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Attorneys for NYC Mayor Eric Adams seek dismissal of bribery charge brought by ‘zealous prosecutors’

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NEW YORK (AP) — Attorneys for New York City Mayor Eric Adams urged a federal judge Monday to dismiss the bribery charge brought last week, accusing “zealous prosecutors” of leveling an “extraordinarily vague allegation” that does not rise to the level of a federal crime.

Adams, a Democrat, pleaded not guilty Friday to charges that he accepted lavish travel benefits and illegal campaign contributions from a Turkish official and other foreign nationals in exchange for political favors that included pushing through the opening of a Turkish consulate building.

He has vowed to continue serving as mayor while fighting the charges “with every ounce of my strength and my spirit.”

In a motion filed Monday, the mayor’s attorneys described the bribery charge — one of five counts he faces — as meritless, arguing that “zealous prosecutors” had failed to show an explicit quid pro quo between Adams and Turkish officials.

Rather, defense attorneys wrote, Adams was simply helping an important foreign nation cut through the city’s red tape.

According to the indictment, Adams sent three messages to the fire commissioner in September 2021 urging him to expedite the opening of the 36-story Manhattan consulate building, which fire safety inspectors said was not safe to occupy, ahead of an important state visit by the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Those messages came after Adams had accepted flight upgrades and luxury hotel stays worth tens of thousands of dollars, according to prosecutors. Before requesting Adams’ help with the consulate, the Turkish official allegedly told an Adams staffer that it was “his turn” to help Turkey.

At the time, Adams was still serving as Brooklyn borough president but had already won the mayoral primary and was widely expected to become mayor.

Even if the Turkish officials were seeking to curry favor with Adams, his conduct would not amount to a violation of federal bribery laws, according to defense attorneys.

“That extraordinarily vague allegation encompasses a wide array of normal and perfectly lawful acts that many City officials would undertake for the consulate of an important foreign nation,” they wrote, adding that the indictment “does not allege that Mayor Adams agreed to perform any official act at the time that he received a benefit.”

The motion points to a recent Supreme Court decision narrowing the scope of federal corruption law, which requires that gifts given to government officials be linked to a specific question or official act.

The attorneys claim the additional charges against Adams — that he solicited and accepted foreign donations and manipulated the city’s matching funds program — are “equally meritless.”

Those allegations, they wrote, would be revealed through litigation as the false claims of a “self-interested staffer with an axe to grind.”

Adams is due back in court Wednesday for a conference.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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World Cup winner Antoine Griezmann retires from international soccer after 10 years with France

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MADRID – World Cup winner Antoine Griezmann, one of France’s most influential players over the past decade, took the soccer world by surprise Monday when he announced the end of his international career with Les Bleus.

The 33-year-old Atletico Madrid forward, affectionately nicknamed “Grizou” by his supporters, has played 137 matches with France, scoring 44 goals during a successful 10-year tenure.

Griezmann — Atletico’s s all-time record scorer — started with France in 2014 in a friendly match against the Netherlands then quickly established himself as a stalwart of the team coached by Didier Deschamps with his versatile talent and influence as both a goalscorer and an assist provider.

Only two players, Hugo Lloris and Lilian Thuram, have played more international games with France than Griezmann.

“It’s with a heart full of memories that I close this chapter of my life,” Griezmann said in a message posted on Instagram. “Thank you for this wonderful tricolor adventure and see you soon.”

Griezmann is fourth on France’s list of all-time scorers behind Olivier Giroud, Thierry Henry and Kylian Mbappe. He played a key role in helping France to a runner-up finish at the 2016 European Championship, where he was the player of the tournament, won the 2018 World Cup and the Nations League three years later with his French teammates.

“After 10 incredible years, marked by challenges, successes and unforgettable moments, it is time for me to turn a page and make way for the new generation,” he said. “I was lucky enough to experience some incredible moments alongside some exceptional teammates. We have shared victories that will remain forever engraved in our memories.”

Deschamps praised Griezmann’s collective spirit and lauded a “selflessness that is rare among attacking players.” In addition to his attacking skills, Griezmann is also rated for his ability to defend and sense of sacrifice.

“Even if his club career is not over, Antoine was and will remain a monument to French football, one of the greatest players in its history,” Deschamps said in a message relayed by the French soccer federation. “In addition to his 44 goals and 30 assists, his contribution to the results we have achieved over the last decade is immense.”

After a disappointing showing at the European Championship earlier this year, where France lost in the semifinals, Griezmann had lost some of his influence in Deschamps’ team. His final appearance in the France kit was in September in a 2-0 win over Belgium in a Nations League match when he came on as a late substitute.

Although Griezmann has admitted he struggled at the Euros, he was expected to keep on playing with France until the 2026 World Cup.

In his retirement message, Griezmann thanked Deschamps for his support over the last decade despite the coach’s decision to make Mbappe France captain ahead of him last year following Lloris’ retirement. Griezmann had previously said Deschamps’ snub had been difficult to stomach.

