We have put together a round-up of all the latest news, weather, and travel information for Sunday, April 10, that will get you caught up and ready for the day as a Welsh Baroness has criticised the UK's Ukrainian visa scheme, stating it is "unwelcoming" and adding to refugees' trauma.
Crossbench peer Baroness Ilora Finlay of Llandaff is offering space in her Cardiff home to a mother and two children, but has been waiting for three weeks for their visas to be cleared through the Homes for Ukraine scheme. She said her husband, Professor Andrew Finlay, spent eight hours filling out forms for their visa applications on March 18, the day the scheme launched.
"(The process was) just so confusing and complicated," Baroness Finlay told the PA news agency. Baroness Finlay did not wish to identify the refugee family but said they were already known to her and her husband Professor Andrew Finlay before the Russian invasion. See the latest news from Ukraine as more than 250,000 people flee from the east.
The father of the family is a doctor in Ukraine, she said, who had worked with her husband and remains in Kyiv - they have also submitted an application for him in the event he also leaves Ukraine due to injury or other reasons. "He's decided to stay to serve his country and he's basically entrusted his wife and two children to us," Baroness Finlay added.
"We've said we will do whatever is needed for however long to support them, and we know that it might be years." Baroness Finlay said they had to process each of the four refugees' applications individually, which has made her concerned they may not be approved together.
Despite repeated efforts in person at a visa information centre and over the phone, she said the only information she has received from in response has been four separate emails to say each applicant is "in the system" to be processed - which arrived on Thursday.
"The silence is awful... nobody can help me find out what's happened to these people's applications," she said.
"I think there is a failure of recognition that this uncertainty is adding to the trauma that these people have already experienced. "These aren't just pieces of paper, these are people... and these are people who have lost everything.
"We need to provide an environment where they know that they are welcome and they are safe - how can they feel welcome? The message from the system is that the country is not welcoming them. One cannot separate children from their parents."
The family will live in the home with Baroness Finlay and her husband, who have bought an extra bed and fridge to accommodate the whole family, clearing space in their kitchen cupboards so they can have space to cook their own meals. They also installed another television and a radio which can be tuned to Ukrainian radio stations so that the refugees can have a link to their home country.
Wales news headlines
Young mum, 36, found dead in bed after accidentally overdosing on medication
A key worker described as an "excellent mum" died suddenly after accidentally overdosing on medication, an inquest has heard. Katie Irene Wasley died on August 26, 2021, after being found unresponsive in bed by her partner Sam Bradley Richards.
An inquest held at Pontypridd Coroners' Court on Friday heard Ms Wasley had been to a party at her friend's house the previous night and Mr Richards picked her and their daughter up during the early hours of the morning before returning to their Rhondda home.
The couple met in 2010 when Ms Wasley was working as a nurse in Llwynypia Hospital and they had been in a relationship ever since. In a statement provided to the coroner Mr Richards said: "Our relationship was loving and we had many holidays away and we went onto have a daughter."
Mr Richards said: "I had no concerns when we went to bed – there was nothing to suggest there was anything massively wrong with Katie." When he woke up he found his partner to be "cold to the touch." Mr Richards immediately called for an ambulance and they advised him to start performing CPR before the team arrived at around 11.15am. Medics later confirmed she had died. "I was in shock. I was devastated," added Mr Richards. "It was surreal and I never thought something like that was going to happen." Read the full inquest here.
'I was trafficked to Liverpool, locked in a room and forced to sleep with 16 men a day'
A woman has described how she was locked in a room, tasered and forced to sleep with 16 men a night after being trafficked for sex by a gang. The woman, then 19, said her horrific ordeal left her her with addictions to drugs and sex after she was trafficked around the UK while the group took over her home.
Natalie, who is going under a different name, said she would be lucky to get two hours’ sleep a night and wouldn’t see a penny from her sex work that she carried out over 18 months in different cities across the UK. See our report on the reality of sex work near Cardiff's magic roundabout here.
Natalie said she feared she would be killed. She said: “It was the most traumatic time of my life, I had tasers to me. At the time I did not realise how bad it actually was. It was a gang who kidnapped me and held me captive. I was stuck in my bedroom with a lock on the door and they took over my house. I was not there for 18 months and it was like a drugs hub, I was not sure what was going on.”
She said that the gang who kidnapped her had been operating in Wales for 20 years and she was vulnerable as a victim of child abuse who was naive as to how they operated. Read Natalie's full story here.
Today's forecast
A largely dry day with plenty of hazy sunshine.
Today: After a frosty start, the day ahead will be fine and dry with plenty of sunshine. However, the sunshine will turn increasingly hazy through the afternoon. Light winds for most, though it will be breezy across Pembrokeshire. Maximum temperature 14 °C.
Tonight: Staying dry with variable amounts of cloud. Milder than recent nights and remaining frost-free. Winds tending to increase as the night progresses. Minimum temperature 3 °C.
Here is how the roads and rail are affected at 8am
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All sailings cancelled on Stena Line between Fishguard and Rosslare until Tuesday, April 12 due to operational reasons.
