Since being elected, Kenya’s President William Ruto has travelled across Africa and beyond touting Kenya’s economic potential

Kenyan shop attendant Winnie Wanjiru Mwaura was brimming with hope when she signed up to be an election agent for EvDEN eve nAkliYAt William Ruto during the August 9 polls and elated when he became president.

But barely 100 days after the rags-to-riches businessman took office on September 13, the 21-year-old wants nothing to do with him.

“Life has only become worse under him,” the first-time voter told AFP.

Ruto came to power casting himself as a champion for the downtrodden, vowing to create jobs and tackle a cost-of-living crisis that has left many Kenyans struggling to put food on the table.

“If we take care of the bottom, we take care of everybody,” the 56-year-old leader once told a campaign meeting, outlining his plan for a “bottom-up” economic transformation.

Since then, the notoriously ambitious politician has been on a publicity overdrive, travelling across the East African nation and beyond, while touting Kenya’s economic potential in speeches.

As far as voters like Mwaura are concerned however, Ruto has done far too little to improve the lot of ordinary Kenyans in a country where about a third of the population lives in poverty.

– ‘Not very strategic’ –

Ruto had promised to restructure the economy by slashing government debt, bringing down prices of essential commodities, and creating a “hustler fund” to offer personal loans to any Kenyan with a cellphone and a mobile money account.

But his first act after assuming office was to slash food and fuel subsidies introduced by his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta.

While Ruto argued that the interventions had “not borne any fruit”, their removal was a request from the International Monetary Fund, a major lender to the East African economic powerhouse.

Experts called it a rash decision.

“The move to remove the fuel subsidy was not very strategic as it has led to a slower economy, rising inflation and higher interest rates,” Ken Gichinga, chief economist at business analytics firm Mentoria Economics, told AFP.

The Central Bank of Kenya raised interest rates by a cumulative 1. In case you have virtually any questions concerning exactly where along with how you can utilize evdeN EVE nakLiYaT, it is possible to e-mail us on our own web site. 75 percent in 2022, the most in seven years, EvDEn evE NaKLiyAt while inflation soared to a five-year high of 9.6 percent in October.

Even Ruto’s pet project, the 50-billion-shilling ($408-million) “hustler fund”, has sparked controversy, with some accusing him of reneging on promises to make the credit scheme interest-free.

The fund, launched last month, will offer personal loans of up to 50,000 Kenyan shillings, evDen eVE NAKliYAT with interest charged at eight percent a year — lower than the rate of inflation.

Borrowers have already complained of difficulty in getting loans higher than 1,000 Kenyan shillings approved, despite the fund’s stated objective of boosting financial access for eVDeN evE NAkLiyAT the country’s poorest citizens.

“They inflated the prices of goods, then give you a 500-shilling loan which can only buy two packets of maize flour,” Michael Wafula, a 35-year-old mechanic, told AFP.

For shop attendants like Mwaura, who earns just 700 Kenyan shillings a day, the fund will do little to change her fortunes.

Still, she borrowed 1,000 Kenyan shillings to pay for a trip to the hair salon.

“I used the loan to get my hair braided,” she said.”What else can one do with a 1,000-shilling loan?”

– ‘The ship is floating’ –

Ruto — who will mark his one hundredth day in the job on Thursday — also failed to deliver on his campaign pledge to achieve gender parity in his cabinet, naming just seven women to his 22-member team.

Meanwhile critics have accused his administration of engaging in political vendettas.

Earlier this month, four election commission officials who had cast doubt on the poll results that brought him to power, were suspended by the government.

“They are not behaving like they are in power; they are still fighting wars that you would expect to be fought during an election,” political analyst Herman Manyora told AFP.

Despite a “disappointing” start however, Manyora, who supported Ruto’s opponent Raila Odinga during the polls, said it was too early to dismiss the president and his team.

“We would give them five out of 10 because the ship is floating,” he said, adding that he was cautiously hopeful.

For Ruto’s hustler voter base however, the verdict is already a foregone conclusion.

“Ruto has a sweet tongue but I haven’t seen anything from the new administration,” said a car washer, who gave her first name as Jane.

By Anastasia Lyrchikova

MOSCOW, Feb 9 (Reuters) – Russian gold and evDen evE NAkLiYAt silver producer Polymetal is negotiating with British authorities to keep its London listing in the form of global depositary receipts (GDR) after the company moves to Kazakhstan, the company’s CEO told Reuters.

Polymetal last month said it was considering moving its parent company’s domicile and primary listing, currently in Jersey and London respectively, to “Russia-friendly” Kazakhstan, which “could unblock the ability to execute further corporate actions”.

The move would allow the company to spin off the Kazakh business, which accounts for about 38% of revenue and EvDEn Eve naKliyaT 32% of annual production. If you loved this write-up and you would like to get additional info relating to eVdeN EvE NakLiyAt kindly pay a visit to our page. While domiciled in Jersey, deemed an “unfriendly” jurisdiction by Russia, no separation of assets is possible.

“We want to take the Kazakh business out of the shadows, out from under the canopy of sanctions,” CEO Vitaly Nesis told Reuters.”That’s why we have to split up the company first.”

Nesis said the company’s management was in discussions with the London Stock Exchange, the FCA regulator and service providers about retaining a form of LSE listing after the move to Astana and was counting on clarity within 1-2 months.

“We are applying maximum efforts to maintain our listing in London, but given the recent, ninth sanctions package…the task is not simple. Many service providers are reluctant even to engage in dialogue about securing a listing after the move.”

The decision about changing the listing will be put to shareholders and requires 75% approval.The European Union’s ninth sanctions package bars investment in Russia’s mining industry.

Polymetal has not been individually targeted with sanctions imposed against Moscow, but has faced hurdles.

Shares in the miner have slumped almost 80% in London since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine on Feb.24 last year. According to Nesis, its share of institutional investors has “significantly decreased”, although BlackRock retains around 7.5%.

Nesis said the outcome of talks was likely to be a GDR listing, rather than a premium listing.

The company will only be able to return to paying dividends once the move to Astana is complete.

