Russian and Belarusian tennis players have reported delays in securing UK visas for the upcoming Wimbledon tournament.
Despite the All England Club and the Lawn Tennis Association lifting last year's ban on competitors from both nations following the Ukraine invasion, the delay in visa approvals may mean some players will miss the tournament.
Among those affected is Mirra Andreeva, the 16-year-old tennis player who was set to have her debut at Wimbledon.
Following her loss to Coco Gauff in the third round in Paris, she revealed that she was still awaiting her visa.
Likewise, Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka and world number two Daniil Medvedev have yet to receive their visas.
The UK Home Office, responsible for visa approvals, is conducting extra checks on applications from Russian and Belarusian nationals, extending the wait period to a minimum of six weeks.
Fast-track visa processing options are not currently available for applicants from Russia and Belarus.
As Wimbledon is set to begin on July 3, the delay poses a significant challenge.
Russian tennis player Karen Khachanov, who luckily has a visa from previous years, commented on the current situation: “I heard that it takes much longer to issue the visa.”
Meanwhile, it seems highly unlikely that the All England Club will be offering wild cards in the current climate.
Typically, Mirra Andreeva would be considered a strong candidate for such an opportunity.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, another Russian player who isn't currently ranked high enough to qualify for the main draw, is also set to miss the tournament.
Despite being a former French Open finalist and showing strong form in Paris after recovering from knee surgery, she expressed scepticism at the idea of being granted a wild card given the situation last year.
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
Normcore explained
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
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HOW TO WATCH
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The biog
Nickname: Mama Nadia to children, staff and parents
Education: Bachelors degree in English Literature with Social work from UAE University
As a child: Kept sweets on the window sill for workers, set aside money to pay for education of needy families
Holidays: Spends most of her days off at Senses often with her family who describe the centre as part of their life too
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
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Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
