# Brittney Griner: A Case Study in the Intersection of Sports, Gender, and Geopolitics

## Introduction

The case of Brittney Griner represents a stark illustration of how international politics, gender dynamics, and celebrity status can converge to create a complex web of human rights concerns and diplomatic maneuvering.

As a professional American basketball player who became an unwitting pawn in international relations, Griner's experience illuminates the vulnerabilities faced by athletes who compete globally, particularly women of color navigating foreign legal systems.

## The Arrest and Legal Proceedings

Brittney Griner, a two-time Olympic champion and WNBA star, was arrested on February 17, 2022, at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport upon her arrival for a professional basketball season.

Russian customs officials discovered vape cartridges containing 0.

702 grams of hashish oil in her luggage.

This seemingly minor incident—Griner stated she accidentally packed the cartridges—escalated into a nine-year prison

# Brittney Griner: A Case Study in the Intersection of Sports, Gender, and Geopolitics

## Introduction

The case of Brittney Griner represents a stark illustration of how international politics, gender dynamics, and celebrity status can converge to create a complex web of human rights concerns and diplomatic maneuvering.

Title:

Content: Cherelle Griner on Wife Brittney’s Russian Prison Sentence: Feels Like She’s a ‘Hostage’

WNBA star Brittney Griner’s wife, Cherelle, said Wednesday on “CBS Mornings” that it felt like Brittney Griner was a hostage in Russia after she was sentenced to nine years in prison in Russia for having cannabis vape cartridges in her luggage.

Griner’s appeal of her sentence has been scheduled for October 25.

Griner said, “It’s like a movie for me. I’m like, in no world did I ever thought our president and a foreign nation president would be sitting down having to discuss the freedom of my wife. So to me, as much as everybody’s telling me a different definition of what BG is, it feels to me as if she’s a hostage.”

Co-host Gayle King said, “That must scare you.”

Griner said, “It terrifies me because when you watch movies sometimes those situations don’t end well. Sometimes they never get the person back.”

King said, “This is not a movie, though. This is your life.”

Griner said, “Exactly, this is my life. And so I’m sitting here saying do we get her back? Do I get to see my wife again? Everything is so unprecedented. Everything is changeable, I think, is a really good word. I feel like every day I’m hearing something new.”

Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN

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Content: Skip to main content

Brittney Griner Reveals What Happened At Russian Airport

With Brittney Griner pleading guilty to drug charges in Russia, new details on what happened leading to her arrest have been revealed.

Appearing in court this week, Griner pleaded guilty to bringing hashish oil into Russia. She asked the judge for mercy and said that she had done so inadvertently.

Griner explained that she accidentally packed vape cartridges into her luggage, leading to her detainment. She said she had no intention of breaking the law.

"I'd like to plead guilty, your honor. But there was no intent. I didn't want to break the law," Griner said.

Unfortunately for Brittney Griner, pleading guilty won't mean the end for her court proceedings in Russia. Far from it.

Russian courts can drag on the proceedings for months as the judge lists off charges and reads the full case record into.

Griner will give her full testimony on July 14 and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted for large-scale transportation of drugs.

But according to ESPN, this may be part of a diplomatic strategy to bring Griner home in a prisoner swap. Though it may also be an acknowledgement that an acquittal was impossible.

The bar for being acquitted in Russia is already extremely high given the nation's high conviction rate. And even if found acquitted, Russian courts can overturn the acquittal anyway.

Will this move get us any steps closer to bringing Brittney Griner back?

Title:

Content: • June 22, 2022, 00: 33
The White House admitted the guilt of its Embassy in the difficulties of communication with the detained in Russia basketball player
White house: detained basketball player Greiner did not get home due to the fault of the US Embassy
American basketball player Brittney Greiner, who was detained in Russia, was unable to reach her family due to the fault of the employees of the US Embassy in Moscow.
This information was confirmed by the press Secretary of the White House Karin Jean-Pierre.
“It was an unfortunate mistake.
The US State Department is working to eliminate it as soon as possible, ” Jean-Pierre said during a regular briefing for journalists.
Quote from Tass.
So the press Secretary of the White house commented on reports of Griner ’ s attempts to get home.
The basketball player on June 18 wanted to contact his wife Sherell in Phoenix.
She called 11 times on the number provided by American diplomats, but was unable to talk to his wife.
“I understand that [this] telephone conversation is scheduled.
I will not talk about when [it will take place], decide whether to disclose this information, it is necessary for the wife of Brittney Greiner, ” said Jean-Pierre.
She also said that she has nothing to say about the meeting of the US Joe Biden with the basketball player.
At the same time, she promised that the authorities will do everything to bring the detained Americans home.
Brittney Gainer was detained at Sheremetyevo when they found a prohibited substance in a vape capsule.
Against the athlete opened a criminal case and sent to the detention center.

Title:

Content: Kremlin says Griner swap must be discussed without publicity

MOSCOW (AP) — The Kremlin says it’s open to talking about a possible prisoner exchange involving American basketball star Brittney Griner but strongly warned Washington against publicizing the issue. A judge convicted the 31-year-old Griner Thursday of drug possession and smuggling, and sentenced her to nine years in prison. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke last week to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov about a trade to free Griner, and the two of them were both in Cambodia for an Asian summit on Friday. Lavrov said Moscow was “ready to discuss” a prisoner swap but that U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir only could talk about a deal via confidential channels.

Dodgers' Kershaw on IL with low back pain; Taylor activated

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers placed left-hander Clayton Kershaw on the 15-day injured list, one day after he left a start with lower back pain. This marks the 34-year-old Kershaw’s second trip to the injured list this season. He was previously sidelined with inflammation in a pelvic joint. Kershaw had an X-ray and an MRI on Friday, but Dave Roberts didn’t know the results of the MRI prior to Los Angeles’ game against San Diego. Roberts said Kershaw was sore on Friday. Roberts said he’s hesitant to give a timeline until they have results of the MRI.

Chun takes halfway lead at Women's British Open

MUIRFIELD, Scotland (AP) — In Gee Chun is making another strong run at a major. The South Korean golfer took the halfway lead at the Women’s British Open after a 5-under 66 in the second round. She's in position to challenge for a second major title of the year and fourth overall. Chun had an 8-under total of 134, putting her one shot ahead of South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai and Sweden’s Madelene Sagstrom. They both shot 65. Seven-time major winner Inbee Park of South Korea is a shot further back after a 67.

Tom Kim going places in a hurry, among leaders at Wyndham

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Joohyung Kim began the Wyndham Championship with a quadruple bogey. Now the 20-year-old South Korean who goes by “Tom” is among the leaders. Kim has made 14 birdies at Sedgefield Country Club since that 8 on his first hole. His 64 put him at 9-under 131 along with Ryan Moore and Brandon Wu. It's been a whirlwind month for Kim. He finished third at the Scottish Open. That sent him on his way to being assured of a PGA Tour card for next season. Moore has a lingering back problem and needs a solo second to regain a full card.

Column: NFL lets bad boy owners get off with slap on wrist

After Donald Sterling’s racist ramblings were exposed to the world, the NBA moved quickly to banish him from the league. Sure, the forced sale of the Los Angeles Clippers made Sterling even richer, but it sent a clear signal that such behavior would not be tolerated, even from the guys with the biggest checkbooks. Then there’s the NFL, which seems content to let its bad boy owners slide with nothing more than a slap on the wrist. Tampering with some of the game’s biggest names? Suggesting it would be a good idea to lose games intentionally? No problem.

Union files brief replying to NFL’s appeal in Watson case

CANTON, Ohio (AP) — The NFL Players Association has filed a brief replying to the league’s appeal in Deshaun Watson’s discipline case. Former New Jersey Attorney General Peter C. Harvey now has the necessary paperwork to issue a ruling. Harvey was selected by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to hear the league’s appeal of the six-game suspension given to Watson for violating the personal conduct policy. The players’ union announced the reply brief shortly before Friday’s deadline but didn’t release its contents because it’s confidential.

Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. to begin rehab assignment

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A San Antonio this weekend. Tatis took batting practice with the Padres at Dodger Stadium before the beginning of a weekend series and then left for Texas. Tatis has been sidelined since having surgery in mid-March on his fractured left, reportedly suffered in an offseason motorcycle accident in his native Dominican Republic. Although there’s no timetable for his return, starting the rehab assignment is a big step for Tatis and the Padres.

Arsenal opens EPL with 2-0 win at Crystal Palace

LONDON (AP) — Arsenal’s newcomers have made an immediate impact by opening the English Premier League beating host Crystal Palace 2-0. Left back Oleksandr Zinchenko set up the opening goal in the first half while striker Gabriel Jesus created a number of chances and defender William Saliba put in a near-flawless performance in his first start for Arsenal. The Gunners still had to endure a nervy second half before Bukayo Saka’s attempted cross was deflected into his own net by Palace defender Marc Guehi in the 85th.

Astros manager Dusty Baker tests positive for COVID-19

CLEVELAND (AP) — Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker tested positive for COVID-19 prior to Friday night’s game against the Cleveland Guardians. Baker held his usual pregame availability with the media about two hours before the 7:10 p.m. game. The announcement of the positive test came after the game started. Baker, 73, is in his third season as Houston’s manager. Bench coach Joe Espada filled in for Baker against Cleveland. The Astros lead the AL West by 11 1/2 games over Seattle.

Pro Football Hall of Fame recognizes women's impact

CANTON, Ohio (AP) — A 15-year-old boy made his way through the The Pro Football Hall of Fame museum, checking out the memorabilia and bronze busts before stopping to take a picture of Jen Welter’s blue-and-pink jersey to send to his younger sister. Welter became the first woman to coach an NFL game in 2015 when she joined the Arizona Cardinals as an assistant coaching intern for training camp and the preseason. The shirt, pants and sneakers she wore on the sideline in all four exhibition games are on display at a new exhibit in the Pro Football Today area of the museum. The “Women’s Impact on Football” exhibit debuted ahead of this week’s enshrinement festivities.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Title:

Content: Russian Federation
Moscow
+ 24 °
Sport4 August 2022 14: 54
Russian court finds American basketball player Grainer guilty of drug smuggling
The athlete apologized to the UMMC team and relatives
Russian court finds American basketball player Grainer guilty of drug smuggling
Photo by GLOBAL LOOK PRESS
A Russian court found American basketball player Brittney Greiner guilty of drug smuggling.
“Brittney Yvette has smuggled drugs, possession of drugs, ” RIA Novosti quoted Judge Anna Sotnikova as saying.
During the debate, the prosecutor asked to appoint the athlete 9.5 years of a general regime colony and a fine of 1 million rubles.
According to him, there are no mitigating or aggravating circumstances in the case.
The sentence will be announced later.
Meanwhile, the defense said that the examination of the substance was carried out in violation, as evidenced by the review of the candidate of chemical sciences questioned in court.
Lawyer Maria Blagolina called on the court to acquit the basketball player.
“This was an honest mistake that I made, collecting things in a hurry and experiencing post-coid stress, ” the defendant said, and apologized to the UMMC team and relatives.
The basketball player was detained at Moscow ’ s Sheremetyevo airport in early March 2022.
Brittney Greiner was charged with drug smuggling.
The athlete has performed in Russia since 2015.
In addition, she twice won Olympic gold with the American team.

Title:

Content: games

Why Isn’t Brittney Griner the Biggest Sports Story in the Country?

Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

The second-best player in every sport is a superstar at a level that 99.999 percent of professional athletes — who are already the elite of the elite of the elite — will never come close to achieving. Joel Embiid finished second in NBA MVP voting last year; in baseball (a sport once actively played in this country), it was Vladimir Guerrero Jr.; and in football, it was Tom Brady.

In the WNBA, the Phoenix Mercury’s Brittney Griner earned this distinction last year. She was second in scoring, sixth in rebounds, first in blocks (she’s on track to become the WNBA’s all-time leader in that category), and, according to most advanced metrics, the best offensive player in the league. Her résumé is glittering: She won an NCAA national championship for Baylor in 2012, the same year she captured college basketball’s Player of the Year Award. She then won a WNBA championship in 2014 and was selected as one of the best 25 players in league history in 2021. She has two Olympic gold medals to her name. In the gold-medal game against Japan in Tokyo last summer, she dominated, scoring 30 points to clinch an easy victory. She is the apex of her sport. She is the best of the best. She is a legend.

And for more than a month now, she has been in the custody of the Russian government. Yet until Russian officials released a statement over the weekend saying they had detained Griner after finding hashish oil in her airport bag, it seemed that nobody had noticed. And the reaction since the arrest has been stunningly quiet. One of the greatest athletes in American sports — a gold-medal winner, a superstar, a champion — was arrested in a dangerous and volatile country that has suddenly become a pariah on the world stage. Making equivalences between sports only takes you so far here, but seriously: Imagine if Tom Brady were being held by Russian officials right now.

It is unclear how directly Griner’s plight connects to the catastrophic Russian invasion of Ukraine, and her detention has been overshadowed by the death and destruction wrought by Putin. And part of the muted response is likely due to sensitivity of the negotiations between Russian and American officials. Griner’s wife asked for privacy on Instagram, and it’s clear the precariousness of the situation has led to a certain institutional resistance to even mentioning it: That WNBA.com doesn’t include a single story about one of the organization’s best players being detained speaks to this dynamic. It is also worth remembering, as ESPN’s T.J. Quinn did on Monday, that Griner, whatever the specifics, is likely in some danger; Quinn noted that “as a 6-9 Black gay American woman, she’s a powerful cultural symbol,” and “even in the best case, she’s in for a long legal slog in the Russian criminal justice system. And there’s little the US govt can do about it.”

Another motive the WNBA may have for staying quiet is its own culpability in the situation. The reason Griner was in Russia in the first place — to play off-season basketball, as she has done there for years — is that the league does not pay its superstars the way other sports leagues do. As Tom Ley from Defector pointed out:

The league’s low salaries and minimal efforts towards player support have for years forced even its biggest stars to treat their time in the WNBA as a part-time job. The maximum WNBA salary in 2022 was just over $228,000, and players can make far more than that playing in leagues overseas. In 2015, Diana Taurasi was paid $1.5 million to skip the WNBA season entirely and play for UMMC Ekaterinburg, and Liz Cambage recently revealed that she has made “five to eight times” as much money playing overseas than she has in the WNBA.

Before you say, “Well, the WNBA isn’t as popular in the NBA; of course Griner wouldn’t make as much as LeBron,” remember this: The WNBA has a salary cap, and one that’s particularly suppressive of superstar wages. Griner only made $221,450 for the 2021–2022 season, which is less than a third of the minimum salary in the NHL, but nevertheless classifies her as the fourth-highest-paid player in the WNBA. A new CBA signed two years ago was supposed to address these issues, yet there was Griner, making a mint playing for UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia. The WNBA’s MVP last year, Connecticut Sun forward Jonquel Jones, plays for the same Russian team. She got out of the country just after the invasion of Ukraine began.

Liz Cambage, a star for the Los Angeles Sparks, has noted that players can make “five to eight times more money” for Russian teams than they do in the WNBA, despite the league being by far the most high-profile women’s basketball league in the world. And restricted cash flow isn’t the only problem for players: Just last week, the league fined the New York Liberty $500,000 for chartering flights to games, claiming this gave the Liberty a “competitive advantage.” (For perspective, almost every team in the collegiate NCAA tournament next week will arrive at their destinations via chartered flight.) Griner didn’t choose to go play in Russia. The league left her no choice.

The precarity of Griner’s position in Russia may give the WNBA a good reason to stay quiet about her case. But perhaps the league would also prefer not to dwell on how she ended up in this situation in the first place.

In any case, it’s not just the WNBA downplaying this story. There was also no mention of Griner on the front pages of ESPN.com, CBS Sports, and SI.com just 48 hours after news of her arrest landed.

This strange reaction comes at a time when the WNBA has surged in popularity. Last year’s finals, featuring Griner’s Mercury, put up the highest ratings ever, a full 49 percent jump from 2020. This is partly because of the league’s activism, which has increased its visibility in a dramatic way. And Griner has been right in the middle of it all, wearing Breonna Taylor’s name on her jersey and speaking out in favor of LGBTQ+ issues since before she even entered the NBA. She was also the first openly gay athlete ever signed to an endorsement deal with Nike. Her teammate Diana Taurasi, perhaps the best player in WNBA history, called Griner “a pioneer.”

And still, relative silence.

As Griner sits in detention in Russia, as a result of a system that is set up to devalue her and other stars at every corner, it would be nice if her plight received attention commensurate with its seriousness.

Why Isn’t Brittney Griner the Biggest Sports Story?

Title:

Content: A Russian court has ruled against the American basketball star.
Biden called it "unacceptable".
08 / 04 / 2022 | 19: 10 - Source: Free
A Russian court has sentenced American basketball star Britney Grainer to nine years in prison after she was convicted of drug trafficking and possession.
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Content: The open letter to President Biden, written by hand and released on the Fourth of July, tore at the heart. This is the unfortunate plight of Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner, wrongfully detained for 143 days and counting in a godforsaken gulag 6,000 miles from home.

“As I sit here in a Russian prison,” Griner wrote, “alone with my thoughts and without the protection of my wife, family, friends, Olympic jersey, or any accomplishments, I’m terrified I might be here forever.” She went on to beseech Biden: “I realize you are dealing with so much, but please don’t forget about me and the other American Detainees. Please do all you can to bring us home.”

We have been told by the White House press secretary that Biden has read the letter. We also have been told his Administration will “use every tool we possibly can” to bring Griner home. I hope so, because Russian news reports have said Griner, arrested on Feb. 17th, faces up to 10 years in prison for allegedly having .702 grams of hash oil in two vape cartridges in her luggage. She pleaded guilty to drug charges on July 7.

Biden and the U.S. State Department should use every tool in America’s toolbox to secure Griner’s release – exactly as he should on behalf of the more than 60 Americans currently held hostage in foreign countries.

Like Paul Whelan, a former Marine wrongfully detained in Russia since 2018. Like “the Citgo 6,” petroleum executives wrongfully held in Venezuela since 2017. And like Alina Lopez-Miyares, wrongfully locked up in a Cuban prison since January 2017.

In a more just world, we would care about all these Americans with the same vigor and at the same loud volume. The truth? As a culture, we have a limited attention span, a finite amount of compassion we spend in dollops – a sprinkling for the homeless here, a few spoonsful for the struggling poor there, and a drip or two for Brittney Griner.

Is that right? I don’t think so. I wish

we had an endless reserve of compassion, enough to go around in the right proportions.

Even so, I disagree wholeheartedly with Mercury head coach Vanessa Nygaard, who took dead aim at America in comments supporting Griner last week.

“If it was LeBron, he’d be home, right?” Nygaard declared. “It’s a statement about the value of women. It’s a statement about the value of a black person. It’s a statement about the value of a gay person. All of those. We know it.”

Actually, it’s a statement about how little we pay attention to wrongful detainees and their suffering. Virtually no one save the families of the imprisoned has made a peep about wrongfully imprisoned Americans anywhere, about Whelan, the Citgo 6, or Lopez-Miyares. This silence has nothing to do with race, gender, or who someone loves. It has everything to do with our culture’s capacity to empathize.

Nygaard seems to think if Griner was male, white and straight, America would be threatening nuclear war. Reality says otherwise. Nygaard is correct about one thing, though. If Lebron James was wrongfully imprisoned, Americans would be rioting in the streets.

That has everything to do with celebrity, which is the only reason you have heard about Brittney Griner’s case at all. If Griner couldn’t dribble, couldn’t dunk, wasn’t a six-time WBNA All-Star, her imprisonment would be occurring in silence.

