A group of Ukrainian orphans scheduled to fly to the UK after fleeing war in their home country have become stuck in Poland due to issues over their paperwork.
The 50 young travellers — ranging in age between two and 19 — and their carers were expecting to fly from Warsaw to London on Monday, before making their way up to Scotland later in the week.
However, before the plane left Heathrow Airport, a form that should have been sent by the Ukrainian government to the Polish Ministry of Family and Social Policy, needed to release the group, was not sent in time.
It is now said that the Virgin flight will not take place before Wednesday, with organisers looking at alternative options. The children and their carers are now awaiting the next flight in a hotel.
SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford, who was due to join the flight, told the PA news agency: “We’ve been up against a race against time to get the paperwork that needs to be in place signed off on and there’s been a delay on that.
“So, for the time being, it means that nothing is going to happen today.
“I think the key thing is that a lot of people will determine everything is done to support the orphans that are currently in Poland.
“That has always been the first and last concern of all of this, so we’ll continue to work with everybody to make sure that arrangements can be put in place to give the children that sanctuary in Scotland.”
Home Secretary Priti Patel announced on Thursday that the youngsters, who are being cared for by the Scottish charity Dnipro Kids — set up by supporters of Edinburgh's Hibernian Football Club — has already been given formal approval by her department to travel to Britain.
One of the Hibernian players, Polish-born goalkeeper Kevin Dabrowski, released a video on social media welcoming the children to Scotland, a country which he said was “safe".
On Monday, the Dnipro Kids charity tweeted an image of the children and said they were “ready to go” as they embarked on the first leg of their journey to the UK.
Steven Carr, the chairman of the charity who led the effort to evacuate the youngsters from Lviv in Ukraine, said they were “just thankful and relieved that we are getting the kids to the safety of the UK, and to Scotland, at last".
“We've known these children and their carers for many years, and when they said they wanted to get out we were determined to help,” Mr Carr said.
“The assistance we have had from the other charities and organisations has been very important to us, and we wanted to place our thanks to them on the record.
“It is also very important to us to place our thanks on record to the UK government and to the governments of both Ukraine and Poland for their help, understanding and assistance.”
He praised the “unstinting work” of Mr Blackford, who raised the plight of the orphans in the House of Commons.
Mr Carr said Mr Blackford “helped push things over the line and helped get things done".
A girl holds her infant sibling at a temporary shelter for Ukrainian refugees in Przemysl, Poland. AFP
Ukrainian refugees wait to board a train leaving Krakow, Poland, for Berlin. Getty
A Ukrainian girl is pushed in a trolley at the Velke Slemence border crossing in Slovakia. Getty
Refugees waits for their train to leave Krakow on its way to Berlin. Getty
A Ukrainian woman emerges from a Red Cross tent at a border crossing in Slovakia. Getty
A woman walks on the track of an athletics complex that has been turned into a refugee shelter in Chisinau, Moldova. AFP
Medical staff visit Ukrainian child refugees at the Church of Saint Sofia in Rome, Italy. EPA
A woman who fled the conflict stands with her child at a refugee centre in Palanca, Moldova. EPA
People, some who fled Ukraine, line up at a ticket counter at a train station in Warsaw, Poland. AP
Refugees wait for transport In Medyka, Poland, after crossing the Ukrainian border. AFP
“We hope at that stage we can let them get on with life,” Mr Carr said.
He thanked the Scottish government, local councils and other organisations who had “stepped up” to help the group.
“Without all the help we've received, this would have been an almost impossible task,” Mr Carr said.
Mr Blackford praised Dnipro Kids, which was set up in 2005 after football fans visited local orphanages when Hibernian played against the Ukrainian team Dnipro FC, for the “extraordinary and uplifting story".
As a Hibs fan myself, this has been a source of great pride and I was delighted and privileged to help
Ian Blackford, SNP
“As a Hibs fan myself, this has been a source of great pride and I was delighted and privileged to help,” he said.
“It has been an at times arduous process but bringing these children to safety has been an absolute vindication of all the hard work.
“They will head to Scotland where I know they will be enveloped in warmth and welcome.
“I am delighted beyond words that they will finally be here but I also hope this inspiring moment will be the start of a much bigger change that can ensure many more displaced children will also be able to find sanctuary in Scotland and the UK.”
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Second Test: July 14-18, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 2pm
Third Test: The Oval, London, July 27-31, 2pm
Fourth Test: Old Trafford, Manchester, August 4-8
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
UAE jiu-jitsu squad
Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)
Saturday March 5, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy (all matches start at 9.30am)
Sunday March 6, Oman v Namibia, ICC Academy
Tuesday March 8, UAE v Namibia, ICC Academy
Wednesday March 9, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy
Friday March 11, Oman v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Saturday March 12, UAE v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, CP Rizwan, Vriitya Aravind, Asif Khan, Basil Hameed, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Karthik Meiyappan, Akif Raja, Rahul Bhatia
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
The Cockroach
(Vintage)
Ian McEwan
PSA DUBAI WORLD SERIES FINALS LINE-UP
Men’s:
Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY)
Ali Farag (EGY)
Simon Rosner (GER)
Tarek Momen (EGY)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)
Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
Nick Matthew (ENG)
Women's:
Nour El Sherbini (EGY)
Raneem El Welily (EGY)
Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
Laura Massaro (ENG)
Joelle King (NZE)
Camille Serme (FRA)
Nouran Gohar (EGY)
Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Etihad flies direct from Abu Dhabi to San Francisco from Dh5,760 return including taxes.
The car
Etihad Guest members get a 10 per cent worldwide discount when booking with Hertz, as well as earning miles on their rentals. A week's car hire costs from Dh1,500 including taxes.
The hotels
Along the route, Motel 6 (www.motel6.com) offers good value and comfort, with rooms from $55 (Dh202) per night including taxes. In Portland, the Jupiter Hotel (https://jupiterhotel.com/) has rooms from $165 (Dh606) per night including taxes. The Society Hotel https://thesocietyhotel.com/ has rooms from $130 (Dh478) per night including taxes.
More info
To keep up with constant developments in Portland, visit www.travelportland.com. Good guidebooks include the Lonely Planet guides to Northern California and Washington, Oregon & the Pacific Northwest.
Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
The Gandhi Murder
71 - Years since the death of MK Gandhi, also christened India's Father of the Nation
34 - Nationalities featured in the film The Gandhi Murder
