Latest news with #Menezes
Time of India
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
89 comunidades oppose govt bill on encroachments
Margao: The week-long 'Save Comunidades, Save Goa' campaign concluded on Friday with 89 comunidades pledging unified resistance against state govt's proposed legislation to regularise constructions on comunidade lands. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The campaign, which traversed a number of villages across the state, culminated in Panaji. 'The purpose of this campaign was to unite all the comunidades, and we were fairly successful in doing so,' said Seby Menezes, attorney of St Estevao Comunidade. Echoing the sentiments of all the stakeholders of comunidades, Menezes said, 'We strongly oppose the proposed legislation for the regularisation of illegal encroachments on Comunidade lands. Comunidades are independent bodies, and all independent bodies should take their own decisions. Govt cannot bulldoze its decision to regularise illegal encroachments on Comunidade lands without consulting the Comunidades. We urge govt to reconsider the bill. It should not be passed. There should be no such legislation.' Several participants of the campaign voiced concerns about the proposed legislation opening floodgates to further encroachments if passed. Some comunidades have decided to legally challenge any attempt by govt to regularise illegal constructions on comunidade land.
Telegraph
16-07-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Even the Guinness craze could not save the boss of Britain's booze empire
In a sign of the poorer performance, she earned just over £3m in her first year leading the company – roughly £7m lower than the £10.6m total remuneration paid to Menezes the prior year. The group's performance in the US, its most crucial market, flatlined as high inflation hammered households' spending on both sides of the Atlantic. Sales at the company declined by 1.4pc in the year to July 2024, with Diageo blaming a 2.5pc decline in North American sales on the 'cautious consumer environment'. 'In the immediate aftermath of the pandemic Americans turned to making cocktails at home, and they drank vast quantities of home cocktails,' says the City source. 'The whole thing wasn't sustainable. Diageo wasn't unique in that they benefited from it and then. But for the last year or two, it's continued to be weak.' Last year Terry Smith, the star fund manager, dumped his stake in Diageo, citing worries over the impact of weight loss drugs on the global alcohol market, given they have been shown to reduce consumption. Fewer people drinking alcohol has taken the shine off Diageo's stock in trade, say analysts. 'The company seemed oblivious to shifting consumer trends, with younger people showing less interest in drinking alcohol. At the same time, wealthier individuals cut back on luxury goods and that hurt Diageo's spirits sales,' says Dan Coatsworth, of AJ Bell. Feeling the pain Diageo has blamed its woes on declining consumer confidence and economic uncertainty in the global economy. In May, Ms Crew insisted that bosses 'continue to believe in the attractive long-term fundamentals of our industry and in our ability to outperform the market'. Diageo is not alone in feeling the pain amid shifting consumer tastes. 'Clearly she's had a very difficult set of circumstances, and Diageo hasn't done significantly worse than say, [Beefeater gin owner] Pernod Ricard, in terms of financial results,' says the City source. '[Diageo's performance] has set up a debate around [whether] this is pressure on consumers, whether it's low-income consumers or 21 year-olds who just don't have enough money to buy booze, or if it's more structural in that everybody's decided either don't want to drink booze, or they're taking skinny jabs and aren't able to drink booze.' Diageo has also had to contend with worries over how Donald Trump's presidency could hurt it. Diageo said earlier this year that Mr Trump's tariffs would cost it about £110m annually – despite Sir Keir Starmer signing a much-hyped trade deal with the US. This brought tariffs on British steel and aluminium down to zero but a 10pc levy on other goods including Diageo's drinks remains. Looking ahead Some investors have also been worried by the direction of the company under Ms Crew and are understood to have questioned whether key hires have the right level of experience to navigate the turmoil. 'The disquiet has been building,' said the city source says. 'We haven't seen an activist investor coming out, but I would be surprised if you met any investor who's saying this is the right track.' Not everyone is so downcast. 'We think there is a buying opportunity with shares currently undervalued,' says Verushka Shetty, analyst at Morningstar. 'Diageo's entire portfolio is the strongest in the industry, based on aggregate brand power.' Still, it all means there is little victory to be claimed in the success of Guinness for now. A search for a full time replacement is underway. In the meantime, chief financial officer Nik Jhangiani – who joined Diageo from Coca Cola last year – has been handed the reins as interim boss. He has unveiled plans to slash $500m (£372m) worth of costs from the company and sell off underperforming brands to help revitalise Diageo. Investment bank Jefferies called him a 'newish heavyweight CFO' in a note to investors this week, adding: 'We see him bringing fresh perspectives on cost discipline, cash and deleveraging, sharpening execution to drive greater consistency of delivery.' Shares rose by about 4pc on Wednesday as Ms Crew's departure was announced. But gains were quickly pared back – suggesting investors are wary of getting ahead of themselves. 'The cost cutting is great. It helps protect the profits. It helps protect the dividend. It helps reduce the leverage. It's the right thing to do,' says the city source. 'But at the end of the day, Diageo needs to return to growth. This is a business that used to be growing around 5pc per annum, and in the last 12 months, it's been flat, and it's probably going to be flat for at least the next six months.' Even with Guinness conquering the UK, it will be some time before the bosses in Diageo's plush London HQ have cause for a celebratory drink.