Nygaard is dead wrong about for whom we care and why. We reserve the greatest compassion for the most famous among us – that is a perverted truth about the American way.

I hope Brittney Griner comes home soon. And I hope we bring every other wrongfully detained American home with her.

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Look: Steph Curry's Brittney Griner Message Goes Viral

On Tuesday, Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors visited the White House to celebrate their 2022 NBA title.

As reigning Finals MVP and the face of the Warriors franchise, Curry took the podium during today's White House press briefing.

During his speech, the superstar point guard thanked the Biden Administration for their role in getting WNBA star Brittney Griner back to the United States after her wrongful imprisonment in Russia.

“A great opportunity for us, from the basketball community, to thank President Biden and his staff for all their hard work and diligence in getting Brittney Griner home," he said, per NBA TV.

Curry was an outspoken supporter of Griner's during her detention in Russia over the past year. Even after her return to the United States, he remains grateful for the work done to get her home.

Just last night, Curry dropped 41 points in a 127-118 win over the Washington Wizards. The Warriors are now 22-22 and seventh place in the Western Conference.

Title:

Content: CNN: Russia sentences American athlete to 9 years in prison
WNBA star Britney Greener was sentenced by a Russian court to 9 years in prison for carrying one gram of cannabis oil in her luggage.
She was also sentenced to a fine of 1 million rubles ($16,400), according to RBC-Ukraine.
This is reported by CNN.
Griner was found guilty of drug smuggling, which, according to the judge, she committed intentionally.
Griner was arrested with less than one gram of cannabis oil in her luggage at Moscow ’ s Sheremetyevo International Airport on February 17.
She said it was an "honest mistake" because of the hasty build.
Her lawyers argued that if Griner ever used medical marijuana, it was only at home, in Arizona, where it is legal, very rarely, in the short periods between competitions and on vacation, only on prescription due to her severe pain from sports injuries.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist apologized in her final statement in court and asked him for leniency, explaining that she had no intention of violating Russian laws.
Defenders of the athletes noted that they will certainly appeal the decision.
The reaction of the US authorities
U.S. President Joe Biden called Greener ’ s sentence “unacceptable. ”
Today, Brittney Greener, an American citizen, received a prison sentence that is another reminder of what the world already knew: Russia is holding Brittney unlawfully.
"This is unacceptable and I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends and teammates," he said.
U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said the decision “further reinforces the injustice of her unlawful detention ” and“ draws attention to our serious concern about the Russian legal system and the Russian government ’ s use of illegal detentions to advance its cause. ”
The director of strategic communications of the national security Council of the United States John Kirby pointed to the “serious offer ” of the States to exchange prisoners with the Russians and said that the United States will seek access to the consulate in Griner.
Authorities say they are still working to get Greiner back home.
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Donald Trump Jr goes on vile rant attacking Brittney Griner after Russia release

Donald Trump Jr – son of the former President – has lashed out at WBNA star Brittney Griner, following her release from a Russian penal colony this week.

While many people shared their joy at her freedom, Trump Jr instead criticised the release and attacked her sporting skills.

He also made a string of jabs at President Joe Biden, who announced Griner’s release on Thursday (8 December), which was made in exchange for Russian criminal Viktor Bout, who was being held in the United States.

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Trump Jr referred to Griner as “an awful America hating WNBA player”, and in a series of tweets, attacked both President Biden’s negotiations for the queer WNBA star and Griner’s general allegiance to the nation.

Her release was celebrated by friends, teammates and celebrities.

Griner’s release drew much wider celebration on Thursday when Biden announced she was free and on her way back to the US, ending nearly 10 months of detainment in Russia on drug charges.

Griner was sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony in August for possession of a small amount of cannabis oil.

Where Trump Jr railed against Griner’s release, the voices of the LGBTQ+ community rang loudly.

“Britney Griner’s long awaited release is a relief for her wife, teammates, fans and all in the LGBTQ+ community who recognized the extreme danger she faced as an out gay Black woman detained in Putin’s Russia,” GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement.

“Britney’s wife Cherelle never gave up fighting for her safe return, and president Biden and the State Department never wavered in their commitment to the Griners and the LGBTQ+ community on Britney’s behalf. We can’t wait to welcome Britney home.”

Activists on Twitter were quick to point out the efforts of Black queer feminists toward Griner’s release, hoping voices from the grassroots are not drowned out by diplomacy.

Griner’s release was most poignantly celebrated by her wife Cherelle, who, speaking in the Oval Office, expressed gratitude and overwhelm for the reunion of her family.

“So over the last nine months, you all have been so privy to one of the darkest moments of my life, and so today I’m just standing here overwhelmed with emotions, but the most important emotion that I have right now is just sincere gratitude for president Biden and his entire administration,” she said.

Griner landed in the US on Friday (9 December) at a Texas airbase.

How did this story make you feel?

Title:

Content: Brittney Griner Sends Message to Wife as Russian Trial Continues

by Bryan Fyalkowski

Brittney Griner held up a photo of her wife, Cherelle, and had a message for her that she wanted to share:

“Good luck on the bar exam.”

Griner was able to speak with ABC News in-between sessions at her Russian trial on Tuesday. The courtroom is in Khimki, which is a suburb of Moscow.

Per Cherelle’s Instagram account, she graduated from law school in May. She recently shared a photo on June 29 and said she would be taking a break from social media until July 28, after she took her exam.

Griner and Cherelle Watson met while in college at Baylor. They linked up again when they both landed on the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury in 2013. Griner was married to Glory Johnson from 2015-to-2016, but then got divorced. She proposed to Cherelle in 2018 and they got married in 2019.

In June 2020, Griner posted on Instagram a memory of the first time she and Cherelle met:

“I will never forget the day I met you at Baylor in the sub area!” Griner wrote. “You had no idea but I knew you were the one for me baby.”

Brittney Griner Mural in Washington D.C. Almost One Week Old

Last Monday in Washington D.C., an artist named Isaac Campbell put up a 15-foot tall mural of Brittney Griner and other “wrongfully detained” Americans.

Photos of the 18 people on the mural were provided by loved ones in the Bring Our Families Home campaign. The non-profit is dedicated to returning 64 known hostages from overseas back to the United States.

Once Campbell received all the photos, he enlarged and printed them onto paper. After that, he affixed the photos to the wall using flour, water and sugar. It created a non-toxic, biodegradable glue. He says it took eight hours to construct.

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Title:

Content: Russian Federation
Moscow
+ 31 °
Worldwide21 June 2022 10: 27
Wife arrested in Russia for drugs basketball player Greiner said that does not trust the US authorities
He criticized the American authorities.
Brittney Greiner, photo: FCS of Russia
The wife of the American basketball player Brittney Grainer, Sherell Grainer, who was arrested in Russia, criticized the US government and said that she no longer trusts him.
Last Saturday, Sherell Greiner tried to reach his wife, which was done for the first time after receiving the approval of the Russian government.
The call was scheduled for two weeks, but it did not take place, because on Saturday the desired phone at the Embassy was not an employee who could connect the basketball player with her wife.
On Monday, Sherell ’ s lawyers reported that Brittney also wanted to call 11 times in a matter of hours.
“I find this unacceptable, I currently have no confidence in our government, ” Sherell Greiner told The Associated Press.
Recall that in February 2022, Brittney Greiner, who arrived on a flight from New York, was detained at Sheremetyevo Airport for having “vapes ” with a liquid with a specific odor in her carry-on baggage.
A criminal case was opened on the smuggling of narcotic drugs, now the athlete faces up to 10 years in prison.
Earlier it was reported that in Moscow extended the term of arrest for basketball player UMMC Brittney Greiner.
The American athlete, who is accused of drug smuggling, will stay in the detention center until June 18.

Title:

Content: American diplomat fainted in court in the case of Brittney Greiner
Earlier it was reported that the athlete, accused of smuggling drugs, arrived in the Khimki court for the next meeting.
© Video: TRK VS RF "Zvezda" © Photo: TRK VS RF "ZVEZDA"
Read us on:
A representative of the American Embassy fainted at a meeting in the Khimki court.
The incident occurred during the trial of basketball player Brittney Greiner.
The judge was adjourned until 14.30 Wednesday, July 27.
Earlier it was reported that the athlete came to court.
There was supposed to be another meeting there today.
Grainer is charged with drug smuggling.
The basketball game is scheduled for tomorrow.
At the last meeting, on July 15, the defense presented in court a permit issued in the United States by the Arizona Department of Health for the use of medical cannabis.
It was alleged that the athlete complained of severe pain.
The tests were also presented, which were taken as part of the anti-doping inspection, they showed the absence of prohibited substances.
Brittney Greiner was detained at Sheremetyevo Airport on February 17 after a banned substance was found in her luggage.
Now she faces up to ten years in prison.
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Content: Russian news agency 18 +
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Thursday, August 4, 2022, 19: 09 GMT
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American basketball player sentenced to 9 years in prison for drug smuggling
The Khimki court of the Moscow region on Thursday, August 4, sentenced American basketball player Brittney Greiner to nine years in a general regime colony with a fine of one million rubles for smuggling hash oil, RIA Novosti reports.
According to RIA Novosti, at the beginning of the sentence, Judge Anna Sotnikova said: “Gryner Brittney Yvette smuggled drugs, possession of drugs. ”
Greiner was found guilty.
228 (illegal acquisition, storage, transportation of drugs without the purpose of sale), etc.
2 of Art. 229.1 (smuggling of narcotic drugs in a significant amount) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.
It should be noted that the court took into account the partial admission of guilt and the sporting achievements of Grainer as mitigating circumstances.
In the debate of the parties, the prosecutor asked to appoint the athlete nine and a half years of a general regime colony, since, in his opinion, there were no mitigating or aggravating circumstances in the case.
In turn, the defense in its speech indicated that the examination of the substance was conducted with a violation, as evidenced by the review of the candidate of chemical sciences interrogated in court.
In this regard, lawyer Grainer Maria Blagolina asked the court to acquit the basketball player, and in the case of a conviction to impose a sentence below the lower limit and conditionally.
During the consideration of the case, it became known that she was prescribed marijuana by a doctor from Arizona instead of traditional painkillers due to the side effects of the latter.
She said in her final statement: “It was an honest mistake that I made, picking things up in a hurry and experiencing post-coid stress. ”
During the last word, Brittney Greiner also apologized to the UMMC team and relatives.
The White House called the decision unacceptable, demanded the release of the athlete.
U.S. President Joe Biden has called Greiner ’ s sentence “unacceptable. ”
He said his administration would use "all possible means" to bring Brittney Greiner and Paul Whelan back to the United States as soon as possible.
Moscow, Ivan Baburin
© 2022, RIA "New Day"
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Content: Tulsi Gabbard Questions Kamala Harris ‘Hypocrisy’ on Brittney Griner After Prosecuting Marijuana Crimes as California AG

Friday on FNC’s “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) criticized Vice President Kamala Harris for her double standard of justice on WNBA player Brittney Griner.

Griner was sentenced to nine years in Russia for violating Russian drug laws after being caught in possession of cannabis vape cartridges.

Gabbard compared Harris’ remarks calling for Griner’s release to her time as California’s attorney general and having prosecuted and incarcerated those charged with marijuana possession.

“[A]nother note of hypocrisy coming from Kamala Harris and this administration is, as you mentioned, how, during her illustrious record as Attorney General in California, you gave some of those examples,” Gabbard said. “She kept prisoners in prison longer than their sentences to use them as free slave labor. Yet, at the same time, these very same people are condemning other countries for doing the exact same thing. It doesn’t make any sense.”

“The thing that struck me when I saw Kamala Harris’s tweet and her statement expressing this outrage about Brittney Griner, first of all, let me say, I don’t think anybody anywhere in the world should be imprisoned for marijuana possession,” she continued. “Period. Full stop. When you look at Kamala Harris’ statement on Twitter, she is expressing this outrage about Brittney Griner. My question for her and the Biden administration is, where is your outrage for your fellow Americans who are sitting in prison today here in the United States of America because of minor marijuana violations?”

“How come you are not fighting as hard for them to be returned home and reunited with their families as you are for Brittney Griner?” Gabbard added. “And to me, the message to the American people through their actions is loud and clear. It is that if you are rich and powerful or famous, then you will get special treatment from this administration. If you are not, we don’t care about you, and we’re going to let you sit there and rot in jail.”

Follow Jeff Poor on Twitter @jeff_poor

Title:

Content: Direct updates, the best moments of the third game of the WNBA Finals
The White House announced on Friday that President Joe Biden plans to meet at the White House on Friday with family members of WNBA star Britney Greiner and Michigan corporate security chief Paul Whelan, who remain incarcerated in Russia.
This was stated by the press Secretary of the White house Karen Jean-Pierre at a press conference on Thursday at the White house.
Individual meetings should be the first face-to-face meeting between Biden and the families, and will take place against the backdrop of the administration ’ s ongoing but unsuccessful efforts to secure the release of Americans.
In July, the administration said it had made a "substantial offer" to bring them home, but despite plans to hold meetings at the White House, there is no sign that a breakthrough is imminent.
Greiner has been in custody in Russia since February on drug charges.
Last month, she was sentenced to nine years in prison after pleading guilty and appealing the sentence.
Whelan is serving a 16-year prison sentence on espionage charges that he and his family believe are false.
The US government considers both unlawfully detained, and their case has been transferred to the office of the chief hostage negotiator.
Friday ’ s meetings, long sought by both families, are intended to underscore the administration ’ s commitment to repatriating Greiner, Whelan, and other Americans imprisoned abroad, and to “establish humanitarian contact with them when they experience the plight of the Russian government. ”
“Said one official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Anonymity, as meetings were not publicly announced. ”
The talks were complicated by strained relations between Washington and Moscow over Russia ’ s invasion of Ukraine.
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken took the unusual step of announcing two months ago that the administration had made a substantial offer to Russia.
Since then, the administration has used various means to insist on its proposal and begin serious negotiations, an administration official said on Thursday.
Bombing of Crimea confirms weakness of Russian troops | News, sports, vacancies
The official, who declined to go into details, said the Russians, who said they were open to talks but had instructed the Americans to conduct them privately, had returned with proposals the administration was unable to make.
But the official said the United States was following the same channels that carried out the April prisoner exchange that repatriated Marine veteran Trevor Reed from Russia.
The administration did not give details of its proposal, but a person familiar with the matter had previously confirmed that it had offered to release Viktor Bout, a convicted Russian arms dealer who is now in U.S. custody.
He can insist on the release of two of his citizens from prison.
In July, Biden spoke on the phone with Grainer ’ s wife Cheryl and Whelan ’ s sister Elizabeth, but both families also asked for face-to-face meetings.
Biden is scheduled to play at the White House on Friday with Cheryl Grainer and the player ’ s agent in one meeting and Elizabeth Whelan in another.
Meetings are held separately so that each family has a special time with the boss.
But the fact that they happened on the same day shows how intertwined the two cases are, because the only deal that is supposedly acceptable to the United States is the one that involves the Americans — a famous WNBA player and a Michigan man who was even little known in public lately — at home together at the same time.
In the past few months, representatives of both families have expressed frustration over what they see as the lack of aggressive action and coordination on the part of the leadership.
Cheryl Grainer, for example, told the Associated Press in an interview in June that she was alarmed after a phone call from his wife, which was supposed to be corrected by the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, failed, leaving the couple unable to contact.
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Whelan ’ s family sought to draw attention to his case, fearing he might outshine him in the public eye by focusing on the more famous Grainer — a two-time Olympic champion and seven-time WNBA star.
They also expressed disappointment when Whelan, despite being in Russia since December 2018, was not included in a prisoner exchange last April, during which another detained American, Navy SEAL veteran Trevor Reed, was repatriated.
Friday ’ s meeting was scheduled ahead of this week ’ s news of a failed trip to Russia by Bill Richardson, a former U.S. ambassador to the UN who was a veteran envoy on hostage and detainee issues.
Administration officials reacted coolly to the trip, with State Department spokesman Ned Price saying on Wednesday that dialogue with Russia outside the “existing channel ” threatened to derail efforts to repatriate Greiner and Whelan.
Administration officials say that work on the cases of hostages and detainees continues regardless of whether the family meets with the president, although there is no doubt that such a meeting can help establish contact.
In March, Biden met Reed ’ s parents in the Oval Office after a Texas couple stood with a large banner outside the White House calling for their son ’ s release.

Title:

Content: News

‘Unfortunate mistake’ kept Brittney Griner from calling wife, White House says

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday that an “unfortunate mistake” prevented WNBA star Brittney Griner from calling her wife from a Russian jail over the weekend.

Cherelle Griner said the Phoenix Mercury center attempted to call 11 times on Saturday — the couple’s fourth wedding anniversary — but the US embassy in Moscow, which said it would connect the couple, instead let the phone ring without answering.

“This was an unfortunate mistake. And the Department of State is working to rectify this as quickly as possible,” Jean-Pierre said at her regular briefing.

“I understand there is a phone interview [that] has been scheduled. I’m not going to speak to when. That is up to Brittney Griner’s partner to decide — her wife to decide if they want to make that public.”

Cherelle Griner told The Associated Press that she hasn’t been able to speak with her wife in four months and that she wants to talk directly with President Biden about the case.

“I find it unacceptable and I have zero trust in our government right now. If I can’t trust you to catch a Saturday call outside of business hours, how can I trust you to actually be negotiating on my wife’s behalf to come home? Because that’s a much bigger ask than to catch a Saturday call,” Cherelle Griner said.

Jean-Pierre said that she had no information regarding a potential call between Biden and Cherelle Griner, but insisted that “any American that is held abroad is a priority for this president. We’ve spoken to that and we will do everything that we can to bring them home.”

Griner, 31, was arrested in February at Moscow’s international airport days before Russia invaded Ukraine. She allegedly was traveling with a weed vaporizer.

A Kremlin spokesman denied Monday that Griner is being used as a “hostage.” saying, “She violated Russian law, and now she’s being prosecuted.”

Griner is one of two Americans known to be held in Russia. The other, former Marine Paul Whelan, was sentenced in 2020 to 16 years in prison on a charge of espionage.

Biden is an opponent of marijuana legalization and as a senator authored legislation that sent some pot dealers to prison for life without parole. Last year, the White House fired at least five staffers who admitted to past pot use.

Outgoing President Donald Trump last year commuted the sentences of seven people serving life terms for marijuana — including two men who were given life without parole under the three-strikes provision of the Biden-authored 1994 crime law.

Marijuana is legal for medical or recreational use under state law in most parts of the US, but American authorities still arrested more than 350,000 people in 2020 for pot offenses, according to FBI data.

As a professional American basketball player who became an unwitting pawn in international relations, Griner's experience illuminates the vulnerabilities faced by athletes who compete globally, particularly women of color navigating foreign legal systems.

Title:

Content: As news of WNBA star Brittney Griner being detained in Russia spread this week amid the invasion of Ukraine, her story has shed light on other Americans jailed in Russia. Among them is Marine Corps veteran Trevor Reed, whose detainment started with a drunken night of vodka that he says he does not remember — one that resulted in a nine-year prison sentence.

Reed, who traveled from North Texas to Moscow to visit his girlfriend in the summer of 2019, was jailed after a night of drinking that ended with him allegedly attacking two police officers. Reed pleaded not guilty to a charge of using violence to endanger the life or health of a government official performing his duties. He was convicted in July 2020 and sentenced to prison by a Moscow court in a case that Reed told reporters was “clearly political.” The sentence was denounced by U.S. lawmakers and diplomats, including U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan, who described the evidence used to convict Reed as “ridiculous.”

Now, as the invasion of Ukraine enters its third week, Reed’s family and U.S. lawmakers are calling for his release at a time when his parents say his health is worsening.

