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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.Neal Maupay: Whenever I’m having a bad day I check Everton score and smile
Neal Maupay: Whenever I’m having a bad day I check Everton score and smile
NoneSwinney and Brown at memorial service for ‘giant of a man’ Alex Salmond
With a focus on human rights, US policy toward Latin America under Jimmy Carter briefly tempered a long tradition of interventionism in a key sphere of American influence, analysts say. Carter, who died Sunday at the age of 100, defied the furor of US conservatives to negotiate the handover of the Panama Canal to Panamanian control, suspended aid to multiple authoritarian governments in the region, and even attempted to normalize relations with Cuba. Carter's resolve to chart a course toward democracy and diplomacy, however, was severely tested in Central America and Cuba, where he was forced to balance his human rights priorities with pressure from adversaries to combat the spread of communism amid the Cold War standoff with the Soviet Union. "Latin America was fundamental and his global policy was oriented toward human rights, democratic values and multilateral cooperation," political analyst Michael Shifter of the Inter-American Dialogue, a think tank in Washington, told AFP. During his 1977-1981 administration, which was sandwiched between the Republican presidencies of Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan, the Democrat sought to take a step back from US alignment with right-wing dictatorships in Latin America. An important symbol of Carter's approach was the signing of two treaties in 1977 to officially turn over the Panama Canal in 1999. "Jimmy Carter understood that if he did not return the canal to Panama, the relationship between the United States and Panama could lead to a new crisis in a country where Washington could not afford the luxury of instability," said Luis Guillermo Solis, a political scientist and former president of Costa Rica. Carter called the decision, which was wildly unpopular back home, "the most difficult political challenge I ever had," as he accepted Panama's highest honor in 2016. He also hailed the move as "a notable achievement of moving toward democracy and freedom." On Sunday, Panamanian President Jose Mulino praised Carter for helping his country achieve "full sovereignty." During his term, Carter opted not to support Nicaraguan strongman Anastasio Somoza, who was subsequently overthrown by the leftist Sandinista Front in 1979. But in El Salvador, the American president had to "make a very uncomfortable pact with the government," said Shifter. To prevent communists from taking power, Carter resumed US military assistance for a junta which then became more radical, engaging in civilian massacres and plunging El Salvador into a long civil war. Carter took a critical approach to South American dictatorships in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay, suspending arms deliveries and imposing sanctions in some cases. But his efforts "did not achieve any progress in terms of democratization," said Argentine political scientist Rosendo Fraga. The American president also tried to normalize relations with Cuba 15 years after the missile crisis. He relaxed sanctions that had been in force since 1962, supported secret talks and enabled limited diplomatic representation in both countries. "With him, for the first time, the possibility of dialogue rather than confrontation as a framework for political relations opened up," Jesus Arboleya, a former Cuban diplomat, told AFP. But in 1980, a mass exodus of 125,000 Cubans to the United States, with Fidel Castro's blessing, created an unexpected crisis. It "hurt Carter politically with the swarm of unexpected immigrants," said Jennifer McCoy, a professor of political science at Georgia State University. Castro continued to support Soviet-backed African governments and even deployed troops against Washington's wishes, finally putting an end to the normalization process. However, more than 20 years later, Carter made a historic visit to Havana as ex-president, at the time becoming the highest-profile American politician to set foot on Cuban soil since 1959. During the 2002 visit, "he made a bold call for the US to lift its embargo, but he also called on Castro to embrace democratic opening," said McCoy, who was part of the US delegation for the trip, during which Castro encouraged Carter to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Cuban All-Star baseball game. "Castro was sitting in the front row and we were afraid he would rise to give a long rebuttal to Carter's speech. But he didn't. He just said, 'Let's go to the ball game.'" Cubans "will remember with gratitude his efforts to improve relations," the island's current leader Miguel Diaz-Canel said on Sunday. In the years following Carter's presidency, Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) would go on to resume a full-frontal confrontation with Cuba. Decades later, Barack Obama (2009-2017) opened a new phase of measured normalization, which Donald Trump (2017-2021) brought to an end. US President Joe Biden promised to review US policy toward Cuba, but hardened his stance after Havana cracked down on anti-government protests in 2021. "Carter showed that engagement and diplomacy are more fruitful than isolation," McCoy said. bur-lp-rd-jb/lbc/mlr/bfm/sst/bbk/nro/acb
