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"Germany will always be at the forefront when it comes to supporting Ukraine," Chancellor Olaf Scholz told the German parliament, to applause. "At a critical moment in Russia's war, these tanks can help Ukraine defend itself, win and stand as an independent nation," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said. [1/13] Germany delivers its first Leopard tanks to Slovakia as part of a deal after Slovakia donated fighting vehicles to Ukraine, in Bratislava, Slovakia, December 19, 2022. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said any U.S. tanks sent to Ukraine would "burn like all the rest". Ukraine defeated Russia's troops on the outskirts of Kyiv last year and later drove them out of swathes of occupied land.

☆ Norway detains former Wagner commander, denies any plan to deport him to Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Summary Former Wagner Group commander seeking asylum in NorwayPolice detained him amid disagreement on security measuresRussian rights group says he fears being deported to RussiaPolice, lawyer deny any plan to deport MedvedevOSLO, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Norwegian police have detained a former commander of Russia's Wagner mercenary group who recently fled to Norway, but denied suggestions that he might be deported to Russia. Medvedev said he had been detained and handcuffed on Sunday at a hotel where he was staying and taken to a detention centre. Gulagu.net said Medvedev would face "brutal murder and death" for speaking out against Wagner if he was returned to Russia. He has done many bad things in his life," the rights group said. He has said he crossed the snowy Arctic Circle border into Norway, a NATO member, from Russia after climbing through barbed-wire fences and evading a border patrol with dogs.

☆ Putin ally says West's deliveries of new weapons to Kyiv will lead to global catastrophe
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 22 (Reuters) - A close ally of President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that deliveries of offensive weapons to Kyiv that threaten Russia's territories will lead to a global catastrophe and make arguments against using weapons of mass destruction untenable. "If Washington and NATO countries supply weapons that will be used to strike civilian cities and attempt to seize our territories, as they threaten, this will lead to retaliatory measures using more powerful weapons," Volodin said on the Telegram messaging app. "Arguments that the nuclear powers have not previously used weapons of mass destruction in local conflicts are untenable. Volodin's comments followed a similar threat last week by Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's former prime minister and president. "Deliveries of offensive weapons to the Kyiv regime will lead to a global catastrophe," he said.

☆ Lucky towel helps Korda reach first Grand Slam quarter-final
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Hurkacz, seeded 10th, grabbed the fourth set and earned two break points at 5-5 in the fifth but Korda kept his calm to escape the trouble before they headed into a tie-breaker. Korda raced to a 7-3 lead in the tie-breaker after winning six consecutive points but Hurkacz came fighting back to level it at 7-7. Korda did not panic and closed out the victory with a backhand winner after nearly three and a half hours on court. "Every time I went to the towel I won the point, so I just kept going to it - my new friend." Korda is just the third American to reach the quarter-finals at the Australian Open since Andy Roddick last accomplished the feat in 2010.

☆ Russia official warns countries supplying Ukraine with more powerful weapons risk their own destruction
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The speaker of Russia's parliament warned Sunday that countries supplying Ukraine with more powerful weapons risked their own destruction, a message that followed new pledges of armored vehicles, air defense systems and other equipment but not the battle tanks Kyiv requested. "Supplies of offensive weapons to the Kyiv regime would lead to a global catastrophe," State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin said. "If it requires our sending some Abrams tanks in order to unlock getting the Leopard tanks from Germany, from Poland, from other allies, I would support that." Since invading Ukraine, Russia also has increased both the scope and the number of its joint military drills with China. Ukraine is asking for more weapons as it anticipates Russia's forces launching a new offensive in the spring.

☆ Korda hands early birthday present to dad Petr with 4th-round win
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MELBOURNE, Jan 22 (Reuters) - American Sebastian Korda said Sunday's fourth-round Australian Open win over Hubert Hurkacz was an early birthday present for his father Petr, who won his only Grand Slam title at Melbourne Park in 1998. After the win, Korda said he spoke to his family back home in the United States. They're going to try to go to bed. I think that really helped me, especially in the last match with Medvedev, closing out that tiebreaker. "I think all those little moments that I've gone through, kind of learning from them, staying patient, staying positive, going through the process I think have really helped me going forward.

