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Ukraine’s government on Sunday called for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council to “counter the Kremlin’s nuclear blackmail” after Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed plans to station tactical atomic weapons in Belarus.
One Ukrainian official said that Russia “took Belarus as a nuclear hostage.” But Moscow said it was making the move in response to the West’s increasing military support for Ukraine.
Putin announced the plan in a television interview that aired on Saturday, saying it was triggered by a U.K. decision this past week to provide Ukraine with armor-piercing rounds containing depleted uranium. Putin argued that by deploying its tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, Russia was following the lead of the United States. He noted that Washington has nuclear weapons based in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry condemned the move in a statement Sunday and demanded an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council. “Ukraine expects effective action to counter the Kremlin’s nuclear blackmail by the U.K., China, the U.S. and France, including as permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, which have a special responsibility to prevent threats of aggression using nuclear weapons,” the statement read. “The world must be united against someone who endangers the future of human civilization.”
Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, tweeted Sunday that Putin’s announcement was “a step towards internal destabilization” of Belarus that maximized “the level of negative perception and public rejection” of Russia and Putin in Belarusian society. The Kremlin, Danilov added, “took Belarus as a nuclear hostage.”
In Russia, authorities said three people were injured when a Ukrainian drone caused an explosion Sunday in a town far from the two countries’ border. The state-run news agency Tass reported authorities identified the drone as a Ukrainian Tu-141. The explosion damaged residential buildings in the town of Kireyevsk in the Tula region, about 300 kilometers (180 miles) from the border with Ukraine and 175 kilometers (110 miles) south of Moscow. It left a crater about 15 meters (50 feet) in diameter and five meters (16 feet) deep, according to media reports. Ukraine has not yet commented on the incident.
On Saturday, Putin argued that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has long asked to have nuclear weapons in his country again to counter NATO. Belarus shares borders with three NATO members — Latvia, Lithuania and Poland — and Russia used Belarusian territory as a staging ground to send troops into neighboring Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. Both Lukashenko’s support of the war and Putin’s plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus has been denounced by the Belarusian opposition.
Tactical nuclear weapons are intended for use on the battlefield and have a short range and a low yield compared with much more powerful nuclear warheads fitted to long-range missiles. Russia plans to maintain control over the ones it sends to Belarus, and construction of storage facilities for them will be completed by July 1, Putin said. Russia has stored its tactical nuclear weapons at dedicated depots on its territory, and moving part of the arsenal to a storage facility in Belarus would up the ante in the Ukrainian conflict by placing them closer to Russian aircraft and missiles already stationed there.
The U.S. said it would “monitor the implications” of Putin’s announcement. So far, Washington hasn’t seen “any indications Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon,” National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said.
In Germany, the foreign ministry called it a “further attempt at nuclear intimidation,” German news agency dpa reported late Saturday. The ministry went on to say that “the comparison drawn by President Putin to NATO’s nuclear participation is misleading and cannot be used to justify the step announced by Russia.”
Credit: https://globalnews.ca/news/9579713/russia-belarus-nuclear-plans-security-council-meeting/
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President Vladimir Putin announced on Saturday that Russia will station tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus. Moscow will finish the building of a storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus by the beginning of July, Putin said in an interview with Russian state broadcaster Russia 1.
Putin also revealed that an Iskander short-range missile system has already been transferred to Belarus. The system may be fitted with nuclear as well as conventional warheads.
Additionally, Putin said Russia has helped Belarus in converting ten aircraft to make them capable of carrying tactical nuclear warheads. Moscow will reportedly start training pilots to fly the jets early next month.
Belarus, located west of Russia on Ukraine’s northern border, is among Moscow’s closest allies. The country had allowed Russia’s troops to enter Ukraine from the North in February 2022 during Russia’s initial invasion of Ukraine. There have been fears that Belarus may be used as a launching point for an offensive, or its troops will join the conflict.
During a joint news conference with Putin in Minsk in December, Belarussian leader Alexander Lukashenko revealed that Moscow was training Belarusian pilots to fly the jets, capable of carrying a 'special warhead', while Belarussian pilots, in turn, were training in Russia. Commenting, Lukashenko said, "Today we've put the S-400 [air defense] system that you transferred to Belarus into a state of combat-readiness, and, most importantly, the Iskander system, which you have also handed over to us after promising half a year ago."
Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, tweeted that Putin’s plans indicate that he is 'afraid of losing.' Podolyak called Putin predictable and his violation of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty shows his complicity in the Ukrainian crisis.
