Senior White House adviser Jared Kushner arrives for a press conference by US president Donald Trump on February 16, 2017. Nicholas Kamm / AFP
Senior White House adviser Jared Kushner arrives for a press conference by US president Donald Trump on February 16, 2017. Nicholas Kamm / AFP

Investigators turn spotlight on Trump’s son-in-law



NEW YORK // The FBI investigators looking into connections between Donald Trump’s campaign and Russian officials are now turning their attention to a series of meetings held by Jared Kusher, the president’s son-in-law.

NBC News and The Washington Post reported that Mr Kushner, a senior White House adviser who is married to Mr Trump's daughter Ivanka, was a focus of the investigation but is not suspected of committing any crimes.

Mr Kushner held meetings with Russia’s ambassador to Washington, Sergey Kislyak, and a banker from Moscow after Mr Trump’s election victory last year.

A statement released by his lawyers said he would cooperate with federal investigators.

“Mr Kushner previously volunteered to share with congress what he knows about these meetings. He will do the same if he is contacted in connection with any other inquiry,” the statement said.

Russia’s efforts to influence the outcome of the US presidential election and their fallout continue to dominate American politics.

US intelligence agencies believe Moscow used hackers as part of an effort to swing the outcome in favour of Mr Trump.

Investigators – including the FBI and congressional committees – have launched inquiries to establish whether the Republican businessman’s campaign was complicit.

Although no evidence has been found so far, the president and his staff have struggled to explain a string of meetings with Russian officials.

Critics accused the White House of launching a cover-up, while Mr Trump has dismissed the investigations as “the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history”.

The latest revelations show the investigations have reached the highest levels of the White House and one of Mr Trump’s most trusted aides.

The Washington Post reported that investigators were looking in particular at a meeting between Mr Kushner and Sergey Gorkov, the head of Vnesheconombank. The bank is owned by the Russian government and has been subject to US sanctions imposed in response to the annexation of Crimea.

Mr Trump’s soft line on Russia during the campaign prompted speculation that he was preparing to ease sanctions.

Further muddying the picture is the fact that Mr Kushner omitted to mention his meetings with Mr Kislyak and Mr Gorkov from White House security clearance forms, according to The New York Times, although his lawyers said that was an oversight and would be corrected. Administration officials said the meetings were routine.

Mr Kushner has said he did not discuss sanctions with Mr Gorkov.

FBI agents are also investigating Michael Flynn, who served as national security adviser for 24 days before being fired over undisclosed meetings with Mr Kislyak, and Paul Manafort, former Trump campaign chairman.

foreign.desk@thenational.ae

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What are NFTs?

Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.

You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”

However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.

This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”

This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.

How to keep control of your emotions

If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.

Greed

Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.

Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.

Fear

The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.

Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.

Hope

While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.

Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.

Frustration

Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.

Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.

Boredom

Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.

Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.

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