Mr Carter, a former peanut farmer, served one term in the White House between 1977 and 1981, taking over in the wake of the Watergate scandal and the end of the Vietnam War. After his defeat by Ronald Reagan, he spent his post-presidency years as a global humanitarian, winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. His death on Sunday was announced by his family and came more than a year after he decided to enter hospice care. He was the longest-lived US president. Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia. pic.twitter.com/aqYmcE9tXi — The Carter Center (@CarterCenter) December 29, 2024 His son, Chip Carter, said: “My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights and unselfish love. “My brothers, sister and I shared him with the rest of the world through these common beliefs. “The world is our family because of the way he brought people together, and we thank you for honouring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs.” Mr Carter is expected to receive a state funeral featuring public observances in Atlanta and Washington DC before being buried in his home town of Plains, Georgia. A moderate democrat born in Plains in October 1924, Mr Carter’s political career took him from the Georgia state senate to the state governorship and finally the White House, where he took office as the 39th president. His presidency saw economic disruption amid volatile oil prices, along with social tensions at home and challenges abroad including the Iranian revolution that sparked a 444-day hostage crisis at the US embassy in Tehran. But he also brokered the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel, which led to a peace treaty between the two countries in 1979. After his defeat in the 1980 presidential election, he worked for more than four decades leading the Carter Centre, which he and his late wife Rosalynn co-founded in 1982 to “wage peace, fight disease, and build hope”. Mrs Carter, who died last year aged 96, had played a more active role in her husband’s presidency than previous first ladies, with Mr Carter saying she had been “my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished”. Earlier this year, on his 100th birthday, Mr Carter received a private congratulatory message from the King, expressing admiration for his life of public service.Blues host the Flyers after Holloway's 2-goal game
Wild host the Predators after Spurgeon's 2-goal performanceFitch has predicted an unfortunate outcome for the naira by 2028, according to its BMI Research report It said the persistent depreciation of the naira will drive up the cost of importing medical devices and diminish consumer purchasing power Despite government incentives, local manufacturing of medical devices in Nigeria still faces significant obstacles Don't miss out! Join Legit.ng's Sports News channel on WhatsApp now! Legit.ng journalist Victor Enengedi has over a decade's experience covering Energy, MSMEs, Technology and the Stock Market. Fitch Solutions, a financial intelligence provider, has forecasted that the naira may fall to around N1,993 per dollar by 2028, posing significant challenges for Nigeria’s pharm*ceutical industry in importing medical devices. In a recent report, BMI Research, a subsidiary of Fitch Solutions, noted that despite the anticipated economic recovery, Nigeria’s medical devices market would likely continue to encounter operational and demand-related difficulties in the short term. Fitch projects that Nigeria’s medical device market will expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.8% from 2023 to 2028 in local currency terms and 9.6% in US dollar terms, reaching an estimated market value of NGN171.1 billion (USD344.7 million) by 2028. Read also NNPC shares pictures of petrol from pH refinery, says it is ‘top quality’, advises Nigerians PAY ATTENTION : Standing out in social media world? Easy! "Mastering Storytelling for Social Media" workshop by Legit.ng. Join Us Live! The report highlights that increasing healthcare spending focused on universal health coverage, alongside Nigeria's large population and the dual burden of chronic and infectious diseases, will sustain strong demand for medical devices, particularly diagnostics, consumables, and hospital equipment, in the short to medium term. Citing Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline as examples of companies that exited Nigeria due to naira devaluation, the report noted that the ongoing currency depreciation would drive up the cost of importing medical devices and diminish consumer purchasing power. Fitch’s subsidiary also indicated that, despite government incentives, significant obstacles still prevent local manufacturing of medical devices from gaining