Brittney Griner returned to the United States early Friday, nearly 10 months after the basketball star's detention in Russia made her the most high-profile American jailed abroad and set off a political firestorm.
Griner's status as an openly gay Black woman, her prominence in women's basketball and her imprisonment in a country where authorities have been hostile to the LGBTQ community heightened concerns for her and brought tremendous attention to the case. Russia's invasion of Ukraine after her arrest complicated matters further.
The deal that brought home Griner in exchange for notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout achieved a top goal for U.S. President Joe Biden. But the U.S. failed to win freedom for another American, Paul Whelan, who has been jailed for nearly four years.
Asked if more such swaps could happen, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that "everything is possible," noting that "compromises have been found" to clear the way for Thursday's exchange.
Biden's authorization to release Bout, the Russian felon once nicknamed "the Merchant of Death," underscored the heightened urgency that his administration faced to get Griner home, particularly after the recent resolution of her criminal case on drug charges and her subsequent transfer to a penal colony.
Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and Phoenix Mercury pro basketball star, was seen getting off a plane that landed Friday at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas.
"So happy to have Brittney back on U.S. soil. Welcome home BG!" tweeted Roger Carstens, the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs.
"We're just so happy to have her back," Vanessa Nygaard, head coach of the Mercury, said in an interview outside of the team's Phoenix stadium.
"We are looking eagerly forward to welcoming her back to our community," said Nygaard, adding that she hadn't yet spoken with Griner.
The WNBA star, who also played pro basketball in Russia, was arrested at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport in February after Russian authorities said she was carrying vape canisters with cannabis oil. The U.S. State Department declared Griner to be "wrongfully detained" -- a charge that Russia has sharply rejected.
Griner pleaded guilty in July but still faced trial because admitting guilt in Russia's judicial system does not automatically end a case. She was sentenced to nine years.
She acknowledged in court that she possessed canisters with cannabis oil but said she had no criminal intent and accidentally packed them. Her defense team presented written statements that she had been prescribed cannabis to treat pain.
The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed Thursday's swap, saying in a statement carried by Russian news agencies that the exchange took place in Abu Dhabi and Bout had been flown home.
Biden spoke by phone with Griner. U.S. officials said she would be offered specialized medical services and counseling.
In releasing Bout, the U.S. freed a former Soviet Army lieutenant colonel whom the Justice Department once described as one of the world's most prolific arms dealers. He was arrested in Thailand in 2008 and extradited to the U.S. in 2010.
Bout was serving a 25-year sentence on charges that he conspired to sell tens of millions of dollars in weapons that U.S officials said were to be used against Americans.
Anti-NATO protesters gathered again in Montreal on Saturday to demand Canada withdraw from the alliance, a day after a demonstration organized by different groups resulted in arrests, burned cars and shattered windows.
Seven teenage suspects, including a 13-year-old, have been arrested following a targeted and “violent” home invasion in Vaughan on Friday, police say.
Many risk factors can lead to a stroke, but the magnitude of risk from some of these conditions or behaviours may have a stronger association with severe stroke compared with mild stroke, according to a new study.
A murder in China and a civil lawsuit in B.C. have been preventing the sale of multiple Vancouver homes, but one of them could soon hit the market after a court ruling.
Cher recalls a curious interlude from her rich and many-chaptered history in her new book 'Cher: The Memoir, Part One.'
A black bear has died following a brawl with a man on a trail in Maple Ridge, B.C.
The last paycheque from a decades-long career arrives next Friday and the nest egg you built during those working years will now turn into a main source of income. It can be a jarring switch from saving for retirement to spending in retirement.
Canadian neurosurgeons in partnership with Elon Musk's Neuralink have regulatory approval to recruit six patients with paralysis willing to have a thousand electrode contacts in their brains.
During a recent narcotics investigation, Dutch police said they found a garden gnome made of approximately two kilograms of MDMA.
Ontario's colleges and universities say the federal government's cap on international students is taking a toll on the higher education sector as some schools face growing deficits, layoffs and, in at least one case, a temporary campus closure.
The federal government is providing $45 million in compensation to Inuit in Nunavik as part of Canada's apology for its role in the killing of sled dogs between the mid-1950s and the late 1960s.
Canada Post says it has seen a shortage of more than eight million parcels amid an ongoing strike that has effectively shut down the postal system for nine days compared with the same period in 2023.
A Winnipeg man has been charged after a transit supervisor was assaulted with a makeshift torch in the city’s downtown area Friday morning.
