Germany's Merkel recalls Putin's 'power games' and contrasting US presidents in her memoirs BERLIN (AP) — Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel recalls Vladimir Putin's “power games” over the years, remembers contrasting meetings with Barack Obama and Donald Trump and says she asked herself whether she could have done more to prevent Brexi Geir Moulson, The Associated Press Nov 25, 2024 3:04 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message File - German Chancellor Angela Merkel is pictured with light and shadow at the Meseberg palace near Berlin, Germany, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2014. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn, File) BERLIN (AP) — Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel recalls Vladimir Putin's “power games” over the years, remembers contrasting meetings with Barack Obama and Donald Trump and says she asked herself whether she could have done more to prevent Brexit, in her memoirs published Tuesday. Merkel, 70, appears to have no significant doubts about the major decisions of her 16 years as German leader, whose major challenges included the global financial crisis, Europe’s debt crisis, the 2015-16 influx of refugees and the COVID-19 pandemic. True to form, her book — titled “Freedom” — offers a matter-of-fact account of her early life in communist East Germany and her later career in politics, laced with moments of dry wit. Merkel served alongside four U.S. presidents , four French presidents and five British prime ministers. But it is perhaps her dealings with Russian President Putin that have drawn the most scrutiny since she left office in late 2021. Putin's power games Merkel recalls being kept waiting by Putin at the Group of Eight summit she hosted in 2007 — “if there's one thing I can't stand, it's unpunctuality.” And she recounts a visit to the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi that year in which Putin's labrador appeared during a photo opportunity, although Putin knew she was afraid of dogs. Putin appeared to enjoy the situation, she writes, and she didn't bring it up — keeping as she often did to the motto “never explain, never complain.” The previous year, she recounts Putin pointing to wooden houses in Siberia and telling her poor people lived there who “could be easily seduced,” and that similar groups had been encouraged by money from the U.S. government to take part in Ukraine's “Orange Revolution” of 2004 against attempted election fraud. Putin, she says, added: “I will never allow something like that in Russia.” Merkel says she was irritated by Putin's “self-righteousness” in a 2007 speech in Munich in which he turned away from earlier attempts to develop closer ties with the U.S. She said that appearance showed Putin as she knew him, “as someone who was always on guard against being treated badly and ready to give out at any time, including power games with a dog and making other people wait for him.” “One could find this all childish and reprehensible, one could shake one's head over it — but that didn't make Russia disappear from the map,” she writes. As she has before, Merkel defends a much-criticized 2015 peace deal for eastern Ukraine that she helped broker and her government's decisions to buy large quantities of natural gas from Russia. And she argues it was right to keep up diplomatic and trade ties with Moscow until she left power, Obama and Trump Merkel concluded after first meeting then-Sen. Obama in 2008 that they could work well together. More than eight years later, during his last visit as president in Nov. 2016, she was one of the people with whom she discussed whether to seek a fourth term. Obama, she says, asked questions but held back with an opinion, and that in itself was helpful. He “said that Europe could still use me very well, but I should ultimately follow my feelings,” she writes. There was no such warmth with Trump, who had criticized Merkel and Germany in his 2016 campaign. Merkel says she had to seek an “adequate relationship ... without reacting to all the provocations.” In March 2017, there was an awkward moment when Merkel first visited the Trump White House. Photographers shouted “handshake!” and Merkel quietly asked Trump: “Do you want to have a handshake?” There was no response from Trump, who looked ahead with his hands clasped. Merkel faults her own reaction. “He wanted to create a topic of discussion with his behavior, while I had acted as if I were dealing with an interlocutor behaving normally,” she writes. She adds that Putin apparently “fascinated” Trump and, in the following years, she had the impression that “politicians