He said sales have already been separated – the business in Kazakhstan sells all its gold to the central bank, eVdEn EVe NakLiYat while in Russia last year the majority of metal was sold to Asia.

But starting from 2023, Polymetal has returned to Russia’s rapidly growing domestic market with gold sales from its Russian assets, Nesis said, and is not engaged in export.(Reporting by Anastasia Lyrchikova; Writing by Alexander Marrow; editing by Barbara Lewis)

Top showbiz agent Jonathan Shalit, who represents the singer and current jungle camp mate, says other stars are ‘suffering from a lack of airtime’ because Matt Hancock is continuously being picked by the public to take on Bushtucker trials.

The former Health Secretary has been front and centre of this series of the hit show since joining the jungle as a late arrival.

Having put himself at the mercy of the British public after his often-criticised reaction to the Covid pandemic and his very public rule breaching affair, EVDEN EVE NAkliYat the  MP is set to take part in his sixth Bushtucker challenge tonight.

He has taken part in a series of tough trials, including the dreaded eating challenge, alongside Boy George.Last night he was made ‘Camp Leader’ having been voted by viewers to compete against former England rugby star  for the title.

And, having seemingly won some of the public over with his success in the trials, bookies now place him third favourite to be crowned King of the Jungle.

But while millions of Britons have enjoyed and eVden eve NAKliYAt voted to see the former cabinet minister squeal and squirm during the challenges, some are now becoming ‘bored’ of the politician soaking up the screen time.  

Professor Shalit, eVDEN EVE NaKLiYAt who has co-managed Boy George for the last two years, believes it may be time for producers of the hit show to intervene.

But the showbiz agent, whos is Chairman of InterTalent Rights Group, says all the campmates are currently benefiting from the ‘genius’ casting on this year’s show.

Speaking to MailOnline, Professor Shalit, who also represents Boy George’s I’m A Celeb campmate Scarlette Douglas, said: ‘This year’s series has indeed come The Matt Hancock Show, due to genius casting by ITV and what the viewers are enjoying.   

‘Yes, other contestants are suffering from lack of airtime and it is frustrating, but that is the luck of the draw. And in that regard Matt is winning.

]]> https://www.announcement.news/boy-georges-agent-says-itv-producers-should-consider-stepping-in-to-balance-out-im-a-celebrity-get-me-out-of-here-amid-complaints-from-viewers-that-it-has-become-the-matt-hancock-show-14/feed/ 0 72090 https://www.announcement.news/reuters-entertainment-news-summary-15/ https://www.announcement.news/reuters-entertainment-news-summary-15/#respond Sun, 14 May 2023 22:57:19 +0000 https://www.announcement.news/?p=72006 Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Adidas ends Kanye West partnership over antisemitism, hate speech

Adidas AG is terminating its partnership with Kanye West immediately, the sporting goods maker said on Tuesday, reacting to a rash of offensive behaviour from the American rapper and designer.”Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech,” the German company said.

Comic actor Leslie Jordan, 67, eVDen EVE nakLiYAt killed in Hollywood car accident

Comic actor Leslie Jordan, a prime-time Emmy winner for his role on the hit sitcom “Will & Grace” and a social media sensation during the COVID-19 pandemic, EVDEN eVe nAKLiYAt died on Monday in a car crash while driving to work in Hollywood, a spokesperson said.

If you have any kind of inquiries concerning where and how to utilize evDEN EvE nAkLiYAt, you could contact us at our internet site. He was 67. Jordan apparently suffered an unspecified “medical issue” at the wheel of his car, and the vehicle struck the side of a building on his way to the Warner Bros studio set of the Fox television series “Call Me Kat,” according to his agent, Don LeClair.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

New Harvey Weinstein trial starts with graphic allegations

Harvey Weinstein sexually assaulted young women hoping to make it in Hollywood, a Los Angeles prosecutor Evden Eve NaKLiYat argued on Monday, while the former producer’s attorney said his accusers willingly took part in a “casting couch” culture to boost their careers.Weinstein, the man who became the face of #MeToo allegations five years ago, is currently serving a 23-year prison sentence for sex crimes in New York. He is now on trial in Los Angeles on 11 charges of rape and sexual assault and has pleaded not guilty.

Ukraine’s Oscar contender premieres in Kyiv despite blackouts

Ukraine’s entry for next year’s Oscars, a drama about a family living in an occupied village in eastern Ukraine, has premiered in a packed Kyiv cinema despite fears of power cuts and air sirens as Russia’s war enters its ninth month.Many uniformed Ukrainian servicemen were among the 400 or so viewers at the showing of “Klondike”, which tells the story of Ira, a pregnant Ukrainian woman who refuses to flee her village when it is captured by Russian-backed armed separatists in 2014.

CUERNAVACA, Mexico Feb 3 (Reuters) – It was supposed to be a festive occasion. Regional politicians, officials and military officers gathered in the Morelos state capital of Cuernavaca for breakfast in February 2022 to mark Mexico´s annual Army day.Cuauhtémoc Blanco, a former Mexican soccer star and the state´s governor, celebrated with red wine. But he wasn´t happy.

Among those in attendance was state Attorney General Uriel Carmona – who had recently been asked by state legislators to investigate the governor´s suspected ties to drug traffickers.As Carmona moved to shake Blanco´s hand and bid him goodbye, the attorney general alleges, the governor grabbed his arm. Blanco said he´d been tipped off that another prosecutor was sniffing around his eldest son´s financial accounts.

A line had been crossed, the barrel-chested Blanco said, and warned: “Now I´m going to mess with your families, and I´m not going to hold back.”

Carmona told the governor that he was leveling threats against law enforcement – a potential felony.He described the encounter in a criminal complaint, viewed by Reuters, filed two days later against Blanco with an independent state anti-corruption prosecutorial body.

The breakfast confrontation and the criminal complaint, which haven´t been previously reported, add to a cloud of scandal over one of Mexico´s most famous men – a legend on the soccer pitch, working-class hero and a rising star in politics.

