Business
US, UK, And Canada Sanction Lebanon’s Former Central Bank Governor Over Corruption Allegations
According to the US Treasury Department, the BEIRUT, Lebanon — The United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada imposed sanctions on Lebanon’s beleaguered former central bank governor and a handful of close relatives and friends on Thursday.
Riad Salameh, 73, left office on July 31 amid an investigation and criticism of his country’s unprecedented economic disaster.
Salameh and his friends are being investigated in France, Germany, and Luxembourg for alleged financial crimes such as unlawful enrichment and the laundering of $330 million. Paris and Berlin obtained Interpol arrest warrants for Salameh in May, despite Lebanon not extraditing its people.
“Salameh abused his position of power, most likely in violation of Lebanese law, to enrich himself and his associates by funnelling hundreds of millions of dollars through layered shell companies to invest in European real estate,” according to a statement from the US Treasury Department.
According to the statement, the United States coordinated the penalties with the United Kingdom and Canada, and assets associated with Salameh will be frozen. Salameh’s son Nady, brother Raja, close associate Marianne Hoayek, and “former partner” Anna Kosakova were also sanctioned by the US. The identical list of people was sanctioned in the United Kingdom except for Nady Salameh, while Canada sanctioned only Salameh, his brother, and Howayek.
On numerous occasions, Salameh has refuted claims of corruption, embezzlement, and unlawful gain. He claims his fortune results from inherited assets, investments, and his prior job as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch.
The United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada imposed sanctions on Lebanon’s former central bank governor.
Salameh’s lawyer did not immediately respond to an Associated Press request for comment on the punishment.
According to US officials, Salameh reportedly concealed his identity through Panama shell companies and a trust in Luxembourg in a plan in which he purchased shares in a company for which his son Nady worked as an investment advisor. He subsequently sold those shares to a Lebanese bank authorized by the Central Bank, which the US Treasury described as a conflict of interest and presumably violating a Lebanese rule prohibiting central bank personnel from benefitting from private firms.
Raja has been accused of assisting his brother’s fraud using Forry Associates Ltd, a brokerage firm he owns that the US Treasury described as a shell corporation in the Virgin Islands.
Meanwhile, Howayek was accused of moving hundreds of millions of dollars to the Salamehs from her bank account, which was “far more” than her central bank salary could account for.
Nady Salameh was sanctioned as “the publicly registered officer” of Luxembourg-registered firms that purchased tens of millions of dollars in high-end real estate through subsidiary companies in Belgium and Germany.
The United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada imposed sanctions on Lebanon’s former central bank governor.
Kosakova, who lives in France, was accused of using Forry funds to buy expensive properties in Paris, including residences in high-end neighborhoods and an office building on the touristy Champs-Elysées avenue for the central bank’s “continuity of operations” center.
Salameh is being probed in Lebanon as well. Soon after receiving the Interpol warnings, the Lebanese judiciary confiscated his passport and imposed a travel ban.
Salameh has criticized the European investigation, claiming it is part of a media and political attempt to frame him.
Salameh once praised as Lebanon’s financial stability protector, has been among the authorities most accused of actions that contributed to the country’s economic catastrophe, which has devastated the value of the Lebanese pound against the US dollar by nearly 90% and generated triple-digit inflation.
Lebanon has yet to nominate a new central bank governor, but Wassim Mansouri, a vice governor, has been named acting governor. The crisis-stricken country has been without a president for nearly a year and is governed by a caretaker Cabinet with limited powers.
“The only way to put Lebanon on a path to much-needed economic recovery is for its leaders to stamp out corruption and implement real reforms.” Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, the UK’s minister of state for the Middle East, stated in a statement issued by the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office announcing the penalties.
SOURCE – (AP)
Business
1,000 GM Employees Get The Axe Amid Reorganization And Cost-Cutting.
(VOR News) – On Friday, General Motors (GM) terminated the employment of approximately one thousand individuals, according to an informant who is privy to the decision.
