witkoff’s sons, Alex and Zach, are also listed as co-founders of World Liberty. They did not respond to requests for comment. Eric Trump told Reuters he is “very involved” in World Liberty. If foreign governments or sovereign wealth funds were to invest in World Liberty, that could place Witkoff and Trump in violation of the U.S. Constitution’s “emoluments” clause, designed to thwart corruption and improper influence on government, said Larry Noble, a professor at American University and former general counsel of the Federal Election Commission. The clause bars federal officials from accepting gifts or other advantages from foreign governments without congressional approval. Diplomats said they were surprised when Witkoff, a New York real-estate investor, was named special Middle East envoy on Nov. 12 given his lack of foreign policy experience. He will assume the job at a time of heightened regional tensions, including the Gaza conflict, turmoil in Syria and the risk of a direct confrontation between Israel and Iran. Witkoff donated $250,000 to the pro-Trump super PAC spending group MAGA Inc in December 2023. He is worth at least $1 billion, according to Forbes. Already, the lines between Witkoff’s business venture and his diplomatic role are blurring. Witkoff spoke on Monday at the Abu Dhabi crypto conference. The program listed him as Trump’s special envoy to the region and also mentioned the crypto business in his biography. “A forward-thinking entrepreneur, Steve is now focused on the intersection of real estate, Bitcoin, and crypto,” the conference website read. Those attending paid as much as $9,999 to access special sessions, which were closed to the media. Tron’s Sun was also listed as a speaker. Witkoff did not respond to questions about the conference. SPECIAL ENVOY, FEW RULES Witkoff’s new role of special envoy is not defined by law and may not require confirmation by the U.S. Senate. The incoming administration could define him as a “special government employee,” a designation meant for temporary roles, said Scott Greytak, director of advocacy at Transparency International’s Washington office. In that case, “unlike regular government employees, he can continue receiving outside income without limits,” he said. “However, he must file a financial disclosure form and cannot take any official actions that would financially benefit himself.” Witkoff should also sign an agreement with the State Department that he will not talk with foreign government officials about crypto while on official business, said Meredith McGehee, an independent ethicist and former policy director of nonprofit watchdog the Campaign Legal Center. “That should be a wall. You can’t say: ‘By the way, what’s your government going to do on crypto?’” McGehee said. Special envoys under Biden, former President Barack Obama and Trump’s own first administration were typically not from the business sector, Reuters found in a review of the emissaries. None had founded a major company linked to a presidential candidate weeks before the election. Some had extensive investments in the private sector, however. Multimillionaire John Kerry divested assets identified by government ethics officers as potentially conflicting with his role as Biden’s special climate envoy, according to a 2021 certificate of divestiture from the U.S. Office of Government Ethics. Trump has appointed a close business associate before. In 2016, he tapped the Trump Organization’s chief legal officer, Jason Greenblatt, as Special Representative for International Negotiations, a key role in Israeli-Palestinian talks. Greenblatt told Reuters he left Trump’s company before taking up his White House role. He did not recall whether he sold his investments before working as a special envoy, but said he would have followed applicable rules.Karl Malone picked as Child Protective Services director? No, claim is satire | Fact checkswerte99 com

As investigators delve deeper into Jacob's past and unravel the web of deception he had woven, the true extent of his criminal activities is yet to be fully uncovered. The incident serves as a sobering reminder of the dangers of misplaced trust and the importance of exercising caution when extending a helping hand to strangers.In recent news, it has been reported that a massive amount of new loans, exceeding a trillion yuan, have been released to support the financing needs of small and micro enterprises. This significant development is part of a larger effort to strengthen the financial support for businesses at the grassroots level, particularly in the wake of economic challenges brought about by the global pandemic.