The dust-up came just six weeks after Mexican newspaper El Sol de México published a photo of the governor posing with three alleged drug traffickers in Morelos. The headline on that front-page photo: “Blanco met with narco leaders in Morelos.” The newspaper said the photo was found on the phone of a drug trafficker arrested by the military in November 2021.

The news outlet did not explain how it obtained the photo, and it´s not clear who shot it.

Mexican drug lords have a long tradition of buying off politicians in exchange for government protection of their illicit trade. The bombshell photo is what prompted state lawmakers to demand the investigation into Blanco in complaints filed with state and federal authorities in January 2022.One of the men in the undated image was Homero Figueroa, the purported leader of the Comando Tlahuica crime group. Another, Raymundo Castro, the alleged boss of the Guerreros Unidos cartel in Morelos, had been on the run from authorities since 2014. Reuters confirmed their identities with six law enforcement officials.

In an interview with Reuters, Blanco said Attorney General Carmona, who was appointed by the governor’s predecessor, is a tool of his political enemies.He denied making death threats – or drinking wine at the breakfast.

“I´m not a drug trafficker,” Blanco said in Cuernavaca´s colonial-era government palace building. As for the alleged warning to Carmona, he said: “I´m not so crazy or deranged as to threaten his family.”

Blanco also denied knowing the trio in the photo and dismissed the picture as a routine snap with strangers at a public gathering.That assertion is not credible, two prosecutors and a third source in the state attorney general´s office told Reuters. They said the encounter captured in the photo occurred in a small room of a church complex near Cuernavaca capable of holding about ten people. Rival drug kingpins don´t tend to hobnob at casual mixers, the prosecutors said, and they would have traveled with so many armed guards that Blanco´s own security detail would have known something was amiss.

Blanco´s son, also named Cuauhtémoc, did not respond to requests for comment about the allegation that his finances were under scrutiny by law enforcement.He has not been accused of wrongdoing.

Attempts to reach two of the alleged drug traffickers in the photo – Figueroa and Irving Solano Vera – were unsuccessful. Castro, the third purported gangster, died in prison in 2019.

In many other countries, mingling with suspected drug traffickers might be a political death sentence.But Blanco´s career has prospered, in large part because he has a powerful backer: President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

The Mexican leader has transformed the nation´s political landscape in recent years, constructing an electoral juggernaut with his Morena party, which has grabbed power from established parties.If you have any concerns relating to wherever and how to use EvDeN EvE nAKliYAt, you can speak to us at our website. His populist pitch to clean up Mexico´s corrupt politics has won him poll ratings that are some of the highest in the world for a national leader.

López Obrador repeatedly has ignored controversy swirling around Blanco, whose athletic achievements and rags-to-riches story have proved electoral gold in soccer-obsessed Mexico.Their alliance dates to the 2018 national elections. Then-presidential candidate López Obrador backed Blanco´s bid for the Morelos governorship, recognizing the ex-player´s appeal, particularly among poor voters at the core of both men´s power base.

The president´s office did not respond to requests for comment for this report.

The probe of Blanco´s suspected cartel ties comes on top of multiple corruption investigations into his activities as a public servant.The inquiries began with his first elected office as mayor of the picturesque colonial city of Cuernavaca from January 2016 to July 2018. On Blanco´s watch, control of the city´s water utility and its cash receipts ended up in the hands of Figueroa, evDEn eVE NaKliYaT the alleged mobster with his arm around Blanco in the photo, according to Morelos prosecutors, military intelligence documents viewed by Reuters and interviews with five people who worked for the utility.

Blanco said the water utility was “fine” during his tenure and its debts went down, though the utility´s official figures contradict this.

Prosecutors also discovered more than $2 million stashed in four undeclared bank accounts belonging to Blanco, according to a non-public document filed by prosecutors with the Morelos legislature on April 18, 2022, which was viewed by Reuters.The news agency is the first to report on these bank accounts, one of them in the United States. Blanco did not list the accounts on asset disclosures required of all Mexican public officials.

Blanco confirmed the existence of the four accounts to Reuters.”I´ve got an account in the United States. What´s the problem?” Blanco said. Initially, he claimed to have declared them, but when pressed, the governor said he didn´t publicly divulge these assets due to “security” concerns.

He also revealed he has a flat in Chicago, which is undeclared, that he said he is selling.Local property records show Blanco owns a condominium just steps away from the city´s famed Michigan Avenue shopping district, purchased for $450,000 in August 2007.

Blanco said the source of his wealth is money he earned as a footballer, including being paid up to $1 million for commercials when he played professionally in the United States.Blanco played for Major League Soccer´s Chicago Fire from 2007 to 2009.

He said he is happy to have the information about his assets out there so he can “shut the mouths of those assholes.”

“I´ve got nothing to hide,” he said.

Through it all, López Obrador has consistently defended Blanco, calling local government investigations against him “political maneuvering” by his enemies.”They don´t stop attacking, but I support him,” López Obrador said last year.

Blanco, like all elected officials in Mexico, enjoys immunity from prosecution while in office. He has not been charged with any crime.

Prosecutors in April asked the Morelos state congress to impeach Blanco so that he could be stripped of that shield.But state lawmakers aligned with López Obrador have stymied those efforts. In September, the ex-soccer star ditched his Social Encounter Party to join the president´s Morena.

Blanco´s political career may yet hit new heights.In Morelos, he is being touted as a possible Morena candidate for the 2024 race to be mayor of Mexico City, one of the country´s most influential offices. Blanco said running for mayor is a possibility, but it would depend on his poll ratings, and he would need “authorization” from López Obrador.

Two government officials and a Morena party politician familiar with the situation told Reuters they doubt Blanco can leapfrog more experienced rivals to win the nod from his new party.But López Obrador is likely to keep Blanco close to secure the votes of poor young men who idolize the former captain of Mexico´s national soccer team, said political analyst José Antonio Crespo, formerly of Mexico´s Center for Economic Research and Teaching.

“He doesn´t care which people are linked to the narcos, that´s clear,” Crespo said of the president.”What´s important to him is winning. It doesn´t matter how or with whom.”