The anonymous source provided this information. The automobile manufacturer made this decision in an effort to restructure their objectives and save costs as a result of fluctuating market conditions. This decision was made in response to changing market conditions.
The layoffs were implemented throughout the complete organization on Friday morning, and the individuals who were to be affected by them were informed of them.
According to the individual who consented to discuss the decision on the condition that they remain anonymous, some of the decisions were made as a consequence of subpar performance.
Others emerged from GM’s study to realign priorities.
The individual expressed their willingness to discuss the decision provided that they maintain anonymity. The individual who submitted this information was the one who granted permission to speak about the decision.
The majority of those affected were residing in Warren, Michigan, which is located in the suburbs of Detroit and serves as the international technological center of automobile manufacturing companies, according to reports. This facility is situated in the United States of America.
The individual who is the subject of this inquiry provided this specific information. A limited number of hourly employees were terminated from their positions. These specific individuals were among the few who were terminated.
The company is in the process of reducing its fixed expenses by a total of $2 billion this year due to a decline in sales in the United States, a decline in commercial activity in China, and a shift in its “all-in” strategy for electric vehicles as a result of slower-than-expected customer uptake.
This is a response to the fact that the rate of consumer acceptance of electric vehicles has been slower than anticipated. Consequently, this is the conclusion that can be derived from the organization’s current ability to address these challenges.
A spokesperson for General Motors (GM) verified that layoffs were occurring; however, she declined to provide the specific number of employees. The redundancies were verified as occurring.
Kevin Kelly, the spokesperson for General Motors (GM), issued a statement that was sent to all employees via email. The following is a passage that was extracted from Kelly’s statement:
“In order to succeed in this competitive market, we must prioritize excellence and speed.” We must ensure that we have the appropriate team structure, that our operations are conducted efficiently, and that we focus on the most critical aspects of our organization.
This GM is due to their all-important nature.
In order to comply with the standards, we have determined that it is imperative to reduce the size of a few of our teams, given the ongoing work we are conducting.
We would like to express our appreciation to those who have made substantial contributions to the establishment of a solid foundation that has allowed General Motors (GM) to effectively dominate the industry in the future by leveraging this opportunity.
During the month of August, over one thousand paid employees employed in General Motors (GM)’ software and services sector were terminated following the redundancies that occurred on Friday. This was a direct consequence of the reductions that occurred on Friday. These employees were employed by the organization.
General Motors had a total of 76,000 salaried employees operating in a variety of locations worldwide on a global scale at the end of the previous year. Projections indicated that the United States of America had an estimated 53,000 paid laborers.
It was not feasible to promptly obtain a statement from the United Auto Workers union, which is the organization that represents hourly workers in the vehicle manufacturing industry.
This was due to the fact that the statement was not readily accessible. Another point of contention is that the union did not permit a request for comment. Conversely, the individuals in question were unable to provide a response.
SOURCE: CNBC
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Canadian Port Workers Back Trudeau Government Into a Corner
TSMC Locks In $6.6B As Biden Administration Drives CHIPS Act Distribution.
Business
TSMC Locks In $6.6B As Biden Administration Drives CHIPS Act Distribution.
(VOR News) – Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has been granted a government subsidy of $6.6 billion to construct semiconductors in Phoenix, Arizona, according to a statement released by the United States Department of Commerce on Friday.
This subsidy will be utilized to construct semiconductors. This is the initial incentive that has been distributed in accordance with the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, to the best of our knowledge.
Donald Trump, who would later become President of the United States of America, made a guest appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast.
TSMC appeared before the election.
Rogan was granted the presidency of the United States of America in subsequent years. Rogan thereafter pursued the presidency of the United States of America and ultimately succeeded in his endeavor.
He expressed his apprehensions about the CHIPS Act during the conversation, stating that it is a “bad deal” from his perspective. Furthermore, he expressed his reservations regarding the Act.
Throughout its duration, the legislation allocates a total of $52.7 billion to support the growth of the semiconductor industry in the United States. In order to promote the sector’s expansion, these measures are implemented.