with autocratic and dictatorial traits” beguiled him. Could Brexit have been avoided? Merkel says she tried to help then-Prime Minister David Cameron in the European Union as he faced pressure from British Euroskeptics, but there were limits to what she could do. And, pointing to Cameron's efforts over the years to assuage opponents of the EU, she says the road to Brexit is a textbook example of what can arise from a miscalculation. After Britons voted to leave the EU in 2016, an outcome she calls a “humiliation” for its other members, she says the question of whether she should have made more concessions to the U.K. “tortured me.” “I came to the conclusion that, in view of the political developments inside the country at the time, there would have been no acceptable possibility for me to prevent Britain's way out of the European Union from outside,” Merkel says. Giving up power Merkel was the first German chancellor to leave power at a time of her choosing. She announced in 2018 that she wouldn't seek a fifth term, and says she “let go at the right point.” She points to three 2019 incidents in which her body shook during public engagements as proof. Merkel says she had herself checked thoroughly and there were no neurological or other findings. An osteopath told her that her body was letting off the tension it had accumulated over years, she adds. “Freedom” runs to more than 700 pages in its original German edition, published by Kiepenheuer & Witsch. The English edition is being released simultaneously by St. Martin's Press. Geir Moulson, The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message More The Mix CDC chief urges focus on health threats as agency confronts political changes Nov 25, 2024 3:04 PM Alimentation Couche-Tard earns US$708.8 million in second quarter Nov 25, 2024 3:01 PM 'We need an industry': Crowsnest Pass residents voting on support for new coal mine Nov 25, 2024 2:52 PM Featured FlyerTORONTO, Dec. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AGF Management Limited reported total assets under management (AUM) and fee-earning assets 1 of $53.6 billion as at November 30, 2024. AUM ($ billions) November 30, 2024 October 31, 2024 % Change Month-Over-Month November 30, 2023 % Change Year-Over-Year Total Mutual Fund $30.7 $29.2 $24.4 Exchange-traded funds + Separately managed accounts $2.5 $2.5 $1.5 Segregated accounts and Sub-advisory $7.0 $6.6 $6.9 AGF Private Wealth $8.5 $8.3 $7.3 Subtotal (before AGF Capital Partners AUM and fee-earning assets 1 ) $ 48.7 $ 46.6 $ 40.1 AGF Capital Partners $2.8 $2.8 $0.1 Total AUM $ 51.5 $ 49.4 4.3 % $ 40.2 28.1 % AGF Capital Partners fee-earning assets 1 $2.1 $2.1 $2.0 Total AUM and fee-earning assets 1 $ 53.6 $ 51.5 4.1 % $ 42.2 27.0 % Average Daily Mutual Fund AUM $ 30.1 $ 29.2 $ 24.1 1 Fee-earning assets represent assets in which AGF has carried interest ownership and earns recurring fees but does not have ownership interest in the managers. Mutual Fund AUM by Category ($ billions) November 30, 2024 October 31, 2024 November 30, 2023 Domestic Equity Funds $4.6 $4.4 $4.0 U.S. and International Equity Funds $19.0 $17.8 $13.7 Domestic Balanced Funds $0.1 $0.1 $0.1 U.S. and International Balanced Funds $1.6 $1.6 $1.6 Domestic Fixed Income Funds $1.8 $1.8 $1.6 U.S. and International Fixed Income Funds $3.3 $3.2 $3.1 Domestic Money Market $0.3 $0.3 $0.3 Total Mutual Fund AUM $ 30.7 $ 29.2 $ 24.4 AGF Capital Partners AUM and fee-earning assets ($ billions) November 30, 2024 October 31, 2024 November 30, 2023 AGF Capital Partners AUM $2.8 $2.8 $0.1 AGF Capital Partners fee-earning assets $2.1 $2.1 $2.0 Total AGF Capital Partners AUM and fee-earning assets $ 4.9 $ 4.9 $ 2.1 About AGF Management Limited Founded in 1957, AGF Management Limited (AGF) is an independent and globally diverse asset management firm. Our companies deliver excellence in investing in the public and private markets through three business lines: AGF Investments, AGF Capital Partners and AGF Private Wealth. AGF brings a disciplined approach, focused on incorporating sound, responsible and sustainable corporate practices. The firm's collective investment expertise, driven by its fundamental, quantitative and private investing capabilities, extends globally to a wide range of clients, from financial advisors and their clients to high-net worth and institutional investors including pension plans, corporate plans, sovereign wealth funds, endowments and foundations. