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Trump calls for “immediate ceasefire” in Ukraine after Zelenskyy meeting
President-elect Donald Trump called on Sunday for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, saying after meeting with world leaders in Paris that Ukraine and its president “would like to make a deal and stop the madness.”
“There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin,” Trump wrote in a post on social media, calling the war between Russia and Ukraine one that “should never have started, and could go on forever.”
Trump was in Paris on Saturday to attend the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral and met with world leaders including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron. The meeting marked Trump’s first in-person conversation with the Ukrainian president since he won the presidential election in November.
Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu via Getty Images
The president-elect has repeatedly pledged that he would end the war between Russia and Ukraine immediately upon returning to the White House while claiming that Russian President Vladimir Putin would never have invaded the country if he were president.
Trump, who has provided few details about how he would bring a negotiated end to the war, said in the post on Sunday that “I know Vladimir well,” adding that it’s “his time to act.”
Zelenskyy said Sunday that he had a “good meeting” with Trump, outlining that he told the president-elect that Ukraine needs “a just and enduring peace” that “Russians will not be able to destroy in a few years, as they have done repeatedly in the past.”
The Ukrainian president said in a post on social media that the war “cannot simply end with a piece of paper and a few signatures,” urging that a ceasefire “without guarantees can be reignited at any moment.” Zelenskyy argued that Putin “can only be stopped by strength — the strength of world leaders who can become leaders of peace. “
“We count on America and the entire world to help stop Putin,” Zelenskyy said. “The only things he fears are America and global unity.”
The U.S. on Saturday announced a new $988 million military assistance package for Ukraine. The package features drones, ammunition for precision HIMARS rocket launchers, and equipment and spare parts for artillery systems, tanks and armored vehicles, the Pentagon said in a statement.
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Woman arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle meth, disguised as Christmas presents, in carry-on bag
A Canadian woman was arrested after trying to smuggle over 20 pounds of methamphetamine through a New Zealand airport, authorities said. The illicit drugs were disguised as Christmas presents, New Zealand’s customs agency said earlier this week on social media.
The Canadian woman, who has not been publicly identified, arrived in Auckland on a flight from Vancouver, Canada, on Sunday, Dec. 8. Customs officers questioned the woman after she disembarked, the customs agency said. Agents then searched her carry-on duffel bag and found the drugs, covered in festive wrapping paper.
The drugs would have been worth up to NZ$3.8 million, or $2.2 million USD, the customs agency said in a news release.
New Zealand Customs Service
The woman was arrested and is facing charges of drug importation and possession, officials said. New Zealand public broadcaster RNZ reported that the woman appeared in Manukau District Court on Tuesday and was remanded into custody.
Auckland Airport Manager Paul Williams said that international organized crime groups often try to exploit the busy travel season to smuggle illicit goods into the country.
“But a busy airport does not mean Customs is not focused on or paying attention to anyone who may pose a drug risk,” Williams said in the news release. Williams said that every passenger who arrives in New Zealand is risk-assessed even before they arrive in the country.
Williams said in the news release that he and his colleagues “know that drugs sent from North America are an increasing risks” and are prepared to find and seize such shipments, even if they are “smaller targets.”
New Zealand Customs Service
A Los Angeles man traveling to New Zealand was arrested in late November after security officials at Los Angeles International Airport found methamphetamine-covered clothes in his luggage. Overall, about a kilogram, or 2.2 pounds, of meth was extracted from the clothes.
That same week, the international navel operation “Orion” resulted in the seizure of more than 1,400 tons of drugs, including cocaine and marijuana, along a Pacific trafficking route from South America to Australia.
U.S. authorities busted an alleged international drug trafficking ring that was smuggling methamphetamine into foreign countries, including Australia and New Zealand, in February. Those drugs were allegedly smuggled in a number of vessels, including books and baby dolls.
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Several years of high inflation are still straining the budgets of millions of Americans. Despite recent cooling, essential living costs like food, gas and housing remain elevated. Many pinched consumers are turning to their credit cards to make ends meet.
Consequently, many are becoming more reliant on credit cards, with an average credit balance of around $8,000. With credit card interest rates averaging 23.37% and exceeding 30% on some retail cards, the cost of carrying a balance can create an untenable situation for many.
Credit card repayment strategies, debt consolidation and balance transfer cards offer practical ways to manage your debt. Non-profit credit counseling agencies can also be invaluable tools to help you regain control of your finances.
Debt settlement programs may make sense for those on the verge of bankruptcy as they help reduce the overall amount of debt you owe to creditors. While many reputable debt settlement companies can provide debt relief, it’s essential to identify the red flags to avoid the untrustworthy ones. Below, we’ll detail four to know.
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4 red flags to avoid when trying to settle your credit card debt
Having high-rate credit card debt can be stressful. Don’t add to it by missing these four debt relief red flags:
Servicers charge upfront fees
Perhaps the most obvious sign a debt settlement company isn’t legitimate is they require you to pay a fee to settle your debts. Federal law prohibits debt settlement companies from collecting fees before settling a debt, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has filed lawsuits against companies that violate this practice.
Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor at the University of Tennessee at Martin, notes,”Typically, any entity charging an upfront fee does so in order to lock in what they can get from the customer as quickly as possible and out of an understanding they may not be able to resolve the debt issues of the customer. Don’t do it.”
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Servicers don’t provide a written agreement
If a company doesn’t provide a written agreement breaking down the services they’ll provide and what you can expect, they’re probably not legitimate. Reputable companies are transparent and typically have a process to help reduce your debts.
“Avoid companies that do not provide clear, written information about fees, timelines or risks associated with their services,” says Melissa A. Caro, a certified financial planner and financial literacy advocate. “Anyone who is vague or tries to apply pressure should be considered suspect. Legitimate services will provide all the necessary information upfront.”
Servicers make lofty guarantees
The CFPB recommends avoiding any company that makes grand promises and guarantees, such as:
- Eliminating all of your debt
- Making debt collectors go away
- Reducing all of your debt for a fraction of what you owe
The reality is that debt settlement isn’t a one-size-fits-all process. While a company can make every effort to negotiate with your creditors, they can’t guarantee how a creditor or debt collector will respond. Any company that guarantees results is likely misleading you. By contrast, legitimate debt settlement firms will be upfront about the risks involved and won’t make promises they can’t keep.
Servicers contact you unsolicited
Be wary of debt settlement companies that contact you unsolicited, especially through robocalls. There’s a high probability companies relying on these aggressive tactics aren’t legitimate. Too commonly, these scams prioritize high-pressure sales over a genuine focus to improve your financial well-being.
“One of the best tools a scammer has is fear,” says certified financial planner Chris Cybulski at Chisholm Trail Financial Group. “If you’re in debt and getting calls from creditors, you may not be in a great space mentally. When someone calls they can use fear to get you to act quickly or irrationally. Urgency is also a tool used by scammers. When you have to act now or this deal will fall apart, ask yourself if what they are promising is real.”
The bottom line
Dealing with crippling credit card debt can be stressful and it’s easy to fall for offers that sound too good to be true. Scammers know this and try to take advantage of unsuspecting debtors by making big promises they can’t keep and charging high fees for negligible — if any — results. Learning to spot the warning signs can help you avoid being scammed and find honest companies that actively work to help you get your debt under control.