Hamilton Spectator
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Hamilton police board defer Charter oversight motion, draft policy to governance committee
A Hamilton police board motion that called for greater oversight of officer-involved Charter rights violations has been pushed to a later date. The motion brought forward by civilian member Anjali Menezes was initially left undiscussed when no other board member seconded it at a meeting on May 29. On Thursday, it was back on the agenda after Coun. Cameron Kroetsch — who returned from a 15-month conduct suspension — pledged to second it. Coun. Cameron Kroetsch But also on the agenda was a draft policy, developed by the board, that aimed to clearly identify Hamilton police's responsibilities related to the reporting of Charter rights breaches. 'Rather than spending a long time here trying to go between these two documents and suggest amendments on the floor, it would be more appropriate for the governance committee to bring back one item,' Kroetsch said at the tail-end of an unusually long meeting that spanned over four hours. Members voted unanimously to defer both the motion and draft policy to the board's governance committee. Once reviewed, the committee will consolidate the two documents into one agenda item for the board to consider. A meeting date for the committee wasn't set. At the crux of Menezes's motion was heightened tracking and reporting of Charter rights violations . More specifically, it asked police to provide the board with a list of cases where charges were dropped or evidence excluded due to Charter breaches, an account of how police became aware of those violations and what discipline or training followed. There have been multiple court proceedings in recent years centred on Hamilton officers violating the Charter of Rights and Freedoms while making arrests — including three since 2024. About a week after Menezes' motion went undiscussed, the board issued a news release touting its Charter oversight. In it, the board claimed Hamilton police 'already produce a comprehensive annual report' covering both substantiated and unsubstantiated Charter violations, communicate proactively about breaches and have increased overall training (including for Charter-related issues) more than 700 per cent since 2021. The release came up at Thursday's meeting as a consent item. Two people opposed it: Menezes and Kroetsch. Besides asking chair Don Robertson who wrote the release — he said it was board executive director Kirsten Stevenson — Menezes pointed to a 'disconnect' between the release and subsequent Charter draft policy recommendation. 'The release says the service already has a robust reporting policy and the recommendation report seems to (suggest) otherwise,' she said. Robertson clarified the release was intended to inform the public about how the service addresses and reports Charter violations. He said the ensuing draft policy wasn't a contradiction to that, but rather, 'we wanted to have a crystalized policy (over) something that is ongoing.' Among the key tenets in the draft policy was that the chief work with the Crown's office to identify Charter breaches that are 'believed to involve a police officer not acting in the good faith performance of their duties.' This point was contested in a delegation from Andrew Bell, a retired assistant Crown attorney with more than two decades experience in criminal litigation, including Charter violations. In his experience reviewing hundreds of Hamilton police investigations, he said he never found 'a single case of a Charter violation that I believed involved an officer not acting in the good faith of their duties.' Bell argued Charter breaches happen when police are trying to solve crimes or apprehend offenders. 'In other words, they happen when police act in the good faith performance of their duties,' he told the board, adding Charter violations arise not from an officer's good or bad faith, but 'because of negligence, mistakes, ignorance, stupidity, habit and police culture.' 'If you vote for this policy, you make the mistake of (assuming) that the only Charter violations that matter are violations made by officers not acting in the good faith performance of their duties,' Bell said. 'All Charter violations matter.' Mayor Andrea Horwath, who was present at board for the first time since injuring her wrist, asked Bell if removing that 'good faith' terminology would help improve the collection of Chater violation data. 'Yes,' he responded, 'because all Charter violations matter. Not those that to lead to discipline or not, and not those that are committed in good faith or not.' Horwath argued it's important the board is thoughtful of language in any potential Charter policy. She said if the goal of the policy is to gather Charter-related data to better inform training — and the removal of the 'good faith' terminology helps in that effort — 'then I would think that's something the board would be interested in.' That portion of the draft policy is one example of what the governance committee will look at. The board heard the committee will draft a document based on the draft recommendation and Menezes's motion before members vote on a single policy. No date has been set for that draft to return to the board for discussion. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
31-05-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Hamilton police board refuses to debate motion on Charter breach policy