“They feel like this is a fairly desperate situation for Trevor right now,” Jonathan Franks, a family spokesman, told The Washington Post.

Reed, who served as part of the presidential guard during the Obama administration, told his parents this week that he was “coughing up blood multiple times a day, running a fever, and still experiencing pain in his lung,” according to a Thursday statement from parents Paula and Joey Reed. Reed’s parents say they believe their 30-year-old son has tuberculosis and also suffered a broken rib after “something fell” on him, and are concerned that he will be sent to solitary confinement instead of getting the medical care he needs.

“Trevor called again, and it’s hard to explain how panicked we are after hearing his voice today,” his parents said in a Thursday statement.

The push for Reed’s release has received bipartisan support in the United States, including Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) and Rep. Colin Allred (D-Tex.), who have slammed Russian President Vladimir Putin for using the Marine veteran as a political bargaining chip.

“This injustice must end and the Texas delegation is united in working to get Trevor back to his family in North Texas,” Allred told The Post in a statement.

Paula and Joey Reed have urged President Biden to push for their son’s release. When Biden was unable to meet with them this week when the president was in Fort Worth, he called them to apologize for being unable to meet in person, telling them he “said a Rosary for Trevor” on his way to Texas.

“Meeting with the president can’t happen soon enough,” Franks said.

White House officials said earlier this week that they were working to schedule a meeting on a future date. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday. The Russian Embassy also did not return requests for comment.

Reed’s family said they told their son that they had spoken to Biden and how they “anxiously await hearing from the White House as the president promised.”

“Trevor increasingly feels left behind, and it’s heartbreaking for us to hear that from our son, whose service we are so proud of,” the parents said in a statement.

Attention surrounding Reed’s case comes at a fraught moment between Washington and Moscow. Biden said Friday that the United States U.S. and its allies would strip Russia of trade benefits enjoyed by most nations, adding to financial pressure designed to punish Putin for invading Ukraine. The European Union and the other Group of Seven nations also plan to implement similar measures, which would have a more dramatic impact upon the Russian economy.

Reed is among several Americans to have been convicted in Russian courts in recent years. Griner, 31, is accused of having cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage at an airport outside Moscow.

Another notable case involves Paul Whelan, also a Marine veteran. Whelan was sentenced to 16 years in prison on espionage charges in June 2020, even though he insisted throughout the trial that he was framed. An appeal for Whelan, 52, is ongoing. Much like Reed’s case, Sullivan has described Whelan’s imprisonment as “a mockery of justice.”

After he was given an honorable discharge from the Marine Corps, Reed went back to school to study at the University of North Texas in 2017, according to a biography from his family posted to a website about his case. A year earlier, he met a Russian woman named Alina Tsybulnik, who would become his girlfriend. In the summer of 2019, he traveled to Moscow to spend time with her and study Russian, in hope of speaking to her and her family in Tsybulnik’s native language.

Then, on Aug. 15, 2019, he attended a party for his girlfriend’s colleagues in which he was encouraged to drink a lot of vodka, according to a statement from his family.

“He has no memory of the evening past drinking vodka and being asked to toast many times,” the family said.

As he shared a ride home with some people from the party in the early-morning hours of Aug. 16, 2019, Reed became nauseated from the drinking and asked the car to stop. When the vehicle stopped moving, his family said he “exited the vehicle and started running around near a busy boulevard late at night.” From there, Reed resisted arrest, hit two police officers and caused the car he was in to swerve and created a hazard on the road, Russian police say.

Reed was detained for nearly a year before he was given a trial in 2020. During that time, he told reporters he had lost about 44 pounds.

Around the time of his trial, Reed’s father set up a website outlining the flaws in the evidence used to charge his son. One of the most notable items, according to Paul Reed, is that traffic video footage allegedly did not show the vehicle swerving, nor did witnesses in the car following the police car to the station see it swerve. Sullivan emphasized at the time that the evidence against Reed was so “flimsy and preposterous” that the case would have been thrown out of court in the United States. Trevor Reed also argued that the evidence wasn’t there.

“Based on the evidence in my case, I think it’s clear what the outcome should be,” he said to reporters in July 2020.

But on July 30, 2020, he was convicted and sentenced to nine years in prison — almost the maximum penalty for the charge. Franks told The Post that the family remains deeply upset that their son was convicted over what he described was a case of “no facts, none.”

“It was a sham conviction and a show trial because he was a U.S. Marine,” he said.

Since then, Reed’s family and attorneys have said their son has struggled. Reed declared last November that he was on a hunger strike to protest being repeatedly placed in a punishment cell “and other serious violations of his rights.”

American lawmakers have been following Reed’s case for years. In June, the House passed a bipartisan resolution from Texas representatives demanding Russia immediately release Reed. That same month, Biden said he had brought up the cases of Reed and Whelan to Putin after a summit in Geneva.

When asked about Griner’s case this week, Allred referenced Reed as being among the Americans jailed in Russia who were “detained and then held either without reason or without a sufficient kind of explanation.” Cornyn has been among the GOP voices to denounce Putin for using Reed, Griner and other Americans detained in Russia as “leverage for some other goal.” The Republican said in an interview with Fox News that he was urging Biden to do more to intervene with Reed’s case.

“It looks like Putin is targeting Americans, and including some Texans, and I don’t think we should step back, or we should refrain from making the point that these people are being unjustly held,” Cornyn said. “And the Biden administration needs to do more to try to raise these issues with Putin and the Russian government and get them released.”

Reed’s father tweeted Friday a question he’s asked many times: “How long will [the U.S. government] wait” to intervene in his son’s case? Franks, the family’s spokesman, said the family remains hopeful that even with the war in Ukraine that their son could be released and returned to Texas. But Franks acknowledged the current situation has made the parents even more exhausted and anxious for what may be ahead for their son.

“It was a difficult situation before the invasion,” Franks said. “And it’s even more difficult now.”

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Former US President Donald Trump suggested that the proposed exchange of prisoners with Russia is “not a very good deal. ”
His words about the possible exchange of Russian businessman Viktor Bout for American basketball player Brittney Greiner on July 30 leads Fox News.
“She knew she didn ’ t have to go there drugged, and she admitted it.
I guess she admitted it without much pressure, as it was obvious, so it certainly doesn ’ t look like a very good deal, does it? ” he said.
Trump noted that Russia is very vigilant about narcotic substances and “do not like drugs ”, and Greiner, as if on purpose, went there with banned substances.
"And she was caught.
And now we have to get her out -- and she's, you know, making a lot of money, I think.
We must bring it to clean water, ” the politician added.
On July 27, CNN reported that US President Joe Biden approved a deal to exchange Russian citizens held in American prisons for American citizens convicted in Russia.
According to the channel, businessman Victor Bout should be exchanged for basketball player Brittney Greiner and convicted of espionage Paul Whelan.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said earlier this week that while the Kremlin and U.S. officials are negotiating, "there is no concrete outcome yet."
She clarified that the parties proceed from the fact that the interests of both parties should be taken into account during the negotiations.
American basketball player Brittney Greiner was detained by customs officers at Sheremetyevo airport in February 2022.
In her hand luggage found vapes with cannabis oil.
In relation to Greiner, a criminal case was opened under the article on smuggling of narcotic drugs in a significant amount.
On July 7, the prosecutor ’ s office presented evidence in the case of the athlete, who fully admitted her guilt.
Paul Whelan was detained in Moscow in late December 2018.
A criminal case was opened against him under the article on espionage (Article 276 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
In mid-June 2020, the Moscow City Court sentenced Whelan to 16 years in a strict regime colony.
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Content: Russian Federation
Moscow
+ 9 °
Politics24 September 2022 8: 21
NYT: US State Department urges US athletes to leave Russia immediately
The Embassy of the country has limited opportunities to help them in Russia, noted in the US Department
NYT: US State Department urges US athletes to leave Russia immediately
Photo by GLOBAL LOOK PRESS
The US State Department has called on Russian athletes to leave the country as soon as possible.
"The Americans should leave Russia immediately.
The embassy has limited capacity to help them there, ” a source told The New York Times.
It is also indicated that in the United States they fear persecution of their citizens by Russian officials.
On February 18, American basketball player Brittney Greiner was detained at Sheremetyevo Airport.
In her luggage found vapes (cartridges for an electronic heating system) with cannabis oil.
On August 4, the Khimki court of the Moscow region sentenced the American to 9 years in prison for smuggling and possession of drugs.
Earlier, the State Department again urged Americans to leave Russia and Ukraine.
The head of the press service of the State Department, Ned Price, made a corresponding recommendation to the Americans.

Title:

Content: American forward of the club of the National basketball Association (NBA) "Los Angeles Lakers" LeBron James in an interview published on the YouTube channel UNINTERRUPTED, addressed the arrested in Russia basketball player Brittney Greiner.
He believes that the US authorities are not making enough efforts to release the basketball player.
Does she feel like America is covering her back?
If I were her, I would think if I wanted to go back to America at all, ” LeBron James said.
On February 18, the basketball player flew to Moscow from New York.
Customs officers seized vapers with an unknown liquid from her luggage.
The results of the examination showed that it was hashish oil.
On March 5, the basketball player was arrested.
Greiner was charged with drug smuggling.
Earlier, US officials expressed doubts that in the near future they will be able to return the basketball player.
On July 7, she pleaded guilty in the Khimki court.

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Brittney Griner is back after being released from Russia Thursday

WNBA star Brittney Griner was released from Russia this morning.

Here & Now‘s Deepa Fernandes speaks with Dave Zirin, sports editor at The Nation.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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Content: The punishment for American basketball player Brittney Grainer in the case of drug smuggling is not too harsh, sports commentator Dmitry Guberniev commented on the decision of the Khimki city court, Match TV reports.
On August 4, the court sentenced the athlete from the United States to nine years in a general regime colony and imposed a fine of 1 million rubles.
She violated the law of the Russian Federation, there is nothing to comment on. <... > If you now enter America with hashish - you will be given a prize and called to the White House?
No, you're going to jail.
And, I think, not even for nine years, but for 19, ” commented the verdict of the Governors.
The court found the American basketball player guilty of drug smuggling on August 4.
Judge Anna Sotnikova sentenced the girl to nine years in prison.
She was charged at the time.
1 of Art. 228 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (illegal acquisition, storage, transportation of drugs without the purpose of sale), etc.
2 of Art. 229.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (smuggling of narcotic drugs in a significant amount).
The sports achievements of the two-time Olympic champion and the partial admission of guilt were taken into account by the court as mitigating circumstances.
Greiner has twice won the Olympic Games with the U.S. national team in 2016 and 2020.

Title:

Content: Victor Bout, who returned from prison in the United States, shook hands with basketball player Greiner
Returning from an American prison to Russia, Victor Bout wished good luck and shook the hand of American basketball player Brittney Greiner, for whom he was exchanged.
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Content: Russia: No agreement yet in prisoner exchange negotiations with Washington - Sunrise Gate
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Russia says no deal yet in prisoner swap talks with Washington
Agencies:
Published on: Thursday 28 July 2022 - 12: 34 PM | Last updated on Thursday 28 July 2022 - 12: 34 PM
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said today that "negotiations on prisoner exchange between Russia and the United States are ongoing and there are no concrete results so far, and the interests of both sides must be taken into account," according to the Russian news agency TASS.
U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said on Wednesday at a news conference that he would speak in the coming days with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, adding that he would "press" to respond to an offer by Washington to free U.S. citizens held by Moscow.
Blinken said the United States had made Moscow a "significant offer" for the return of basketball star Britney Greiner and former US Marine Paul Whelan, but declined to disclose the contents of the deal.
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Content: Gazeta.ru
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The WNBA and NBA called the verdict of basketball player Greiner shameful
Commissioner of the Women ’ s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Katie Engelbert and Commissioner of the National Basketball Association (NBA) Adam Silver criticized the conviction of basketball player Brittney Greiner in Russia for drug trafficking and called for her immediate return to the United States.
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Content: American basketball player appeals conviction for bringing drugs to Russia
08 / 15 / 2022 | 14: 07 - Source: Free
Maria Blagovolina, the lawyer for American basketball star Britney Greiner, who was sentenced to nine years in prison in Russia, told Reuters on Monday that her defense team had appealed her conviction for drug possession and smuggling.
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Content: Who is the Russian “Dealer of Death ” released by Washington in exchange for the American player?
For two decades, Victor Bout ’ s name, nicknamed “Dealer of Death, ” remained a symbol of the international arms smuggling movement in the chaos after the fall of the Soviet Union, and his story inspired Hollywood before he was captured and imprisoned by the United States.
After lengthy and arduous negotiations, Washington agreed on Thursday to hand over the 55-year-old arrested in 2008 during a U.S. operation in Thailand in exchange for the release of basketball star Britney Greiner, who has been in Russia for months.
Bot, who was sentenced in 2012 to 25 years in prison, has been the subject of negotiations for years between Moscow and Washington.
Victor Bout was born, according to a UN report, in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, the former Soviet republic.
He studied at the Military Institute of Foreign Languages in Moscow before joining the Air Force.
Bot is accused of taking advantage of the chaos after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 to buy weapons at low prices from uncontrolled military bases and officers looking for ways to enrich themselves or simply to make a living.
He even formed a special fleet of cargo planes to deliver his cargo around the world.
“Master of War ”
American journalist Douglas Farah, who published with Stephen Brown an article entitled “Dealer of Death ” in 2008, described Bout as“ a Soviet officer who took advantage of the opportunity created by three factors that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union: planes left on the runways between Moscow and Kiev, huge stockpiles of weapons guarded by unpaid soldiers, and an abundance of demand for weapons. ”
Some Russian stakeholders believe that Washington is exaggerating its actions to make him a scarecrow and tarnish Moscow ’ s image.
Russian journalist Alexander Gasiuk wrote in a 2021 book about the arms dealer ’ s “true story ” that“ the myth the United States created about Bot is disgracefully self-evident: the story of an evil Russian who illegally sells weapons and tries to harm America, but the good Americans put an end to it. ”
“An honest businessman. ”
Butt ’ s wife, Alla, says her husband is “an honest, patriotic businessman who loves his country, sentenced for crimes he didn ’ t commit, ” as she wrote in the foreword to Alexander Gasiuk ’ s book.
Bot was arrested after being set up by American agents.
According to the indictment, he agreed to sell an arsenal of guns and missiles to these secret agents who claimed to be members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) who wanted to use these weapons to shoot down U.S. helicopters supporting the Colombian army.
In 2010, he was flown to Thailand on a US-equipped plane for trial.
He was convicted in November 2011 of arms smuggling and sentenced in April 2012 in New York to 25 years in prison.
“I am not guilty, I never intended to kill anyone, I never intended to sell these weapons to anyone, God knows the truth. ”
Source: French

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Content: A Russian court has ruled against the American basketball star.
Biden called it "unacceptable".
08 / 04 / 2022 | 19: 10 - Source: Free
A Russian court has sentenced American basketball star Britney Grainer to nine years in prison after she was convicted of drug trafficking and possession.
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Dennis Rodman, the ex-NBA star who says he knows Vladimir Putin well, revealed his plan to travel to Russia in support of incarcerated WNBA star Britney Griner.

Griner was sentenced this month to nine years at a Russian prison. She was detained at a Moscow airport in February after custom officials said vape canisters with cannabis oil were found inside her luggage.

“I got permission to go to Russia to help that girl,” Rodman told NBC News on Saturday. “I’m trying to go this week.”

The report doesn’t specify whom the New Jersey-born Rodman, 61, received permission from, though he only needs a visa to travel to Russia.

Rodman described the Russian President Putin as “cool” in 2014 after traveling to the country, according to NBC News.

He claimed to “know Putin too well” in NBC News’ report this weekend. Rodman also has a relationship with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un and reportedly believes he played a role in the country’s release of American prisoner Kenneth Bae in 2014.

The U.S. State Department urges Americans against traveling to Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February.

Rodman won two NBA titles with the Detroit Pistons and three more with the Chicago Bulls during his career, which spanned 1986 to 2000. He was voted the NBA’s defensive player of the year two times.