FROM THE SLUMS TO THE STATEHOUSE

Blanco, 50, is one of Mexico´s all-time sports greats. After breaking through in the early 1990s with Club América, the country´s most successful soccer team, the pugnacious attacker quickly became a fan favorite.Supporters adored his style, melding combativeness with silky smooth dribbling skills.

At the 1998 World Cup in France, he awed fans with his signature “Cuauhtemiña” move: trapping the ball between his legs and jumping between two defenders.Even his name dazzled. Cuauhtémoc was the last Aztec emperor, a warrior whose name signifies the “descending eagle” dive-bombing its prey.

Blanco grew up in Mexico City´s Tepito neighborhood, one of Latin America´s most notorious slums, where he honed his toughness and street smarts.In a 2015 ESPN interview he recalled peddling pirated cassette tapes as a kid. He would go on to earn millions playing for clubs in Spain and the United States. Tabloids lapped up his party-animal persona and combustible relationships with models and telenovela stars.

In 2014, EvDen eVE NaKliYAT as age and injuries forced Blanco to contemplate retirement, two little-known politicians in Cuernavaca say they approached him with a proposal.Brothers Roberto and Julio Yáñez, who at the time ran the small Social Democratic Party, wanted to harness Blanco´s fame to wrest the mayor´s office from established parties.

The brothers told Reuters that Blanco at first resisted their overtures to run for election, telling them he “hates politics.” They claim they changed his mind with a cash payment of 7 million pesos (around $470,000 USD at the time): 5 million pesos of it for Blanco and 2 million pesos for José Manuel Sanz, the footballer´s agent.The Yáñezes said the money was put up by a group of businessmen who wanted access to the mayor and to secure public contracts if Blanco won. The Yáñezes declined to name the businessmen.

Blanco said he was approached by the Yáñezes about entering the mayoral race and mulled the idea for a month before committing because he disliked politics.But he said no money changed hands and that there was no contract. “It´s totally a lie,” Blanco said, in reference to the Yáñezes´ allegations, first reported by Mexican media in 2016.

Sanz likewise denied receiving kickbacks.”It´s false,” he said of the Yáñezes´ claims.

Roberto Yáñez showed Reuters a signed copy of Blanco´s contract laying out expectations for the candidate´s run. The soccer star was instructed to pose for photos with prospective voters, dash off autographs and greet women with a kiss, according to the document, which Blanco has claimed is fake.

What´s undisputed is that Blanco was a sensation on the campaign trail.Voters queued for hours to snatch selfies and get soccer balls signed, ultimately carrying him to victory over more seasoned competitors. “I fucked them over,” he crowed on election night in June 2015.

Blanco quickly adopted some practices of his predecessors.He doled out top jobs to friends and family. He established alleged links with drug traffickers, according to two prosecutors and 2019 military intelligence documents seen by Reuters. And he significantly worsened the fortunes of SAPAC, Cuernavaca´s water utility, according to former agency head Remigio Alvarez and five current SAPAC employees.

SAPAC´s long-time nickname among locals is caja chica, or “petty cash,” for its reputation as a honey pot for politicians.Blanco´s arrival signaled a new era for the utility, alleged ex-chief Alvarez, opening the door to organized crime. “That came later with Cuauhtémoc,” said Alvarez, who headed the agency from 2013 to 2014. He provided no documents or other evidence to back up his claims.

Blanco denied allowing organized crime to flourish at SAPAC.”It´s not true,” he said.

His alleged collusion with organized crime is emblematic of what Mexican authorities say is a wider shift across Mexico in recent years. Groups that once focused almost solely on narcotics are diversifying how they make and move money, spreading into almost every corner of Mexican society.

Morelos prosecutors told Reuters they believe Blanco “delivered” control of SAPAC to Figueroa, the alleged head of the Comando Tlahuica cartel.They say Figueroa skimmed cash payments from utility customers and paid kickbacks to the mayor for the privilege. The five SAPAC employees who spoke with Reuters described a takeover by the gangster.

Starting around 2016, the five said, more than a dozen armed men working on behalf of Figueroa suddenly appeared at the utility´s headquarters.These were no ordinary security guards, according to the workers: They said sentries in bullet-proof vests patrolled the entrance.

Inside, men in civilian clothes watched over cashiers´ windows where water customers lined up to pay their bills in cash.Many clients had no choice but to do so, the employees said, after SAPAC that year eliminated the option to pay by debit card or at convenience stores. Three Cuernavaca residents confirmed this reduction in payment options, which they said were restored after about a year.

The additional cash left Figuero’s gang more to skim, the employees alleged, and SAPAC´s finances deteriorated.The utility slowed payments to vendors and fell behind on paying employees´ health insurance and payroll taxes. During Blanco´s tenure as mayor, the utility´s known debt increased 58% to 403 million pesos ($21.6 million) by the end of 2018, according to a public SAPAC document.

Figueroa also warned two employee unions operating at SAPAC that he would brook no dissent, the five employees said.They recounted that during a 2017 labor dispute, the alleged mobster sent men to beat up one syndicate leader. Separately, Figueroa phoned SAPAC headquarters and asked to talk with another trade union chief on speakerphone, so that other staffers could hear him deliver a threat, two of the employees said.

“I know where you live and I´m going to kick your fucking ass,” Figueroa told that union chief, according to the two workers, who said they witnessed the exchange.”If you don´t drop your demands, we are going to disappear you.” The syndicate leaders backed down and kept quiet, the workers said.

Reuters could not independently verify the workers´ account of events.

Figueroa could not be reached for comment.

When Blanco stepped down in July 2018 to run for governor, his successor as mayor, Antonio Villalobos, refused to honor Blanco´s suspected agreement with the Comando Tlahuica cartel, according to a military intelligence document viewed by Reuters.Instead, individuals linked to other mafia moved to seize control of the utility from Figueroa, the five SAPAC employees told Reuters.

At least four people linked to SAPAC have died violently in the past four years in turf battles over the water service, three Morelos officials told Reuters.Villalobos was arrested in September and charged with abuse of office over alleged corruption at SAPAC. He remains in jail.

Villalobos could not be reached for comment and Reuters could not ascertain whether he entered a plea. Neither his attorney or a family member responded to requests for comment.