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, AGF has investment operations and client servicing teams on the ground in North America and Europe. With nearly $54 billion in total assets under management and fee-earning assets, AGF serves more than 800,000 investors. AGF trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol AGF.B. AGF Management Limited shareholders, analysts and media, please contact: Ken Tsang Chief Financial Officer 416-865-4338, InvestorRelations@agf.com © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.NEW YORK — Several of President- elect Donald Trump's Cabinet picks and appointees have been targeted by bomb threats and “swatting attacks," Trump's transition said Wednesday. “Last night and this morning, several of President Trump’s Cabinet nominees and Administration appointees were targeted in violent, unAmerican threats to their lives and those who live with them," Trump transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. She said the attacks “ranged from bomb threats to ‘swatting.' In response, law enforcement and other authorities acted quickly to ensure the safety of those who were targeted. President Trump and the entire Transition team are grateful for their swift action.” Swatting entails generating an emergency law enforcement response against a target victim under false pretenses. The FBI said in a statement that it is “aware of numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents targeting incoming administration nominees and appointees, and we are working with our law enforcement partners. We take all potential threats seriously, and as always, encourage members of the public to immediately report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement.” Among those targeted was New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's pick to serve as the next ambassador to the United Nations . Her office said that, Wednesday morning, she, her husband, and their 3-year-old son were driving home from Washington for Thanksgiving when they were informed of a bomb threat to their residence in Saratoga County. "New York State, County law enforcement, and U.S. Capitol Police responded immediately with the highest levels of professionalism," her office said in a statement. “We are incredibly appreciative of the extraordinary dedication of law enforcement officers who keep our communities safe 24/7." In Florida, meanwhile, the Okaloosa County sheriff’s office said in an advisory posted on Facebook that it “received notification of a bomb threat referencing former Congressman Matt Gaetz’s supposed mailbox at a home in the Niceville area around 9 a.m. this morning.” While a family member resides at the address, they said "former Congressman Gaetz is NOT a resident. “The mailbox however was cleared and no devices were located. The immediate area was also searched with negative results.” Gaetz was Trump’s initial pick to serve as attorney general, but he withdrew from consideration amid allegations that he paid women for sex and slept with underage women. Gaetz has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and said last year that a Justice Department investigation into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls had ended with no federal charges against him. The threats follow a political campaign marked by unusual violence. In July, a gunman opened fire at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing the then-candidate in the ear with a bullet and killing one of his supporters. The U.S. Secret Service later thwarted a subsequent assassination attempt at Trump's West Palm Beach, Florida, golf course when an agent spotted the barrel of a gun poking through a perimeter fence while Trump was golfing. ___ Associated Press writers Alanna Durkin Richer and Eric Tucker contributed to this report from Washington.
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On paper, Luigi Mangione had it all: wealth, intellect, athleticism, good looks. But the child of a prominent Maryland family may have spurned it all in a spasm of violence, in a killing that has mesmerized Americans. The 26-year-old was arrested Monday and charged with the murder of Brian Thompson, a health insurance chief executive and father of two who was gunned down in Manhattan last week by someone who, evidence suggests, has endured his own debilitating health crises and grew angry with the privatized US medical system. The cold-blooded killing has laid bare the deep frustration many Americans feel toward the country's labyrinthine health care system: while many have condemned the shooting, others have praised Mangione as a hero. It has also prompted considerable interest in how a young engineer with an Ivy League education could have gone off the rails to commit murder. News of his capture at a Pennsylvania McDonald's triggered an explosion of online activity, with