It was more than a year ago when retired Crown attorney Andrew Bell, delegating before Hamilton's police board, panned the service after a court ruling found officers violated Charter rights when they unnecessarily broke down a door during a raid and failed to provide an accused their right to counsel. 'No criminal case should ever be lost or comprised due to a Charter breach by the Hamilton Police Service,' Bell told the board in February 2024, calling the tossed drug case and no-knock raid a 'monstrous failure.' Bell, who has decades of experience in Charter litigation and compliance, proposed the board implement a new policy that ensured Hamilton's police chief would notify the board whenever an officer committed a Charter breach. 'I want this board to take action. Be a pioneer.' On Thursday, that opportunity to act was placed squarely in front of the board, with citizen member Anjali Menezes moving a motion that proposed heightened monitoring and accountability of police-involved Charter violations. They opted against it. Motions at board meetings require a mover and a seconder before it can be discussed and voted on. Menezes, the author of the motion, understandably moved it. But when it came time for a seconder, no other board member raised their hand, leaving the motion to not be discussed — much less voted on. 'I am disappointed and upset, absolutely,' Menesez told The Spectator after the meeting. 'I very much suspected this outcome could be a possibility, but I am hopeful there may be a way to try again … I'm not going to give up.' Aside from Menezes, board members present at Thursday's meeting were chair Don Robertson, vice-chair Esther Pauls and provincial appointee Shaun Padulo. Mayor Andrea Horwath (injured) and Coun. Cameron Kroetsch (suspended) were absent. Menezes told the board her two-page motion was inspired by Bell's delegation last year, which led her 'on a year-long journey to learn about this topic' and how the board can help police safeguard the Charter rights of all Hamilton residents. The Spectator has reported on several court rulings in recent years which found Hamilton officers violated people's Charter rights while making arrests. That includes a scathing decision last March, when a man was acquitted on all charges after a judge found two officers racially profiled him during a traffic stop and illegally searched his car. Among the proposals in the motion were that: Its purpose wasn't to make the service look bad, Menezes stressed to board members. Instead, she described it as another part of the board's responsibilities to ensure adequate and effective policing in Hamilton. 'Just like how we get annual reports from the professional standards branch,' she said, adding Charter breaches aren't something that should be reported to the board as a courtesy, but rather a requirement. Earlier in Thursday's meeting, four people delegated before the board about the motion. All implored members to pass it. 'There has been no motion put before the board which is more important than the one before the board today,' Bell, who started working for the local Crown in 1979, said during an impassioned delegation. 'Charter compliance is an essential and indispensable part of providing adequate and effective policing. Passing this motion will show this board is serious about requiring the Hamilton Police Service to safeguard the Charter rights of everyone in this city.' Bell said the onus is on the board to impress upon the service the importance of reducing its number of Charter breaches to zero. He added Charter violations should be reflected in the chief's annual performance review. 'If the chief doesn't treat Charter compliance seriously — unless HPS members, from deputy chiefs to cadets, know that Charter breaches on his watch are not trivial slips but career-limiting failures — the essential cultural change that HPS must make will not occur.' In March, after a court found two local officers violated a person's Charter rights during a 2022 traffic stop, police said they had implemented enhanced training on Charter rights and unconscious bias. 'We are committed to a comprehensive approach that includes reviewing policies, practices and decision-making processes to ensure they uphold human rights. We recognize the impact of these decisions on our community and remain committed to ensuring fair and impartial policing in Hamilton.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Legendary Musician & Brazilian Culture Minister Margareth Menezes On Rebuilding The Country's Film Sector & Regulating Streamers: 'We Want What Is Fair'
EXCLUSIVE: In our times of diminishing box office receipts, there is, ironically, no greater demonstration of cinema's enduring power than in the actions of those who try to destroy it. Take Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil's former far-right president, who, on his first day in office after a long campaign focused on defence, crime, and financial deregulation, moved to disband the Ministry of Culture, folding the department into an authoritarian, so-called Ministry of Citizenship. What followed were sustained attacks on the country's cultural field, with a particular focus on cinema. Cash was pulled from national cinema organizations and censors were placed on publicly funded projects, crippling film culture in the nation. More from Deadline Cannes One To Watch: How German Filmmaker Mascha Schilinski's Debut 'Sound Of Falling' Is Rooted In Reality Brazilian Comeback: How The Cannes 2025 Country Of Honor Is Following The Success Of 'I'm Still Here' As Tom Cruise Brings 'Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning' To Cannes, All Five Franchise Directors Look Back At The Wild Ride 'We found a wasteland of investments,' Margareth Menezes tells us of the country's film industry at the time. Menezes — a legend of Brazil's music industry, often described as the queen of Brazilian Afropop — was appointed as the head of a reformed Culture Office established in 2022 following the election of left-wing maverick Inácio Lula da Silva. 