The funding will be utilized by TSMC, the industry leader in chip manufacturing, to enhance its promotional efforts for its initiative. This would result in the improvement of its project and the construction of a third production facility, which is frequently referred to as a “fab,” by 2030.
It is expected that expenses will fluctuate between $25 billion and $65 billion throughout the project’s completion. It is anticipated that production of its processors will commence at its second location in 2028 as a result of the implementation of 2 nanometer technology.
It is envisaged that the production process will commence at this juncture. The company has stated that it expects its initial facility in Arizona to be fully operational by the beginning of the following year after its completion. The corporation’s statements serve as the basis for this projection.
Vice President Joe Biden of the United States of America stated in a press release that “the final agreement with TSMC reached today will generate $65 billion in private investment to construct three state-of-the-art facilities in Arizona and generate tens of thousands of jobs by the end of the decade.”
TSMC makes semiconductors and is a multinational company.
This statement was made in reference to the fact that the new agreement will be finalized today during the discussion.
This comment was made in light of the fact that the agreement was reached today, the day in issue, and in conjunction with the fact that the agreement was achieved today.
This investment is the largest foreign direct investment ever made in a greenfield project involving international investors, and the United States of America has a lengthy history of greenfield projects. Particularly, this investment was executed in the United States of America.
In a statement, Gina Raimondo, the Secretary of TSMC Commerce for the United States of America, described the financing as “a turning point for American innovation and manufacturing that will strengthen our economic and national security.” This statement was made during the discussion with respect to the funding. Each and every member of the audience had access to this statement.
An additional $36 billion has been requested to support projects in twenty various states, and a total of $6.72 billion has been granted, according to the current state of affairs. The sum of these two figures TSMC represents the total quantity of money that has been disbursed.
The distribution of additional billions of dollars for awards that are given out for research and innovation is another concept that is currently being considered.
Since the CHIPS Act was enacted, technology companies have stated that they have made private investments in the fabrication of semiconductors in the TSMC United States totaling over $450 billion. A number of initiatives were initiated immediately following the passage of the CHIPS Act.
SOURCE: IW
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Business
Canadian Port Workers Back Trudeau Government Into a Corner
Business groups are urging Justin Trudeau’s government to stop labor unrest at Canada’s main ports, as it did with railways in August, to avoid supply chain disruptions.
Hundreds of dock foremen in British Columbia ports have been on strike for a week. On Sunday, employers at Montreal’s port locked out 1,200 unionized workers after they rejected a contract offer that promised a 20% salary raise over six years.
Businesses report that the work disruptions are harming ports that handle approximately C$1.2 billion ($860 million) of products daily. They want Labor Minister Steven MacKinnon to refer the case to the Canada Industrial Relations Board, which can send the parties to arbitration to settle the disagreement.
He used that technique over two months ago to halt labor stoppages at Canada’s two main railways. However, the government’s use has sparked resentment among some unions.
The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference has filed a court challenge, claiming that the government’s actions in the railway conflict set a dangerous precedent by breaching workers’ constitutional rights.
Soon after, the pro-union New Democratic Party ripped up a legislative arrangement in which it committed to vote with Trudeau’s Liberals to advance critical legislation.
It’s unclear whether the government currently has enough support to enact a back-to-work law, which would be required to end the port issue.
According to Michel Murray, a Montreal Longshoremen’s Union representative, the port employers “act as bullies,” and refusing to talk indicates that “they clearly want the federal government to intervene.”
“Nearly C$6 billion worth of goods are expected to arrive at the port over the next two weeks,” Michel Leblanc, CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, said in a statement. “The urgency is real.”
Goldy Hyder, CEO of the Business Council of Canada, stated that the conflicts “continue to weaken Canada’s economy and tarnish its reputation as a reliable trading partner.”
“Canada’s ports will continue to lose market share if the country’s reputation for labor instability is not corrected soon,” Hyder wrote in a letter to MacKinnon and Transport Minister Anita Anand on November 9.
According to a group of port employers, the Montreal offer would have increased the average dockworker’s pay by more than C$200,000 annually.
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