BELGRADE // At a child care centre in Belgrade, a drawing of a Christmas tree is dotted with colourful paper stickers where young refugees have written their New Year’s wishes.
Samir, a 16-year-old from Afghanistan, points to his wish, written in English on a red circle.
“I want to go to London,” the teenager said. “My parents are in Afghanistan, but I want to go. I can speak English, and London is good for me.”
Samir is part of a group of young refugees who were placed temporarily at the government-run centre in the Serbian capital after they were found roaming the streets.
Minors make up about 40 per cent of the thousands of refugees in Serbia seeking ways to cross the heavily guarded borders of neighbouring European Union nations Croatia or Hungary, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund.
Authorities and aid groups try to find the youths’ families, either in their home countries or along the routes taken by refugees hoping to reach Europe. One child at the government centre, for example, has agreed to live with a foster family in Serbia because his parents cannot be located.
Other youths travelling alone or in small groups try to avoid detection and offers of aid because they hope to earn money once they reach Europe, but instead find hardship and cold sleeping in makeshift shelters or parks.
“It would be an understatement to say they are in bad condition,” said Tatjana Ristic, who works with Save the Children in Serbia.
Save the Children and other non-profit groups work with refugees outside government facilities in a small hub called Miksaliste in Belgrade.
One room is reserved for children to draw, read or play. A large drawing depicts police with dogs guarding a border behind barbed wire.
Noman, a 15-year-old from Afghanistan, said he has tried twice to cross into Croatia. Police stopped him at the border both times and sent him back.
“I want to go forward to Croatia and Italy,” said Noman, who left Afghanistan nine months ago because “people are fighting and killing each other”.
Some of the minors set off with their families but were separated either by chance, or by smugglers who often split up families as a way to control them, aid workers said.
Some teenage refugees are also sent away from home by parents who want them to reach western Europe so they can eventually bring the rest of the family over, or earn money to support relatives who stayed behind.
These children – usually from Afghanistan or Pakistan – face additional pressure to succeed at any price, said Michel Saint-Lot, a Unicef representative in Serbia.
Mr Saint-Lot recalled a 16-year-old from Afghanistan who tried to kill himself after his parents refused to let him return home.
“A kid is sent on a mission. He felt that he was failing, he failed his family, he failed himself,” Mr Saint-Lot said. “The burden on those kids is enormous. They are adult without having lived the youth.”
* Associated Press
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War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
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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The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday (All UAE kick-off times)
Lecce v SPAL (6pm)
Bologna v Genoa (9pm)
Atlanta v Roma (11.45pm)
Sunday
Udinese v Hellas Verona (3.30pm)
Juventus v Brescia (6pm)
Sampdoria v Fiorentina (6pm)
Sassuolo v Parma (6pm)
Cagliari v Napoli (9pm)
Lazio v Inter Milan (11.45pm)
Monday
AC Milan v Torino (11.45pm)
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
The specs
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ICC T20 Rankings
1. India - 270 ranking points
2. England - 265 points
3. Pakistan - 261 points
4. South Africa - 253 points
5. Australia - 251 points
6. New Zealand - 250 points
7. West Indies - 240 points
8. Bangladesh - 233 points
9. Sri Lanka - 230 points
10. Afghanistan - 226 points
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
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