'With the resumption of the Ministry, we had to restructure public policies to recognize the challenges faced by the national audiovisual sector,' Menezes adds. 'In 2023 and 2024, approximately R$4.8 billion in resources from the Audiovisual Sector Fund and incentive laws managed by the National Cinema Agency (ANCINE) were made available to the production sector.' In short, Brazil is firmly back in the film game, and Menezes is making the case here in Cannes, where two Brazilian titles — Kleber Mendonça Filho's The Secret Agent and Pedro Pinho's Laughter And The Knife– will play across the Official Competitions. Brazil is also the Country of Honor at the Cannes Marché. Below, Menezes speaks with us about the process of rebuilding Brazil's film industry, how she plans to sustain investment in local productions, the tricky business of regulating streamers, and what's next for Brazilian MENEZES: Brazilian audiovisual production is the strength of our cultural production and has profoundly impacted the international cinema environment. The strengthening of broadcasting networks in Brazil, where the award-winning Rede Globo was born, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary, has undeniably helped the market grow. The fact that we are now winning an award at the level of the Oscars for the first time serves to consecrate us, to draw more attention, and to pave the way for other films, producers, artists, and authors to be considered with a closer look by the circuit and by audiences outside Brazil. We have many interesting stories in Brazil. We have social and human experiences of all sizes and for all tastes here. We are a population of more than 212 million. We need to continue investing in the sector to make it viable for artists to produce their work in Brazil. I'll also add that we're thrilled with the film Secret Agent, directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho and starring Wagner Moura, which is the Brazilian representative in the race for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film It is important to remember that the Brazilian film agency ANCINE only survived attacks from the previous government thanks to the few employees who had the courage to fight back. When we arrived, we found a wasteland of investments, a true chaos that was not easy to fix. The announcement of a historic package of R$1.6 billion is earmarked for the production of Brazilian films and series to strengthen national audiovisual content in the domestic and global markets. It was a rescue operation for the sector, we could even call it an emergency. MENEZES: The audiovisual sector was sidelined by the previous government, as were other sectors and cultural policies. With the resumption of the Ministry, we had to restructure public policies to recognize the challenges faced by the sector. In 2023 and 2024, approximately R$4.8 billion in resources from the Audiovisual Sector Fund and incentive laws managed by the National Cinema Agency (ANCINE) were made available to the production sector. We also revived the Screen Quota Law, guaranteeing space for Brazilian productions in cinemas. We will soon launch the free platform Tela Brasil, which will hold a 100% national catalog. That's scheduled for later this year. The audiovisual sector is part of this government's new Brazilian industry plan, which will completely change the pattern and structure of investments for There are two bills that aim to regulate VoD services offered by streaming platforms. The Ministry of Culture is advocating a replacement text for both bills that includes key points for regulation, such as the protection of copyright and property rights of independent Brazilian productions; visibility and guaranteed market share for Brazilian productions; and the implementation of a VoD levy of at least 6% of the gross revenue of these companies, compatible with the rate applied in other exhibition windows and considering the size of the country in this market. In addition, the Ministry wants to establish a direct investment mechanism exclusively for pre-licensing, licensing and production of independent Brazilian works. We understand how important it is to establish this streaming regulation if we want to strengthen the sector. We are seeking to mediate fairly, so it is important to listen to everyone, a sort of conciliation chamber, so that we can reach a unified position. The reason we need this regulation is to protect our industrial systems. First, there's the issue of workers rights. Second, we also have to protect out national sovereignty. It is important to defend our representation. Third, we must defend our production environment. Regulation will be good for those who produce, for those who finance, and for those who consume. We don't want to tax anything; we want what is fair. DEADLINE: What are your hopes for the future of of Brazilian cinema? MENEZES: The Ministry of Culture has been working on a series of initiatives for the audiovisual sector, including the delivery of the New Plan of Guidelines and Goals — a major ten-year document that will serve as a beacon for audiovisual policies over the next 10 years. I hope that Brazil continues to be seen as the country that produces the highest quality film productions and that many other works receive recognition both within and outside the country, because our cinema is powerful, diverse, and deserves all the attention. 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