The West Australian
The publication says that, with tears blurring the words "No war" written on his cheeks, Ukraine basketball star Artem Pustovyi said the national team wanted to be "strong like the whole country" in the match against Spain just hours after Russia's invasion.
"It must be the most difficult day of my life. We were all awake at 5am with the news about the war and the invasion," Mr Pustovyi said after the FIBA World Cup qualifying match in Cordoba.
A minute's silence was held before and after the game, won by Spain 88-74, while the sell-out crowd in the Palacio Vista Alegre arena gave the Ukrainian team a standing ovation. After the match many players burst into tears.
"Nobody could believe what is happening with our country. It is impossible to think about a game when you know your family is in pain, with your country's being bombed at the same time," Mr Pustovyi said.
Mr Pustovyi said he understood the game had to be played and the team used the opportunity to show the world and the Ukrainian people their strength.
A small group of Ukrainian supporters gathered outside the arena to protest against the Russian invasion. Many Spanish fans stopped during the day in front of the team's hotel to show their support.
The Ukrainian players, staff and media now face the uncertainty of what comes next. The newspaper said a source close to the team told Reuters a charter flight that was due to take them from Madrid to Kyiv today (Friday) had been cancelled.
San Francisco Chronicle
The publication reports that the voices of hundreds of Bay Area Ukrainians singing their country’s national anthem resonated through Civic Centre Plaza in San Francisco yesterday (Thursday) afternoon.
It said many held Ukrainian flags and signs, tears rolling down their cheeks, as they gathered in an impassioned show of patriotism and solidarity a day after Russian forces began their attack.
“Our worst nightmare has come true and our neighbour attacked in full force,” Nick Bilogorskiy, chairman of Palo Alto-based advocacy organisation Nova Ukraine, told the crowd.
Maksym Zubkov, of Berkeley, said he is worried for his family and friends in Ukraine, who have been terrorised by the invasion. The past couple of days have felt like a bad dream, he said.
With Ukrainian music blasting in the background, Fiodor Otero of Berkeley said his family in eastern Ukraine is sheltering but ready to fight for their country if necessary.
Showing up to yesterday's rally felt like the least he could do to raise awareness about the suffering in Ukraine, he said. “I feel so useless, but I think the one thing everyone can do is say something to condemn Russia on what they are doing.”
Buenos Aires Times, Argentina
The newspaper reports that Latin American countries are divided on Russia's aggression towards Ukraine, with most condemning military action but a few asserting Moscow's "right to defend itself" against perceived Nato encroachment.
It said that yesterday (Thursday) the US called on the region to condemn the Russian offensive. Mexico and Brazil, the two non-permanent UN Security Council members from Latin America, are closely watching events. Both condemned yesterday's invasion of Ukraine, along with Argentina, Colombia and Chile.
The publication said Brazil's foreign ministry also called for the "immediate cessation of hostilities", though president Jair Bolsonaro avoided criticising Russia.
There are reportedly 68 Colombians living in Ukraine and 28 foreigners who are part of their families. The government announced diplomatic efforts to "facilitate" their "exit from Ukrainian territory" as soon as possible, said president Ivan Duque.
Ecuador, Paraguay, Honduras, Guatemala, Uruguay and Peru also spoke out against the use of military force and called for a diplomatic solution.
However, the newspaper reports that Russian allies Nicaragua, Venezuela and Cuba – all targets of US sanctions – have defended Moscow's position.
On Wednesday, Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro had tweeted to "repudiate the perverse plans that seek to surround Russia militarily and strategically" and expressed "support for President Putin and his people".
Japan Today
The publication reports that for Japan, long-standing disputes over Russian-held islands, the invasion of Ukraine is an occasion testing how true the nation is to basic democratic principles such as the rule of law.
The situation surrounding Ukraine has a massive implication on the Indo-Pacific region, it says, adding that China's military assertiveness, especially against Taiwan, would possibly further grow if Japan sets a bad precedent of showing a tolerance to altering the status quo by force.
"Japan should never take an ambiguous attitude about non-negotiable principles," said Tomohiko Taniguchi, who once served as a special adviser to former prime minister Shinzo Abe and his primary foreign policy speechwriter, adding that a firm stance could lead not only Russia but also China to "give Japan due respect" in the future.
Tokyo has disputes with Moscow over Russian-held islands off Hokkaido in northern Japan, which Japan calls the Northern Territories and Moscow calls the Southern Kurils. The issue has prevented the two governments from concluding a post-war peace treaty.
It said Russia agreed in a 1956 joint declaration to return Shikotan and Habomai after a peace treaty was concluded.
"Regardless of whether or not the Ukraine issue arose, the negotiations on the Northern Territories will be back to square one," said Mr Taniguchi.
Following Russian attacks on Ukraine, Japan-Russia relations "will be forced to be effectively frozen" and "nothing will budge," he said, adding that offering a helping hand to win concessions from Moscow was not an option for Tokyo at all.
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