☆ U.S. to designate Wagner mercenary group a ‘transnational criminal organization’
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Leila Sackur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

The U.S. will designate the Russian mercenary Wagner Group as a “significant transnational criminal organization” and impose further sanctions against the organization and its support network next week, the White House said Friday. He said the U.S. believes it was a delivery of infantry rockets and missiles for use by the Wagner Group. The Wagner Group is headed by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a longtime ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Yevgeny Prigozhin at the funeral of Wagner group fighter Dmitry Menshikov, in St. Petersburg, Russia, last month. The Wagner Group did not comment on his allegations.

☆ Swiatek stays grounded ahead of Rybakina test in clash of champions
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Rohith Nair | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"To be honest, it doesn't matter which round I play because I think Iga is a great player. I think that if I'm going to play my game, aggressive, I'm going to be solid from the beginning till the end." "I'm really looking forward to it. I'm sure he's much better prepared this time," said Greek Tsitsipas, who has not dropped a set in Melbourne this year. Latvian Jelena Ostapenko, another French Open champion, will play last year's Roland Garros runner-up American Coco Gauff.

☆ Russia could resort to nuclear weapons if it loses in Ukraine, says former Russian president
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia's former president said his country could use nuclear weapons if it loses in Ukraine. "The loss of a nuclear power in a conventional war can provoke the outbreak of a nuclear war. Medvedev has previously suggested that his country could use nuclear weapons. Russia's President Vladimir Putin, as well as some of his officials, have, in the past, threatened the use of nuclear weapons. Putin said in December that Russia would not use nuclear weapons unprovoked, adding that Russia had not "gone mad" and would not be the first country to use them, as the BBC reported.

☆ I wasn't in the zone says Medvedev after defeat by Korda
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

I played not at all bad, but just a little bit below what I had to do to win," Medvedev told reporters. He was winning a little bit more..."I think it was a top match where he was just better than me. Even if we take last year, so basically the matches against Nick, Felix, and Stefanos, kind of tough matches. "If we talk point by point, yes, this point I won, that point I won, I won the matches. "Actually, I think on the serve it was bothering me a little bit," Medvedev said.

☆ Lavrov says Russia will "sober up" NATO and EU
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 19 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that Moscow would do all it could to "sober up" the European Union and NATO, which he accused of setting out to weaken and defeat Russia. His comments came on the same day that former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev warned NATO that a defeat for Russia in Ukraine could trigger a nuclear war. Nearly 11 months after invading Ukraine, Russia is increasingly presenting the war to its own people as an existential battle with the West. In televised comments, Lavrov said Moscow would set out to disabuse Western politicians of their "presumptuous" and "colonial" attitudes to Russia. "We will do everything so that our colleagues from NATO and the European Union sober up as soon as possible."

"The defeat of a nuclear power in a conventional war may trigger a nuclear war," Medvedev, who serves as deputy chairman of Putin's powerful security council, said in a post on Telegram. Russia and the United States, by far the largest nuclear powers, hold around 90% of the world's nuclear warheads. While NATO has conventional military superiority over Russia, when it comes to nuclear weapons, Russia has nuclear superiority over the alliance in Europe. Russia's nuclear doctrine allows for a nuclear strike after "aggression against the Russian Federation with conventional weapons when the very existence of the state is threatened". Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Medvedev has repeatedly raised the threat of nuclear chaos and used insults to describe the West.

☆ Former Russian mercenary commander flees to Norway and seeks asylum
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Mithil Aggarwal | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Caroline-Radnofsky-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

A former member of an infamous Russian mercenary group who fought in Ukraine says he staged a dramatic escape to Norway, where he is seeking asylum and offering to cooperate with international war crimes probes. Medvedev said he had crossed into Norway and surrendered to local police before claiming asylum in the country, which shares an Arctic border with Russia. The former mercenary recounted his defection from his former employer, which he joined last year on a four-month contract after serving time in prison. Medvedev said he climbed through barbed-wire fences, evaded border patrol dogs, ran away from guards' bullets and ran through a forest and over an icy lake to make it into Norway. Norwegian soldiers patrol the border with Russia near Korpfjells, Norway.

