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Harrowing reports of the growing refugee crisis in Ukraine convinced British barber Wayne Anthony that he had to do something — so he booked a one-way ticket and travelled 2,000 kilometres to help.
The businessman, 57, from Halifax in West Yorkshire, northern England, has now swapped his clippers to offer hands-on assistance on the ground to those fleeing the conflict.
On Wednesday, it was reported that three million Ukrainians have now fled the Russian invasion that began almost three weeks ago.
Within hours of landing in Krakow, Poland, on his way to the Ukraine border, Mr Anthony began volunteering and helping refugees arriving at Krakow train station.
“Every single person here is suffering,” he told The National.
“There are so many people arriving at Krakow train station and there are volunteers waiting to help the refugees — they even have animal feed for their pets.
“The trains are packed, there are thousands of people on them. I have been volunteering at the train station and helping to co-ordinate the refugees arriving.
The father-of-two said it has been emotional seeing the plight of Ukrainian arrivals.
“I did have a little cry. It has been incredibly moving.”
Mr Anthony, who has won 50 British hairdressing awards, said he made the decision to travel to Poland a week ago and left his businesses in the care of his staff.
“I have never done anything like this before. I’m into my fitness, I’ve done lots of charity work but nothing like this,” he said.
“People have said, 'why are you doing that?' But my wife and children know me and just knew helping Ukraine was something that I would want to do.
“I’m a businessman and I have up to 200 guys going into my barbers shop every week and the conversation over the last three weeks is Ukraine and how bad things are.
“I’m a doer instead of just being a thinker.
“About a week ago it was on my mind and I just decided to do it. People in the area are doing wonderful things collecting clothes and donating money. For me, I wanted to hit the ground running and physically go to help people.
“I got a bag full of Polish currency, packed a rucksack of provisions and got a one-way ticket to Krakow. I got a hostel in Krakow for the first night and hired a car to go to the Ukraine border.”
He hired a car to travel to Radymno, on the Polish border with Ukraine, to stay with a friend so he can help those in need. Radymno is about 100km west of Ukrainian city Lviv, which this week came under Russian bombardment.
“I can drive trucks, pick boxes up, anything they need me to do,” Mr Anthony said.
“When people first set off to the border many people ran out of petrol and had to abandon their cars. Hopefully, I can help take fuel to them and then help bring people back.”
On arrival in Krakow, he initially went to a protest at the US consulate where Ukrainians and Poles were calling on US President Joe Biden to help.
He met Ukrainians who had crossed the border to escape the conflict just hours earlier.
“It was a very passionate protest; it was very emotive,” Mr Anthony said.
“I met a grandmother who had just got over the border and had had to leave her family in Kyiv.
“There are incredibly upsetting scenes here of the thousands of refugees arriving on trains.”
He met grandparents Natalia and Olexandr Organiuk who left the home they built in Kyiv and their family to cross the border into Poland on Tuesday.
“She was so grateful for all the help she has received,” he said.
Ukrainian Adrian Herrsim, whose relative was an army commander killed on the third day of the invasion, helped organise a protest at the US consulate.
“I was born in the Ukraine and have lots of relatives still there and I’m very concerned about what’s happening,” he said.
“One of my relatives has already been killed. He was a commander and died on the third day of the war. He was even mentioned by the president [Volodymyr Zelenskyy] who said he had destroyed 30 Russian vehicles in his tank.
“We have been going to the US consulate but I’m already losing hope it will help,” Mr Herrsim said.
On Wednesday, Mr Anthony was travelling to Radymno to continue his aid mission.
A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate
Scores in brief:
Boost Defenders 205-5 in 20 overs
(Colin Ingram 84 not out, Cameron Delport 36, William Somerville 2-28)
bt Auckland Aces 170 for 5 in 20 overs
(Rob O’Donnell 67 not out, Kyle Abbott 3-21).
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
Results:
Men's wheelchair 800m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 1.44.79; 2. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 1.45.88; 3. Isaac Towers (GBR) 1.46.46.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 630bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh810,000
UAE%20SQUAD
%3Cp%3E%0DJemma%20Eley%2C%20Maria%20Michailidou%2C%20Molly%20Fuller%2C%20Chloe%20Andrews%20(of%20Dubai%20College)%2C%20Eliza%20Petricola%2C%20Holly%20Guerin%2C%20Yasmin%20Craig%2C%20Caitlin%20Gowdy%20(Dubai%20English%20Speaking%20College)%2C%20Claire%20Janssen%2C%20Cristiana%20Morall%20(Jumeirah%20English%20Speaking%20School)%2C%20Tessa%20Mies%20(Jebel%20Ali%20School)%2C%20Mila%20Morgan%20(Cranleigh%20Abu%20Dhabi).%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
%20Ramez%20Gab%20Min%20El%20Akher
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ramez%20Galal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ramez%20Galal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStreaming%20on%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMBC%20Shahid%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