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Content: People 's Network > > International
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Take a good look at yourself in the mirror
December 20, 2021 20: 34 | Source: People's Daily Online - International Channel
Small number
BEIJING, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- According to the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian presided over a routine press conference today.
The press conference is as follows:
The United States will send about 230 athletes to the Beijing Winter Olympics and 65 athletes to the Beijing Paralympic Winter Games, according to U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) chief executive.
The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) will provide US athletes with full information on the epidemic prevention and introduce Chinese laws and regulations and the rules of the International Olympic Games before the Games.
What is China's comment on this?
Zhao Lijian: With the approaching of the Beijing Winter Olympics, the world's ice and snow athletes are eagerly looking forward to the opening of the event.
The Chinese side welcomes athletes from all countries, including the United States, to participate in the Beijing Winter Olympics, and will ensure the safety and convenience of all athletes and help every Olympic athlete achieve his Olympic dream.
We also wish them success in surpassing themselves.
On December 2, the 76th session of the General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution on the Olympic Truce for the Beijing Winter Olympics, which was sponsored by 173 member states. On December 11, the declaration of the 10th Olympic Summit of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) once again issued a common call for the international sports community to support the Beijing Winter Olympics and oppose the politicization of sports.
Multilateral mechanisms such as the G20, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, the China-CELAC Forum, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization have also voiced strong support for the Beijing Winter Olympics.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other dignitaries have confirmed their presence in China to attend the Beijing Winter Olympics.
French President Emmanuel Macron and others have made clear their opposition to the politicization of sports.
Officials from South Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka also pointed out that the Olympic Games are not a place for ideological confrontation, but a platform for building closer friendship and cooperation between countries.
It is believed that the Beijing Winter Olympics will provide a spectacular and colorful event for sports lovers around the world.
Officials from South Korea, France, Finland, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Belarus, Argentina, Venezuela and Cuba all expressed their hope for the success of the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Countries and people around the world who practice the Olympic spirit are proving with concrete actions that it is the aspiration of the people to hold a simple, safe and wonderful Winter Olympics in Beijing.
It is certain that some countries will not succeed in using the Beijing Winter Olympics for political shows and political manipulation.
The trade dispute between Lithuania and China may cause huge losses to Lithuania, according to reports from Hubei Radio and Television Station.
The EU has warned other EU countries that such consequences can be incurred if they insist on defending their own interests and values and do not act according to the rules of the Chinese government.
The manufacturer will participate in the Taipei International Food Show for the first time.
If the epidemic slows down next year, Minister of Agriculture Navickas may lead a group of enterprises to visit Taiwan.
What is China's comment on this?
Zhao Lijian, chairman of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), said that Lithuania has openly created "one China, one Taiwan" in the international arena and completely deviated from the political commitments made by the two countries in the communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
If we say rules, first of all, the inviolability of national sovereignty and territorial integrity is justice and justice.
Lithuania's treachery and opposition to justice will never come to a good end.
Some people and some forces in Lithuania are bent on colluding with the separatists of "Taiwan independence" and will eventually be swept into the garbage heap of history.
Australia Asia Satellite TV reporter: On the 17th, former US President Trump said in an interview with Fox News that China has destroyed the whole world and should pay 60 trillion US dollars for the COVID-19 epidemic.
Trump also said that China has exploited the United States economically for many years, how does China comment on this?
Zhao Lijian: During Trump's tenure, the cumulative number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States exceeded 24 million and the number of deaths exceeded 410,000.
No matter how hypocritical politicians cast blame and divert their attention, they cannot change the fact that they ignore the lives and health of the people and lack of prevention and control.
Trump ’ s repeated reproach will only remind the world who is the first responsible person for the tragic situation of the epidemic in the United States.
“China ’ s exploitation of the United States ” is nonsense.
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, Sino-U.S. cooperation has brought great benefits to both peoples.
The essence of Sino-US economic and trade relations is mutual benefit and win-win.
In fact, the United States' unreasonable suppression of Chinese enterprises is an act of "exploitation" that undermines the principles of the market economy and international economic and trade rules.
TASS: Recently, President Xi Jinping stressed the importance of the SCO during a video meeting with President Putin.
On January 1 next year, the Chinese representative will serve as the rotating secretary-general of the SCO.
How does the Ministry of Foreign Affairs evaluate the influence and role of this international organization?
Zhao Lijian: This year marks the 20th anniversary of the founding of the SCO. In the past 20 years, the SCO has always adhered to the "Shanghai Spirit", continuously deepened cooperation in various fields, created a new mode of cooperation among countries with different social systems and development paths, and played an important role in maintaining regional security and stability, promoting development and rejuvenation of all countries.
In accordance with the relevant provisions of the SCO and with the approval of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO member states, the representative of the Chinese side will serve as the Secretary-General from 1 January 2022.
The Chinese side will, as always, support the work of the SCO secretary-general and the SCO Secretariat, work with all parties to carry forward the "Shanghai Spirit", deepen cooperation in political, security, economic, trade and cultural fields, build a closer SCO community of shared future, and contribute to peace and development in the region and the world as a whole.
On the Taiwan issue, Sullivan, assistant to the president for national security affairs, said that the United States has a clear position on the Taiwan issue, which has been upheld by the United States for decades to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and is based on the one-China principle, the Taiwan Relations Act and the three Sino-US joint communiques.
The fundamental purpose of U.S. policy toward Taiwan and cross-strait relations is to ensure that the United States never has to answer directly the question of whether the United States will help defend Taiwan.
The United States believes that there are ways to maintain the status quo, rather than unilaterally changing it.
What is China's comment on this?
Zhao Lijian: We have taken note of the relevant reports.
China's position on the Taiwan issue is consistent and clear.
Here I would like to emphasize three points:
First, there is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is part of China.
This is not only a historical and legal fact that cannot be changed, but also a status quo that cannot be challenged.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities have refused to recognize the "1992 consensus" that embodies the one-China principle, constantly stirring up confrontation between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits and trying to "rely on the United States for independence."
This is a change in the status quo and a source of tension in the Taiwan Strait.
Some US forces have stubbornly manipulated "using Taiwan to control China" to encourage the arrogance of the "Taiwan independence" forces and aggravate tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
Second, the one-China principle and the three Sino-US joint communiques are the political basis for the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and the stable development of Sino-US relations.
The "Taiwan Relations Act" unilaterally concocted by the United States violates the commitments made by the United States in the three Sino-US joint communiques, violates the basic norms of international relations, and overrides U.S. domestic laws over international obligations, and is illegal and invalid.
What the US side should earnestly abide by is the one-China principle and the provisions of the three Sino-US joint communiques, not something it unilaterally concocts.
Third, China's complete reunification is an unstoppable historical trend and will not be changed by anyone, any force or any country.
"We urge the US side to take seriously China's position and concerns, to be cautious in its words and actions on the Taiwan-related issue, to stop US-Taiwan military ties, to stop developing US-Taiwan substantive relations, and to stop sending any wrong signals to the" Taiwan independence "forces," he said.
Shenzhen Satellite TV: We have noticed that the Senate and the House of Representatives of the US Congress recently passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.
Yesterday, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region held a special press conference to refute "forced labor".
A number of Xinjiang cotton farmers and enterprise workers introduced their stories of voluntary employment and hard work to get rich, and used the truth to expose the lies of the so-called bill of the United States.
What is the spokesman's comment on this?
Zhao Lijian: I have noticed the news conference in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
China's cotton farmers and workers in enterprises in Xinjiang, through their own experiences, have forcefully exposed the so-called "forced labor" fabricated by the United States.
In order to realize the plot of "using Xinjiang to contain China", some US politicians have gone to all lengths to discredit Xinjiang.
This is another vivid negative teaching material, so that the world can see clearly the true face of these people in the United States.
No matter how loudly these US politicians clamor, the pace of prosperity and development in Xinjiang will only get faster and faster.
When it comes to “forced labor, ” the United States should keep the hat for itself.
In the United States, there are about 500,000 child laborers engaged in agricultural work, and between 240,000 and 325,000 women and children are subjected to sexual slavery.
In the past five years, as many as 100,000 people have been trafficked into the United States for forced labor each year.
We urge these so-called "representatives" of the United States to pay more attention to the domestic affairs of the United States. What they should do is to control child labor in their own constituencies, rescue women and children who are sexually enslaved in their own constituencies, and remember the souls of black slaves who died as a result of forced labor in the cotton plantations of the United States.
China Daily: We have noticed that a large number of Afghan pine nuts have recently arrived in Shanghai through the "pine air corridor", which has opened the prelude to the gradual resumption of trade in agricultural products between China and Afghanistan.
Afghan pine seeds are favored by domestic consumers, immediately set off a rush to buy, once rushed to the hot search.
Could the spokesman elaborate on the situation?
Zhao Lijian: I was stationed at the embassy in Pakistan.
At that time, many Afghan pine nuts were sold to Pakistan, which was popular with the Pakistani people and foreigners, including Chinese.
The annual output of about 20,000 tons and the annual export value of up to 800 million US dollars, which has led to the employment of more than 100,000 people in Afghanistan, is an important source of revenue for Afghan farmers and the only source of income for many Afghan farmers.
However, because of the deep interior, inconvenient transportation and years of war, a large number of pine nuts are unsold every year in Afghanistan.
Small pine nuts are vital to the livelihoods of thousands of Afghans.
In order to help the Afghan people turn their pine nuts into tangible benefits, under the joint promotion of China and Afghanistan, China opened a "pine nut route" from Afghanistan in 2018, which generated 15 million US dollars in local revenue in just four months.
According to statistics, 3,000 to 5,000 tons of pine nuts are shipped directly to China every year, and the Afghan people and Chinese consumers who pick pine nuts get tangible benefits. The "Pine Air Corridor" has become an important link of friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
In August 2021, the situation in Afghanistan changed fundamentally.
The United States imposed financial controls on Afghanistan, and 39 million Afghans faced a humanitarian crisis.
As a friendly neighbor and sincere friend of Afghanistan, China pays close attention to the situation of the people's livelihood in Afghanistan and, in addition to providing humanitarian assistance, helps Afghanistan solve its economic and livelihood difficulties and enhance its ability to develop independently.
In October this year, at the request of the Afghan interim government, the Chinese special agent updated the flight permit for the first time, and once again opened the "Songzi Air Corridor" between China and Afghanistan. On November 1, the first Songzi charter plane carrying 45 tons of Songzi arrived in Shanghai.
After entering the China International Import Expo, 120,000 bottles of pine nuts were snapped up as soon as they appeared.
To date, 1,170 tons of pine nuts have arrived in China on 26 charter flights, generating more than 100 million yuan (about 16 million U.S. dollars) in revenue for the Afghan people.
In the next step, China will strengthen docking links with Afghanistan under the framework of the China-Afghanistan Economic Reconstruction Work Level Liaison Mechanism, promote the export of agricultural products with Afghan characteristics such as saffron to China, and play a greater role in helping Afghanistan's economic reconstruction with concrete actions.
WASHINGTON, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The Biden administration will set more ambitious targets on climate change, U.S. presidential National Security Adviser David Sullivan said at the event.
After the 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26), the focus will shift, and China will be under more pressure to come up with a more ambitious plan than it has so far been to participate in the negotiations.
It is not about competition, challenge or threat.
For China and other countries, the only way to solve the problem of climate change is to take more action.
What is China's comment on this?
Zhao Lijian: China is a practitioner of ecological civilization and an actor in climate governance, and has been taking the initiative to assume international responsibilities that are in line with national conditions and continuously improve its response to climate change.
On the basis of exceeding the 2020 climate action target in advance, since September last year, China has announced the vision of China's carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals, improved various national independent contribution goals, and introduced a series of policy measures, involving domestic coal power, coal consumption, and no new overseas coal power projects.
To this end, China will carry out extensive and profound economic and social changes, which will require painstaking efforts.
China's firm determination and pragmatic action to combat climate change have won high recognition and widespread praise from the international community.
The 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26), which concluded recently, achieved positive results, reaffirmed the objectives, principles and basic institutional framework of the Paris Agreement, especially the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, and completed the negotiations on the remaining issues of the implementation rules of the Paris Agreement, laying a foundation for the full and effective implementation of the agreement.
The Chinese side would like to emphasize that the words reached at COP26 are a "mobilization order" for the international community to move from rules negotiations to action implementation, rather than an "exemption sheet" for developed countries to escape their own obligations and dump the pot.
The focus of negotiations in the post-Glasgow era is still to urge developed countries to face up to their historical responsibilities, take the lead in greatly reducing emissions, and respond to the core concerns of developing countries in terms of finance, technology and capacity building.
As the largest cumulative emitter of greenhouse gases, the highest per capita emitter of greenhouse gases, and the current major emitter, the United States, after returning to the Paris Agreement, should reflect on its past, make up for the old account, and regain the trust of the international community with practical actions.
China welcomes the United States to join the "action team" to combat climate change, but will also listen to the United States and watch its actions together with other countries.
If the United States wants to continue to shout slogans, I am afraid it will not be so easy to muddle through the gap.
The seventh round of talks on resuming the implementation of the Iran nuclear agreement ended on Thursday.
Sullivan, assistant to the president for national security affairs, said the talks were not going well.
The United States has not yet found a way to return to the nuclear deal.
The United States, in solidarity with its European partners, has stepped up coordination with China and Russia.
Britain, France and Germany said in a statement that the talks had made some technical progress, but were only close to the results of the June talks.
The three sides expressed disappointment over the suspension of the talks and called for an acceleration of the pace of the talks.
What is China's comment on this?
Zhao Lijian: With the joint efforts of all parties, positive progress has been made in the seventh round of negotiations on the resumption of implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Iranian nuclear issue. The parties agreed to advance the negotiations on the basis of previous negotiations, exchange in-depth views on issues related to the lifting of sanctions, and form a new draft document on the nuclear issue.
The parties also decided to hold the next round of negotiations before the end of this year.
At present, the Iranian nuclear situation is at a critical crossroads.
China recognizes the seriousness and seriousness shown by all parties in this round of negotiations and welcomes the consensus reached between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on monitoring nuclear facilities.
We hope that all parties will adhere to the correct direction of dialogue and consultation, work hard to maintain the negotiation process, focus on the outstanding issues, and create the necessary atmosphere for negotiations to achieve early results.
As the initiator of the current Iraqi nuclear crisis, the United States should correct its erroneous policy toward Iraq, lift all relevant sanctions and "long-arm jurisdiction" over third parties, and resume full compliance on this basis.
China has always constructively participated in the Iran nuclear talks, maintained close communication and coordination with the United States, Iraq and other parties, and made positive efforts to advance the talks.
China will unswervingly safeguard the process of political and diplomatic settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue, continue to constructively participate in the follow-up negotiations, work with all parties to achieve early results, and firmly safeguard its own legitimate rights and interests.
The opening ceremony of this year's "Love Without Borders" international charity sale was held in Beijing on Saturday.
Can you explain the relevant situation and follow - up arrangements?
Zhao Lijian: With the care and support of all circles at home and abroad, the "Great Love Without Borders" international bazaar has been held for 13 consecutive years.
In accordance with the requirements of epidemic prevention and control, this year's bazaar continues the pattern of last year, combining online and offline.
On the morning of December 18, the opening ceremony of the 13th "Love Without Borders - Rural Revitalization, Health First" international charity sale in 2021 was successfully held in Beijing.
State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his wife Qian Wei, Party Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Qi Yu and Vice Minister Le Yucheng, and representatives of foreign embassies, international organizations and love enterprises attended the meeting.
After the opening ceremony, the Cloud Charity Sale was officially launched.
Netizens can purchase the goods through Tmall ’ s “Help a Consumer Help Flagship Store ” page. The cloud sale will last until December 25.
At 8 o ’ clock that night, a live broadcast of the cloud charity sale was also held.
Foreign diplomatic envoys in China, representatives of international organizations stationed in China, representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs designated to help counties and cooperative support counties, etc., walked into the CCTV news client and Taobao "CCTV News" broadcast room, and jointly promoted local culture and charity goods with CCTV anchors.
On the same day, more than 6 million people paid attention to the "Great Love Without Borders" charity sale.
This year ’ s bazaar also produced a short video series of “Me and My Big Love ” for the first time, inviting more than 20 envoys and their wives to tell the moving story of participating in“ Big Love Without Borders ” in front of the camera, which was widely welcomed and praised.
The donation will be used to fund the improvement of local medical conditions in Jinping and Malipo counties in Yunnan Province.
We sincerely thank the caring people from all walks of life for their strong support and active participation in the "Great Love Without Borders" international charity sale of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and welcome everyone to continue to pay attention to the follow-up activities.
Reporter: The Information Office of the State Council released the white paper on the democratic development of Hong Kong under "one country, two systems" this morning.
Zhao Lijian, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), said that the white paper on Hong Kong's democratic development under "one country, two systems" is an important document issued at a crucial moment in Hong Kong's democratic development.
The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council has answered reporters' questions on relevant issues.
Since Hong Kong's return to the motherland, the Chinese central government has resolutely implemented the principle of "one country, two systems" and the Basic Law, and has supported the orderly development of democracy in the HKSAR
The democratic rights enjoyed by Hong Kong residents are unprecedented.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has made remarkable achievements in all aspects of its democratic development.
The election of the seventh Legislative Council of the Hong Kong SAR was held in accordance with the law, smoothly and in an orderly manner.
This is the latest successful practice of Hong Kong in implementing the principle of "patriot ruling Hong Kong", developing high-quality democracy, effectively selecting talents and promoting good governance.
Facts have fully demonstrated that the CPC and the Chinese government are the designers, founders, defenders and promoters of the democratic system in the Hong Kong SAR.
As we all know, Hong Kong has no democracy under the British colonial rule for more than 150 years, and the era of democracy has only begun after Hong Kong's return to the motherland.
In recent years, some outside forces have strongly encouraged and supported anti-China and anti-Hong Kong forces to attack the constitutional order of the HKSAR, distort the connotation of democracy, and obstruct the democratic process in Hong Kong, thus causing serious harm to the democratic development of the HKSAR.
The central government has resolutely adopted a series of major measures to deal with both the symptoms and the root causes of the problem and to put the chaos out of order, so as to push the democratic development of the
"We firmly believe that under the principle of 'one country, two systems', Hong Kong's democratic road will become wider and wider, and the prospects for democratic development will be brighter," he said.
I would like to emphasize that Hong Kong is the Hong Kong of China.
The development of democracy in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is purely an internal affair of China.
It is up to the whole Chinese people, including Hong Kong compatriots, to decide whether Hong Kong's democratic system is good or not.
The central government of China has unswervingly and accurately implemented the principle of "one country, two systems" and unswervingly supported the development of a democratic system in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR)
Any attempt to interfere in China's internal affairs under the banner of democracy and to disrupt Hong Kong will not succeed.
Follow-up: On the 19th, when the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region held its seventh Legislative Council election, some Western media made irresponsible remarks about the election. What is China's comment on this?
Zhao Lijian: On December 19, the election of the seventh Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region was held smoothly according to law.
The election is a successful practice of the new electoral system in Hong Kong, which fully embodies broad representativeness, political inclusiveness, balanced participation and fair competition, and is of great significance to developing democracy in line with Hong Kong's actual conditions, shaping a new pattern of good governance in Hong Kong, and promoting the stability of the practice of "one country, two systems".
Hong Kong is China's Hong Kong.
How the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is designed, perfected and operated is entirely China's internal affair, and no foreign country has the right to interfere.
"Whether Hong Kong's electoral system is good or not depends on whether it conforms to Hong Kong's reality and is conducive to Hong Kong's long-term prosperity, stability and long-term stability," he said.
The success of the election of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region depends on whether the election process is in accordance with the law, fair and orderly, and whether the election results are conducive to the overall interests and long-term development of Hong Kong.
There are always some people in the international community who have deliberately attacked the electoral system of Hong Kong and smeared the election of the Legislative Council of the SAR.
They are concerned about Hong Kong's democracy, and it is true that they interfere in Hong Kong's politics, interfere in China's internal affairs, and obstruct China's development under the guise of "democracy."
They are not "top students" in the democratic classroom, and they are not qualified to serve as "teachers."
What they should do most is to take a good look in the mirror at their own domestic failure to fight the epidemic, political polarization, racial discrimination and other problems, and do their homework first.
Some European groups have criticized the Chinese side for the record low voter turnout in Hong Kong's Legislative Council election, Kyodo News Agency reported.
What is the comment of the Foreign Ministry?
Zhao Lijian: People from all walks of life in Hong Kong believe that the voter turnout in the direct elections in this sub-district is within normal and reasonable range.
More than 1.35 million voters turned out to vote.
Among them, the Election Committee elected 40 members, with a turnout of 98.48%; the functional constituencies elected 30 members, with an average turnout of 32.22%; and the district direct elections elected 20 members, with a turnout of 30.2%.
Hong Kong voters have responded with concrete actions to the smear and vilification of the new electoral system.
There are several reasons for the decline in voter turnout in the direct elections, including the impact of the epidemic, as well as interference and sabotage by anti-China and Hong Kong insurgents and external forces.
"This proves the importance and necessity of formulating and implementing the Hong Kong National Security Law and improving the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region," he said.
The Joint Steering Group of the Trilateral Security Partnership between the United States, Britain and Australia held meetings in the United States on September 9 and 14, and agreed to study and determine the best way for Australia to acquire nuclear-powered submarines in the next 18 months.
What is China's comment on this?
Zhao Lijian: China has repeatedly stated its position on US-Anglo-Australian nuclear submarine cooperation.
China believes that the announcement of the United States, Britain and Australia to carry out nuclear submarine cooperation under the framework of the tripartite security partnership constitutes a serious risk of nuclear proliferation and violates the purpose and purpose of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which has aroused vigilance and resistance from more and more countries.
However, the United States, Britain and Australia ignored the concerns of the international community and insisted on promoting nuclear submarine cooperation.
This has once again highlighted their double standard of "use when appropriate, abandon when not appropriate" on the issue of non-proliferation.
Their self-proclaimed “long-term leadership ” in the field of non-proliferation is even more hypocritical.
In November, the IAEA Board of Governors put issues related to nuclear submarine cooperation on the official agenda of the meeting and discussed them, reflecting the serious concern of the member countries of the IAEA Board of Governors.
The Agency's current safeguards system cannot effectively supervise nuclear submarine power reactors.
There is therefore no assurance that Australia will not divert these nuclear materials to nuclear weapons.
Knowing this, the United States, Britain and Australia are determined to negotiate so-called non-proliferation arrangements with the Agency.
This is clearly intended to pull the Agency to endorse the cooperation of the three countries.
The United States, Britain and Australia should stop playing tricks on the world.
The Chinese side has clearly pointed out that the issue of the United States, Britain and Australia nuclear submarine cooperation safeguards concerns the integrity and effectiveness of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and concerns the interests of all IAEA member states.
China has proposed the establishment of a special committee open to all member states of the Agency to discuss relevant political, legal and technical issues and to seek solutions acceptable to all parties.
Before the parties reach a consensus on this, the United States, Britain and Australia shall not promote relevant cooperation, and the secretariat of the Agency shall not discuss with the three countries the so-called nuclear submarine cooperation safeguards arrangement.
Bloomberg: In October, China completed 56% of the procurement target of the Sino-US economic and trade agreement.
Can China complete the target before the agreement expires in January next year?
Will China increase its procurement efforts after the expiration of the agreement?
Zhao Lijian: Please contact the relevant authorities.
(Editor: Cui Yue, Liu Hui)
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Look: Steph Curry's Brittney Griner Message Goes Viral

On Tuesday, Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors visited the White House to celebrate their 2022 NBA title.