Vehicles drive near damaged buildings in Beirut's southern suburbs, after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect [Source: Reuters] With the bodies of its fighters still strewn on the battlefield, Hezbollah must bury its dead and provide succour to its supporters who bore the brunt of Israel’s offensive, as the first steps on a long and costly road to recovery, four senior officials said. Hezbollah believes the number of its fighters killed during 14 months of hostilities could reach several thousand, with the vast majority killed since Israel went on the offensive in September, three sources familiar with its operations say, citing previously unreported internal estimates. One source said the Iran-backed group may have lost up to 4,000 people – well over 10 times the number killed in its month-long 2006 war with Israel. So far, Lebanese authorities have said some 3,800 people were killed in the current hostilities, without distinguishing fighters from civilians. Hezbollah emerges shaken from top to bottom, its leadership still reeling from the killing of its former leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and its supporters made homeless en masse by the carpet bombing of Beirut’s southern suburbs and the destruction of entire villages in the south. With a ceasefire taking hold on Wednesday, Hezbollah’s agenda includes working to re-establish its organisational structure fully, probing security breaches that helped Israel land so many painful blows, and a full review of the last year including its mistakes in underestimating Israel’s technological capabilities, three other sources familiar with the group’s thinking said. For this story Reuters spoke to a dozen people who together provided details of some of the challenges facing Hezbollah as it seeks to pick itself up after the war. Most asked not to be named to speak about sensitive matters. Hassan Fadallah, a senior Hezbollah politician, told Reuters the priority will be “the people.” Israel’s campaign has focused largely on Hezbollah’s Shi’ite Muslim heartlands, where its supporters were badly hit. They include people still nursing casualties from Israel’s attack on its mobile communications devices in September. The Israeli offensive displaced more than 1 million people, the bulk of them from areas where Hezbollah has sway. A senior Lebanese official familiar with Hezbollah thinking said the group’s focus would be squarely on securing their return and rebuilding their homes: “Hezbollah is like a wounded man. Does a wounded man get up and fight? A wounded man needs to tend to his wounds.” The official expected Hezbollah to carry out a wide-ranging policy review after the war, dealing with all major issues: Israel, its weapons, and the internal politics of Lebanon, where its weapons have long been a point of conflict. Iran, which established Hezbollah in 1982, has promised to help with reconstruction. The costs are immense: The World Bank estimates $2.8 billion in damage to housing alone in Lebanon, with 99,000 homes partially or fully destroyed. The senior Lebanese official said Tehran has a variety of ways to get funds to Hezbollah, without giving details. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a close Hezbollah ally, is urging wealthy Lebanese Shi’ites in the diaspora to send funds to help the displaced, two Lebanese officials said.

Senior members of Canada's cabinet held talks Friday with US President-elect Donald Trump's nominees to lead the departments of commerce and the interior, as Ottawa works to hold off the threat of punishing tariffs. Canada's newly-appointed Finance Minister Dominic Leblanc and Foreign Minister Melanie Joly met with Howard Lutnick, Trump's commerce secretary nominee, who will also lead the country's tariff and trade agenda. Interior secretary nominee Doug Burgum was also at the meeting held at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Leblanc's spokesman Jean-Sebastien Comeau, who confirmed the participants, described the talks as "positive and productive." Trump has vowed to impose crippling 25-percent tariffs on all Canadian imports when he takes office next month. He has said they will remain in place until Canada addresses the flow of undocumented migrants and the drug fentanyl into the United States. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has promised retaliatory measures should Trump follow through on his pledge, raising fears of a trade war. Leblanc and Joly "outlined the measures in Canada's Border Plan and reiterated the shared commitment to strengthen border security as well as combat the harm caused by fentanyl to save Canadian and American lives," Comeau said in a statement. Canada's Border Plan -- estimated to cost CAN$1 billion ($694 million) -- was crafted as part of Ottawa's response to Trump's concerns. Lutnick and Burgum "agreed to relay information to President Trump," the statement said. Trudeau is facing his worst political crisis since sweeping into office in 2015. Leblanc was named finance minister earlier this month after the surprise resignation of Chrystia Freeland. In a scathing resignation letter, Freeland accused Trudeau of prioritizing handouts to voters instead of preparing Canada's finances for a possible trade war. More than 75 percent of Canadian exports go to the United States and nearly two million Canadian jobs depend on trade. bs/ahaPhoto provided by Adobe Stock One of the main goals of a business is to bring in more customers each year. Still, even when you’re gaining new clients, you could be simultaneously losing existing ones. Clients end their contracts or look elsewhere for a variety of reasons, some of which are completely out of your control. When you lose a client, you need to remember to keep your head up high and try to learn from it. Keep reading to learn