A Toronto family is speaking out after their 10-year-old daughter's Crocs got stuck in an escalator, ripping the entire toe area of the clog off.
Canada's top general firmly rejected the notion of dropping women from combat roles -- a position promoted by president-elect Donald Trump's nominee for defense secretary -- at a security forum underway in Halifax on Saturday.
The Laotian government on Saturday officially acknowledged the mass poisoning that has killed at least six tourists, promising it would bring perpetrators to justice.
The Turkish doctor at the center of an alleged fraud scheme that led to the deaths of 10 babies told an Istanbul court Saturday that he was a 'trusted' physician.
Fighting between armed Sunni and Shiite groups in northwestern Pakistan killed at least 33 people and injured 25 others, a senior police officer from the region said Saturday.
European Union governments cannot pick and choose whether to execute arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court against two Israeli leaders and a Hamas commander, the EU's foreign policy chief said on Saturday.
This past week has seen the most significant escalation in hostilities that Ukraine has witnessed since Russia's full-scale invasion and marks a new chapter in the nearly three-year war -- one tinged with uncertainty and fear.
An Israeli-Moldovan rabbi living in the United Arab Emirates has gone missing, with Israeli authorities raising the suspicion Saturday he may have been kidnapped as tensions remain high with Iran.
Women and Gender Equality and Youth Minister Marci Ien is calling the federal government's proposed GST holiday and $250 rebate cheques a 'targeted approach' to address affordability concerns.
Mexico has been taking a bashing lately for allegedly serving as a conduit for Chinese parts and products into North America, and officials here are afraid a re-elected Donald Trump or politically struggling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau could try to leave their country out of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement.
Anti-NATO protesters gathered again in Montreal on Saturday to demand Canada withdraw from the alliance, a day after a demonstration organized by different groups resulted in arrests, burned cars and shattered windows.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has announced an expanded recall on carrots over risks of E. coli O121 contamination, according to a notice issued Friday.
CTVNews.ca spoke with various medical experts to find out the latest situation with the typically mild walking pneumonia in their area and whether parents should be worried.
Many risk factors can lead to a stroke, but the magnitude of risk from some of these conditions or behaviours may have a stronger association with severe stroke compared with mild stroke, according to a new study.
Canadian neurosurgeons in partnership with Elon Musk's Neuralink have regulatory approval to recruit six patients with paralysis willing to have a thousand electrode contacts in their brains.
Astronomers have spotted orbiting around a young star a newborn planet that took only three million years to form, quite swift in cosmic terms.
OnlyFans says it empowers content creators, particularly women, to monetize sexually explicit images and videos in a safe online environment. But a Reuters investigation found women who said they had been deceived, drugged, terrorized and sexually enslaved to make money from the site.
The Italian artist who created the banana duct-taped to a wall that sold this week for US$6.2 million, said in an interview that the work was a 'provocation' and an invitation to appreciate the true value of art.
Cher recalls a curious interlude from her rich and many-chaptered history in her new book 'Cher: The Memoir, Part One.'
Pop crooner Michael Buble is set to host the Juno Awards for the third time next year.
The richest person in the world got even richer Friday, with Musk’s net worth hitting a record US$347.8 billion, Bloomberg reported.
A U.S. court has closed the door on "hostile work environment" and wage discrimination claims made by a former BlackBerry Ltd. executive who accused the company's CEO of sexually harassing her and then retaliating against her when she reported the behaviour.
Maple Leaf Foods Inc. has launched a defamation lawsuit against Canada Bread Co. Ltd. and its parent company Grupo Bimbo.
Canadian employees are developing an appetite for an 'adult gap year': a meaningful break later in life to refocus, refresh and indulge in something outside their daily routine, according to experts.
The holidays may be a time for family, joy and togetherness, but they can also be hard on the wallet.
What kind of exercise is best during chilly weather? How can people safely and enjoyably participate in physical activity outdoors when it’s cold out?
Angel Yin was making putts from across the green and threatening to build a big lead until Jeeno Thitikul finished eagle-birdie for a 9-under 63 to share the lead Saturday going into the final round of the CME Group Tour Championship with US$4 million on the line.
Former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce's wife announced Friday that she's pregnant with the couple's fourth child.
Auston Matthews is back in Toronto and says a return to action Wednesday is possible after the injured Maple Leafs captain visited a doctor in Germany.