National news headlines
UK to send armoured vehicles to Ukraine as Johnson meets Zelensky in Kyiv
Boris Johnson has pledged to send 120 armoured vehicles to Ukraine, after meeting President Volodymyr Zelensky for talks in Kyiv.
The Prime Minister said he made his unannounced visit to the Ukrainian capital as "a show of our unwavering support for the people of Ukraine".
As well as the armoured vehicles, in a significant stepping-up of UK military support, Mr Johnson said Britain would also be sending new anti-ship missile systems. It comes the day after he announced a further £100 million worth of UK military assistance, including anti-tank and anti-aircraft weaponry and so-called "suicide drones", which loiter over the battlefield before attacking their target.
Following his meeting with the Ukrainian leader, Mr Johnson said in a statement: "Ukraine has defied the odds and pushed back Russian forces from the gates of Kyiv, achieving the greatest feat of arms of the 21st century. It is because of President Zelensky's resolute leadership and the invincible heroism and courage of the Ukrainian people that Putin's monstrous aims are being thwarted.
"I made clear today that the United Kingdom stands unwaveringly with them in this ongoing fight, and we are in it for the long run. We are stepping up our own military and economic support and convening a global alliance to bring this tragedy to an end, and ensure Ukraine survives and thrives as a free and sovereign nation."
As well as the additional equipment Mr Johnson also confirmed further economic support, guaranteeing an additional 500 million dollars (£385 million) in World Bank lending to Ukraine, taking total UK loan guarantees to one billion dollars (£770 million).
Only one in 10 visa applications for Ukrainian refugees has been granted
Just one in 10 visa applications for Ukrainian refugees to stay in the homes of UK hosts has been granted, figures reveal. Millions of Ukrainians have fled their country in little more than a month after Russia launched its bloody military invasion.
According to the UN, by March 29 around four million had left their homes behind for other nations to seek safety from the conflict. European countries bordering Ukraine have taken in most of those so far, with Poland hosting by far the highest numbers, followed by Romania and Moldova.
The EU has granted Ukrainian refugees the right to live and work in the bloc for up to three years – with access to welfare and healthcare services – without a visa. However, the UK Government has been criticised for refusing to drop visa requirements for people escaping the war, and for delays processing those who have applied.
The Home Office’s “Homes for Ukraine Scheme” was launched on March 18 to allow Ukrainian nationals and their family members to come to the UK to stay with a “named” sponsor. New figures show that just 2,700 visas had been issued via the scheme by March 29.
That was around 10 per cent of the 28,300 applications received by that date, which the Home Office said was based on “confirmed” applications. The Government had previously revealed that more than 150,000 people had registered their interest in becoming a host by March 21. Read more here.
Sport headlines
England 58-5 Wales: Valiant Welsh visitors no match for dominant Red Roses in Women's Six Nations clash
Wales Women performed valiantly as a dominant England recorded their 21st victory in a row with a 10-try performance.
In front of a bumper crowd of 14,869 at Kingsholm, the Red Roses took another step towards a fourth successive Six Nations title but there were promising signs from Ioan Cunningham's side. Wales have only ever beaten England twice in their history and, despite the renewed optimism of a perfect start so soon after handing out 12 professional contracts, they were no match for their hosts at Gloucester's Kingsholm.
If Wales' opening two matches had been defined by strong finishes, then this match threatened to be about starting well. Buoyed by the elusive feet of full-back Kayleigh Powell and a strong set-piece, Wales were more than a match for the Red Roses in the opening exchanges.
However, the 15-minute delay of the game which came about after a seemingly serious injury for England full-back Abby Dow disrupted Wales' efforts a little. When play resumed, England scored almost immediately through a textbook driving maul. Hooker Lark Davies has plenty of Welsh family ties but all that was forgotten as she powered over for the opener on 15 minutes.
Wales' discipline began to slide, but their effort never faltered as England started to pin them back. The second try came after 21 minutes, when second-row Abbie Ward forced her way over from close range.
England have managed to wrap up a bonus point before half time in each of their matches so far this year and it looked on the cards again when Jess Breach stood up Powell to score in the corner after 37 minutes. However, the Welsh defence stood firm to deny the home side a fourth before the break.
Of course, it didn't take long after the restart for England to score again. Hooker Davies ensured that even the most ardent of her Welsh relatives were cheering as she powered over for her second try. Read the full match report here.
Amateur rider signs off career with Grand National win
Sam Waley-Cohen has won the 2022 Grand National at Aintree on Noble Yeats, signing off his career by becoming the first amateur jockey to win the race in 32 years.
They raced over the finish line in front of a capacity crowd, the first at Aintree in three years, and came in as 50-1 victors.
He said: ""It’s a dream. I couldn’t believe it. I’ve got to say thank you, as it’s my last ever ride, to my dad [Robert Waley-Cohen, owner], for unwavering belief and love. Over 23 years and never a cross word, never been anything but a dream. It’s been a love affair.
"To my wife, long-suffering, they aren’t all good days, there are bad days in this sport. It’s a fairytale, a fantasy. There’s a lot of love and gratefulness. It’s getting on the right horses and getting the luck. You couldn’t make it up, could you?"
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