Brittney Griner's family provide update on US basketball star who remains in Russian jail

Ranvir Singh was left emotional after speaking with a Ukrainian family about their heart-wrenching journey to safety in the UK. The Good Morning Britain presenter is stepping in for Lorraine Kelly on her morning show and interviewed a Ukrainian family who have started a new life in Somerset.

https://t. co/1H1Y9jC9bl#oscars pic. twitter.

video of the incident has circulated online.A former Pentagon official told Yahoo Sports earlier this month that Griner, a Phoenix Mercury player who competes in Russia during the WNBA’s off-season, could be used as a “high-profile hostage” as tensions mount between President Biden and Russian President Putin over the escalating Ukrainian war.Former WNBA star Lisa Leslie told the “I am Athlete” podcast she’d been advised not to make a “big fuss” over Griner’s arrest in a clip released on Friday.“We were told was to not make a big fuss about it so that they could not use her as a pawn, so to speak, in this situation in the war,” Leslie said in the clip. “So, to make it like it’s not that important or don’t make it where we’re like, ‘Free Brittney’ and we start this campaign, and then it becomes something that they can use,” she said. “I won’t say who said that, but that’s what’s been spreading through the women’s basketball world.

you can read more about that here. Stephen, 44, is understood to be single currently - but among his former partners is none other than EastEnders' star Emma Barton. The pair reportedly dated from 2008 to 2011 after meeting in a pantomime production of Snow White, with Emma playing Snow White and Stephen played her trusted best friend Muddles.

Three welcome hubs have been set up around Scotland for Ukrainian refugees arriving in the country.

Activists in Jamaica have a message for the Royal Family.

Ukrainian ballet dancing star Artem Datsyshyn has died, three weeks after being injured in Russian shelling in Kyiv, it has been reported.

Former Strictly Come Dancing professional Oksana Platero, who was born and lived in Ukraine, has revealed her grandparents have found safety after fleeing the country following a near-miss with a devastating bomb. During an emotional appearance on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, the 33 year old dancer explained the torment she’s enduring as she’s separated from her loved ones and is forced to watch from afar as she lives in Florida, America.

A young boy donated all of his "savings" to support families in Ukraine.

Ukraine. Alan Carr, Michael McIntyre and Romesh Ranganathan are teaming up as part of a star-studded line-up for a comedy event raising money for the war-torn country. The charity benefit will be held across two nights at London's Eventim Apollo on March 28 and 30 in aid of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Humanitarian Appeal providing aid to those fleeing Ukraine.

Famous comedians across the UK are joining forces to put on a special show to raise money for Ukraine.

There was an emotional moment on Good Morning Britain on Friday as a young boy who travelled almost 700 miles alone to flee Ukraine was seen safely with his family.

Kate Middleton made a rare political statement as she visited the Ukrainian Cultural Centre in London alongside Prince William. The Duchess of Cambridge, 40, who was photographed learning about the efforts being made to support Ukrainians in the UK and Europe amid the Russian invasion, made a subtle nod to Ukraine as she wore a blue knitted jumper on Wednesday 9 March. Meanwhile Kate also donned a badge of the Ukrainian flag with a white heart in the middle on her chest during the outing which hit home her political statement.

Brittney Griner (Photo by Lorie Shaull)

A-lister Mila Kunis, born Milena Markovna Kunis, is now best-known for being a huge Hollywood star but her start in life was worlds away from the glitz and glamour of the movies. Mila was born in Ukraine in 1983 and then was forced to leave her home country seven years later, as her family fled just before the fall of the Soviet Union in 19991.The actress – who’s starred in films Black Swan and Ted as well as TV’s Family Guy – has previously stated anti-semitism as the reason why she left for America, saying her "whole family was in the Holocaust". "One of my friends who grew up in Russia, she was in second grade," she explained.

Out American basketball player, Brittney Griner has been detained in Russia. The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) All-Star was arrested in Moscow last month. There were fears that Russia, which faces sanctions for invading Ukraine last month, could use Griner as a hostage. The Russian Federal Customs Service have released this video in which airport security are seen going through the luggage of a passenger identified as Brittney Griner.

Brittney Griner has been a basketball phenom for more than a decade, but she’s currently in the spotlight for a very different reason.