Mangione quickly amassing new followers on social media as citizen sleuths and US media tried to understand who he is. As Americans have looked for clues about a political ideology or potential motive, a photo on his X account (formerly Twitter) includes an X-ray of an apparently injured spine. Mangione lived in Hawaii in 2022 and, according to his former roommate R.J. Martin, suffered from back pain, and was hoping to strengthen his back. After a surfing lesson, Mangione was "in bed for about a week" because of the pain, Martin told CNN. Earlier this year, Martin said, Mangione confirmed he'd had back surgery and sent him photos of the X-rays. Police said the suspect carried a hand-written manifesto of grievances in which he slammed America's "most expensive health care system in the world." "He was writing a lot about his disdain for corporate America and in particular the health care industry," New York police chief detective Joseph Kenny told ABC. According to CNN, a document recovered when Mangione was arrested included the phrase "these parasites had it coming." Meanwhile, memes and jokes proliferated, many riffing on his first name and comparing him to the "Mario Bros." video game character Luigi. Many expressed at least partial sympathy, having had their own harrowing experiences with the US health care system. "Godspeed. Please know that we all hear you," wrote one user on Facebook. Mangione hails from the Baltimore area. His wealthy Italian-American family owns local businesses, including the Hayfields Country Club, according to local outlet the Baltimore Banner, and cousin Nino Mangione is a Maryland state delegate. A standout student, Luigi graduated at the top of his high school class in 2016. A former student who knew Mangione at the elite Gilman School told AFP the suspect struck him as "a normal guy, nice kid." "There was nothing about him that was off, at least from my perception," the person said. Mangione attended the prestigious University of Pennsylvania, where he completed both a bachelor's and master's degree in computer science by 2020, according to a university spokesperson. While at Penn, Mangione co-led a group of 60 undergraduates who collaborated on video game projects, as noted in a now-deleted university webpage. On Instagram Mangione shared snapshots of his travels, and shirtless images of himself flaunting a six-pack. X users have scoured Mangione's posts for potential motives. His header photo includes an X-ray of a spine with bolts attached. Finding a political ideology that fits neatly onto the right-left divide has proved elusive, though he had written a review of Ted Kaczynski's manifesto on online site Goodreads, calling it "prescient." Kaczynski, known as the Unabomber, carried out multiple bombings in the United States from 1978 to 1995, in a campaign he said was aimed at halting the advance of modern society and technology. Mangione has also linked approvingly to posts criticizing secularism as a harmful consequence of Christianity's decline, and retweeted posts on the impact mobile phones and social media have on mental health. ia/abo-mlm/nro
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Article content Less than three weeks following their crushing East Division final defeat against Toronto, the Alouettes have decided that quarterback Davis Alexander provides the best option of leading the team for years to come. The Als on Wednesday announced Alexander, 26, has signed a three-year contract extension through 2027. Alexander could have become a free agent in February. And while this scenario evolved as anticipated , with youth trumping experience, it probably means the end of Cody Fajardo’s tenure as Montreal’s starting quarterback — one season after leading the Als to the Grey Cup and being named the championship game’s most valuable player . Things evolve quickly at times in the cutthroat world of pro sports. “At just 26, Davis is the future of this franchise,” general manager Danny Maciocia said Wednesday in a press release. “This season, he was called upon to play in crucial games with us and he responded very well under pressure. He has learned from Cody Fajardo for two years and is ready to take the next step. “We’re now entrusting him with the leadership of the team and we have full confidence in him.” Alexander was flying on Wednesday from Kelowna, B.C., to Montreal and couldn’t be reached for comment. But late Tuesday night, as news of the contract extension began surfacing on social media, Alexander confirmed the development by text to The Gazette. He and Maciocia will hold a news conference Thursday morning at Olympic Stadium. Alexander, 6-feet