Nearly 46,000 electric vehicles from Kia, Hyundai and Genesis are being recalled in Canada over a potential power loss issue that can increase the risk of a crash.
Northvolt AB has filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States, but said the move will not jeopardize the manufacturer's planned electric vehicle battery plant in Quebec — though hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars invested in the parent company could be lost.
Canadian drivers are regularly in a hurry to get to their destination and a majority are willing to take unnecessary risks on the road, according to the results of a new survey.
The holidays may be a time for family, joy and togetherness, but they can also be hard on the wallet.
Humans weren’t the only ones who struggled through the bomb cyclone that formed off the B.C. coast this week, bringing intense winds and choppy seas.
After driving near the water that winter day, Brian Lavery thought he saw a dog splashing in the waves – then realized it was way too cold for that.
Toronto radio and podcast host Jax Irwin has recently gone viral for videos of her cute -- and at times confusing -- phone conversations.
The Lotto Max jackpot has climbed to $80 million for just the second time in Canadian lottery history.
Two young women from New Brunswick have won one of the most prestigious and sought-after academic honours in the world.
Stretching 3,000 kilometres from the tip of New Zealand to its southernmost point, with just a bicycle for transport and a tent to call home, bikepacking event Tour Aotearoa is not for the faint of heart.
When he first moved to his urban neighbourhood, Barry Devonald was surprised to be welcomed by a whole flock of new neighbours.
When George Arcioni began renovating his kitchen last summer, he didn’t expect to find a stack of letters hidden in the wall behind his oven.
Donations are ramping up for a BCSPCA cat with a mangled paw after being caught in a hunting snare, one of a rising number of pets to fall prey to the hunting device.
A murder in China and a civil lawsuit in B.C. have been preventing the sale of multiple Vancouver homes, but one of them could soon hit the market after a court ruling.
Hundreds of Vancouver residents gathered at city hall Saturday afternoon to urge councillors to "pause and rethink" the Broadway Plan.
Seven teenage suspects, including a 13-year-old, have been arrested following a targeted and “violent” home invasion in Vaughan on Friday, police say.
A Toronto family is speaking out after their 10-year-old daughter's Crocs got stuck in an escalator, ripping the entire toe area of the clog off.
A 47-year-old is facing murder charges in connection with a 'targeted' shooting in St. Catharines, Ont. on Friday afternoon, police say.
A snowfall warning for Calgary remained in effect early Saturday morning and looks poised to be hanging around all weekend.
Rasmus Andersson scored the shootout winner and the Calgary Flames held off the Minnesota Wild 4-3 after blowing a two-goal lead late in the third period Saturday.
Calgary’s Ukrainian community commemorated the Holodomor Saturday in a ceremony that paid tribute to millions of victims from the past and to remind the world of the parallels to what is taking place in Ukraine in 2024.
Business owners say they've been left with questions about how a temporary tax exemption to the GST will work after the federal government announcement the policy last week.
The City of Ottawa's integrity commissioner has found West-Carleton March Coun. Clarke Kelly has violated the Code of Conduct for city officials and should be reprimanded following an altercation with a local daycare owner and staff last summer.
An Ontario Provincial Police officer in Hawkesbury, Ont. has been charged with assault following an incident last summer.
The Empress Theatre, a nearly century-old landmark in Montreal's Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (NDG) neighbourhood, may soon be revitalized.
Thousands gathered on René-Lévesque to welcome Santa Claus at this year’s festive parade. Choir groups, marching bands, dancers and more brought the holiday joy this year.
Quebec's special commission on the impact of screen time and social media addiction among youth made a stop at Westmount High School this week, speaking directly with students about their habits and concerns.
Police are looking for a hit-and-run driver after a pedestrian was hit on Thursday night.
From globally-inspired pastries to vegan fast food and Connor McDavid-themed culinary delights, Edmonton has a lot to offer anyone looking to try something trendy.
A small group of Edmontonians gathered outside in the snowstorm Saturday to raise awareness on the housing crisis.
A crowd of over 20 people stood in the pouring rain Saturday in front of the RCMP detachment in Hampton, N.B., to bring awareness to a missing person’s case.
Canada Post says it has seen a shortage of more than eight million parcels amid an ongoing strike that has effectively shut down the postal system for nine days compared with the same period in 2023.
A 17-year-old boy from Petitcodiac, N.B., has died following a single-vehicle crash in Turtle Creek, N.B.
Members of Winnipeg’s Ukrainian community came together outside City Hall to remember the lives lost in the past, as well as those giving their lives in the current day.