In his interview, Putin confirmed that Russia would retain control over any tactical nuclear weapons deployed in Belarus. He said that Moscow was following Washington’s policy of stationing nuclear weapons in Europe to prevent host countries from breaking their commitments as non-nuclear powers. Putin added that the US does not hand over control of nuclear weapons to its allies: "We're basically doing the same thing (US leaders) have been doing for a decade."
The State Department will not adjust its nuclear weapons strategy but will continue to monitor the implications of Russia's plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, a spokesperson for the State Department told CNN. The move may cause concern in the West. The US has previously warned Russia of the consequences of the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
While there is no guarantee that Putin will follow through with his plans to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, any such move will be considered serious in the West. President Joe Biden has hinted that a rapid escalation in events could take place. Speaking to CNN’s Jake Tapper in October, Biden said, "The mistakes get made, the miscalculation could occur, no one could be sure what would happen, and it could end in Armageddon."
Credit: https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/25/world/russia-putin-nuclear-weapons-belarus-intl-hnk/index.html
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Xavier Lopez, a Mexican children's comic better known by his stage name “Chabelo,” has died at 88, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador wrote Saturday.
Lopez's best-known work, the Sunday variety show “En Familia con Chabelo”, ran for an astonishing 48 years from 1967 to 2015, Mexico's longest-running TV show.
The Mexican president wrote in his Twitter account that his own eldest son, Jose Ramon, “woke up early to see him (on television) more than 40 years ago.”
Lopez, who was no relation to the president, usually performed dressed in kid's clothing well into his 80s. He helped found a genre of adult comics dressed as kids that became a staple for decades on Mexican television. His longevity - he performed in a child's raspy squeak throughout his career - led to joking speculation he would outlive everyone else in show business.
Lopez's agent, Jessica Nevilley, said he died Saturday morning. A private funeral will be held for him later Saturday. A U.S. citizen - he was born in Chicago to Mexican parents - Lopez returned to Mexico with his family at a young age and trained as a doctor. But he found his calling in acting. The comic's family wrote on his fan page that Lopez “died suddenly of abdominal complications.” He was survived by several children and his wife.
Former Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz says Canada’s economy is at a greater risk of a 'hard landing' — a rapid economic slowdown following a period of growth and approaching a recession.
Former U.S. president Donald Trump shared his disdain for Joe Biden's visit to Canada, saying Prime Minister Justin Trudeau treats the U.S. ‘horribly’ on trade issues.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he's 'not satisfied' with his party's confidence-and-supply agreement with the Liberals — signed a year ago this week — because it's shown him he could do a better job running the country than the current government.
Rescuers raced Saturday to search for survivors and help hundreds of people left homeless after a powerful tornado cut a devastating path through Mississippi, killing at least 25 people, injuring dozens, and flattening entire blocks as it carved a path of destruction for more than an hour. One person was killed in Alabama.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced plans on Saturday to station tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus, a warning to the West as it steps up military support for Ukraine.
An explosion at a chocolate factory in Pennsylvania on Friday killed two people and left five people missing, authorities said. One person was pulled from the rubble overnight.
A recent study by the Angus Reid Institute found Canadians view their country more positively than Americans do, but only a slight majority of people in Canada believe their system of government is good.
Facing a potential indictment, Donald Trump took a defiant stance at a rally Saturday in Waco, disparaging the prosecutors investigating him and predicting his vindication as he rallied supporters in a city made famous by deadly resistance against law enforcement.
Within the last decade the total suicide rate among European nations have decreased, according to a new report that says increased suicide prevention initiatives may have helped bring down this death rate.
Credit: https://www.ctvnews.ca/entertainment/mexican-kid-s-comic-xavier-lopez-chabelo-dies-at-88-1.6329279
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Ukraine has accused Russia of destabilising Belarus and making its smaller neighbour into “a nuclear hostage”, after Vladimir Putin’s announcement that Moscow has made a deal to station tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory.
The Russian president’s suggestions that the move would not breach non-proliferation agreements and that it was consistent with similar arrangements that the US has with several of its European allies was given short shrift in Kyiv.
Oleksiy Danilov, the head of Ukraine’s national security and defence council, called the deal “a step towards internal destabilisation” of Belarus, and said it maximised what he termed the level of “negative perception and public rejection” of Russia and Putin in Belarusian society.
