Hundreds of foreign students holed up in basements to escape intense shelling in Kharkiv fear they will not get out alive.
One Indian student was killed by shelling in the city, Ukraine’s second-largest.
Thousands of others from India, Morocco, Egypt and Turkmenistan are trying to reach safety as Ukraine’s military battles to defend the city from a Russian invasion.
More than 300 students sheltering in the basement of their college fear they will be caught in the crossfire, for the fighting has quickly encircled their lodgings.
I am in panic mode and stressed. We are losing hope of surviving here
Fahad,
Indian student in Kharkiv
On Wednesday, India’s embassy in Ukraine asked all citizens to leave Kharkiv because the situation there was worsening.
It had earlier asked people not to venture out as fighting intensified.
“Every second, the situation is getting worse. We are losing hope,” said Soumalya Mukherjee, 20, from Kolkata, a second-year medical student at VN Karazin Kharkiv National University.
“It is very hard to be here for so many days. We are barely sleeping. There are 350 to 400 students in a very small space and we have been here from Thursday.”
Kharkiv is about 20 kilometres south of the border with Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described Moscow’s rocket attacks on Kharkiv as a war crime.
His country’s military said Russian paratroopers have landed in the city and residential areas and public buildings were being attacked with missiles.
It shared a video of the Kharkiv regional administration building exploding after a missile attack.
News of bombs dropping on Kharkiv Zoo, close to the college campus, have worsened the students’ anxiety.
After a week of fighting, water supplies have begun to run low.
The students said they last stepped out of their housing blocks to buy rice and water early on Thursday, after which they were warned by college authorities not to leave the building and to stay in the basement for safety.
“We had some water but we finished it up. Now there is a scarcity of water,” Soumalya said.
“We can hear the shelling and bombs. We don’t take the risk of going upstairs for more than a few minutes to use the bathrooms. It is too dangerous.”
A few light bulbs shine across the darkened basement which is being used as a bomb shelter. Students have spread mattresses and blankets across the floor in narrow passages that were used to store stacks of wooden frames and glass sheets.
Fahad, 19, a first-year student, described the strain and tension they were under.
“We have been eating biscuits and drinking juice because water is not available,” he said.
“I am in panic mode and stressed. We are losing hopes of surviving here. We can hear the shelling and it is getting too close.”
Some food was sent by an education consultancy group that is in contact with Indian authorities in Ukraine.
Indians are among the largest group of foreign students in the country and about 4,000 live in Kharkiv alone.
More than 18,000 Indian students were at Ukrainian universities in 2020, according to Ukrainian government figures, accounting for about 24 per cent of foreign students in the country.
“I know it’s hard to rescue us students from Kharkiv because we are on the eastern border with Russia, but please, please try to reach us,” Soumalya said.
In Kolkata city, his parents stay up at night waiting for news.
“I can’t understand how they will be rescued from Kharkiv,” his mother, Soma, said.
“There is so much anxiety. He keeps telling us not to worry and that he is safe. But we hear from his friends that they don’t have water to drink or food to eat. We are [tense]. We just want them to come home safe.”
Students and their parents have been messaging the Indian government and embassies calling for help.
The Indian government said it had brought several thousand students to safety and was trying to reach the rest through Romania, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia.
Ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine held on Monday failed to reach a breakthrough and negotiators have not said when a new round will take place.
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RESULT
Arsenal 1 Chelsea 2
Arsenal: Aubameyang (13')
Chelsea: Jorginho (83'), Abraham (87')
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
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UAE cricketers abroad
Sid Jhurani is not the first cricketer from the UAE to go to the UK to try his luck.
Rameez Shahzad Played alongside Ben Stokes and Liam Plunkett in Durham while he was studying there. He also played club cricket as an overseas professional, but his time in the UK stunted his UAE career. The batsman went a decade without playing for the national team.
Yodhin Punja The seam bowler was named in the UAE’s extended World Cup squad in 2015 despite being just 15 at the time. He made his senior UAE debut aged 16, and subsequently took up a scholarship at Claremont High School in the south of England.
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Company profile: buybackbazaar.com
Name: buybackbazaar.com
Started: January 2018
Founder(s): Pishu Ganglani and Ricky Husaini
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech, micro finance
Initial investment: $1 million
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Teams in the EHL
White Bears, Al Ain Theebs, Dubai Mighty Camels, Abu Dhabi Storms, Abu Dhabi Scorpions and Vipers
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
THE SPECS
Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre
Transmission: Seven-speed auto
Power: 165hp
Torque: 241Nm
Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000
On sale: now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Company%20Profile
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Company profile
Date started: December 24, 2018
Founders: Omer Gurel, chief executive and co-founder and Edebali Sener, co-founder and chief technology officer
Based: Dubai Media City
Number of employees: 42 (34 in Dubai and a tech team of eight in Ankara, Turkey)
Sector: ConsumerTech and FinTech
Cashflow: Almost $1 million a year
Funding: Series A funding of $2.5m with Series B plans for May 2020
RESULT
Valencia 3
Kevin Gameiro 21', 51'
Ferran Torres 67'
Atlanta 4
Josip Llicic 3' (P), 43' (P), 71', 82'
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