momentum in Nigeria. The report stated: “Continued weakness of the naira will increase medical device import costs and erode consumer purchasing power. Similar to other markets in sub-Sahara Africa, Nigeria heavily relies on medical device imports, with reliance of over 95%. We expect that the naira will end 2028 at NGN1993/USD from NGN306/USD in 2018." Read also Rewane advises CBN to stabilise Naira, tame money growth The report highlighted that as the naira depreciates, the cost of importing medical devices will keep rising, which will weaken both the healthcare system and patients' ability to afford essential medical technologies, particularly given the underfunding of the public health sector. However, on the export side, a weaker naira could boost the competitiveness of locally manufactured medical devices, supporting growth in the sector. Tinubu's attempt to manage the naira Years of economic mismanagement have left Nigeria facing a severe shortage of dollars. The country’s economy has long relied on oil exports while maintaining a high demand for imported goods, creating an unstable foundation. In an effort to address this issue, President Bola Tinubu relaxed long-standing foreign exchange controls shortly after assuming office in May 2023. As a result, the naira, previously maintained at an artificially strong rate against the dollar, has depreciated by around 70%. Tinubu aimed to attract foreign investment and enhance Nigeria’s appeal as an investment hub. Read also Report gives new naira prediction for 2024 as currency becomes worse-performing In the short term, however, this shift led to a spike in inflation , reaching a 28-year high, and intensified a cost-of-living crisis that sparked deadly protests in Africa’s most populous nation. Rewane advises CBN to stabilise naira In related news, Legit.ng reported that Bismarck Rewane has proffered solutions to the current state of the Nigerian economy The renowned economist called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to focus on stabilising the naira and controlling money supply growth to mitigate inflationary pressures. He also identified forex supply shortages, high energy costs, and poor policy coordination as key factors in economic instability. PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy! Source: Legit.ng
POET Technologies Inc. ( CVE:PTK – Get Free Report ) shares traded up 21.8% during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as C$10.53 and last traded at C$10.04. 372,762 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 161% from the average session volume of 142,724 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$8.24. Analyst Ratings Changes Separately, Northland Capmk raised POET Technologies to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, November 18th. Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on PTK POET Technologies Stock Up 21.4 % Insider Transactions at POET Technologies In other POET Technologies news, Senior Officer Vivek Rajgarhia sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$7.24, for a total value of C$36,219.00. Also, Director James Lee sold 25,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$6.95, for a total value of C$173,712.50. 0.82% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. POET Technologies Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) POET Technologies Inc designs, develops, manufactures, and sells discrete and integrated opto-electronic solutions in Canada, the United States, Singapore, and China. The company offers integration solutions based on the POET Optical Interposer, a novel platform that allows the seamless integration of electronic and photonic devices into a single multi-chip module using advanced wafer-level semiconductor manufacturing techniques. See Also Receive News & Ratings for POET Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for POET Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
President-elect Donald Trump said on Saturday that he wants real estate developer Charles Kushner, father of Mr Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, to serve as ambassador to France. Mr Trump made the announcement in a Truth Social post, calling Charles Kushner “a tremendous business leader, philanthropist, & dealmaker”. Mr 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 Mr 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 co-operating with federal authorities in an investigation, he hatched a scheme for revenge and intimidation. Mr 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. Mr 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 US attorney for New Jersey at the time and later governor and Republican presidential candidate, had sought. Mr Christie has blamed Jared Kushner for his firing from Mr Trump’s transition team in 2016, and has called Charles Kushner’s offences “one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes that I prosecuted when I was US attorney”. Mr Trump and the elder Mr Kushner knew each other from real estate circles and their children were married in 2009.