“The Kremlin took Belarus as a nuclear hostage,” he wrote on Twitter.
Mykhailo Podolyak, another senior adviser to Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, mocked Putin’s plan, saying the Russian leader was “too predictable”. “Making a statement about tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, he admits that he is afraid of losing & all he can do is scare with tactics,” Podolyak tweeted on Sunday.
Putin has repeatedly made nuclear threats or escalated nuclear rhetoric after the full invasion of Ukraine, but this is the first time he has announced a plan to station nuclear weapons in another country.
The Russian president said on Saturday that he was acting after negotiations with his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, who he said had “long raised the question” of a nuclear deployment on his country’s territory.
“There is nothing unusual here either: firstly, the United States has been doing this for decades,” Putin said. “They have long deployed their tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of their allied countries. We agreed that we will do the same, without violating our obligations – I emphasise, without violating our international obligations on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.”
Moscow has 5,977 nuclear warheads in its inventory, according to the Federation of American Scientists, and has long had the capability to strike a target anywhere in the world. The US has slightly fewer, at 5,428.
The Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation estimates that there are about 100 US nuclear weapons – airborne gravity bombs – stored in Europe across six bases in five countries, although they are retained in US control.
The US played down concerns about Putin’s announcement and the potential for Moscow to use nuclear weapons in the war in Ukraine. “We have not seen any reason to adjust our own strategic nuclear posture nor any indications Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon. We remain committed to the collective defence of the Nato alliance,” a senior US administration official said.
The official noted that Russia and Belarus had been speaking about the transfer of nuclear weapons for some time.
Analysts at the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in a note late on Saturday that the risk of escalation to nuclear war remained “extremely low”. They said: “ISW continues to assess that Putin is a risk-averse actor who repeatedly threatens to use nuclear weapons without any intention of following through in order to break western resolve.”
However, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons called Putin’s announcement an extremely dangerous escalation. “In the context of the war in Ukraine, the likelihood of miscalculation or misinterpretation is extremely high. Sharing nuclear weapons makes the situation much worse and risks catastrophic humanitarian consequences,” it said on Twitter.
While the Belarusian army has not formally fought in Ukraine, Minsk and Moscow have a close military relationship. Minsk allowed Moscow to use Belarusian territory to send troops into Ukraine last year and the two nations stepped up joint military training.
On Sunday, Putin dismissed suggestions that Moscow was forging a military alliance with Beijing, claiming instead that western powers were building a new “axis” similar to the partnership between Germany, Italy and Japan during the second world war.
“We are not creating any military alliance with China,” Putin said on state television. “Yes, we have cooperation in the sphere of military-technical interaction. We are not hiding this. Everything is transparent, there is nothing secret.”
China and Russia signed a “no limits” partnership accord in early 2022, weeks before Putin sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine. Beijing has refrained from criticising Putin’s decision and has touted a peace plan for Ukraine.
The Russian president named Australia, New Zealand and South Korea as being in line to join a “global Nato” and referenced a defence agreement signed by Britain and Japan earlier this year.
“That is why western analysts … are talking about the west starting to build a new axis similar to the one created in the 1930s by the fascist regimes of Germany and Italy and militarist Japan,” Putin said. His words reflect his ongoing attempt to suggest that Ukraine is run by Nazis and that its western supporters are hellbent on menacing Russia.
Ukraine, which was part of the Soviet Union and was subjected to devastation at the hands of Hitler’s forces, has consistently rejected those parallels as spurious pretexts for a war of imperial conquest.
Credit: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/26/russia-accused-of-taking-belarus-nuclear-hostage-missile-deal-ukraine
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Russia has struck a deal with neighboring Belarus to station tactical nuclear weapons on its territory but will not violate non-proliferation agreements, President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko had long raised the issue of stationing tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, which borders Poland, Putin told state television.
“There is nothing unusual here either: firstly, the United States has been doing this for decades. They have long deployed their tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of their allied countries,” he said.
“We agreed that we will do the same – without violating our obligations, I emphasize, without violating our international obligations on the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons.”
Russia will have completed the construction of a storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus by July 1, Putin said, adding that Moscow would not actually be transferring control of the arms to Minsk.
Russia has stationed 10 aircraft in Belarus capable of carrying tactical nuclear weapons, he said, adding that Moscow had already transferred to Belarus a number of Iskander tactical missile systems than can be used to launch nuclear weapons.