about how to bounce back after losing a client in your fourth quarter and what you can do to maintain a professional outlook. Quarter 4 is when most companies take the time to look at the work they accomplished over the year and use it to inform the next quarter’s decisions. Many CEOs will begin preparing for budget cuts or start to reimagine their marketing strategies. “We still have a lot of time on the clock. Q4 is an opportunity to make the most of that time — to make the big play that can define this year and create momentum for the year ahead,” explains Michael McFall , Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Biggby Coffee. By Q4, businesses have an idea of what the immediate future is going to look like. The data gathered from Q4 will help you make changes as you enter a new year. You need to understand where your business saw success and failure to move forward in Q1. Especially in regard to losing clients, you want to get to the source of the problem to avoid future departures and fill any gaps. “Finding where you might have gone wrong in the past will keep the road ahead clear. You need to gather information to inform your next decisions, and looking through each quarter to follow your financial and marketing trends helps to make sense of any trends,” says Bob Craycraft, CEO of Cadence . Wrapping up your year by looking back at your business performance is an effective way to map out the year ahead. It helps remind you of your previous year’s goals and helps to identify your top priorities heading into the next quarter. Losing clients is a natural part of running a business, but the goal is to minimize your losses and instead come up with new ways to bring in new customers. Involving your entire team will help you identify the reasons a client left your business, giving you fresh perspectives on how to prevent future losses. The following are 10 different ways to bounce back and be prepared for the future. 1. Plan for Loss Don’t let your business rely on one or two major clients to stay afloat. Every year, you must assume you are going to lose some of your clients, as a customer could decide to look elsewhere at any time. Preparing for unexpected losses is going to be a necessary part of your Q1 strategy. “Good CEOs ensure that their companies have an effective risk operating model, governance structure, and risk culture,” writes Carolyn Dewar , Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company. If you are prepared for loss, it shouldn’t come as a huge shock — and it shouldn’t completely up-root your business plans. When you have a plan in place, you won’t need to scramble to bounce back after the loss of a client. 2. Have a Conversation With the Client Whether you are a small business or run a large corporation, you need to know why you’ve lost your client. Doing an exit interview of sorts helps you understand their reasoning, allowing you to make any needed changes. “Sometimes, a client leaving has nothing to do with you. This is just as important to know as it may stop you from making rash decisions and changes to your business plan. Speaking with your client is going to clear things up and give you an idea of where you need to implement improvements,” explains Titania Jordan, CMO of Bark Technologies, a company known for their safer smart watch for kids , the Bark Watch. If a client informs you of their departure ahead of the end of their contract, you’ll likely have the opportunity to speak to them. It’s an effective way to help them leave on a positive note and to gather important data. It’s important to not take things too personally and to use any feedback as a way to improve your business. 3. Don’t Burn Bridges You don’t want to end a customer relationship in a negative way. Word gets around with clients who felt they weren’t treated well at the end of a working relationship, so there are many reasons to be considerate. “Sometimes you have to take a hit with your head high. You may have lost a client but you don’t want to completely burn the bridge. You never know how your connection to that client could lead you into new opportunities,” shares Kim Wileman, Founder and CEO of No Makeup Makeup . Often, ending a business relationship is not meant to be personal. It’s not in your control who stays and who goes, but you don’t ever want to end a relationship negatively. 4. Debrief the Team Every business experiences client loss. Letting your team know about the situation will make bouncing back a lot easier. When everyone is on the same page, you can begin to find solutions entering into Q1. “The Q4 is all about debriefing. From marketing plans to changes in clientele, you should be sharing these changes with your team. The faster everyone is made aware, the easier it is to come up with a plan on how to prevent these losses in the future,” explains Shaunak Amin, CEO and Co-Founder of ByStadium . Try to develop a clear plan that tackles the reasons for your client’s departure. Choose goals for the next quarter that are tangible action items team members can actively work towards. 5. Reconsider Marketing Tactics Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack Instead of trying to regain clients you’ve lost, focus your energy on improving your marketing tactics to bring new clients into your business. “While client retention is important, finding new leads helps ease the pain of occasional losses. You should spend as much time revamping your marketing campaigns to entice new clients as you spend working to keep existing ones,” says Justin Soleimani, Co-Founder of Tumble, a company that specializes in washable rugs . Improving your outreach through social media, hosting events for your clients, or even starting a newsletter for returning clients helps bring traffic to your site. Your Q4 wrap-up should have a brainstorming session to come up with new marketing ideas. 