☆ Australian Open bans flags from Russia, Belarus on site
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Flags from Russia and Belarus were banned from the site of the Australian Open on Tuesday after more than one was brought into the stands by spectators on Day 1 of the year’s first Grand Slam tournament. Normally, flags can be displayed during matches at Melbourne Park. Another was offered to Russian player Daniil Medvedev to autograph after his 6-0, 6-1, 6-2 win over Marcos Giron in Rod Laver Arena on Monday night. “I mean, if everyone feels better this way, then it’s OK,” said Sabalenka, a three-time Grand Slam semifinalist who is seeded No. Russia invaded, with help from Belarus, in February.

☆ Former Wagner commander seeks asylum in Norway after fleeing Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Yevgeny Prigozhin, who founded Wagner, said that Medvedev had worked in a Norwegian unit of Wagner but had "mistreated prisoners". In interviews with Gulagu, Medvedev said he grew disaffected after his contract was repeatedly extended by Wagner without his consent. He said he had witnessed the killing and mistreatment of Russian prisoners who were brought to the front by Wagner. Medvedev said losses were very high after Wagner began sending large numbers of prisoners to the front in the second half of 2022. The Wagner statement did not address Medvedev's accounts of punishment and of battlefield losses, or that his contract was repeatedly extended.

☆ Nadal survives early test, Kyrgios pulls out in Australian Open shock
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

With Draper's injury reducing him to a groaning wreck, Nadal finished strongly to close out the match 7-5 2-6 6-4 6-1. With Kyrgios gone and last year's women's champion Ash Barty retired, the chances of a another home winner for local fans are greatly diminished. Seventh seed Coco Gauff also raced into the second round, while last year's finalist Danielle Collins advanced with a tougher, three-set win over Anna Kalinskaya. Briton Raducanu will next face teenager Gauff, who won in Auckland and confirmed her good form with a 6-1 6-4 win over Katerina Siniakova. Italian 15th seed Jannik Sinner, a quarter-finalist last year, was the first man to reach the second round, rolling over Briton Kyle Edmund 6-4 6-0 6-2 on John Cain Arena.

☆ Former Russian mercenary commander fled to Norway and is willing to give evidence of its worst crimes in Ukraine, lawyer says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A former commander for the notorious Wagner Group fled Russia and is now seeking asylum in Norway. Andrey Medvedev left Russia fearful for his life after leaving the group, his lawyer told Insider. Risnes told Insider that Medvedev enlisted with the Wagner Group last summer. The Wagner Group, which is increasingly recruiting from Russian prisons, is alleged by a variety of organizations to have committed actions in Ukraine that would constitute war crimes. The Wagner Group has previously been deployed in Libya, Syria, and in other destinations across the world.

☆ Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek open Australian Open as big favorites
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

January 15 - Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek are massive favorites to win their respective draws ahead of the start of the Australian Open on Sunday night. Djokovic makes his return to Melbourne after being deported ahead of last year's tournament because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19. He is seeking a 10th Australian Open title, which would also pull him into a tie with Rafael Nadal for the most major titles of all time with 22. Fritz, 25, is seeking his first major title and faces a potential semifinal match against Djokovic if he can get that far. Ons Jabeur was turned back in the finals at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open last year.

☆ Nadal launches title defence as Australian Open ushers in new era
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MELBOURNE, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Rafa Nadal will kick off his Australian Open title defence on Monday with a first round test against rising Briton Jack Draper as a new era begins on the blue hardcourts of Melbourne Park. The top seed has had only one win since September's U.S. Open and admitted his title defence was vulnerable to an early shock after two straight defeats in the lead-up. The reigning French and U.S. Open champion opens her campaign against Jule Niemeier in the first evening match at Rod Laver Arena, the German who gave Swiatek a huge scare in the U.S. Open fourth round. With American tennis looking for a new champion in the post-Serena era, Coco Gauff will open the day session at Rod Laver Arena against Czech Katerina Siniakova. Medvedev, the men's seventh seed, will return to the scene of last year's final heartbreak when he faces unseeded American Marcos Giron in the late match at Rod Laver Arena.