“It has often been said that Antoine was my darling,” Deschamps said. “We had indeed forged a very strong relationship, which will remain intact. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for everything, my Grizou.”

Griezmann didn’t say how long he’ll continue with his club career. His contract with Atletico runs until 2026.

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AP soccer:

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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MLB’s postseason is on the way, but first, a photo finish for the NL wild-card race awaits Monday

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The Major League Baseball playoffs are approaching and a Shohei Ohtani vs. Aaron Judge matchup in the World Series looms as an enticing October possibility.

But first, the National League needs to get its waterlogged mess of a playoff race out of the way.

While the rooting interests of baseball fans vary widely, there’s little doubt MLB and television executives are drooling over the potential matchup between two of the top sluggers of this generation. Ohtani recently became the first player to have 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in one season while Judge hit 58 homers.

On top of that, Ohtani (Los Angeles Dodgers) and Judge (New York Yankees) play in the nation’s top two media markets for two of the sport’s most storied franchises.

Of course, there will be 10 other teams trying to block those teams from the Fall Classic. Last season, the Texas Rangers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 4 games to 1 for their first title in franchise history.

Here’s a look at what’s coming:

Who’s in the MLB playoffs? Who’s still fighting?

The Diamondbacks are going to be big fans of the New York Mets or Atlanta Braves for a few hours on Monday afternoon.

They’re just not sure which one.

The National League playoff race comes down to a doubleheader between the Mets and Braves on Monday. The two games were moved to the day after the scheduled end of the regular season because of Hurricane Helene, which washed out two games of the crucial Mets-Braves series last week.

The Mets (88-72) and Braves (88-72) will both make the playoffs if they split the doubleheader. But if there’s a sweep, the Diamondbacks (89-73) will sneak into the bracket as the No. 6 seed while the team that gets swept is eliminated.

Once the first game is over, the D-backs will know who they’re supporting. They’ll go through a light workout at Chase Field on Monday in case their season continues.

The Dodgers, Phillies, Brewers and Padres have already clinched four of the six NL playoff spots. Both the Brewers and Padres will host a Wild Card Series starting Tuesday while the Dodgers and Phillies earned some rest by claiming the top seeds.

The American League’s bracket is set. The No. 6 Tigers travel to face the No. 3 Astros while the No. 5 Royals are on the road against the No. 4 Orioles in the two Wild Card Series starting Tuesday. The Yankees and Guardians are the top seeds.

How does baseball’s wild-card round work?

The best-of-three wild-card format is in its third season. The format was changed in 2022 from the sudden death one-game format that was in place since 2012 with the exception of the COVID-19 pandemic-affected 2020 season.

Six teams each from the American League and National League qualify for the postseason, including the three division winners in each league. The three wild-card teams in each league are the teams with the best record that didn’t win their division.

The top two division winners with the best records in each league get a bye and don’t have to play in the wild-card round. Those four teams get a few days of rest. Those teams are the Yankees and Guardians in the American League and the Phillies and Dodgers in the National League.

The wild-card round will feature four series: The No. 6 seed will play at the No. 3 seed in both the AL and NL. The No. 5 seed will play at the No. 4 seed.

One big advantage for the higher seed in those wild-card series is they get to host all three games.

Rule changes

Many of baseball’s recent rule changes are still in effect during the postseason, including the pitch clock, a ban on extreme infield shifts and a limit to how many times a pitcher can disengage from the rubber. The pitch clock has been a huge change for the sport and widely celebrated, cutting game times by about a half-hour.

There is one rule that doesn’t make the postseason cut: the so-called “ghost runner” in extra innings.

During the MLB regular season, if a game goes to extra innings, a runner is placed at second base to start the 10th inning when each team bats. That won’t happen in the postseason. Extra innings will be played just like the previous nine.

Betting favorites

The Dodgers are the current betting favorites to win the World Series at +325, followed by the Yankees (+450) and Phillies (+450), according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

How to watch

The wild-card rounds will be broadcast on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC. The later rounds will be split between FS1, TruTV, TBS and Fox.

Postseason schedule

Wild-card series: Oct. 1-3

Division series: Oct. 5-12

League Championship series: Oct. 13-22

World Series: Oct. 25-Nov. 2

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CDPQ increases stake in dairy company Saputo with $378M share purchase

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MONTREAL – The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec has increased its stake in dairy company Saputo Inc.

The Quebec investment manager says it has acquired 13.5 million shares at a price of $27.96 per share for a total of about $378 million.

CDPQ now owns 19,152,378 common shares of Saputo for a 4.51 per cent stake.

It acquired the shares as part of a sale of 40 million shares of the company by Francesco Saputo for general estate and succession planning.

A wholly-owned subsidiary of Jolina Capital Inc., Lino Saputo and other members of the Saputo family acquired the other 26.5 million shares.

Francesco Saputo still holds 2.5 million Saputo shares.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 30, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:SAP)

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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