6. Reallocate Your Budget Even losing just one customer can make you rethink how and where you spend your business’s money. You may want to rearrange your efforts to focus on marketing, customer relationships, and branding. Q4 is an effective time to start thinking about these financial changes so you can begin to implement them in Q1. “When your goal is to retain customers and to bring new ones in, where you spend your money will be constantly changing. Plus, if you’re able to follow the trends, you can easily adapt and stay within your budget while also being effective at meeting your goals,” suggests Cody Candee, Founder and CEO of Bounce . Each quarter you should be going over your budget and making necessary changes, but the end of the year is great to reestablish what is important. 7. Send Out a Satisfaction Survey Photo provided by Adobe Stock Coming up with ways to keep your customers happy before they consider looking elsewhere for business is key. Asking them directly how they feel about your services, what they’d like to see done differently and what they specifically like will guide your first-quarter decisions. “Each quarter, anyone who has been a client should receive an email that links out to a survey about the business. It covers everything that you could think to be important,” says Madeline Edwards, Head of Content at Dose, a company known for their liver health supplements . “This is the most direct way to understand what you need to do better and minimizes your losses at the end of the year.” Keep up with this kind of data to track your progress throughout the year. If you lose clients at the end of Q4, you’ll have months of data to help identify where things went wrong. 8. Evaluate Fit Issues Sometimes, it has nothing to do with your business. While you might take a client's loss personally, you and the client might just not fit together anymore. “You can’t force a relationship that isn’t going to work. If the relationship no longer serves its function, why force it? Some relationships just end, and that’s okay,” explains George Fraguio, Vice President of Bridge Lending at Vaster . Parts of your company may have evolved and the client no longer has use for it. Additionally, a client may have altered their own needs and no longer need help from an outside source. The best step to take is maintaining a good relationship afterward. 9. Assess Your Competition Staying up to date with the competition is always going to be important for small businesses. Knowing how your competitors are doing informs you on what moves to make for your own business. “When a new business opens up that rivals your services, you are going to want to start taking notes on them. Knowing their strategies makes it easier to understand why they might be taking some of your clients or at least causing heads to turn,” shares Brianna Bitton, Co-Founder of O Positiv, a company known for their MENO menopause supplements . Use the time in Q4 to take these notes and then find ways to implement them into your strategy in the new year. You’re going to want to compete with other businesses to show clients you’re still the right choice. 10. Keep the Door Open Don’t let a lost client completely sever a connection. Businesses often build relationships with their clients over time, which can make losing them feel even harder. “If a client is changing their path, make sure they leave knowing they have the ability to come back and work with you in the future,” explains Anthony Tivnan, President and Co-Founder of Magellan Jets, a company known for their jet card flights. You never know when a client will need you again, so you don’t want to end on a negative note. Maintaining positive energy through a loss shows your character, and clients will take notice. Losing clients is never easy, but you can turn every loss into a learning experience. Utilize your company’s data to understand where your weaknesses are and work towards strengthening them as you head into Q1. Make sure to treat all clients — current and past — with respect. You never know when your good karma will come back to you!

In conclusion, the investigation into the false advertising issue of the dental medical institution in Dalian has brought to light the harmful effects of misleading marketing practices and the critical role of law enforcement in upholding truth, transparency, and integrity in healthcare advertising. By exposing and addressing such misconduct, we can protect consumers, promote trust in healthcare services, and uphold the standards of professionalism and ethics in the medical profession.

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On Dec. 4, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in United States v. Skrmetti , which will determine whether the government may overrule the decisions of families, in consultation with their doctors, to provide safe, effective and medically necessary treatment to transgender adolescents. Although the case involves families with transgender kids, every parent in America has a profound stake in its outcome. At issue is who gets to decide the appropriate course of care for children: their parents who know and love them, consulting closely with health professionals — or politicians for whom our children might be mere political pawns.Furthermore, the impact of "failed cooling" on consumer behavior extends beyond immediate consumption patterns. It can also influence awareness and attitudes towards climate change and sustainability. As extreme weather events become more frequent and unpredictable, individuals may become more aware of the need to adopt eco-friendly practices and support businesses that are committed to environmental responsibility.

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