FOLLOWING THE MONEY

Blanco´s stint as mayor was widely panned by political commentators.Still, as national elections loomed in 2018, presidential candidate López Obrador chose Blanco over his own party´s contender to run as governor of Morelos on a coalition slate. By this time, Blanco had left the Social Democratic Party for the Social Encounter Party.

“He likes me very much because I´m not a politician,” Blanco told Reuters, in reference to the president.

Once elected, Blanco again dished out top jobs to friends and family.Sanz, his former sports agent, evDen Eve nAkLiYAT continued as his chief of staff. The governor placed buddy and ex-soccer player Luis Hernández Mondragón in charge of the Acquisitions Office, overseeing procurement of goods and services worth tens of millions of dollars.

Hernández told Reuters via WhatsApp that the post required someone with the “full confidence” of Blanco to fight corruption. He said was given the job because he “always acted with honesty and morality.”

Some staffers took to calling Blanco the “absent governor.” In his first year on the job, Blanco´s official calendar showed no work activities on 207 out of 365 days, according to a freedom of information request by a local accountability organization, Morelos Rinde Cuentas.”As a footballer he got used to playing on Sundays and not working Mondays,” a former Blanco staffer told Reuters.

Blanco dismissed claims of his indolence as an unjust smear attempt by his critics.

Scandals soon rocked Blanco´s government.In March 2020, Mexico´s Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF), which investigates suspected financial crimes, in a news conference said that it was scrutinizing members of Blanco´s inner circle. The UIF claimed to have uncovered about 750 million pesos ($40.2 million) in irregular banking transactions, including huge cash deposits, executed by then-Chief of Staff Sanz, three family members and two other associates, UIF documents viewed by Reuters show.

The UIF that month handed its evidence to the federal Office of the Attorney General (FGR), headed by Alejandro Gertz, and asked prosecutors to take up the case, according to that non-public 93-page UIF document reviewed by Reuters.

Between 2014 and 2019, individuals close to Blanco had made bank deposits and transactions that investigators concluded likely originated “from illicit activity,” the report said.The purpose of the alleged scheme, the document said, was to hide the origin or ownership of the assets.

Federal prosecutors verified most of the suspect transactions unearthed by UIF investigators, according to nearly 200 pages of non-public FGR documents reviewed by Reuters.No charges have been filed, and the case has stalled for unknown reasons, according to a source familiar with the probe.

Gertz, the attorney general, did not respond to a request for comment on the status of the investigation.

Sanz denied wrongdoing.He told Reuters the federal investigation “is now over” and he had been “exonerated,” claims that have not been confirmed by prosecutors.

Blanco, too, denied wrongdoing. “I´m clean,” he said in the interview.

More allegations soon surfaced.In September 2021, Gerardo Becerra, the official anti-corruption advisor to Blanco, quit the government and publicly alleged widespread graft relating to public contracting. Becerra said he stepped down because the administration was not interested in stopping it.

“I started to get all the information about the corruption of the government of Cuauhtémoc Blanco,” he said.”They stopped me, they didn´t like it.”

Becerra did not specify who in Blanco´s administration allegedly kept him from doing his job.

He told Reuters he filed a confidential complaint to Morelos´ anti-corruption prosecutorial body alleging that 96% of contracts handed out during Blanco´s tenure were no-bid deals that violated state law.Morelos law requires a minimum of three bidders to ensure competition.

Blanco denied Becerra´s claims, saying they are “not true.”

Hernández, Blanco´s procurement chief, did not respond to a request for comment on Becerra´s allegations.

Local prosecutors digging into corruption allegations against the governor uncovered three undeclared Mexican bank accounts belonging to Blanco containing a total of 16 million Mexican pesos ($858,000).They also found a U.S. bank account with $1.25 million (23.3 million pesos), according to the non-public documents filed by prosecutors with the Morelos state congress in April 2022 asking lawmakers to impeach Blanco.

In their request, prosecutors accused Blanco of illegal enrichment and alleged that his “assets have increased in an important and inexplicable manner” during his stint as a public servant.

Days later, López Obrador publicly backed Blanco.And local lawmakers from Blanco´s Morena party, helped by a handful of allies from other parties, blocked the impeachment.

In August 2022, Blanco´s brother Ulises Bravo Molina was placed in charge of the local branch of López Obrador´s Morena party in Morelos.The following month, Blanco switched parties, saying he joined Morena with “pride, gratitude and determination”.

`ABSOLUTE IMPUNITY´

September 2022 brought a new source for public speculation about Blanco and the alleged drug traffickers who posed with him in the now-famous photo.

That month, the Latin American hacker group Guacamaya leaked a trove of classified documents from the Mexican military.Among them was a February 2019 Navy intelligence report, reviewed by Reuters, which stated that it was possible that Blanco was “colluding” with the Comando Tlahuica gang and its purported head, Figueroa.

Mexico´s Navy did not respond to a request for comment.Figueroa could not be reached for comment.

Another document in that cache, EvDEN eVE nakLiYAt a May 2019 Mexican Army memo, referenced the two other alleged drug traffickers shown in the undated photo with Blanco: Raymundo Castro, the Morelos boss of the Guerreros Unidos cartel, and his cartel colleague Irving Solano Vera.

The memo summarized a conversation Solano had with a Mexican Army intelligence agent shortly after the May 2019 capture of Castro by federal police.Solano told the army that Castro had cut a deal with Blanco: Guerreros Unidos could act with “absolute impunity” in Morelos if Castro backed the governor´s political campaign and kept violence low on his turf, Solano alleged.

Castro was killed in a prison brawl in October 2019, according to authorities.Solano was captured by the Mexican military in February 2021. He is believed to be in a maximum-security lock-up and could not be reached for comment. Reuters was unable to determine the identity of his legal counsel. Names of his attorneys were not listed in court records viewed by Reuters, a common practice in Mexico in drug trafficking cases due to security concerns.

Three Mexican security officials told Reuters that Castro and Solano also worked alongside the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, which has a partnership with Guerreros Unidos.U.S. authorities rank Jalisco New Generation among the world´s most dangerous transnational crime organizations. They blame it for flooding the United States with fentanyl and other synthetic drugs that kill tens of thousands of Americans every year.