The deal comes as tensions continue between Russia and the West over Ukraine, with many Western countries imposing sanctions on the Russian state and individuals. The deployment of nuclear weapons in a neighboring country is unlikely to ease tensions, which have been ongoing since the annexation of Crimea in 2014.
Belarus has said it has no plans to store nuclear weapons on its territory and that the deal does not alter the country’s commitment to disarmament, according to a statement from the country’s foreign ministry.
However, the move has raised concerns in neighboring countries, particularly Poland, which borders Belarus and already hosts American troops and weaponry. A statement from the Polish foreign ministry said the move was “worrisome” and called for dialogue with Russia.
It remains to be seen how the international community will react to the news, but it is likely that it will be met with alarm and condemnation from many quarters.
Credit: https://globalnews.ca/news/9578791/russia-belarus-nuclear-weapons-deal-putin/
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Russian President Vladimir Putin announced plans on Saturday to station tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus, a warning to the West as it steps up military support for Ukraine. Russia plans to maintain control over those it sends to Belarus, and construction of storage facilities for them will be completed by July 1, Putin said. He didn't say how many nuclear weapons Russia would keep in Belarus. The U.S. government believes Russia has about 2,000 tactical nuclear weapons, which include bombs that can be carried by tactical aircraft, warheads for short-range missiles and artillery rounds.
Putin said the move was triggered by Britain's decision this past week to provide Ukraine with armor-piercing rounds containing depleted uranium.
Tactical nuclear weapons are intended for use on the battlefield and have a short range and a low yield compared with much more powerful nuclear warheads fitted to long-range missiles.
Putin argued that by deploying its tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, Russia was following the lead of the United States, noting that the U.S. has nuclear weapons based in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey.
Putin said Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has long asked to have nuclear weapons in his country again as a counter to NATO. Belarus shares borders with three NATO members — Latvia, Lithuania and Poland — and Russia used its territory as a staging ground to send troops into neighboring Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.
The U.S. said it would "monitor the implications" of Putin's announcement. "We have not seen any reason to adjust our own strategic nuclear posture nor any indications Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon," National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said. "We remain committed to the collective defense of the NATO alliance."
Putin had initially objected to the depleted uranium rounds that Britain promised to ship to Ukraine by making the false claim that they have nuclear components. He subsequently toned down his language, but insisted Saturday that the ammunition posed an additional danger to both troops and civilians in Ukraine by leaving a radioactive trace and contaminating agricultural land. "Those weapons are harmful not just for combatants, but also for the people living in those territories and for the environment," he said.
Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who is living in exile, said the agreement to transfer the tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus "underlines the threat to regional security" from Lukashenko's regime. "Europe won't be safe until Belarus dictator is removed & brought before tribunal to face justice for crimes against our country & Ukraine," Tsikhanouskaya wrote in English on Twitter.
The deployment of nuclear weapons in Belarus is a significant escalation in tensions between Russia and the West, and a worrying development in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. It remains to be seen how the US and NATO will respond to this latest move from Putin.
Credit: https://www.npr.org/2023/03/25/1166089485/putin-russia-tactical-nuclear-weapons-belarus
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CTV W5's interview with Russell Peters was one of several we did with members of the comedy industry, for a wide-ranging and nuanced story on how political correctness has changed the world of stand-up comedy. For the full documentary watch "Laugh Attack" Saturday at 7 p.m. on CTV. To watch Sandie Rinaldo's extended interview with Russell Peters, an online exclusive, read to the bottom of the story.
Russell Peters went from a challenging childhood where he was the target of bullying to become one of the biggest names in comedy, known for his sharp observational humour about ethnicity, race and cultural stereotypes.
Rolling Stone magazine lists the 52-year-old Indo-Canadian who was raised in Brampton, Ont. as one of the 50 best comics of all time. He was also one of the highest paid in the world, according to Forbes Magazine; and in 2007, the first comedian to sell out the Air Canada Centre.
Pretty impressive. It’s why when CTV W5 decided to look into how political correctness, "cancel" and "woke culture" were affecting the comedy scene -- given the backlash meted out to high profile comics like Dave Chappelle and Ricky Gervais over their transgender jokes and the notorious slap after actor Will Smith took offence to a comment about his wife, from Chris Rock at the Oscars -- Peters, the man with a reputation for not pulling any punches, became our first choice to interview.
We wanted to know if he was reining in his biting, no-holds-barred humour.