☆ Nadal shrugs off rocky buildup to Australian Open defence
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MELBOURNE, Jan 14 (Reuters) - An upbeat Rafa Nadal has shrugged off his warm-up defeats ahead of the Australian Open as "just part of the business" and declared himself in a happy place ahead of his title defence. Nadal heads into a first-round match against rising Briton Jack Draper undercooked and with only one win since September's U.S. Open. Nadal arrived at Melbourne Park last year in a funk after a serious foot injury but ended up winning his second Australian Open crown by beating Russian Daniil Medvedev in a classic final. Last year's French Open winner, Nadal won two of the four Grand Slams, with fellow great Novak Djokovic winning Wimbledon. World number one Carlos Alcaraz, who is not playing at the Australian Open due to injury, was the only player to break the Nadal-Djokovic duopoly by claiming the U.S. Open.

☆ Russian ex-President Medvedev says Japanese PM should disembowel himself
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Leah MillisJan 14 (Reuters) - Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev accused Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Saturday of shameful subservience to the United States and suggested he should ritually disembowel himself. Medvedev is a prominent ally of President Vladimir Putin who serves as deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council and of a body overseeing the defence industry. Rather than demanding U.S. repentance for this, Kishida had shown he was "just a service attendant for the Americans". Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Medvedev has warned repeatedly that Western meddling in the crisis could lead to nuclear war, and has referred to Ukrainians as "cockroaches" in language Kyiv says is openly genocidal. Putin has said that the risk of a nuclear war is rising but insisted Russia has not "gone mad" and that it sees its own nuclear arsenal as a purely defensive deterrent.

☆ Djokovic seeks normal service at Australian Open to match Nadal
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Jan 12, 2023; Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Novak Djokovic of Serbia hits a backhand during a practice session on Rod Laver Arena with his coach Goran Ivanisevic at Melbourne Park. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY SportsMELBOURNE, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic resumes his Grand Slam title race with Rafa Nadal next week at the Australian Open, returning to what was his happiest hunting ground before the ugly controversy which led to his absence last year. While Roland Garros has been Nadal's domain for nearly two decades, Melbourne Park is almost as much for Djokovic, with the world number five capturing nine titles and holding an 82-6 record since 2007. Djokovic has also proven to be unbeatable in Australian Open semi-finals and finals with 9-0 records in both, making him the automatic favourite anytime he enjoys a deep run. The injury withdrawal of world number one and U.S. Open champion Carlos Alcaraz robbed the year's first Grand Slam of a genuine title contender.

☆ Undercooked Nadal targets number 23 at Melbourne Park
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Nick Mulvenney | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"I need to win matches for sure, but the preparation is going quite well, practising a lot and I think I am in good shape. "But I'm confident that if I am able to have this last week of positive practices, why not?" As world number two, Nadal will be top seed on his 18th trip to the Australian Open after the injury withdrawal of his young compatriot Carlos Alcaraz. He followed that up with a 14th French Open title and could forge even further ahead of Novak Djokovic (21) and the now retired Roger Federer (20) in the Grand Slam title race with a third triumph on Melbourne's famous blue courts. Reporting by Nick Mulvenney in Sydney, editing by Bradley PerrettOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The latest news on Russia's war on Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Emergency personnel work at the site where an apartment block was heavily damaged by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Dnipro, Ukraine January 15, 2023. Russia's defence ministry said its forces had launched a wave of missile strikes against Ukrainian military and infrastructure sites on Saturday. * Russian President Vladimir Putin said the special military operation - Russia's term for the war - was showing a positive trend and that he hoped Russian soldiers would deliver further gains after Soledar. MOLDOVA* Moldovan President Maia Sandu, denouncing "Russia's brutal war", said on Saturday that missile debris was found in her country near Ukraine's western border after the latest wave of Russian attacks. * Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev accused Kishida of shameful subservience to the United States, suggesting on Saturday that he should ritually disembowel himself.

☆ Djokovic faces Carballes Baena, Swiatek meets Niemeier at Australian Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Second seed Casper Ruud - twice a runner-up on the Grand Slam stage last year - plays Tomas Machac. A pre-tournament practice match between Nick Kyrgios and Djokovic saw tickets sold out in 58 minutes and the pair could potentially meet in a blockbuster quarter-final. Five-times runner-up Andy Murray plays Matteo Berrettini while fifth seed Andrey Rublev meets wildcard Dominic Thiem in other first-round matches. The Polish player could face seventh seed Coco Gauff in the quarter-finals and third seed Jessica Pegula in the semi-finals. Women's world number two Ons Jabeur will begin her latest attempt to become the first Arab player to claim a Grand Slam singles title when she plays Tamara Zidansek.

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