Luxor4u

@newcastle

Free? Are you sure?

I thought the statement said under the same conditions/rates that they previously booked under.

DJKeefy wrote: Mon Feb 28, 2022 10:09 pm @newcastle

Free? Are you sure?

I thought the statement said under the same conditions/rates that they previously booked under.

The “free” word comes from Cairo Scene which is not always reliable

However, the ministry notice ( widely reported and welcomed by the Ukrainian ambassador) requires hotels to provide whatever assistance is necessary and, as Ukrainians are mostly here on all-inclusive packages, I can’t see how the hotels are going to charge anyone for staying on. Moreover, if they requested, and were refused, payment, it seems inconceivable that they would evict Ukrainian guests.

Presumably the Egyptian government will pick up the tab.

I have the notice issued to hotels and will get a friend to translate it for me shortly.

“Ukraine’s Chargé d’Affaires in Egypt, Ruslan Nechai thanked the Egyptian government, especially the Foreign Ministry, for extending the stay of Ukrainian tourists for free when he submitted a memorandum requesting hosting Ukrainian tourists until their return to the country is arranged.”

https://see.news/ukraine-thanks-egypt-f ... -tourists/

@keefy

As suspected, the official notice doesn’t actually say anything about who’s going to pick up the bill.

That’s fairly typical..if you know Egypt! High on hype….but low on practicalities.

But, as I say, it’s difficult to see how the hotels are going to be reimbursed except from central funds.

Incidentally, the notice refers equally to both Ukrainian and Russian guests. Many Russians will have travelled to Egypt via a Ukrainian airport, so may have their return disrupted, even if they have a safe home to go back to.

Per Egypt Independent…..seemingly endorsing the “ no charge” to stranded Russian/Ukrainian tourists. The repetition of the “ Putin perspective” on the invasion is noteworthy. Egypt is loathe to take sides…for understandable reasons!


“Ukrainian tourists who could not return to their country will continue to stay in Egyptian hotels, announced the Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Chamber of Hotel Establishments in Egypt, Alaa Aqel.

In a letter Tuesday addressed to hotels in Egypt, Aqel that in order to preserve Egypt’s tourism reputation, hotels need to allow Ukrainian tourists to continue staying, and to agree with tour operators on coverage for accommodation expenses as part of the contract between both sides.

“The Hotel Establishments Chamber calls for the need to abide by what was stated above, while emphasizing that tourists will continue not to enter as a party to any negotiations, or to demand any money from them, and to treat them well until they return to their country,” Aqel explained.

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched on Thursday morning a special military operation in Donbass, southeastern Ukraine, and he announced in a speech addressed to the Russian people that the operation aims to protect Donbass.

Putin stressed that Russia will strive to disarm and prevent nationalism in Ukraine, as well as bring to justice those who have committed many bloody crimes against civilians, including citizens of the Russian Federation.

The Egyptian Minister of Immigration and Egyptian Expats Nabila Makram assured Saturday that there are no missing or injured Egyptian citizens in Ukraine. Makram said that there are more than 6,000 Egyptian citizens in Ukraine, including 3,000 students who are divided across 21 cities in Ukraine.”

https://bit.ly/3sAu6yO

The headline now is
"Russian tanks set reactor at Europe's biggest atomic power plant ON FIRE: "
Looking at it purely geographically, arent Russian people just as much at risk from this atomic plant if it goes up as the Ukrainians are? (Genuine question!)

The Red Sea Hotel Establishments Chamber received a letter from the Hotel Establishments Chamber stating that the Ministry of Tourism instructed three-star hotel officials to accommodate stranded Ukrainian tourists with three meals and light drinks daily.

https://egyptindependent.com/three-star ... L6feeO0N0Q

According to this article, tourists will be offered a choice of moving from 4/5 star hotels to 3 star….or staying put. Presumably, in the latter case, they might be charged for the difference?

hatusu wrote: Fri Mar 04, 2022 8:02 am The headline now is
"Russian tanks set reactor at Europe's biggest atomic power plant ON FIRE: "
Looking at it purely geographically, arent Russian people just as much at risk from this atomic plant if it goes up as the Ukrainians are? (Genuine question!)

Certainly…..although I doubt many Russians are even aware of the risk , which probably doesn’t feature on state broadcasts

The latest news is that it’s ok….although a stray shell could create another Chenobyl, with the whole of Europe at risk, depending on wind direction.

hatusu wrote: Fri Mar 04, 2022 8:02 am The headline now is
"Russian tanks set reactor at Europe's biggest atomic power plant ON FIRE: "
Looking at it purely geographically, arent Russian people just as much at risk from this atomic plant if it goes up as the Ukrainians are? (Genuine question!)