W5 went back and forth with Peters’ people. There were scheduling conflicts on both sides. It took weeks of negotiations and finally we were given a day and time for an interview at Peters’ California home; although it was almost cancelled at the last minute because the comic was juggling touring and down time.
The W5 team arrived at Peters’ sprawling contemporary 8,000 square foot home in L.A.'s San Bernardino Valley. We set up on the main floor in a room jam-packed with Peters' memorabilia next to an open-tread steel and wooden double staircase that ascends to the upper floor against a wall of glass.
Several of his comedy buddies sat outside on the covered patio next to an azure coloured pool.
Peters’ wife Ali, whom he married in February 2022, greeted us warmly. While waiting for her husband to show up, she casually sat on the staircase and chatted about the home’s architecture.
We also talked about the community, where in June of 1994 residents had a front row seat to the infamous OJ Simpson high speed police chase that was followed live on TV and ended with his arrest.
A roar of a sports car pulling into the driveway signalled the arrival of the man-of-the-hour who entered the house and breezed past us to chat with friends and family.
It was only when he recognized us that Peters’ laser focused humour and charm shifted into high gear. He was excited to chat with a group of Canadians about all things Canada; excited to make me laugh.
The interview was quintessential Peters, engaging, energetic and unapologetic. "We are free thinkers. The minute you try to put reins on our brains, you ruin the game."
He went on to emphasize this one important point: if people don’t like his humour, don’t come to his shows. 'I’ve got to service the people that want to hear what I have to say."
Does he have any regrets? Not really. But he tells us, "We made gay jokes freely and we wouldn’t just say gay, we would say 'f—--t.' And that was perfectly normal back then and perfectly acceptable."
"But your job is to push the envelope," Peters added, "and then you understand that the envelope keeps moving away. So I was constantly chasing the envelope."
Peters had lots more to say about political correctness that some will find entertaining, others, offensive, and you can watch "Laugh Attack" on CTV W5 Saturday at 7 p.m.
An explosion at a chocolate factory in Pennsylvania on Friday killed two people and left five people missing, authorities said. One person was pulled from the rubble overnight.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced plans on Saturday to station tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus, a warning to the West as it steps up military support for Ukraine.
Former Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz says Canada’s economy is at a greater risk of a 'hard landing' — a rapid economic slowdown following a period of growth and approaching a recession.
A recent study by the Angus Reid Institute found Canadians view their country more positively than Americans do, but only a slight majority of people in Canada believe their system of government is good.
Within the last decade the total suicide rate among European nations have decreased, according to a new report that says increased suicide prevention initiatives may have helped bring down this death rate.
The top commander of Ukraine's military said Saturday that his forces were pushing back against Russian troops in the long and grinding battle for the town of Bakhmut, and British military intelligence says Russia appears to be moving to a defensive strategy in eastern Ukraine.
Staring down a possible indictment, a defiant Donald Trump is hoping to put on a show of force Saturday at the first rally of his 2024 presidential campaign, in a city made famous by deadly resistance against law enforcement.
U.S President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have announced updates on a number of cross-border issues, after a day of meetings on Parliament Hill.
About a dozen asylum seekers hoping to start a new life in Canada saw their plans hit a snag on Saturday afternoon when they learned an unofficial crossing between the Canadian and U.S. border no longer offered the safe passage they'd come to expect.
Credit: https://www.ctvnews.ca/w5/comedian-russell-peters-doesn-t-pull-punches-in-climate-of-cancel-culture-political-correctness-1.6325489
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An astrophotographer from southern Ontario captured Thursday night’s display of the Aurora Borealis, and has offered some tips and tricks for catching a glimpse of them yourself tonight. Trevor Jones, of St. Catharines, Ont., explained that the northern lights are a result of the solar wind from the sun sending charged solar particles towards Earth which can be seen at the poles during a geomagnetic storm. If the storm is strong enough and far enough south in latitude, it can be seen in southern Ontario.
To get the best view of the Aurora Borealis, astrophotographer Trevor Jones says the most important thing is to have clear skies. If it's cloudy, you'll miss them altogether. He also recommends getting away from the light pollution of the city and allowing your eyes to adjust to the dark for at least 25 minutes for optimal viewing.
Travelling to a dark-sky preserve, areas where light pollution has been nearly eliminated, will give viewers the best shot at a vivid show. Canada has 13 federally-designated dark-sky preserves, areas where light pollution is kept to a minimum or eliminated completely. Three provincial parks in Ontario have an official dark-sky designation as well, such as Binbrook Conservation Area in Niagara and Torrance Barrens in Gravenhurst.