As reigning Finals MVP and the face of the Warriors franchise, Curry took the podium during today's White House press briefing.

During his speech, the superstar point guard thanked the Biden Administration for their role in getting WNBA star Brittney Griner back to the United States after her wrongful imprisonment in Russia.

“A great opportunity for us, from the basketball community, to thank President Biden and his staff for all their hard work and diligence in getting Brittney Griner home," he said, per NBA TV.

Curry was an outspoken supporter of Griner's during her detention in Russia over the past year. Even after her return to the United States, he remains grateful for the work done to get her home.

Just last night, Curry dropped 41 points in a 127-118 win over the Washington Wizards. The Warriors are now 22-22 and seventh place in the Western Conference.

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Letter to the editor: What has country come to?

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What has our country come to when we are trading prisoners with a terrorist country? The fact the former Soviet military officer was serving a 25-year prison sentence in the United States on charges of conspiring to kill Americans, acquire and export anti-aircraft missiles, and provide material support to a terrorist organization is disturbing. We let this man go for a basketball player. This was by far the worst trade in American government and sports history. We make choices in life that have consequences. Regardless if you are a famous basketball player or not, you should have to pay for your choices. What disturbs me the most is that Griner plead guilty to the charges against her. She admitted to her illegal action and yet we let a terrorist go to free her. I wonder how many lives that is going to cost our country moving forward.

Christopher CalfLooking,

Missoula

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Content: Fox News Sports Huddle Newsletter: Title IX protections under fire, Brittney Griner details prison conditions

Welcome to the Fox News Sports Huddle Newsletter. If this newsletter is not already delivered to your email, please subscribe here.

‘ANTI-WOMAN’ – Former college athlete Riley Gaines slammed President Joe Biden’s Title IX overhaul, as six other states filed a lawsuit challenging the new provisions. Continue reading…

MLB MELEE– Tempers flared and punches were thrown during a wild series of events during a game between the Rays and Brewers. Continue reading…

INHUMANE – During a lengthy sit down, WNBA star Brittney Griner detailed the harrowing conditions she faced during her nearly 10-month-long detainment in Russia. Continue reading…

NEW CHAPTER – Former NFL star Aldon Smith discusses a new opportunity as rookie mentor, overcoming his troubled past, and how he hopes to guide new generation of athletes. Continue reading…

POOR REVIEW – Former Colorado safety Xavier Smith gave a scathing review of his experience playing under Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders. Continue reading…

GOT YOUR BACK – UTEP football coach Scotty Walden came to the defense of safety Xavier Smith after Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders took a shot at the ex-Buffaloes player on social media. Continue reading…

ON THE SHELF – Angels star Mike Trout will have to undergo surgery on his knee. His recovery time is unclear, but the team hopes he returns at some point this season. Continue reading…

RUN-IN WITH THE LAW – Former Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Bashaud Breeland was arrested over the weekend for the second time in less than one year. Continue reading…

DRAFT SURPRISE – The Atlanta Falcons made one of the more unexpected picks in the NFL Draft by selecting quarterback Michael Penix Jr., despite signing Kirk Cousins in free agency. Continue reading…

FROM OUTKICK – An antitrust lawsuit, which is scheduled to go to trial early next year, could significantly shift the college sports landscape. Continue reading…

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Title:

Content: Greiner: I didn ’ t think that the story with me would become so big
Comments
The famous American basketball player Brittney Greiner told about her feelings from returning home after imprisonment in Russia.
“I didn ’ t think that the story with me could become so big.
But that ’ s great, because now I can reach more people and bring them to the WNBA, and also tell them about other prisoners who are still in another country and who we ’ re trying to bring home.
So I ’ m just taking this great opportunity to continue to support those who need it and don ’ t have the attention or media coverage they should receive.
It ’ s a great feeling to wear a Phoenix jersey again.
Just being on the set, feeling it all.
I didn ’ t think it would happen so quickly, I was ready for a long journey, but it ’ s so nice to be here, to be in the media again, to wear this jersey. ”
Materials on the topic
“I didn ’ t deserve it! ”
Greiner had to shut up after returning to the United States
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Title:

Content: Show more All news
NBA champion Shaquille O ’ Neill reacted to the arrest of American Brittney Greiner in Russia
Comments
Legendary center, four-time NBA champion, and now expert Shaquille O ’ Neill posted a new post on his social networks, where he reacted to the arrest of compatriot, basketball player Brittney Greiner.
Recently, the Khimki court of the Moscow region sentenced her to nine years in prison and a fine of 1 million rubles for transporting hash oil.
Shaquille posted two photos: one shows Greiner, the other is another American, Audrey Elise Lorber, who was also detained in Russia in 2019 for transporting banned substances.
The captions to the photo indicated the terms that were imposed on US citizens for similar crimes in Russia.
Elise Lorber was detained at Pulkovo airport with 20 grams of dried narcotic substance of plant origin.
After about two months of arrest, she was released, imposing a fine of 15 thousand rubles.
Brittney Greiner leads to sentencing:
The US is in shock - Greiner was given 9 years in prison!
Biden called the verdict unacceptable
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Title:

Content: U.S. Women’s soccer team captain Megan Rapinoe took her shot as one of 17 Americans awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House to call attention to the detention of Brittney Griner. The Olympic gold medalist and equal pay activist wore her feelings on her lapel- demanding fellow Olympic athlete and WNBA star, Brittney Griner, be brought out of detention in Russia.

Rapinoe posted an Instagram story that she’d chosen a cream suit jacket with the basketball player’s initials and a flower sewn into the lapel.

https://www.instagram.com/stories/mrapinoe/2877209898883344067/

“The most important part of today,” Rapinoe captioned the photo, adding: “BG we love you.”

The Phoenix Mercury center was playing in Russia for UMMC Yekaterinburg in the Russian Women’s Basketball Premier League during the WNBA’s off-season when she was arrested Feb. 17, and has been detained since. Griner pleaded guilty earlier Thursday in a Russian court to drug charges, and could be sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Griner was arrested at the Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow when vape canisters containing cannabis oil were allegedly found in her luggage.

Both the State Department and the White House have decried the arrest and insist that Griner is wrongfully detained.

Title:

Content: The US State Department announced the continuation of the dialogue with Russia on the exchange of prisoners
The US State Department said that despite the early departure of the American Ambassador Sullivan from Russia, the dialogue on the exchange of prisoners between Washington and Moscow continues.
On Tuesday, September 6, 2022, the deputy head of the press service of the US State Department, Vedant Patel, during a briefing, said that the sudden termination of the work of the US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan and his early departure from Moscow did not affect the course of the dialogue on the exchange of prisoners between Moscow and Washington.
Patel said that the American side is calling for the release of the “illegally convicted ” American basketball player Brittney Greiner, who was found guilty of drug smuggling, and convicted of spying Paul Whelan.
Published by: Diana Mudrechenko

Title:

Content: Memorabilia
2023 Events in Japan February
Political Diplomacy Financial Society International
In an informal interview, the Prime Minister ’ s Secretary made “discriminatory remarks ” against minority groups, Japanese athletes dominated the podium for the first time in the women ’ s ski jumping program, the appointment of a new president of the Bank of Japan, the death of internationally renowned cartoonist zero Matsumoto, and the return of the star panda“ fragrant ” to China.
1
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told the House Budget Committee that legalizing same-sex marriage “is an issue that will lead to changes in family values, values and society, ” again showing caution.
2
The Police Agency publishes the Crime Situation Report 2022 (provisional value).
Criminal cases rose 5.9 percent year-on-year to 601,389, turning into growth again after 20 years.
The amount of special fraud losses also increased after eight years, increasing by 28.2% to 36.14 billion yen.
3
The prime minister's secretary, Katsuki Arai, said in an informal interview with media reporters that sexual minorities such as LGBT and same-sex marriage "seem to be annoying."
It would be awkward to live next door to these people. ”
Arai later retracted the statement and apologized.
4
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida replaced Katsuki Arai, the prime minister's secretary, who had previously made discriminatory remarks.
5
The Osaka-born composer and arranger Yoshikazu Osami won the "Best Global Music Album" award for his album "SAKURA".
At the same time, the "Snarky Puppy" band, joined by the percussionist Kyota Ogawa from Nagasaki Prefecture, won the "Best Contemporary Instrumental Album" award.
Yoshimi donned a coat embroidered with cherry blossoms to receive the award (February 5, Los Angeles, AFP / Current Affairs Agency)
Japan dominated the podium for the first time in the women's individual ski-jumping 17th round of the Nordic Ski World Championships.
Ito won the title again after six seasons, which was also her sixth title, Maruyama's first time in the card, finished second, and Takashi Saro was third.
Yuki Ito (center), Hiroshi Maruyama (left), and Saro Takanashi celebrate the feat (February 5, Wielingen, Germany, AFP / Current Affairs Agency)
6
In the women's chess jihad, at the age of 13 years and 11 months, she won the title for the first time, thus becoming the youngest female chess saint in history.
Sumi Nakamura became a professional chess player at the age of 10 and achieved the feat of winning the championship in less than 4 years (February 6, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan chess academy, current affairs agency)
Nissan and France's Renault reached a final agreement to achieve "parity" in capital relations.
The two sides will reduce Renault's contribution to Nissan from 43% to 15%, so that the two sides will have equal cross-shareholdings.
7
According to the living environment section of the police department, a director of the NPO's "Support Society for Difficult Patients" (based in Tokyo), who provided intermediary services for organ transplants in Belarus without qualifications, was arrested on suspicion of violating the "Organ Transplant Law".
It is the first time in Japan that a report has been made on unqualified overseas organ transplantation intermediaries.
The police arrested two of the four Japanese suspects who had been detained in an immigration detention center in the Philippines on suspicion of theft.
The other two were also arrested on the 9th.
Police determined that the four were the ringleaders of a special fraud ring with a total amount of more than 6 billion yen.
8
Four people, including former vice chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, were arrested by the Special Investigation Department of the Tokyo District Procuratorate on suspicion of violating the "Prohibition of Monopoly Law".
The four are alleged to have colluded with related companies in bidding activities with a scale of up to 40 billion yen.
10.
The Japanese government has decided that from March 13, whether indoor or outdoor, it will be up to the public to decide whether to wear masks.
Masks are still recommended at medical facilities, as well as on crowded trams or buses.
According to data released by the Ministry of Finance, as of the end of 2022, the balance of ordinary treasury bonds issued reached 1005.7772 trillion yen, breaking the 100 trillion yen mark for the first time.
12
Ryuichi Miura and Ryuichi Kihara's "Ryuichi" team won the double skating competition at the Four Continents Championships in figure skating for the first time.
It was also the first time that a Japanese player won the event.
Miura Kihara Group Demonstrates High Technology (February 11, Colorado Springs, USA, AFP / Current Affairs Agency)
13
Shishi Matsumoto, a leading anime and cartoonist who created popular works such as "Galaxy Railroad", "Cosmic Warship Yamato" and "Cosmic Pirate King Harroke", died of acute heart failure at the age of 85.
14
The Japanese government submitted a proposal to the Diet to appoint Kazuo Ueda, an economist and former deliberator of the Bank of Japan, as the new president of the Bank of Japan.
If Ueda succeeds, he will be the first post-war scholar to become president of the Bank of Japan.
Toyota Motor Corporation chairman Jōichiro Toyoda has died of heart failure at the age of 97.
He is the eldest son of the company's founder, Keiichiro Toyoda, who has built Toyota into one of the world's leading automakers as general manager and chairman, and was chairman of the Economic Union of Japan's largest economic group from 1994 to 1998.
At the Tokyo International Auto Show in October 1999, Junichiro Toyoda holds the steering wheel in the driver ’ s seat of the Toyota MR-S (AFP / Current Affairs Agency)
17
The Law Review Commission submitted its response to the Minister of Justice on the revision of the provisions on sexual offences in the Criminal Code.
In addition to raising the "age of sexual consent" from 13 to 16 years old, and stipulating that sexual acts with children under 16 years old will be punished, the establishment conditions of sexual crimes have been greatly adjusted, in addition to the previous "violence, coercion", but also added "forced ingestion of alcohol or drugs" and other eight kinds of behavior.
Japan's new generation of main carrier rocket "H3" 1 aircraft after the main engine ignition immediately suspended the launch.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) explained that the first-stage rocket system detected an anomaly and the booster rocket failed to ignite.
"H3" launch vehicle 1 aircraft aborted the launch operation (February 17 morning, Kagoshima Tanegashima Space Center, Shimbun)
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met with members of the sexual minorities support group to apologize for the discriminatory remarks made by the former prime minister's secretary, and expressed "sincere apologies to those who are unhappy."
18
According to the Ministry of Defense, an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) was launched near Pyongyang, North Korea, at around 5: 21 p.m.
It is presumed that the missile ended up in the Sea of Japan within the exclusive economic zone (EEZ), about 200 kilometers west of the Oshima island of Hokkaido.
20.
According to the Ministry of Defense, at about 7: 00 a.m., two ballistic missiles were fired near the west coast of the DPRK, which is presumed to have finally crashed into the sea off Japan's exclusive economic zone.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.
21
Giant panda "Xiangxiang" from Tokyo's Ueno Zoo flew from Narita Airport to Japan and returned to China.
Xiang Xiang was born in June 2017, the first time a giant panda at Ueno Zoo gave birth through natural mating.
He said that the Chinese government attaches great importance to the development of friendly relations between the two countries.
In the future, breeding partners will be sought locally in China.
23
The emperor celebrated his 63rd birthday, and the palace held the first general celebration of the emperor's birthday since the emperor's accession.
Emperor Toshin, Empress and Princess Aiko, the eldest daughter, waved to the public at the general celebration of the emperor ’ s birthday (February 23, morning, imperial residence, current affairs bureau)
24
Kazuo Ueda, the candidate for next president of the Bank of Japan, delivered a policy orientation speech in the House of Representatives.
He said that the financial policies implemented by the Bank of Japan are appropriate and it is necessary to create an economic environment in which companies are able to raise wages.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida invited Ukrainian President Aleksander Zelensky to hold the G7 summit online.
Kishida announced a new round of Japanese sanctions against Russia, including a ban on the export of unmanned aerial vehicles and related parts and components to Russia.
27
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told parliament he plans to purchase 400 Tomahawk cruise missiles.
The government has set aside about 210 billion yen in the 2023 budget for the purchase of the missiles and aims to complete the deployment of the equipment by 2026.
28
According to data released by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the number of domestic births (estimated value) in 2022 was 799,728, a decrease of 5.1% year-on-year, and a record low for seven consecutive years.
It was the first time since 1899 that the figure had fallen below 800,000.
JAXA once again implemented the reserve astronaut selection examination after 14 years, and Suwa Suwa, a senior disaster prevention expert at the World Bank, and Ayu Yoshida, a surgeon at the Japanese Red Cross Society Medical Center, passed the examination, and the competition rate exceeded one in 2,000.
Mitsuda is the third female reserve astronaut.
Heading image: On the final day of visit before returning to China, a large number of tourists came to Ueno Zoo and Fragrant said goodbye (February 19, 2023, Ueno Zoo, Taito-ku, Tokyo, current affairs agency)
Copyright Notice: All text content and graphics of this website, nippon.com All rights reserved.
Any form of reproduction or partial reproduction is prohibited without prior authorization.
Toyota Motor Bank of Japan President Drone Kaoru Toshiro Special Fraud LGBTQ Grammys Matsumoto Zero H3

Title:

Content: Foreign sports stars flee Russia as world shuns their teams

Darko Vojinovic/AP/File
Russia players react at the end of the 2019 Women's EuroBasket European Basketball Championship match between Russia and Sweden in Belgrade, Serbia, July 6, 2019.

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Less than a year ago, Russia’s domestic sports leagues, like their peers across Europe, flourished with a mix of foreign and domestic players.

What a difference a war makes.

Why We Wrote This

The Ukraine war’s ramifications may not be hitting the Russian public hard, but Russian sports are suffering as foreign players and organizations boycott them.

Russian basketball, hockey, and soccer teams have been excluded from international competition since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, and star foreign players are dropping their contracts and leaving the country. U.S. basketball player Brittney Griner’s 9-year prison sentence on drug smuggling charges has not improved the atmosphere.

Russian athletes have been shut out of international sports before – from the Russian Revolution in 1917 until 1952 – and the effects were clear. “There was no way to compare our level” with that of other countries, says Nikolai Yeremenko, a leading sports journalist.

Some veteran Soviet athletes say Russia’s isolation should be taken as an opportunity to better develop Russian players. But Russian sports fans will be the biggest losers, as the quality of games drops in the absence of foreigners.

“Right now we have no foreign players in our club,” says Sergei Druzhinin, manager of the Metallurg ice hockey team in Magnitogorsk. “The level of our games ... will be dragged down.”

Less than a year ago, Russia’s domestic sports leagues, like their peers across Europe, flourished with a mix of foreign and domestic players.

What a difference a war makes.

Today, amid deepening Cold War-like tensions between the Kremlin and the West, and as WNBA star Brittney Griner faces a 9-year sentence in a Russian penal colony, Russian basketball, hockey, and soccer teams are finding themselves forced out of international competition. And many of the one-time “legionnaires” – foreign players – on whom they depend are dropping their contracts and leaving the country.

Why We Wrote This

The Ukraine war’s ramifications may not be hitting the Russian public hard, but Russian sports are suffering as foreign players and organizations boycott them.

The alienation of Russian athletes from global sports has been an ongoing saga for years, since massive doping allegations largely forced official Russia out of the Olympics. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February led most international sports federations to ban Russian teams from scheduled competitions.

But less well known is the fate of hundreds of foreign players who, like Ms. Griner, had brought their expertise to far-flung local Russian sports teams that had been developing reputations at both the national and European levels.

The war has brought all that to a grinding halt, and upended European championship hopes for Russian basketball and soccer teams. Many European and American players have decamped while the few who remain have been subjected to considerable opprobrium.

The exodus of foreign legionnaires has been the subject of considerable debate in the Russian sports media, with some arguing that it spells the end of Russia’s sports ambitions for a generation, while others claim it will give more opportunities to Russian players and boost domestic sports development.

“Not enough qualified players”

Ms. Griner, a leading player with the Urals city of Yekaterinburg’s UMMC basketball team, was arrested on Feb. 17, before the war started, and charged with possession of a small quantity of hashish oil. In August, she was sentenced to 9 years in prison, an exceedingly harsh judgement even by Russian standards, which has caused speculation that the Kremlin hopes to use her in a Cold-War-style prisoner exchange with the United States.

But her ordeal has added to the wartime chill that’s already driving foreign players out of Russia.

“Obviously if one of the best basketball players is sitting in prison, it’s going to have a very discouraging effect on all foreign players who might think of signing a contract in Russia,” says Eduard Sorokin, an independent sports expert.

“All efforts to create a situation that attracts players of the highest level to Russian sports teams have been undermined, and all the benefits ruined. It’s not to say that legal violations should be overlooked. She pleaded guilty, [but] she might have just been fined and justice satisfied with minimal punishment. Now the damage is done.”

In an extensive interview with the official RIA-Novosti agency, UMMC captain Yevgenia Belyakova, who went to Moscow to testify on Ms. Griner’s behalf, praised her as a “good person” and a “disciplined” player who did not intend to break any laws. She lamented the fact that all the team’s foreign players and its Spanish coach left in February after Ms. Griner was arrested and the team was excluded from the EuroLeague Women’s competition.