An 81-year-old man who went missing Friday has been found dead, Spruce Plains RCMP said.
Some areas could expect snowfall totals of 15 to 25 centimetres.
Researchers from McGill University have discovered a first of its kind fossil specimen for Saskatchewan.
Sixteen local authors and book publishers gathered Saturday for the first ever Regina Bookwyrm’s Book Fair, organized by a Navy wife.
Many parts of Saskatchewan will be hit with another round of wintery weather on Saturday, and Regina is no exception, with up to 25 centimetres of snow expected to accumulate by Sunday.
On National Housing Day, housing advocacy group ACORN continued to push for anti-renoviction bylaws.
An auto repair shop based in Kitchener held a special fundraiser Saturday to help children and youth with physical disabilities, with former Maple Leafs captain Wendel Clark in attendance.
The Laval Rouge et Or won the coveted Vanier Cup against the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks, going 22-17.
Some local businesses say the federal government’s recent plan to pull back GST on several items is a positive initiative, but it should have been rolled out earlier in the holiday season.
This holiday season, Make-A-Wish kids and their families are experiencing the magic of Christmas a little early at Saskatoon’s historic Hotel Bessborough.
Researchers from McGill University have discovered a first of its kind fossil specimen for Saskatchewan.
Taykwa Tagamou Nation, a Cree First Nation located within Treaty 9, has filed a statement of claim against the Province of Ontario and Newmont, a mining company that owns properties in Timmins.
An 81-year-old was killed in a dog attack this week in Bonfield, Ont. Police believe three dogs were involved.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has announced an expanded recall on carrots over risks of E. coli O121 contamination, according to a notice issued Friday.
Two people have been airlifted to hospital following a serious collision in Norfolk County.
South Bruce residents narrowly voted in favour of plans to bury Canada’s most radioactive nuclear waste under their municipality on Monday.
The Jumbo elephant monument in St. Thomas, Ont. will be lit in teal Saturday night as the city honours hockey legend Joe Thornton.
OPP say they have located the missing man who they were searching for in Collingwood on Saturday.
Emergency crews tended to a fire at a home in Alliston Saturday afternoon where the two occupants were evacuated safely.
The doors are locked and the OPEN sign is off on Friday at an illegal magic mushroom dispensary in downtown Barrie one day after FunGuyz announced it would shutter its 30 Ontario locations.
A Windsor-Essex charitable organization created a record amount of non-perishable food amidst an increase in food insecurity, both at home and abroad.
The Windsor Police Service reports no detected impaired drivers on Friday night during their RIDE checks.
Windsor fire responded to a transport truck fire on Friday afternoon on the Ambassador Bridge.
British Columbia's electric utility says it has restored power to almost all customers who suffered outages during the bomb cyclone earlier this week, but strong wind from a new storm has made repairs difficult in some areas.
There won't be a sitting of the British Columbia legislature this fall as originally planned.
Canada Post says it has seen a shortage of more than eight million parcels amid an ongoing strike that has effectively shut down the postal system for nine days compared with the same period in 2023.
Police are appealing for information on a targeted shooting that resulted in the hospitalization of a man in Kamloops.
British Columbia's independent police watchdog has cleared officers of wrongdoing in a crash where three people were killed south of Kamloops in July of last year.
A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.
The Hurricanes dropped their third straight game on Friday night, losing 6-3 to the Winterhawks in Portland.
City crews are working to repair an emergency water main break on 5 Avenue North between 28 Street North and 29 Street North Saturday morning.
Lethbridge’s Ron Sakamoto is bringing home the hardware from this year’s Country Music Awards.
Practice this week for the Sault College Men’s Hockey Team was taken to another level, as the Cougars face off against cross-border rival Lake Superior State University this weekend.
Sault-based charity Save Our Young Adults, or SOYA, will soon move to a new home -- for good reason.
The City of Elliot Lake said Thursday it has received a $3-million donation from Edward and Suzanne Rogers for the Centennial Arena restoration.
A Newfoundland energy company's embrace of data centres is raising doubts about eastern Canadian hopes of harnessing the region's howling winds to supply Germany with power from green hydrogen.
An international group led by a Canadian is in Rome this week to push the Catholic Church to adopt a zero-tolerance policy on abuse by clergy.
A company hoping to build a multi-billion-dollar wind-to-hydrogen project in western Newfoundland is eyeing other options as Canada's plans to supply Europe with green energy have not yet materialized.
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