One of the ways that sets Thursday night’s aurora borealis apart was the fact that it was also seen in southern Ontario when residents reported seeing the northern lights in downtown Toronto. Astrophotographer Trevor Jones caught the lights “dancing overhead” in St. Catharines Thursday night and was among a number of photographers who captured Thursday's recent solar event.
Elsewhere in the world, an explosion at a chocolate factory in Pennsylvania on Friday killed two people and left five people missing. In Canada, a recent study by the Angus Reid Institute found that Canadians view their country more positively than Americans do, but only a slight majority of people in Canada believe their system of government is good. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced plans on Saturday to station tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus, a warning to the West as it steps up military support for Ukraine.
Credit: https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-photographer-captures-thursday-s-northern-lights-reveals-how-best-to-see-them-tonight-1.6327692
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Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka said she struggled to understand the “hate” she encountered in the locker room amid strained relations between some players following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The world number two has previously said she has nothing against Ukrainian people and felt bad for them as Moscow’s action rages on. Belarus has been a staging area for the invasion, which Moscow calls a “special military operation.”
“It was really tough for me because I’ve never faced that much hate in the locker room,” Sabalenka said ahead of the Miami Open. “There are a lot of haters on Instagram when you’re losing matches, but in the locker room, I’ve never faced that. It was really tough to understand that there’s so many people who hate me for no reason. I did nothing.”
Australian Open champion Sabalenka lost in the final of Indian Wells to Elena Rybakina on Sunday. Earlier in the tournament, Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko withdrew from her match against Sabalenka over a panic attack triggered by a conversation with WTA chief Steve Simon about tennis’s response to Russia’s invasion.
Sabalenka said she had been having “weird conversations” with members of some players’ teams in the last year. “It was really tough, but now it’s getting better,” she said.
World number one Iga Swiatek has called for more support to be offered to Ukrainian players, saying the tennis leadership was not doing enough, but two-time grand slam champion Victoria Azarenka of Belarus said that was not the case. “There are certain players that have different feelings and behaviors. Overall, I don’t necessarily share the same opinion as Iga does,” Azarenka said.
“I’d encourage her to look at the things that have been done before she makes comments. As a player council member, I’m happy to provide the facts. That would be a more appropriate way to have that conversation.”
Credit: https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/22/tennis/aryna-sabalenka-locker-room-hate-spt-intl/index.html
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World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, who is from Belarus, said she struggled to understand the "hate" she encountered in the locker room amid strained relations between some players following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Belarus has been a staging area for the invasion, which Russia calls a "special operation." Players from Russia and Belarus are banned from competing on the WTA and ATP tours under their flags but can compete as individual athletes without national affiliation.
Last year, Wimbledon organizers banned players from the two countries from competing in the grass-court event. Among those not eligible to participate were Sabalenka, a Wimbledon semifinalist in 2021, and Russia's Daniil Medvedev, who at the time was the men's world No. 1.
"It was really tough for me because I've never faced that much hate in the locker room," Sabalenka, speaking Tuesday ahead of the Miami Open, said of the ongoing geopolitical strain. "There are a lot of haters on Instagram when you're losing matches, but in the locker room, I've never faced that.
"It was really tough to understand that there's so many people who hate me for no reason. I did nothing."
Sabalenka said she had been having "weird conversations" with members of some players' teams in the last year.
"It was really tough but now it's getting better," she said.
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek has called for more support to be offered to Ukrainian players, saying the tennis leadership was not doing enough, but two-time Grand Slam champion Victoria Azarenka of Belarus said that was not the case.
"There are certain players that have different feelings and behaviors. Overall, I don't necessarily share the same opinion as Iga does," Azarenka said Tuesday. "I'd encourage her to look at the things that have been done before she makes comments. As a player council member, I'm happy to provide the facts. That would be a more appropriate way to have that conversation."
Tensions between tennis players continue to be high amid the ongoing geopolitical strain between Russia and Ukraine, leading to difficulties within the locker room. Despite differences in opinion, players like Sabalenka are pushing for a more supportive and understanding environment, while others like Azarenka seek to provide a clearer perspective on the situation.
Information from Reuters was included in this report.
Credit: https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/35915775/belarus-aryna-sabalenka-faced-hate-locker-room-russian-invasion
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