“Naturally, the situation with Brittney could not but affect our legionnaires,” she said. “[We were] a big and friendly family. We not only played together, but also spent a lot of time off the court. It’s no secret that our team was formed for the Euroleague, and victory in [the championship] was our main goal of the season.”

Evgenia Novozhenina/AP
WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner (background center) listens to a verdict in a courtroom in Khimki, Russia, just outside Moscow, Aug. 4, 2022.

A similar situation pervades other sports, including hockey, where Russian teams have long been seen as a spawning ground for the NHL. The Kontinental Hockey League, which includes several non-Russian clubs, saw teams in Latvia and Finland drop out in protest of the war, and many players have followed suit.

“There are not enough qualified players to fill all Russian hockey teams; we need foreign players,” says Sergei Druzhinin, manager of the Metallurg hockey team in the Urals city of Magnitogorsk. “Right now we have no foreign players in our club. They’ve all gone. It means the level of our games, both as spectacle and professional attainment, will be dragged down.”

Some see an opportunity

Russian soccer may be taking the worst hit of all, says Nikolai Yeremenko, editor of Sovetsky Sport, a leading sports daily. “Football [soccer] has suffered more than most other sports. The money earned by leading Russian teams in [European competition] was a serious support for club budgets. But now all the high-level foreign players have left.”

“FIFA [international soccer’s governing body] made this possible by changing the rules to allow foreign players to suspend their contracts [with Russian teams] without facing any legal consequences. As a result, teams cannot plan ahead,” he says. “A player can disappear and not face any punishment. It’s already clear that the level of Russian football has deteriorated. We can no longer compare our level with the European one.”

As of early August, 37 legionnaires had left the Russian Premier League, which includes 16 clubs, and 23 new foreign players have replaced them, according to the Moscow daily Sport Express. But most of those who have left were top-rated European players, and their replacements are lesser-known players from South America and Serbia.

“A year ago, the league was replenished with players from dozens of different countries, but now there is no such wide choice. In terms of newcomers, Brazil and Serbia are in the lead – countries that have always willingly sent footballers to Russia. The difference is that before they were one of many donors, and now they are almost the only ones,” the paper said.

Some Russians, such as Soviet-era basketball legend Stanislav Yeremin, argue that the crisis should be treated as an opportunity to develop Russian sports and forge new links with countries that will still compete with Russians.

“Look forward,” Mr. Yeremin told the Sport MK newspaper. “I don’t think that we will be in Europe for at least two or three years. Therefore, we need to turn to the Russian market, or try to look for opportunities for international competitions with those countries and clubs that could still play with us. If you close yourself in, then it will be difficult.”

Russian sports have been isolated before – excluded from international competition from the Russian Revolution in 1917 until 1952.  “There was no way to compare our level, and so we were left completely outside normal development of sports” says Mr. Yeremenko. “I don’t believe in any claims that this situation can work to our advantage. Progress is only possible when the strongest compete with the strongest. Sports can’t develop under sanctions.

“It’s very hard to say what we should do now. When you have the ideology of a besieged fortress, everything gets all mixed up.”

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Title:

Content: American diplomat fainted in court in the case of Brittney Greiner
Earlier it was reported that the athlete, accused of smuggling drugs, arrived in the Khimki court for the next meeting.
© Video: TRK VS RF "Zvezda" © Photo: TRK VS RF "ZVEZDA"
Read us on:
A representative of the American Embassy fainted at a meeting in the Khimki court.
The incident occurred during the trial of basketball player Brittney Greiner.
The judge was adjourned until 14.30 Wednesday, July 27.
Earlier it was reported that the athlete came to court.
There was supposed to be another meeting there today.
Grainer is charged with drug smuggling.
The basketball game is scheduled for tomorrow.
At the last meeting, on July 15, the defense presented in court a permit issued in the United States by the Arizona Department of Health for the use of medical cannabis.
It was alleged that the athlete complained of severe pain.
The tests were also presented, which were taken as part of the anti-doping inspection, they showed the absence of prohibited substances.
Brittney Greiner was detained at Sheremetyevo Airport on February 17 after a banned substance was found in her luggage.
Now she faces up to ten years in prison.
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read below the following news

## The Arrest and Legal Proceedings

Brittney Griner, a two-time Olympic champion and WNBA star, was arrested on February 17, 2022, at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport upon her arrival for a professional basketball season.

Title:

Content: CNN: basketball player Greiner was exchanged for Victor Bout
16: 10 08.12.2022
The basketball player from the United States was released from the Russian prison in the framework of the exchange of prisoners.
© Photo by ZUMAPRESS, Globallookpress
Read us on:
American basketball player Brittney Greiner, who was convicted of drug smuggling, was exchanged for the Russian Viktor Bout.
This is reported by CNN with reference to a source.
Brittney Greiner was released from Russian detention as part of an exchange of prisoners... for Victor Bout.
Earlier, lawyers visited the American Brittney Greiner in the Mordovian correctional colony No2.
The basketball player has already begun to serve his sentence.
Recall that in late October, the Moscow regional court approved the American athlete Brittney Greiner nine years in prison for drug smuggling.
In February, a basketball player who arrived on a flight from New York was detained at Sheremetyevo Airport.
When inspecting things in her hand luggage, they found vapes with a liquid with a specific odor weighing 0.702 grams.
Subsequently, the examination found that it was hashish oil.
Expert opinion and analytics
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Title:

Content: Russian Federation
Moscow
+ 9 °
Politics24 September 2022 8: 21
NYT: US State Department urges US athletes to leave Russia immediately
The Embassy of the country has limited opportunities to help them in Russia, noted in the US Department
NYT: US State Department urges US athletes to leave Russia immediately
Photo by GLOBAL LOOK PRESS
The US State Department has called on Russian athletes to leave the country as soon as possible.
"The Americans should leave Russia immediately.
The embassy has limited capacity to help them there, ” a source told The New York Times.
It is also indicated that in the United States they fear persecution of their citizens by Russian officials.
On February 18, American basketball player Brittney Greiner was detained at Sheremetyevo Airport.
In her luggage found vapes (cartridges for an electronic heating system) with cannabis oil.
On August 4, the Khimki court of the Moscow region sentenced the American to 9 years in prison for smuggling and possession of drugs.
Earlier, the State Department again urged Americans to leave Russia and Ukraine.
The head of the press service of the State Department, Ned Price, made a corresponding recommendation to the Americans.

Title:

Content: American forward of the club of the National basketball Association (NBA) "Los Angeles Lakers" LeBron James in an interview published on the YouTube channel UNINTERRUPTED, addressed the arrested in Russia basketball player Brittney Greiner.
He believes that the US authorities are not making enough efforts to release the basketball player.
Does she feel like America is covering her back?
If I were her, I would think if I wanted to go back to America at all, ” LeBron James said.
On February 18, the basketball player flew to Moscow from New York.
Customs officers seized vapers with an unknown liquid from her luggage.
The results of the examination showed that it was hashish oil.
On March 5, the basketball player was arrested.
Greiner was charged with drug smuggling.
Earlier, US officials expressed doubts that in the near future they will be able to return the basketball player.
On July 7, she pleaded guilty in the Khimki court.

Title:

Content: Gazeta.ru
7,573 followers
The WNBA and NBA called the verdict of basketball player Greiner shameful
Commissioner of the Women ’ s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Katie Engelbert and Commissioner of the National Basketball Association (NBA) Adam Silver criticized the conviction of basketball player Brittney Greiner in Russia for drug trafficking and called for her immediate return to the United States.
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Title:

Content: Moscow 24
Accidents
12: 55 PM
The defense of the convicted in Russia American basketball player Greiner appealed the verdict
Photo: Agency "Moscow" / Sofia Sandurskaya
The defense of American basketball player Brittney Greiner, who was sentenced in Russia to 9 years in prison in the case of drug smuggling, appealed the verdict.
This is reported by TASS.
“The defense team Brittney Greiner filed an appeal against the verdict of the Khimki court, ” said the lawyer of the American Maria Blagolina.
The Olympic champion was detained on February 17 at Sheremetyevo airport.
During the inspection of luggage, the American woman found vapes – electronic devices for smoking – with a liquid that had a specific smell.
According to the results of the examination, it turned out that it was hashish oil.
According to Russian law, it is considered a drug and is subject to control in the country.
The Khimki court of the Moscow region sentenced Greiner to 9 years in prison and a fine of one million rubles in the case of drug smuggling.
In turn, the press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov noted that the American basketball player can use the pardon procedure.
“Moscow patrol ”: the court in Khimki sentenced the American Brittney Greiner
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Title:

Content: Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner arrives in San Antonio after 10 months in Russian custody

Griner was transported to Brook Army Medical Center's reintegration center upon her arrival.

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WNBA star Brittney Griner spent 294 days in Russian custody after customs officials in Moscow allegedly discovered vape canisters containing cannabinoid oil in her luggage.
WNBA star Brittney Griner touched down at San Antonio’s former Kelly Air Force base early Friday morning after 10 months in Russian custody, according to media reports.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist was smiling as she stepped off the plane at 4:30 a.m., the Express-News reports. Following her arrival, she was transported to Brooke Army Medical Center’s reintegration facility, where she will receive any necessary medical treatment.

Medical experts from UT Health San Antonio told KSAT that Griner also may undergo extensive mental health evaluations.

In February, Griner was arrested at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport after customs officials allegedly found vape canisters continuing cannabinoid oil in her luggage. In August, she pled guilty to the charges and was sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony. She spent 294 days in Russian custody, according to the daily.

The basketball star was released in a prisoner swap between the U.S. and Russia on Thursday, in which the Biden administration handed over notorious international arms dealer Viktor Bout.

In a statement, Griner's family offered “sincere gratitude” to President Joe Biden and his administration for their efforts in bringing her home, according to the Express-News. It is unclear how long Griner will be in San Antonio before returning home to her family.

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Title:

Content: Mercury post first video of Brittney Griner in uniform after re-signing WNBA star

Griner last played for Phoenix during the 2021 season

Brittney Griner is back in a Phoenix Mercury uniform over two months after returning from incarceration in Russia.

Griner officially re-signed with the only WNBA team she’s ever known this week, reportedly on a one-year deal with Phoenix worth $165,100.

American professional basketball player Brittney Griner acknowledges fans as she watches on the 16th hole during the third round of the Phoenix Open golf tournament, Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023, in Scottsdale, Ariz.  (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)

On Friday, the franchise posted a video of Griner in a Mercury uniform for the first time since her signing.

FORMER WNBA MVP NNEKA OGWUMIKE RETURNING TO LOS ANGELES SPARKS ON ONE-YEAR DEAL: REPORT

Griner, who spent 10 months in Russian custody after authorities allegedly discovered that she had vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage, will return for her 10th WNBA season.

The WNBA champion was arrested in February 2022 at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport and was later classified as "wrongfully detained" by the U.S. State Department.

WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner is escorted from a courtroom after a hearing, in Khimki just outside Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022.  (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko.)

After months of strained negotiations, Griner was released from a Russian penal colony in early December in a prisoner exchange for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

On Thursday, Griner participated in a workout at the team facility when Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton emerged to watch.

"It’s unreal," Ayton said, according to the Arizona Republic. "Just watching her and seeing the reactions on her face. Her just being back and trying to get back in shape and just loving the game she loves to do. You can tell her mind is free."

Phoenix Mercury's Brittney Griner (42) is congratulated on a play against the Seattle Storm in the first half of the second round of the WNBA basketball playoffs Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021, in Everett, Wash. Griner, who was a free agent, re-signed with the Mercury on a one-year contract according to a person familiar with the deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, because no announcement has been made.  (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Griner was drafted by Phoenix with the top pick of the 2013 draft, helping the Mercury win the WNBA championship in 2014.

Phoenix opens the 2023 season on May 19th against the Los Angeles Sparks.

Fox News' Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.

Title:

Content: Today, 09: 45
Brittney Greiner was sent from jail to the colony.
Lawyers don ’ t know her location.
Correspondent
Read “SE ” in Telegram News
Lawyers of the two-time Olympic champion in basketball, ex-center of UMMC Brittney Greiner Maria Blagolina and Alexander Boykov told that the American left the pre-trial detention center in the Moscow region.
“Our client Brittney Greiner on November 4 was sent from the pre-trial detention center, in which she was from the moment of detention, to a general regime colony to serve her sentence, ” said Alexander Baikov. – At the moment, we have no information about her current location, nor where she is going.
We, as lawyers, as well as the U.S. Embassy, must be notified upon her arrival at her destination. ”
In August, the Khimki court of the Moscow region sentenced a 32-year-old American woman to 9 years in a general regime colony and a fine of 1 million rubles for smuggling hash oil.
NEWS

Title:

Content: Show more All news
NBA champion Shaquille O ’ Neill reacted to the arrest of American Brittney Greiner in Russia
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Legendary center, four-time NBA champion, and now expert Shaquille O ’ Neill posted a new post on his social networks, where he reacted to the arrest of compatriot, basketball player Brittney Greiner.
Recently, the Khimki court of the Moscow region sentenced her to nine years in prison and a fine of 1 million rubles for transporting hash oil.
Shaquille posted two photos: one shows Greiner, the other is another American, Audrey Elise Lorber, who was also detained in Russia in 2019 for transporting banned substances.
The captions to the photo indicated the terms that were imposed on US citizens for similar crimes in Russia.
Elise Lorber was detained at Pulkovo airport with 20 grams of dried narcotic substance of plant origin.
After about two months of arrest, she was released, imposing a fine of 15 thousand rubles.
Brittney Greiner leads to sentencing:
The US is in shock - Greiner was given 9 years in prison!
Biden called the verdict unacceptable
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Content: U.S. Women’s soccer team captain Megan Rapinoe took her shot as one of 17 Americans awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House to call attention to the detention of Brittney Griner. The Olympic gold medalist and equal pay activist wore her feelings on her lapel- demanding fellow Olympic athlete and WNBA star, Brittney Griner, be brought out of detention in Russia.

Rapinoe posted an Instagram story that she’d chosen a cream suit jacket with the basketball player’s initials and a flower sewn into the lapel.

https://www.instagram.com/stories/mrapinoe/2877209898883344067/

“The most important part of today,” Rapinoe captioned the photo, adding: “BG we love you.”

The Phoenix Mercury center was playing in Russia for UMMC Yekaterinburg in the Russian Women’s Basketball Premier League during the WNBA’s off-season when she was arrested Feb. 17, and has been detained since. Griner pleaded guilty earlier Thursday in a Russian court to drug charges, and could be sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Griner was arrested at the Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow when vape canisters containing cannabis oil were allegedly found in her luggage.

Both the State Department and the White House have decried the arrest and insist that Griner is wrongfully detained.

Title:

Content: American diplomat fainted in court in the case of Brittney Greiner
Earlier it was reported that the athlete, accused of smuggling drugs, arrived in the Khimki court for the next meeting.
© Video: TRK VS RF "Zvezda" © Photo: TRK VS RF "ZVEZDA"
Read us on:
A representative of the American Embassy fainted at a meeting in the Khimki court.
The incident occurred during the trial of basketball player Brittney Greiner.
The judge was adjourned until 14.30 Wednesday, July 27.
Earlier it was reported that the athlete came to court.
There was supposed to be another meeting there today.
Grainer is charged with drug smuggling.
The basketball game is scheduled for tomorrow.
At the last meeting, on July 15, the defense presented in court a permit issued in the United States by the Arizona Department of Health for the use of medical cannabis.
It was alleged that the athlete complained of severe pain.
The tests were also presented, which were taken as part of the anti-doping inspection, they showed the absence of prohibited substances.
Brittney Greiner was detained at Sheremetyevo Airport on February 17 after a banned substance was found in her luggage.
Now she faces up to ten years in prison.
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Content: ‘She brings light’: Brittney Griner’s triumphant return to the WNBA

Prior to being detained in a Russian prison for 294 days, Brittney Griner was on top of the world.

The 32-year-old was coming off one of the best WNBA seasons of her career. She was the Most Valuable Player runner-up, averaging 20.5 points and 9.5 rebounds for the Phoenix Mercury, who she led back to the WNBA finals for the first time since winning the title in 2014. Meanwhile, Griner was on her way to play for Russian club UMMC Ekaterinburg, who she had led to four EuroLeague titles since she started spending her WNBA off-seasons there in 2014.

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At the time of her arrest Griner was, according to the testimony of her Russian teammate Evgenia Belyakova, “the most beloved player in Russia.”

To become such a popular figure in both America and Russia is no easy task for a gay, Black woman. But Griner’s ascent was never easy. She was bullied relentlessly growing up, first for her size and later for her sexuality, becoming one of the first active athletes in professional North American sports to come out as gay, shortly after being drafted No 1 overall by the Mercury in 2013.

In her first game as a pro, the 6ft 9in Griner towered over her opponents, changing the perceptions of what a female basketball player was capable of when she set a WNBA record with two dunks in a game. Griner went on to win a WNBA title, two Olympic gold medals, and seven WNBA All-Star appearances, on pace to achieve a level of greatness few ever have in the women’s game, and being marketed accordingly.

In fact, Griner was the first openly gay athlete to be endorsed by Nike. And the WNBA used her at the center of its marketing, acknowledging that gay athletes and LGBTQ+ activists like Griner were good for business.

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So when it all came crashing down at a Moscow airport on 17 February 2022, when Griner was found with vape cartridges containing traces of hashish oil in her luggage, not only did her career come to a screeching halt, but the league that she had been bound to since 2013 lost some of its forward momentum, too. She was later sentenced to nine years in Russian prison.

As much as Griner tried to stay positive, and as much as the WNBA community tried to help, a cloud hung over the entire 2022 season – one that would not dissipate until Griner was released and returned to America.

“Last year, it felt as though we couldn’t play with joy … It felt bad for us to be happy or to celebrate things because the weight of BG’s wrongful detainment weighed over us,” says former Mercury head coach Vanessa Nygaard.

When the US negotiated a prisoner swap to secure Griner’s freedom last December, she almost immediately announced her intention to return to the WNBA in 2023, signing a one-year deal with the Mercury. But nobody knew what to expect from Griner, who had spent almost a year under arduous physical and mental conditions.

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But, against all odds, Griner appears to be back to her normal self, on and off the court.

Related: WNBA power lies with two superteams. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing

In her first WNBA game in 579 days, Griner had 18 points, six rebounds and four blocks in a loss to the Los Angeles Sparks. In her first home game a couple of days later, she hit just the seventh three-pointer of her career, yelling “I’m back!” to the crowd of 14,000 cheering fans.

“I appreciate everything a little more,” Griner said about being back in the league. “All the little, small moments that I used to just [think]: ‘Oh, I’m so tired, I don’t want to go to practice today. And, oh, this and that.’ That has changed, honestly. Just appreciating everything because tomorrow’s not guaranteed.”

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Griner is averaging 19.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 2.4 blocks on a career-high 61.8% shooting through her first nine games of the 2023 season. She is back to being the Mercury’s best player, dominating in the post over swarms of defenders and blocking everything that comes her way on the other end of the floor. After being an honorary All-Star selection last season, Griner was named an All-Star starter on Sunday.

But what may be even more impressive is the enthusiasm and spirit she has brought to the Mercury and the WNBA, constantly flashing her trademark smile, joking around at press conferences, and uplifting her teammates at every opportunity.

“We were all hoping that she was going to be OK coming back, and that she did not lose her light, and she really didn’t,” says Mercury forward Megan Gustafson, adding that Griner’s presence has transformed the locker room. “I think we were a little bit surprised, because anyone that goes through an experience like that – I mean, I couldn’t even imagine being the same person. But she really is and I’m just so proud of her and just the light that she brings again … It’s really just her light, her positivity that [has] shone through.”