and 200 pounds, has spent three years with the Als but didn’t receive significant playing time until last season, after Fajardo suffered a hamstring injury against Toronto on July 11. Alexander replaced a struggling Caleb Evans to start the second half against Saskatchewan, July 25. Despite trailing 16-3 at halftime, Alexander rallied Montreal to a 20-16 victory. He also won his next three starts before Fajardo returned on Aug. 25. Alexander started again Oct. 14 at home against Ottawa, when Fajardo went home for the birth of his second child. The Als defeated the Redblacks that afternoon, although Alexander passed for a modest 208 yards and was intercepted once. He completed 105 of 151 passes for 1,347 yards and six touchdowns while being intercepted twice this season. The mobile Alexander also proved to be a threat along the ground, gaining 166 yards on 24 carries (6.9-yard average) with three touchdowns. Alexander is an exciting and unpredictable player who generally produced offence each time he was on the field. His teammates appeared to rally around him and his exuberance while believing in his potential. And after investing three years into developing him, Maciocia undoubtedly was loath to see Alexander sign with another team. Nonetheless, the organization is basing this decision on a limited amount of playing time. And it shouldn’t be forgotten when Fajardo was injured it was Evans, not Alexander, who became head coach Jason Maas’s first option. Evans suffered a season-ending knee injury at Hamilton on Aug. 6, forcing the Als to sign Dominique Davis, who had been released by B.C. At 32, this by no means should spell the end of Fajardo’s CFL career, but it won’t continue in Montreal. Fajardo is due a mid-January bonus payment believed to be as high as $220,000, part of an extension he signed at the end of last season. That cheque now won’t be issued. The Als can attempt to trade Fajardo, but the dance partners will be limited. Unless another CFL team is prepared to make Fajardo its starter, it won’t be willing to pay that bonus. Instead, Fajardo will probably be released by Montreal. He could restructure his contract and remain with the Als, backup CFL quarterbacks generally earn approximately between $110,000-$120,000 — a huge financial shortfall Fajardo is most likely unwilling to accept at this point of his career. It shouldn’t be forgotten the Als were undefeated in five games before Fajardo was injured, and he appeared en route to a most outstanding player season. But he was inconsistent upon his return , missing or underthrowing open receivers. Fajardo passed for 3,105 yards while completing 73.6 per cent of his throws, along with 16 touchdowns. He was intercepted seven times. Fajardo didn’t respond to a Wednesday text request from The Gazette. hzurkowsky@postmedia.com x.com/HerbZurkowsky1These holiday gifts change the game when building fires, printing photos, watching birds and more
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DETROIT (AP) — Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams will not be charged with a crime after he was found with a gun in a car driven by his brother, a prosecutor said Monday. The gun on the floor was registered to Williams, but he didn't have a concealed-carry permit. His brother did. Prosecutor Kym Worthy said Michigan law is “far from clear” when applied to the 1 a.m. traffic stop on Oct. 8. “We really could not recall any case that had facts that mirrored this case,” she said. Williams was riding in a car driven by his brother when Detroit police stopped the vehicle for speeding. Williams said one of two guns in the car belonged to him and was registered. But without a concealed-pistol license, known as a CPL, a Michigan gun owner typically must place the weapon in a closed case while in a vehicle. A violation is a felony. In this case, Williams' brother had a permit. “The CPL holder here was the driver and had care, custody and control of the car," Worthy said. “Guidance is needed for the future on how many weapons can a valid CPL say that they have control over.” Williams obtained a CPL on Nov. 6, a month later, attorney Todd Flood said. “My client is thankful and humbled by the hard work Kym Worthy and her team put into this matter,” Flood said. During the traffic stop, Williams was handcuffed and placed in a patrol car before officers released him with his gun instead of taking him to a detention center. Williams, a first-round draft pick in 2022, has 29 catches for 602 yards and four touchdowns this season. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLGold miner backed by property tycoon Nick Candy snaps up rival in £90m deal