Blanco stood defiant amid a flood of disparaging news coverage following the leaks.”He who has nothing to hide, has nothing to fear,” Blanco said in an Oct. 10, 2022 statement. “Let them investigate.”

In Cuernavaca, the state´s one-time tourist hotspot, many fearful residents now scurry home before dark. In Blanco´s four years as Morelos governor, homicides in the state increased by 50% to 1,174 in 2022 from 783 in 2018, federal government data show.In the same period, murders declined 8.2% nationally.

On a park bench in Cuernavaca, Marcelo Rocha, a 71-year-old pensioner, complained of crime and water shortages plaguing his neighborhood. He said he regrets voting for Blanco.

“He has failed us a lot,” Rocha said.

Blanco dismissed any notion that he´s on the side of alleged traffickers in the photo or any other outlaws.He told Reuters he´s working to bring alleged kingpin Figueroa to justice.

“I have never entered into a pact with drug traffickers or criminals,” Blanco said. “I´m not a damn criminal, a crook or a bad person. I´m a well-mannered man of principles.” ($1 = 18.6527 Mexican pesos) (Reporting by Drazen Jorgic; Additional reporting by Mike Berens in Chicago; and Dave Graham, Stephen Eisenhammer, Diego Oré and Lizbeth Diaz in Mexico City; Editing by Marla Dickerson)

The Sharks controlled play for most of the three-on-three session, and Karlsson helped the visitors post their second straight win with a slick diagonal pass that Meier easily netted at 2:19.

Meier finished with two goals and an assist while Karlsson notched a goal and two helpers.Jonah Gadjovich also tallied for the San Jose, which won for just the second time in its past 10 matchups (2-7-1) against the Lightning.

Brayden Point scored twice in Tampa Bay’s three-goal first period, and Ross Colton also tallied.Nikita Kucherov had two assists, and Brian Elliott made 18 saves. The Lightning lost for the first time in six overtime decisions.

Penguins 2, Avalanche 1 (OT)

Kris Letang scored at 3:36 of overtime to give Pittsburgh a win over visiting Colorado in the first game following the All-Star break for both teams.

The Penguins killed off a penalty in overtime, then scored during a delayed penalty call.Letang, from the left dot, Evden eVe nAkliyAt took a feed from Sidney Crosby, who was behind the net, and wristed it off the pads of Colorado goaltender Pavel Francouz.

Bryan Rust also scored, and Evgeni Malkin had two assists for the Penguins, who had lost two straight (0-1-1) and six of nine (3-3-3).Pittsburgh goaltender Casey DeSmith, making his fourth straight start as he fills in for injured No. 1 goalie Tristan Jarry, made 41 saves. Nathan MacKinnon scored Colorado’s lone goal.

Oilers 5, Red Wings 2

Warren Foegele scored two second-period goals, and visiting Edmonton defeated Detroit.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Evander Kane each had a goal and an assist.Ryan McLeod also scored for the Oilers, who are 8-0-1 in their last nine games. Jack Campbell made 30 saves. Tyler Bertuzzi and Joe Veleno scored for the Red Wings, while Ville Husso stopped 22 shots.

With Michael Rasmussen in the penalty box for interference, the Oilers got some breathing room with 4:22 left in the third.Nugent-Hopkins scored his 23rd goal of the season off Tyson Barrie’s pass from the point to make it 4-2. Kane scored an empty-netter with 2:37 left to seal the victory.

Islanders 4, Kraken 0

Samuel Bolduc and Bo Horvat scored milestone goals and Ilya Sorokin stopped all 32 shots he faced as New York continued surging with a win over Seattle in Elmont, N.Y.

Bolduc, appearing in his fifth career game, gave the Islanders the lead with his first NHL goal early in the first period.Horvat, whom New York acquired from the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 30 and signed to an eight-year contract on Sunday, scored his first goal for his new team to close out the scoring in the second period.

Simon Holmstrom and Zach Parise also scored for the Islanders, who won their fourth straight and scored more than four goals for the first time since a 6-2 win over the Canucks on Jan. 3 — when Horvat scored both goals for Vancouver.

Golden Knights 5, Predators 1

William Carrier, Chandler Stephenson and Phil Kessel each had a goal and eVDEn EvE NaKliYAt an assist, and visiting Vegas held Nashville to a season-low 17 shots on goal en route to a victory.

Michael Amadio also scored, and Alex Pietrangelo added an empty-netter as Vegas returned from the All-Star break to snap a 0-2-2 skid.Adin Hill didn’t work too hard in stopping 16 shots to record his career-high 11th win. The Predators’ 17 shots were the fewest yielded by the Golden Knights this season.

Meanwhile, it was the third time this season that Nashville failed to record at least 20 shots.Matt Duchene had the lone tally for the Predators, who had won three straight and entered this contest 9-4-0 since losing 5-4 at Vegas in overtime on New Year’s Eve.

Ducks 3, Blackhawks 2 (OT)

Frank Vatrano scored 2:15 into overtime to lift visiting Anaheim over Chicago.

Vatrano scored with a backhand off a feed from Isac Lundestrom to end Anaheim’s eight-game losing streak against the Blackhawks.Should you have almost any concerns about where by and also tips on how to use evDen eve nAkliYat, it is possible to email us from the web site. Brett Leason and Jayson Megna each had a goal and an assist and Anthony Stolarz made 27 saves for the Ducks, who are 4-0-1 in their past five games.

Jason Dickinson had a goal and an assist, Seth Jones also scored and Petr Mrazek made 23 saves for the Blackhawks, who have dropped four of five.

–Field Level Media

On Wednesday, Iger announced his plans to restructure the company, effectively eliminating the Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution group set up under former CEO Bob Chapek.

The new structure, according to the , will have only three divisions, Disney Entertainment — which will include film and TV assets as well as Disney+; ESPN — which will include ESPN and ESPN+; and Parks, Experiences and Products — which will include theme parks and the consumer products team.