Sandy Brondello, who coached Griner in Phoenix for eight seasons prior to moving on to New York, is also glowing about the player’s return to the WNBA. “It’s like sometimes we sweat having a bad game – she was in prison,” says Brondello. “She had to live in prison for such a long time. So I think she has that joy. Just go out there and play.”

Griner has brought a lot of attention to the WNBA, which was already growing rapidly. Not only is the league averaging almost 1,000 more fans a game in Griner’s return season, but its broadcasts have also hit record viewership numbers – up 49% from last season across ESPN networks.

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“I think that if you look at last season, there was something and someone missing in the WNBA and that was obviously Brittney Griner,” former WNBA MVP and Griner’s one-time UMMC Ekaterinburg teammate Breanna Stewart says. “So the ability to have her back here kind of makes our circle complete, because she is such a force and a presence on and off the court and her ability to kind of be so dominant and aggressive but also such a kind, caring person – everybody’s missed that.”

Griner’s on-court play cannot be separated from her political advocacy off it, especially in a league as socially active as the WNBA. And Griner’s imprisonment has forced the WNBA to reckon with its lackluster treatment of athletes in the past, forcing the league to improve pay and travel standards so that the Griner situation does not repeat itself.

After all, the primary reason that Griner was in Russia in the first place is because her salary at UMMC Ekaterinburg is over $1m compared to the $165,100 she will make this year in the WNBA. In fact, 67 of the league’s 144 players still played internationally last off-season despite Griner’s detainment. Doing so is a financial necessity rather than a choice for most of the world’s best female basketball players.

The incident also highlighted concerns about commercial travel for WNBA players, many of whom are gay, Black women who can be targets of abuse. In fact, Griner has already been harassed this season when a conservative media personality confronted her and her teammates inside a Dallas airport in mid-June.

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In the past, the league has argued that charter flights create an unfair competitive advantage for teams that can afford to pay for them, fining the New York Liberty $500,000 for chartering flights last season. But the WNBA has already made improvements this season, allowing private flights for back-to-back games and for all playoff games. And after the news of Griner’s harassment and the pressure that came from it, the league recently announced that teams are permitted to fly on a public chartering service called JSX for the rest of the season.

It’s a step in the right direction that may not have been possible if not for Griner – a singular force who is as easy to galvanize around because of her on-court performances as she is for her personality. The league still has a long way to go in regards to growing the game and improving standards for its athletes, but Griner’s return has undoubtedly expedited the process.

“It’s a shame that it had to get to rock bottom. Because I feel like waiting for something to happen and then making a change, you don’t know what that something’s gonna be,” Griner said. “We’ve all seen what can happen in this world. And when you play the ‘let’s wait and see game,’ you’re really playing with fire. You’re playing with people’s lives.

“So I’m glad that they finally got it together and are going to allow us to do this. It’s just a shame that it took so damn long.”

Title:

Content: Booth says he supports Russia ’ s special operation in Ukraine
Viktor Bout, who this week returned to Russia from the United States, where he was serving a sentence on charges of illegal arms trafficking and supporting terrorism, said his support for the military special operation of the Russian Federation in Ukraine.
He said this in an interview with the TV channel Russia Today.
Commenting on the special operation announced in February by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Bout said that he did not understand why this was not done earlier.
He mentioned how in 2014 Kharkiv residents, in particular, carried the Russian tricolor.
“Obviously, there were no conditions, we were not ready.
I fully support [the special operation], if I had the opportunity and the skills necessary, I would, of course, volunteer, ” said Booth.
On December 8, Victor Bout was exchanged at Abu Dhabi airport for basketball player Brittney Greiner, who was detained in February 2022 at Sheremetyevo airport, after cartridges with hashish oil were found in her hand luggage.
Before the exchange, Greiner and Booth were pardoned, they will not have to serve their sentences on the territory of their countries.
After returning to Russia, the Russian expressed gratitude to the American side for the noble and respectful attitude during the exchange.
According to his wife Alla, Booth is now feeling terribly and severely exhausted, since he had not slept for three days.
Bout was arrested in Thailand in 2008 at the request of Washington and charged with arms trafficking and supporting terrorism.
Bout was imprisoned in Thailand for two and a half years before being extradited to the United States and sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2012.
The Russian categorically did not admit his guilt.
Press Secretary of the President Dmitry Peskov stressed that the exchange of Bout is not a sign of improving relations between Russia and the United States.
These relations continue to remain in a sad state, he stressed, adding that the preparation of the exchange was carried out by the special services of Russia and the United States.
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Content: News section
Results of the day: the return of Bout, the “schematosis ” of the Kazan City Hall, the Tatarstan Declaration of the Common Good of UNESCO
Realnoe Vremya summarizes the day and publishes a selection of the most important and interesting news for Thursday, December 8:
• Russian businessman Victor Bout, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2012 by the US court for his intention to illegally carry out the arms trade and support of terror, was exchanged for the basketball player of the US national team Brittney Greiner.
The businessman has returned home.
Booth and Greiner were pardoned before the exchange to Abu Dhabi and should not serve the remainder of their sentences in their respective countries.
• Deputy head of the anti-corruption department under the President of Tatarstan Rustam Gayazov said that contractors of the Kazan municipality illegally traded access cards to schools and kindergartens.
He also noted that in 2022, more than 40 million rubles were allocated for the equipment of educational institutions in Kazan with access control systems for the purpose of ensuring security.
• The Prosecutor General ’ s Office of Russia will demand the extradition of the co-founder of the financial pyramid Finiko Edward Sabirov.
In order to notify the Emirati side, the NCB of Interpol of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia sent confirmation of its intention to demand his extradition to Russia and a request for his detention within 60 days from the moment of detention.
• Defenders of the director of the gymnasium No. 175 of Kazan Amina Valeyeva, who has finished familiarizing herself with all the volumes and material evidence of her case, and two other defendants in the tragedy of May 11, 2021, filed petitions to terminate the criminal prosecution on charges of criminal negligence with grave consequences.
According to the defense, the case against all three should be dismissed for lack of corpus delicti.
Investigators think otherwise.
• In the St. George Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace, the Golden Star medals were awarded to the Heroes of Russia.
The solemn event was attended by more than 200 military and civilians who showed special courage and heroism, including Heroes of the Soviet Union, Heroes of the Russian Federation and knights of the Order of St. George.
• The Ministry of Health said that the reports of UNAIDS and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) that Russia is among the top 5 countries with the highest rate of HIV infection spread is another provocation.
According to the Ministry, from 2018 to 2021, the incidence in the country decreased by 31.4% - from 58.6 to 40.2 per 100 thousand population.
• Press Secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov said that Reuters misinterpreted the information that Uzbekistan allegedly did not accept the initiative of the “triple gas union ”.
He noted that there is no talk of gas in exchange for political conditions, and stressed that each country sells its energy resources to its counterparties, relying on commercial terms.
• The Department of Food and Social Nutrition of Kazan is looking for a candidate for the post of head of the organizational department.
He is ready to pay 69.3 thousand rubles before taxes — the mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin earns only 43 620 rubles.
• Ak Bars beat Avangard.
The meeting ended with the score 2: 3 (2: 0, 0: 2, 0: 0, 0: 1) in favor of Kazan.
Now Ak Bars are in 7th place in the Eastern Conference table with 43 points.
The regular championship went on a break related to the holding of the First Channel Cup.
• The State Duma adopted a law banning surrogacy for foreigners.
Its speaker Vyacheslav Volodin explained that the innovation is designed to prevent the sale of children from Russia.
Medical organizations hiring young specialists will be allocated additional funds - a total of 6 billion rubles.
The Russian government has already supported the initiative, which should help to increase the number of employees of medical institutions.
• After the meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin with members of the HRC, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia banned the wearing of “shackles ” or a means of restricting mobility“ Azhur ” on citizens of certain categories.
We are talking about those involved in economic affairs, women and children.
• The former chief accountant of the Rosselkhoznadzor Directorate for Tatarstan was put on trial for the third time.
The first sentence - 4 years in prison, was canceled, when re-examined, the court returned the case for further investigation.
The Prosecutor ’ s Office of Tatarstan announced the approval of a new charge – in a particularly large fraud committed using his official position.
The man pleaded not guilty.
The damage from his actions to the budget of Tatarstan exceeds 4.8 million rubles.
• The authorities of Kazan established compensation payments to families with children attending kindergartens of the city.
The support measure will be effective from January 1, 2023.
Compensation is assigned and paid to the legal representative or his authorized person who has concluded a contract with the kindergarten and paid for the supervision and care of the child.
• The International Forum dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Convention on the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, which brought together UNESCO specialists from 56 countries of the world in the capital of Tatarstan, ended in Kazan.
As a result, they adopted the Kazan Declaration of the Common Good.
The document collected the conclusions and results of the past conferences and will be repeatedly supplemented with new theses in the future.
• The Kazan Executive Committee set the dates for 2023 when paid municipal parking will operate without charge.
You can use them for free from January 2 to 6, February 23 and 24, March 8, 1, 8 and 9, May, June 12, August 30, November 6, as well as in the days of Uraza Bayram and Eid al-Adha.
• The media report that Rubin CEO Rustem Saimanov is highly likely to leave the club.
The reason for the possible resignation may be the unsatisfactory results of the team.
The post of the new head of the club is predicted by the head of the Federal Tax Service for Tatarstan Marat Safiullin.
• PJSC TATNEFT will increase oil production in Tatarstan in 2022 by 4.3%, to 28.7 million tons.
Last year, the company produced 27.529 million tons of oil.
The main production volume of the company is provided by deposits in the republic
• The accused Colonel Alexei Ershov made a sensational confession during the interrogation in the Privolzhsky District Court of Kazan.
The former head of the police departments “Yamashevsky ” and“ Safiullina ” (formerly “Dalny ”) said that for years he combined the service with commercial activities and invested income in the repair of the same departments.
The details are in the "Real Time" report.
• After abnormally cold weather, which was established in early December, warming is expected in Tatarstan.
Temperatures will rise over the weekend.
At the beginning of next week in the afternoon is predicted to -2 degrees and wet snow with rain.
• Tatarstan has become one of the leading regions of the Green Rating in terms of efficiency of work in the field of waste management.
The Republic was noted at the ceremony of awarding the winners of the Green Prize contest organized by the SPC Russian Environmental Operator.
In the first 17 days of the World Cup, Qatar welcomed more than 765,000 people.
According to the organizers ’ report, it says 1.33 million ticket holders and 3.09 million tickets sold for World Cup matches.
The total attendance for the 52 games of the tournament amounted to 2.65 million people.
• National Credit Ratings downgraded the rating of the Kazan plant KrialEnergoStroy from BB-.ru (undetermined) to B + .ru (negative).
The company did not agree with this decision.
They believe that the rating was compiled under public pressure and “in no way is an objective assessment of the company. ”
The owner of the plant Rasim Kiyamov said that the new credit rating does not reflect the real state of affairs, including in finances and in the current business of the company.
Key events of the 288th day of the special military operation in Ukraine:
• Russian President Vladimir Putin said that its armed forces are striking Ukraine ’ s energy infrastructure, but the first strikes were carried out by those who hit the Crimean Bridge.
The head of state stressed that in the course of a special military operation, everything is done primarily to protect people.
“When we move, we do something: noise, noise, crackling all over the universe.
This will not prevent us from carrying out combat missions, ” Vladimir Putin said, adding that no “nonsense and fakes ” should prevent the Russian army from fulfilling its duty to the people, the head of state said.
• The Ministry of Defense reported that as a result of strikes with high-precision weapons of the Russian Aerospace Forces in the Zaporozhye region, five MLRS and MARS-II launchers of the German MLRS and MARS-II were destroyed.
Two HIMARS launchers were eliminated in the DPR.
In the Kharkiv region, more than 90 Polish mercenaries were killed by high-precision weapons.
• In the Kharkiv region, the launcher of the tactical missile complex “Tochka-U ” was destroyed.
Air defense in the DPR shot down a Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter.
Five drones were destroyed.
• Fourteen rockets of HIMARS, Alder, Uragan multiple launch systems and HARM anti-radar missile were intercepted during the day.
Since the beginning of the special operation, 341 aircraft, 181 helicopters, 2,643 unmanned aerial vehicles, 392 anti-aircraft missile systems, 7,030 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 920 combat vehicles of multiple launch rocket systems, 3,668 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 7,507 units of special military vehicles have been destroyed.
Subscribe to the telegram channel and the group “Vkontakte ”“ Realnoe Vremya ”.
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Content: Skip to content
PUBLISHED: | UPDATED:

Dennis Rodman, the ex-NBA star who says he knows Vladimir Putin well, revealed his plan to travel to Russia in support of incarcerated WNBA star Britney Griner.

Griner was sentenced this month to nine years at a Russian prison. She was detained at a Moscow airport in February after custom officials said vape canisters with cannabis oil were found inside her luggage.

“I got permission to go to Russia to help that girl,” Rodman told NBC News on Saturday. “I’m trying to go this week.”

The report doesn’t specify whom the New Jersey-born Rodman, 61, received permission from, though he only needs a visa to travel to Russia.

Rodman described the Russian President Putin as “cool” in 2014 after traveling to the country, according to NBC News.

He claimed to “know Putin too well” in NBC News’ report this weekend. Rodman also has a relationship with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un and reportedly believes he played a role in the country’s release of American prisoner Kenneth Bae in 2014.

The U.S. State Department urges Americans against traveling to Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February.

Rodman won two NBA titles with the Detroit Pistons and three more with the Chicago Bulls during his career, which spanned 1986 to 2000. He was voted the NBA’s defensive player of the year two times.

()

Title:

Content: People 's Network > > International
Foreign Ministry: Guantanamo prison is an indelible human rights stain in the United States
January 21, 2022 21: 00 | Source: People's Daily Online - International Channel
Small number
BEIJING, Jan. 21 PRNewswire-AsiaNet -- Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian presided over a routine news conference today, according to the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Shahid will attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games and participate in the torch relay at the invitation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
What is China's comment on this?
Zhao Lijian: China welcomes Mr. Shahid to attend the Beijing Winter Olympics as president of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly and serve as a torchbearer.
Mr. Shahid has repeatedly expressed his firm support for the Beijing Winter Olympics.
He said that the Beijing Winter Olympics showed the progress of human science and technology, and showed the best side of China and the best side of all mankind.
He is confident that the Beijing Winter Olympics will be very successful.
In recent days, international organizations, including the United Nations and the International Olympic Committee, and people from many countries around the world have expressed their support and expectations for the Beijing Winter Olympics, and opposed the politicization of sports.
The curtain of the Beijing Winter Olympics is about to open.
China is confident to work with all parties to practice the Olympic spirit of "more unity" and present a simple, safe and wonderful Olympic event to the world.
Yonhap News Agency: The Security Council has discussed a plan to increase sanctions against five North Koreans, but China and Russia have expressed reservations about it.
The United States and other permanent representatives to the Security Council issued a statement calling for additional sanctions against the DPRK.
What is China's comment on this?
Zhao Lijian: China has taken note of the recent developments of various parties in the situation on the Korean Peninsula.
I have no information on the specifics of the Council's discussions.
What I can tell you is that the Council did not discuss the arrangements for the so-called draft resolution on sanctions against the DPRK.
We hope that the members of the Security Council will take a long-term view of the overall situation, take a prudent view of the current situation, focus on promoting the process of political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue, seriously consider relevant proposals put forward by the Chinese side, and make positive efforts to stabilize the situation, accumulate mutual trust and restart dialogue.
In an interview with Xinhua, Greek Olympic Committee President Roman Capralos said that China has shown its commitment to the Olympic ideal by hosting the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Athens Mayor Bakoyannis also recently recorded a video, on behalf of Athens to warmly congratulate Beijing on becoming the first "double Olympic city".
What is the spokesman's comment?
Zhao Lijian: We are deeply grateful for the blessings from the birthplace of the Olympic Movement.
I also noticed that a video of a British primary school student singing “Meet in Beijing 2022 ” in Chinese has attracted the attention of the Chinese people.
These elementary school students sang: “A Great Wall carved the outline of history / beating the strong pulse of China / ancient China radiates the color of youth / sincere feelings / smile to greet the guests of the eight parties / 2022 meet / see the holy fire in Beijing ”.
The songs of the children and the blessings of the Greek friends all convey the confidence and expectation of the international community for the Beijing Winter Olympic Games.
"To dedicate a simple, safe and wonderful Olympic event to the world is a solemn commitment made by China to the international community, and it is also our unswerving goal since the successful Olympic bid," he said.
The National Bureau of Statistics of China released data showing that since Beijing successfully bid for the Winter Olympics in 2015, 346 million people have participated in the ice and snow sports.
This indicates that the goal of "driving 300 million people on ice and snow" has been successfully achieved.
At present, the Chinese government and people are working hard to turn the Beijing Winter Olympics into a grand event for all ice and snow lovers, showing the world the style of the "double Olympic city".
In two weeks' time, the sacred flame of the Beijing Winter Olympics will burn with the drums of the Chinese Lunar New Year of the Tiger.
"We hope that the international Olympic cause will make a great contribution to world peace and development," he said.
Mali's transitional government will hold a state funeral on January 21 for former President Keita.
What is China's comment on this?
Zhao Lijian: As a senior Malian statesman, Mr. Keita made positive contributions to the development of Sino-Malian relations during his lifetime.
The Chinese side expresses its deep condolences over his death, and extends its sincere condolences to the Malian government and people and to the family of Mr. Keita.
It is traditionally friendly.
"We are willing to work together with Malaysia to continue to support each other and push forward the bilateral relations," he said.
AFP: First question, the French National Assembly on Thursday passed a resolution calling China a "genocide" against its Uighur Muslim community.
Second, the European Parliament on Thursday called on EU member states to impose sanctions on Chief Executive Carrie Lam and seven senior officials of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) for their continued suppression of human rights.
What is China's comment on this?
Zhao Lijian: Regarding your first question, the French National Assembly has a resolution on Xinjiang, which ignores facts and legal common sense and grossly interferes in China's internal affairs, and China firmly opposes it.
We have stated our position on the border issue many times.
At the press conference on Friday, my colleagues also shared with you some experience of understanding the lies involved in Xinjiang and not being blinded by lies.
Since entering the new century, the Uighur population has grown from 8.34 million in 2000 to 11.62 million in 2020, an average annual growth rate of 1.67 percent.
This rate is much higher than the average annual rate of 0.83% of the national minority population in the same period.
If Xinjiang commits genocide, will the Uyghurs have such a large population growth rate?
In the face of hard facts, a lie repeated a thousand times is still a lie.
For those who deliberately pretend to be asleep or grandstanding, their words and deeds are not worthy of attention.
On your second question, I would like to emphasize that Hong Kong affairs are purely China's internal affairs.
Since the implementation of the National Security Law, Hong Kong's development has returned to the right track, and its security, stability and rule of law environment have been better protected.
This is a fact that no one without prejudice can deny.
"We urge the European Parliament to respect the facts and not to reverse black and white, abide by international law and the basic norms governing international relations, and refrain from interfering in China's internal affairs and Hong Kong affairs," he said
On the issue of human rights, the European Parliament should examine itself and change its old habit of acting as a "teacher".
China News Agency: We have noted that the US government has decided to impose sanctions on China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CSIC), China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CSIC), China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CSIC) and Poly Technology Corporation (Poly) on January 21, local time, on the grounds of engaging in missile technology proliferation activities.
What is China's comment?
Zhao Lijian: For political purposes, the United States has used various pretexts to impose sanctions on Chinese enterprises.
This is typical bullying.
China is strongly dissatisfied and firmly opposed to this.
The Chinese government has always opposed the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery.
In accordance with China's non-proliferation policy and relevant laws and regulations, China exercises strict export control over missiles and related items and technologies.
China's normal cooperation with relevant countries does not violate any international law and does not involve the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
The United States has not only condoned and supported the development of missiles and related technologies by its allies, but also planned to sell Tomahawk cruise missiles with a range of up to 2,500 kilometers and capable of carrying nuclear warheads to Australia.
The United States should seriously reflect on its non-proliferation record and its arms trade policy, and is not qualified to make irresponsible remarks about other countries' normal arms trade cooperation.
The Chinese side calls on the US side to correct its erroneous practices, rescind relevant sanctions decisions, and stop suppressing Chinese enterprises and smearing China.
China reserves the right to take further measures.
British and Australian foreign ministers and defense ministers held talks in Sydney today, focusing on advancing the trilateral security partnership mechanism involving nuclear submarines, and on countering China's growing influence.
What is the comment of the Foreign Ministry?
Zhao Lijian: The Chinese side has repeatedly stressed that the trilateral security partnership between the United States, Britain and Australia is a typical military bloc.
The nuclear submarine cooperation between the three countries violates the object and purpose of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and has caused a great impact on the international nuclear non-proliferation system, which has aroused vigilance and resistance from more and more countries.
The United States, Britain and Australia have ignored the concerns of the international community and insisted on promoting nuclear submarine cooperation, which once again highlights the hypocrisy of their double standards on non-proliferation.
It is even more unreasonable for Britain and Australia to use the opportunity to exaggerate the so-called "China threat".
The Chinese side firmly opposes this.
The parties concerned should immediately stop their erroneous acts of creating division and provoking confrontation.
NHK reporter: There are still two weeks to go before the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics.
How does China view the behavior of some Western countries not to send officials to the Winter Olympics on the grounds of "human rights issues"?
Zhao Lijian: China has repeatedly stated that a very small number of Western countries led by the United States do not send official or diplomatic representatives to the Beijing Winter Olympics.
These countries are only a handful and a very small number of countries.
They do not represent the international community.
Such acts will also be resisted by the people of all countries, including the athletes who participated in the Beijing Winter Olympics.
China Daily: According to US media recently disclosed, in December 1951, William Patterson, leader of the US "Civil Rights Congress", submitted a petition to the United Nations General Assembly entitled "We accuse genocide".
The petition documents hundreds of killings and mistreatment of blacks between 1945 and 1951, arguing that the crimes committed by the U.S. government against blacks coincide with the genocide defined by the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
What is the spokesman's comment?
Zhao Lijian: I have noticed the relevant reports.
This dusty past of more than 70 years has once again opened the scars of racial discrimination in the United States.
According to the petition, more than 10,000 blacks were lynched or mutilated because they did not call white people "sir." Many blacks suffered physical and mental injuries as a result of beatings and threats.
Regrettably, the problem of racism referred to in the petition had not yet been resolved and had only intensified.
People can ’ t help but ask, nearly 250 years after the founding of the United States, nearly 160 years after the Emancipation Proclamation, does Uncle Tom really own his own cabin? Was Jango really rescued? Was Martin Luther King ’ s dream really realized? Why couldn ’ t Freud breathe?
Historically, the United States has massacred, expelled and assimilated Indians from the physical, land, cultural and other sides, and systematically violated the human rights of Indians in an all-round way.
This has long been a de facto genocide.
In 1814, President Madison decreed that a reward of 100 dollars for every scalp of an Indian man over the age of 12 and 50 dollars for the scalp of an Indian woman or child would be paid. And so on. These outrageous racial remarks I just made came from the words of the then President of the United States.
To this day, the criminal gene of racism is still in the blood of the United States.
The US government should take the courage to scrape and cure the poison, and thoroughly remove the "cancer" of racial discrimination, which is deeply rooted in the social fabric.
The "history of the American Indian genocide" and "record of racial discrimination in the United States", which have lasted more than two centuries, should be put to an immediate and permanent end.
Xinhua News Agency: Berg, an Englishman of Pakistani descent who spent two years in Guantanamo, told the media that he and his cellmates were subjected to torture and ill-treatment of various kinds, such as bundled interrogation, punching, kicking and waterboarding, and said that "the most vicious torture in the world is being held without knowing what crime committed, without charge or trial, but paying the highest price for personal freedom."
Zhao Lijian: The Guantanamo prison that cannot be closed is an indelible stain on human rights in the United States.
The relevant reports you mentioned, together with the scandal of arbitrary detention and torture of prisoners in Guantánamo prison, which has been exposed continuously for 20 years, show that Guantánamo is called a prison and is actually purgatory.
In this human purgatory, there is no freedom, only humiliation; there is no justice, only evil; there is no humanity, only hegemony.
More than 20 years later, the United States has not stopped abusing prisoners and closing the Guantanamo prison, but has spread its "black prison network" around the world.
The "black prison" of the United States around the world has long become a classic symbol of the United States trampling on the rule of law and violating human rights.
These "black jails" are a huge irony of US politicians flaunting "human rights" and expose the hypocrisy of the US "human rights double standard".
"We urge the United States to look at Guantanamo as a mirror and apologize, compensate and take responsibility for the atrocities committed by the United States," he said.
Lithuanian President Nursultan Nazeda said at a press conference on Tuesday that the bad relations between the two countries have caused business losses.
A cooling plan needs to be implemented.
He said the two sides have expressed some ideas directly to the Chinese side through the European institutions, but defusing the situation depends to a large extent on the party that caused the situation to escalate.
It is expected that a summit will be held soon.
What is China's comment on this?
Zhao Lijian: The root cause of the problems in the neutral relations is that the Lithuanian authorities persist in taking wrong actions on the Taiwan-related issue, harming China's core interests and undermining the basic norms of international relations.
The international community is free to judge who is responsible for the deterioration of neutral relations and the escalation of the situation step by step.
The door of communication between China and Lithuania has always been open.
If Lithuania is really interested in improving the current situation, it should show its sincerity to China and take concrete actions.
The United States and Japan issued a joint statement on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) on Monday, calling on China to take measures to reduce nuclear risks, increase transparency and promote nuclear disarmament.
What is China's comment on this?
Zhao Lijian: The United States and Japan issued a joint statement on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, boasting their contribution to global governance in the nuclear field, and making irresponsible remarks about China's nuclear policy.
This is entirely to divert attention and shirk responsibility, and to cover up its own shortcomings in the nuclear field.
As we all know, the United States is the biggest threat to global strategic security.
The United States has the largest and most advanced nuclear weapons arsenal in the world, but it still has to invest billions of dollars to upgrade the "Trinity" nuclear force, develop low-yield nuclear weapons, lower the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons, deploy a global anti-missile system, and seek to deploy land-based guided missiles in the Asia-Pacific and Europe.
These actions seriously undermine global strategic stability.
Moreover, in recent years, the United States has violated the spirit of multilateralism, frequently broken treaties and retreated from the group, firmly adhered to the Cold War mentality in the field of security, pulled gangs together, and made every effort to build various "small circles" and "small groups."
We urge the United States to take good care of its own affairs, reduce the role of nuclear weapons in national security policies, shoulder its special and priority responsibility in nuclear disarmament, and further reduce nuclear weapons substantially and substantially.
As for Japan, it has long regarded itself as an "exemplary student" in the field of international nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation, but has actually said one thing and done one thing.
As a non-nuclear-weapon State, Japan has long stored large quantities of sensitive nuclear material, including weapons-grade plutonium, that exceed its actual needs.
This has created serious nuclear proliferation risks and nuclear safety hazards.
In order to continue to enjoy the "nuclear umbrella" of the United States, the Japanese side also tried to prevent the United States from adopting the policy of no first use of nuclear weapons.
If the Japanese side really intends to promote the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation process, it should respond to the above international concerns with a responsible attitude and win the trust of the international community with practical actions.
China firmly adheres to the nuclear strategy of self-defence, always abides by not being the first to use nuclear weapons at any time and under any circumstances, and unequivocally undertakes not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon States or nuclear-weapon-free zones.
China has always maintained its nuclear forces at the minimum level necessary for national security.
No country will be threatened by China's nuclear weapons as long as it does not use nuclear weapons against China.
China's nuclear policy itself is an important contribution to the international nuclear disarmament process and the efforts to reduce nuclear risks.
China will continue to be firmly committed to safeguarding its own legitimate security interests and safeguarding world peace and stability.
General Assembly President Shahid today called on all member states to implement the Olympic Truce and take concrete actions at the local, national, regional and global levels to promote and strengthen a culture of peace and harmony based on the spirit of the resolution.
He also called on all warring parties in armed conflicts around the world to be brave enough to achieve a genuine cease-fire during the Olympic Truce and create an opportunity to resolve their differences.
What is China's comment on this?
Zhao Lijian: China welcomes and firmly supports the Olympic Truce call made by the President of the General Assembly, Mr. Shahid.
Sport is the common language of humanity that transcends borders, races and civilizations.
The Olympic Movement was born with the genes of peace and friendship.
The ancient Greek tradition of the Olympic Truce was to replace war with friendly sports competitions.
The Olympic Truce Appeal has made a positive contribution to the advancement of the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations.
Recently, the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution on the Olympic Truce for the Beijing Winter Olympics.
This shows the international community's firm confidence in China's successful hosting of the Winter Olympics, and brings together the magnificent strength of the people of all countries in the world to guard the vision of unity and cooperation and safeguard world peace.
The Chinese side hopes that UN member states will abide by the Olympic Truce Resolution, respond to the solemn appeal of the UN side, promote peace and reconciliation through sports, and stop hostilities seven days before the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games and seven days after the closing of the Beijing Winter Paralympics.
In the next two weeks, the curtain will be drawn on the Beijing Winter Olympics.
China is confident to work with all parties to practice the Olympic spirit of "more unity" and take the Beijing Winter Olympics as an opportunity to work hand in hand towards a more peaceful and better future.
A 17-year-old Indian boy was abducted by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) in Arunachal Pradesh on Wednesday, according to an Indian lawmaker.
Sources in the Indian Ministry of Defense said that the Indian military has contacted the Chinese military through a hotline mechanism to demand the release of the man.
Could the Chinese side confirm and explain the relevant situation?
Zhao Lijian: I do not know the situation.
I would like to emphasize that the southern part of Tibet is an inalienable part of China's territory, and China has always opposed India's illegal occupation of the southern part of China.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army controls the border according to law and combats illegal immigration activities.
Reporters of Renmin Ribao: State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a video meeting with German Foreign Minister Berber on January 20.
Will the two sides exchange views on human rights issues?
Zhao Lijian: On January 20, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a video meeting with the new German Foreign Minister Berber.
This is the first contact between the two foreign ministers since the new German government took office.
During the one-and-a-half hour, the two sides exchanged in-depth views on such rich topics as Sino-German relations and China-EU relations, and reached a series of consensus.
The two sides agreed to carry out the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, to hold the celebration activities of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Germany, and to hold the seventh round of consultations and make preparations for the meeting this year.
Both sides agreed that the two countries should strengthen communication and coordination on the joint response to climate change and the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic, and cooperate to meet global challenges.
The two foreign ministers also exchanged views on the Iranian nuclear issue and expressed their willingness to make efforts to reach an agreement on the issue.
On the issue of human rights, State Councilor Wang Yi stressed that respecting and promoting human rights has been written into the Chinese Constitution and has become the common will of the Party and the state.
It is not only the founding intention of the CPC, but also the reason why our party has always received the broadest support from the masses.
China has made historic achievements in safeguarding and developing human rights, and has also made significant contributions to the cause of human rights.
At the same time, we have always believed that the promotion of human rights is not the best, only better.
China is willing to share experiences and make common progress with other countries on the basis of mutual respect, and resolutely opposes politicization of the human rights issue and interference in other countries' internal affairs under the pretext of human rights.
The Indian Press Trust (PTI) said earlier that you did not know about the missing Indian boy in Arunachal Pradesh, but the Indian military has appealed to the Chinese side.
Has the Chinese side launched an investigation in this regard and can it confirm whether the teenager was detained by the Chinese military?
Zhao Lijian: As I have just said, I do not know the relevant situation.
You can ask questions from the relevant department.
(Editor: Liu Jieyan, Chang Hong)
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702 grams of hashish oil in her luggage.

Title:

Content: American forward of the club of the National basketball Association (NBA) "Los Angeles Lakers" LeBron James in an interview published on the YouTube channel UNINTERRUPTED, addressed the arrested in Russia basketball player Brittney Greiner.
He believes that the US authorities are not making enough efforts to release the basketball player.
Does she feel like America is covering her back?
If I were her, I would think if I wanted to go back to America at all, ” LeBron James said.
On February 18, the basketball player flew to Moscow from New York.
Customs officers seized vapers with an unknown liquid from her luggage.
The results of the examination showed that it was hashish oil.
On March 5, the basketball player was arrested.
Greiner was charged with drug smuggling.
Earlier, US officials expressed doubts that in the near future they will be able to return the basketball player.
On July 7, she pleaded guilty in the Khimki court.

This seemingly minor incident—Griner stated she accidentally packed the cartridges—escalated into a nine-year prison

Title:

Content: Cherelle Griner on Wife Brittney’s Russian Prison Sentence: Feels Like She’s a ‘Hostage’

WNBA star Brittney Griner’s wife, Cherelle, said Wednesday on “CBS Mornings” that it felt like Brittney Griner was a hostage in Russia after she was sentenced to nine years in prison in Russia for having cannabis vape cartridges in her luggage.

Griner’s appeal of her sentence has been scheduled for October 25.

Griner said, “It’s like a movie for me. I’m like, in no world did I ever thought our president and a foreign nation president would be sitting down having to discuss the freedom of my wife. So to me, as much as everybody’s telling me a different definition of what BG is, it feels to me as if she’s a hostage.”

Co-host Gayle King said, “That must scare you.”

Griner said, “It terrifies me because when you watch movies sometimes those situations don’t end well. Sometimes they never get the person back.”

King said, “This is not a movie, though. This is your life.”

Griner said, “Exactly, this is my life. And so I’m sitting here saying do we get her back? Do I get to see my wife again? Everything is so unprecedented. Everything is changeable, I think, is a really good word. I feel like every day I’m hearing something new.”

Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN

Title:

Content: Russian Federation
Moscow
+ 9 °
Politics24 September 2022 8: 21
NYT: US State Department urges US athletes to leave Russia immediately
The Embassy of the country has limited opportunities to help them in Russia, noted in the US Department
NYT: US State Department urges US athletes to leave Russia immediately
Photo by GLOBAL LOOK PRESS
The US State Department has called on Russian athletes to leave the country as soon as possible.
"The Americans should leave Russia immediately.
The embassy has limited capacity to help them there, ” a source told The New York Times.
It is also indicated that in the United States they fear persecution of their citizens by Russian officials.
On February 18, American basketball player Brittney Greiner was detained at Sheremetyevo Airport.
In her luggage found vapes (cartridges for an electronic heating system) with cannabis oil.
On August 4, the Khimki court of the Moscow region sentenced the American to 9 years in prison for smuggling and possession of drugs.
Earlier, the State Department again urged Americans to leave Russia and Ukraine.
The head of the press service of the State Department, Ned Price, made a corresponding recommendation to the Americans.

Title:

Content: Brittney Griner's teammates speak out about her "devastating" 9-year sentence in Russia: "It's a helpless feeling"

WNBA star Brittney Griner's nine-year prison sentence in Russia on Thursday has sent shockwaves back to her loved ones in the U.S. After she sentenced for having vape cartridges filled with cannabis oil at a Moscow airport this year – which she says was an accident – her Phoenix Mercury teammates spoke out about the "devastating" situation.

Following the Mercury's 77-64 loss to the Connecticut Sun on Thursday, guard Skylar Diggins-Smith told reporters "nobody wanted to even play today."

"It's our sister," Diggins-Smith said. "...I don't expect everybody to give a damn, but we really do. And we come out here and we're still supposed to play this f---ing game. ... How are you supposed to approach the game, approach the court with a clear mind and the whole group is crying before the game?"

She went on to say that the team wants to honor Griner and play hard on her behalf, but that doing so can be difficult given the circumstances.

Mercury guard Diamond DeShields shared the sentiment, saying she's proud to be a part of the team and how hard they played on Thursday.

"We approached the game tonight with a heavy heart as we have every game this season," she said. "But obviously, devastating is the overall sentiment. ... I mean, it's like you're just waiting for a bomb to drop, you know? Just watching it, seeing her behind bars."

"It's a helpless feeling," Diggins-Smith added.

The two also questioned the press for persistently asking the team about Griner's situation.

"It's heavy. It's just heavy, y'all," Diggins-Smith said. "Y'all asking these questions don't really take away from our trauma. You just add to our trauma, so we can break down in front of y'all, so you can see how we feel. I don't know what else to really say about it."

During Thursday's game, both teams embraced each other at half-court for 42 seconds of silence – Griner's jersey number – to honor the basketball star. The silence was followed by chants of "BG" and "bring her home."

Griner, 31, is a two-time U.S. Olympic champion and eight-time all-star with the Mercury, and in her WNBA off-season, she plays for Russia's Yekaterinburg team. She was arrested in February at a Moscow airport when workers found vape cartridges with cannabis oil in her luggage, which her legal team argued she had accidentally stowed while packing in haste.

Griner was convicted on Thursday for drug possession and was sentenced to nine years in prison. She was also fined 1 million rubles, about $16,000.

President Biden immediately called for Griner's release on Thursday, calling the conviction and sentence "unacceptable." And on Friday, Russia said it is ready to discuss a prisoner swap. In recent days, the White House has offered a swap with the country, asking for both Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan to be released. The U.S. has not confirmed who they would release as part of the swap.

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Title:

Content: American basketball player appeals conviction for bringing drugs to Russia
08 / 15 / 2022 | 14: 07 - Source: Free
Maria Blagovolina, the lawyer for American basketball star Britney Greiner, who was sentenced to nine years in prison in Russia, told Reuters on Monday that her defense team had appealed her conviction for drug possession and smuggling.
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Content: A Russian court has ruled against the American basketball star.
Biden called it "unacceptable".
08 / 04 / 2022 | 19: 10 - Source: Free
A Russian court has sentenced American basketball star Britney Grainer to nine years in prison after she was convicted of drug trafficking and possession.
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Biden considers it "unacceptable") was first published on the site (Al-Hurra) and does not bear the content of this day's news encyclopedia in any way.
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PUBLISHED: | UPDATED:

Dennis Rodman, the ex-NBA star who says he knows Vladimir Putin well, revealed his plan to travel to Russia in support of incarcerated WNBA star Britney Griner.

Griner was sentenced this month to nine years at a Russian prison. She was detained at a Moscow airport in February after custom officials said vape canisters with cannabis oil were found inside her luggage.

“I got permission to go to Russia to help that girl,” Rodman told NBC News on Saturday. “I’m trying to go this week.”

The report doesn’t specify whom the New Jersey-born Rodman, 61, received permission from, though he only needs a visa to travel to Russia.

Rodman described the Russian President Putin as “cool” in 2014 after traveling to the country, according to NBC News.

He claimed to “know Putin too well” in NBC News’ report this weekend. Rodman also has a relationship with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un and reportedly believes he played a role in the country’s release of American prisoner Kenneth Bae in 2014.

The U.S. State Department urges Americans against traveling to Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February.

Rodman won two NBA titles with the Detroit Pistons and three more with the Chicago Bulls during his career, which spanned 1986 to 2000. He was voted the NBA’s defensive player of the year two times.

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