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From Slopes to Shadows: The Rise and Fall of Ryan Wedding

Ryan James Wedding’s life reads like a cautionary tale of talent, ambition, and a descent into infamy. Once celebrated as a Canadian Olympian, he is now branded by U.S. authorities as one of the world’s most violent drug traffickers. Here’s a timeline tracing his dramatic transformation: Early Promise (2002) Wedding represented Canada at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics , competing in the men’s parallel giant slalom snowboarding event. Seen as a rising star, his athletic career was short-lived, with little public spotlight after the Games. First Legal Troubles (2000s–2010s) Reports suggest Wedding became entangled in criminal networks during the years following his Olympic appearance. By the early 2010s, he was linked to drug trafficking operations, allegedly building ties with the Sinaloa cartel . Alleged Cartel Leadership (2015–2020) In 2015 , Wedding fled authorities, beginning his life as a fugitive. U.S. investigators accuse him of running a billion-dollar cocaine...

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TD to slash jobs after disappointing earnings report


The Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD) announced that it will cut an unspecified number of jobs as part of a restructuring plan to reduce costs and improve efficiency. The move comes after the bank reported lower-than-expected earnings for the fourth quarter of 2023, amid rising expenses and higher provisions for credit losses.

According to its financial results, TD earned $3.2 billion, or $1.72 per share, in the quarter ended Oct. 31, down from $3.5 billion, or $1.87 per share, a year earlier. Analysts had expected earnings of $1.79 per share, according to Refinitiv. The bank’s revenue increased by 4 per cent to $11.8 billion, but its expenses rose by 7 per cent to $6.9 billion. The bank also set aside $1.1 billion for bad loans, up from $891 million in the same period last year.

TD’s chief executive officer Bharat Masrani said the bank is facing “a challenging and uncertain environment” due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the economy. He said the bank is taking “decisive actions” to adapt to the changing conditions and position itself for long-term growth. He did not provide details on how many jobs will be affected by the restructuring, but said the bank will offer support and transition assistance to the impacted employees.

TD’s disappointing earnings contrast with the strong performance of its peers, such as Royal Bank of Canada, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Bank of Montreal and National Bank of Canada, which all beat analysts’ estimates and raised their dividends in the fourth quarter. TD was the only one of the Big Six banks that did not increase its dividend, keeping it at 79 cents per share.

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