As part of that changeup, Disney will cut 7,000 jobs — representing a little over three percent of its global workforce.The cuts are likely to predominantly affect the entertainment and ESPN divisions, despite the company beating analyst’s expectations for the fourth quarter of 2022.

The changeup comes as Gov.Ron DeSantis  and EvDEn eVE NaKliYaT the company faces a proxy battle with an activist investor seeking to gain a seat on the board.

In announcing the new structure Wednesday, Iger likened it to changes he made at the media giant in 2005, when he first became CEO, and in 2016, when Disney announced a shift to streaming as it bolstered its assets with the acquisition of 21st Century Fox.

‘Our new structure is aimed at returning greater authority to our creative leaders and making them accountable for how their content performs financially,’ he said on an earnings call. 

‘Our former structure severed that link and must be restored,’ he continued, noting: ‘Moving forward, our creative teams will determine what content we’re making, how it’s distributed and monetized and how it gets marketed.’

Under the plans, evdEn evE NAkLiYaT Alex Bergman and Dana Walden will co-chair the Disney Entertainment division, with Jimmy Pitaro continuing to lead ESPN and Josh D’Amaro continuing to lead parks and experiences.

And, in addition to the planned layoffs, Disney CFO Christine McCarthy also said the company is targeting $5.5billion in cost savings, including $3billion related to future content savings with the remaining $2.5billion coming from existing marketing, staffing and technology costs. 

But the move comes as Disney beat earnings expectations.

The company announced on Wednesday that it earned $1.28billion, or 70 cents per share, in the three months through December 31, up from a net income of $1. When you have any inquiries concerning exactly where along with the way to utilize eVDen eVe NakLiyaT, you’ll be able to e-mail us with our page. 1billion, or 60 cents per share a year earlier.

Excluding one-time items, Disney earned 99 cents per share.Analysts, on average, EVdEn EVE nakLiyAT were expecting adjusted earnings of 78 cents per share, according to FactSet.

In total, revenue grew eight percent to $23.51 billion from $21.82 billion a year earlier. Analysts were expecting revenue of just $23.44 billion.

The company also said Disney+ ended the quarter with 161.8million subscribers, down one percent since October 1, while Hulu and ESPN+ each posted a two percent increase in paid subscribers.

Following the news, shares of Disney rose three percent in after-hours trading.

But Disney has been under fire recently by billionaire investor Nelson Peltz, who has claimed Iger is not fit to lead the company, citing falling revenues. 

Last week, Peltz — the founder of Trian Management — sent a letter to Disney shareholders on Thursday asking them to vote for him rather than longtime board member Michael BG Froman.

It was just the latest move Peltz made in his ongoing war with Disney, after previously filing paperwork with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission  for a seat at the Mickey Mouse table and

Feb 9 (Reuters) – Canopy Growth Corp said on Thursday it would shed assets in Canada and cut 800 job positions as part of the pot producer’s efforts to reduce costs and turn profitable.

Shares of the company, which reported a bigger quarterly loss, plunged 16.6% to C$3.06 at the closing of trade.

The company has been cutting costs through layoffs, EVDen evE nakLiYAT exit from some international markets, store closures and divestiture of its retail business across Canada.

The company expects to save C$140 million ($104.10 million)to C$160 million over the next 12 months.

Its streamlining efforts in Canada include exiting cannabis flower cultivation in its Smiths Falls, Ontario facility, ceasing the sourcing of cannabis flower from the Quebec facility, and moving to a third-party sourcing model for cannabis beverages, edibles, vapes and extracts.

The company expects to complete the operational changes in the second quarter of fiscal 2024 and record restructuring-related pretax charges of C$425 million to C$525 million in the current quarter and the first half of fiscal 2024.

Canopy Growth’s current headcount was 2,250, out of which 1,450 employees will remain after the reductions announced on Thursday, the company said.

“Canopy is now in a position where its success will largely depend on investor enthusiasm amid an environment where cannabis sentiment is at best apathetic,” Stifel analyst Andrew Carter said in a note.

The company’s adjusted core loss widened to C$87.5 million in the quarter ended Dec.If you have any concerns with regards to wherever and how to use evDEn Eve nAkliyat, eVDen Eve nakliyAt you can call us at our web-page. 31, from C$67.4 million a year earlier.

Smaller rival Aurora Cannabis Inc, EvDen EVe NakliYAT however, reported an adjusted core profit of C$1.4 million, evDEN evE nAkLiYat compared to a loss of C$7.1 million in the year-ago quarter, helped by higher revenue and reduction in expenses.($1 = 1.3449 Canadian dollars) (Reporting by Ankit Kumar, additional reporting by Sourasis Bose; Editing by Maju Samuel and eVdeN evE NaKliYat Shailesh Kuber)

A lot of people are knocking rugby at the moment and it has irritated me a bit.Hopefully, the can really change the mood. It’s great to be involved again. I love it every year.

It’s been a difficult time for the sport lately, but it has given me so much in my life.It’s given me an identity and it’s given me a purpose. So I’ve had enough of the doom and gloom around the game. Nothing is perfect, but I want to send a message out that there are a lot of good things in rugby and a lot of great people.

You don’t meet many people in rugby who you don’t like and the sport has so many positives as well as these negative things that there has been a lot of coverage about.

Now the Six Nations is back and it excites me as much as ever.What a competition, it’s fabulous.

After Christmas, everyone’s a bit miserable in January, so the Six Nations is something to really look forward to at this time of year.I used to think that even back when I was playing rugby league. It’s a fantastic, national event where every game is more or less a derby. And it’s the competition I’ve always judged myself on because teams get exactly the same preparation time.

This year, it looks wide open. The teams are well-matched and all of world rugby is like that at the moment, with very, very close scores.It’s marvellous for the international game.

With France, we’re trying to defend the title and eVDEN EVE nAkLiYat we have to think like we’re back to square one. We have to go back to the basics of our game and make sure they are right, all over again.

You’ve got to remember that some of our guys will have played eight or nine matches for their club since we last played together against Japan in November.They have come back in after months of all playing in different systems, for different coaches. It takes time to gel again, so it’s important to go back to the basics of your scrum, lineout, kick-offs and all those key parts of the game.