Unsurprisingly, the Russians are claiming that Ukrainian saboteurs were responsible and, although one’s sympathies might lie with Ukraine, we should acknowledge that this is a possibility. It’s certainly got the attention of Europe and the rest of the world and it’s not inconceivable that Ukrainian patriots might have started a fire in the nuclear plant in the hope it would either deter Russia from further incursions….or persuade NATO to up its game in defence of Ukraine.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... -Lviv.html
This reminds me so much of Gladys Aylward in China during WW2

Were you there, hatusu, is it still fresh in your memory? (Just kidding!)

Out of the most horrific, inhumane, situations come the most wonderful humanitarian strength and zeal. Such stories of good triumphing over evil never cease to amaze me.

Teddyboy wrote: Sun Mar 06, 2022 8:23 pm Were you there, hatusu, is it still fresh in your memory? (Just kidding!)

Well actually yes - she came to my hometown (Huddersfield) years later to give a talk.

From Wiki - "Aylward became a national of the Republic of China in 1936 and was a revered figure among the people, taking in orphans and adopting several herself, intervening in a volatile prison riot and advocating prison reform, risking her life many times to help those in need.[7] In 1938, the region was invaded by Japanese forces and Aylward led more than 100 orphans to safety over the mountains, despite being wounded, personally caring for them"

"Well actually yes - she came to my hometown (Huddersfield) years later to give a talk."

I'll bet that that was more exciting than the Mummification Museum lectures!

This old man came rolling home....as sung in the film...

Anyhow Russia, whatever happens 41 million people can defeat 200,000 russian conscripts.

In the end....Boths sides will have to get really nasty and Putin already has his trained killers..

Ps: “If you wait by the river long enough, the bodies of your enemies will float by.”
― Sun Tzu

And what happens at the end of a war ?

They sit down and talk !

Which is what they were always going to have to do anyway ! FFS !

Now, if these so called leaders had the courage of thier own conviction and actually be forced to fight in the front line in the wars that they start, then I'm pretty damn sure that they would find the diplomatic solution pretty damned quickly !

@John Landon

Absolutely!

Neither NATO nor any individual countries are prepared to risk confronting Russia with a no-fly zone, so it's just a matter of time before Ukraine capitulates and agrees to Russia’s demands.

The only question is how many buildings the Ukrainians are prepared to see demolished, and how many lives sacrificed, before they do so.

War is indeed a most horrid and cruel thing in every respect. However, if you really think that all cultural, economic, or religious differences or disputes can be solved, or power hungry despots placated, by discussion or diplomacy, you're living in cloud cuckoo land.
You might as well believe that communism would eradicate poverty, and we've all surely come to realise that that recipe is also pie in the sky!

Teddyboy wrote: Tue Mar 08, 2022 10:31 am War is indeed a most horrid and cruel thing in every respect. However, if you really think that all cultural, economic, or religious differences or disputes can be solved, or power hungry despots placated, by discussion or diplomacy, you're living in cloud cuckoo land.
You might as well believe that communism would eradicate poverty, and we've all surely come to realise that that recipe is also pie in the sky!

Perhaps you misunderstand what I and, I think, JL are saying.

It’s not that diplomacy will bring a satisfactory conclusion to what’s going on….or would have prevented what’s happened.

Diplomacy doesn’t work with a sociopath like Putin who wants something at any cost, and has no one to answer to.

But Russia’s demands are something Ukraine and the West will have to live with. A neutral Ukraine outside of NATO. Same as Sweden and Finland really. That’s how it’s going to end up and the West might as well acknowledge reality and put an end to this pointless destruction. Clearly the West is not prepared to risk a wider conflict by confronting Russia with force.

Of course it sticks in the throat seeing a bully win…..but Russia should be punished with a very heavy economic price for accomplishing Putin’s wishes. Russia should be rendered a pariah state. The rest of the world can live without Russia whatever happens in Ukraine.

Why Putin considers the West a threat is a complete puzzle to me. I can only assume he’s come to believe his demented rhetoric and is reliving the Cold War days.

"Why Putin considers the West a threat is a complete puzzle to me."

The West is a real threat to Putin's leadership, and the luxuries enjoyed by him and his cabal, simply because our culture is very different than that of the former Soviet countries. Their people want what we have, namely plenty to eat and more of the nice things of life, plus freedom of thought.