Talk About Tennis 2.0

A shameful reminder of Canada's shameful past.

ti-amie wrote: ↑Sat May 29, 2021 12:48 am

It now came out that there was a fighter jet likely following the Ryanair flight, potentially directly threatening to strike if they don't land. They turned around when they were 2 minutes from the Lithuanian border and the flight pattern shows they were trying to get there as fast as possible (usually planes start descent this close to Vilnius but they were maintaining altitude, likely going for speed)

Well, no doubt Putin will support them even more now.

Suliso wrote: ↑Fri Jun 04, 2021 7:08 pm Well, no doubt Putin will support them even more now.

It'll also be good for the Russian economy, Belarussians will now have to fly to Russia or Ukraine first before going elsewhere in Europe.

mmmm8 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 04, 2021 7:50 pm

Suliso wrote: ↑Fri Jun 04, 2021 7:08 pm Well, no doubt Putin will support them even more now.

It'll also be good for the Russian economy, Belarussians will now have to fly to Russia or Ukraine first before going elsewhere in Europe.

That is if Lukashenko will let them out and EU in. Currently neither is the case.

It's sad really, that country is destined for "eternal" stagnation. Definitely a place young and ambitious people ought to flee from if the can.

How do the Belarusian players move around, then? Special dispensation? I have no idea, and it is not as if there are just a two or three.

ponchi101 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 04, 2021 7:59 pm How do the Belarusian players move around, then? Special dispensation? I have no idea, and it is not as if there are just a two or three.

Yes, privileged position since they have a job abroad. Also how many actually live in Belarus? Currently there are 4 women and 2 men in the top 150.

Suliso wrote: ↑Fri Jun 04, 2021 8:03 pm Yes, privileged position since they have a job abroad. Also how many actually live in Belarus? Currently there are 4 women and 2 men in the top 150.

Blanking on the men in question, but for the women, Aryna, Vika, and Aliaksandra all live in Belarus. For Vika, she's only there part time, but more so in recent years (which I'd hazard a guess is about legal strategy, a very good move on her part).

I was under impression that Vika is a permanent resident in US and spends all her time there. Interesting to find out otherwise. I guess it's ok as long as you keep a very low profile.

Suliso wrote: ↑Fri Jun 04, 2021 8:59 pm I was under impression that Vika is a permanent resident in US and spends all her time there. Interesting to find out otherwise. I guess it's ok as long as you keep a very low profile.

Her parents and brother are based in Belarus from what I've seen on social media

This is big news in the world of organized crime:
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/artic ... essage-app
Global Sting: FBI-Run Messaging App Tricks Organized Crime
Criminal gangs divulged plans for moving drug shipments and carrying out killings on a messaging app secretly run by the FBI.

By Associated Press
June 8, 2021
By MIKE CORDER and NICK PERRY, Associated Press

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Criminal gangs divulged plans for moving drug shipments and carrying out killings on a messaging app secretly run by the FBI, law enforcement agencies said Tuesday, as they unveiled a global sting operation they said dealt an “unprecedented blow” to organized crime in countries around the world.

The operation known as Trojan Shield led to police raids in 16 nations. More than 800 suspects were arrested and more than 32 tons of drugs — including cocaine, cannabis, amphetamines and methamphetamines — were seized along with 250 firearms, 55 luxury cars and more than $148 million in cash and cryptocurrencies.

The seeds of the sting were sown when law enforcement agencies earlier took down two encrypted platforms, EncroChat and Sky ECC, that had been used by criminal gangs to organize drug trafficking and underworld hits. With the gangs in the market for a new means of communication, the FBI stepped in with a covertly developed app called ANOM that was installed on modified mobile phones. Over the past 18 months, the FBI provided phones via unsuspecting middlemen to more than 300 gangs operating in more than 100 countries.

Intelligence gathered and analyzed “enabled us to prevent murders. It led to the seizure of drugs that led to the seizure of weapons. And it helped prevent a number of crimes,” Calvin Shivers, assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, told a news conference in The Hague, Netherlands.

The number of arrests seem low from a few other reports that I saw.

I could not agree more with your signature, Jeff.
(The article is pretty good too)

Macron having a rough day.

I feel guilty for laughing. Just a tad, mind you.