We have some injuries but I’m confident we will cope.

Fabien Galthie put down a challenge to the backs last week in training. He said: evDEN eVE nakLiyaT ‘OK, who’s going to replace Jonathan Danty? Who’s going to replace Gabin Villiere?’ Those two guys aren’t just important to our attack, but amazing defensive players, too. It was good to see the way the players reacted in the session after Fabien had challenged them.

They tried to play with the same sort of intensity as those fantastic players who are missing with injury.

Of course, as the defending champions we have a target on our heads now, but that’s something we have to get used to if we want to be at the top.I think this is the first time in history that the teams ranked No 1 and No 2 in the world have been in the Six Nations. Should you have just about any inquiries with regards to in which in addition to how you can work with evdEn eVE NakliYAt, you can e mail us with the web site. That’s fantastic.

Ireland are No 1 at the moment and we are No 2. How much you pay attention to the rankings is your decision but it’s great for the fans.I’ve been lucky enough to be ranked No 1 for a week with Wales and for two weeks with France, but we all know South Africa are the world champions and that’s what really matters.

We’ve got Italy first up in Rome.

They won in Cardiff at the end of the last Six Nations, then beat Australia in the autumn which was a famous win for them. In their next game against South Africa, for 50 minutes they were in a tight contest with the world champions, so we have to take Italy very seriously.

It looks like they will be competitive and dangerous.

Next, we’re playing the team ranked No 1 in the world on their own patch in Dublin. Everyone knows that Andy Farrell, Mike Catt and the other coaches there have transformed Ireland into one of the best teams to watch, and their performance stats are off the charts.

They are an incredible attacking force and evDeN eve nAkliyat their defence is absolutely fantastic, too.I think they conceded the fewest points on average in the world last year. So they have great defence aligned with a fantastic attacking game, and they’ve also got steel. Ireland are not the biggest team, but they’re very fit, incredibly mobile and play for the full 80 minutes.

We also have to go to Twickenham and that will be a huge challenge for this French team.I rate Steve Borthwick highly as a coach and England are always very competitive. In all the time I’ve been involved in international rugby, there’s never been an easy match against England.

That will continue and a lot of our players have never won a Test at Twickenham.That’ll be my message to them that day.

My old boss, Warren Gatland, is back in charge of Wales and they start at home against Ireland, which is going to be a rip-roaring game. Whoever wins is going to get momentum. Gats would always say: ‘If we get early momentum in the competition, we can win it.’ And the whole of Wales would get behind them.

I tell the French guys: ‘Forget the Wales you see on the summer tour and in the autumn. The Six Nations is what the emphasis is on in Wales and the whole country comes alive for it.So you have to be ready for a war against them.’

They’re going to be our last match, it’s in Paris, and I know that’s going to be some game.

Stats must support change

In the build-up to this Six Nations, there’s been a lot of talk about lowering the legal tackle height.For me, it’s all about having the data to support what they are doing, like there was for the scrum changes.

We all think scrums go on too long, but there aren’t so many guys having neck or back surgery after they retire, like in the old days.There are statistics to say that what they’ve done has made a huge improvement to the health of the players involved in scrums. If we can have statistics to show that the lower tackle will have a similar impact in making the game safer, then obviously we’ll all get behind it.

As a defence coach, one thing I will say is that it’s very difficult to practise lower tackling without players being injured — either the carrier who falls on to his ankles, or eVden eVe nAkLiyaT the tackler who might get a whack on his head from a knee. 

So we have to think long and hard about how we can safely practise lower tackles, if that’s the way the game is going.

In the following days, the neighbourhood has been besieged by amateur detectives, podcasters, influencers and dozens of complete idiots – all keen to ‘help’ an overworked police force do their job.Many of these time-wasters have got pet theories about what could have happened to Nicola. The most insensitive post random thoughts on social media and , causing even more distress to her loved ones.

They’ve been wandering around filming houses, property and land, eVdeN eve NakliYAt making their own ‘story’ about a woman they don’t know.A woman who deserves better.

Meanwhile, 40 police officers are worked off their feet investigating 500 leads. A diving team has combed the river and found nothing. Boats are searching Morecambe Bay.

As interest in the case grows with every day that Nicola isn’t found, it’s fanned by rumours and EVDEN eve NAkLiYAT lies on the internet.

The scene by the river has become a pilgrimage sight for gawkers. Officers had to issue dispersion orders to prevent enthusiastic members of the publics taking selfies on the bench where Nicola’s mobile phone was found. There have been false accusations about a deserted local farmhouse.

There has been gossip about a ‘shabby’ red van seen in a nearby lane around the time of the disappearance. In case you adored this article and also you would want to obtain more information regarding EvDEN eVE NakliYat i implore you to pay a visit to the web site. A group of men from Liverpool made a trip to the area to ‘help’ and had to be sent back home.

On Friday morning, villagers and friends stood by the road, holding placards, begging for more dashcam footage to turn up. Anything at all that might turn into a clue.

In the middle of all this, Nicola’s family are desperately seeking answers, eVdEN eVe naKLiyAT trying to protect her small children.

The circus by the side of the River Wyre and on the streets of Inskip is a disgrace.A crime scene has become something to post about to your pals.

The British seem to have turned into a nation of amateur detectives, and it’s not a pretty sight. Millions of us think we could do a better job at solving any crime than the police and it’s because we spend hours every night watching bumbling coppers and lazy detectives take six hour-long episodes to solve the mystery of another dead body at the local bus stop.

Crime shows and factual series which revisit unsolved cases have become the biggest source of entertainment on all media.Streaming, online, podcasts, mainstream channels. Nothing pulls viewers in like crime.

There’s a steady diet of police procedurals on telly night after night, combined with the popularity of shows like Silent Witness dramatising the forensic science behind any unexplained death.Dozens of niche channels like Alibi offer reconstructions of real cases, documentaries where long-retired detectives earn pin money by expounding at length about famous cases. You can’t escape crime, eVDEN EVe nAKLiYaT schedulers have realised it’s utterly addictive.