Live updates: follow the latest news on Russia-Ukraine
Egypt vowed on Thursday to look after Russian and Ukrainian tourists stranded in the country because of flight cancellations as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The tourism industry said all tourists from countries where air travel has been disrupted would be able to “stay in the hotels where they are in Egypt until their safe return home”.
The decision followed a flurry of flight cancellations after Russia sent troops across the border into Ukraine on Thursday.
All-inclusive hotels along Egypt's Red Sea coast are popular with Ukrainian and Russian tourists.
Flights from 11 airports in southern Russia and one airport in Moscow-annexed Crimea have been cancelled, Russia's main aviation authority said.
French carrier Air France and German airline Lufthansa have also suspended flights to Ukraine.
Tourism represents about 10 per cent of the GDP of Egypt, where a third of the 100 million population lives below the poverty line.
Direct flights from Russia to Sharm El Sheikh only resumed last year.
Russia banned flights after a chartered Russian plane crashed over the Sinai Peninsula shortly after taking off from Sharm El Sheikh in 2015.
All 224 people on board the St Petersburg-bound flight were killed. An ISIS-affiliated group claimed responsibility.
Meanwhile, Egypt's foreign ministry on Thursday called for “dialogue and diplomatic solutions” to politically settle the Russian-Ukrainian crisis.
Egypt also cancelled its international wheat purchasing tender as a result of low turnout from major exporters on Thursday, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Russia and Ukraine are considered Egypt's top wheat suppliers, making up around 50 per cent and 30 per cent of the country's wheat imports in 2021, data collated by Gulf Financial News (GFN) from two regional traders shows.
After extending its submission deadline by an hour, Egypt's state grains buyer, the General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC), had one offer for French wheat for April 11-21 shipment, raising fears of supply disruptions.
“There is a risk-off mood today with the impossibility of making a business decision on wheat prices as a war has started,” one European trader told GFN.
GASC said the cancellation was in accordance with a tender book law that requires at least two offers to be presented for a purchase to be made.
US wheat traders said the offer received in the Egyptian tender was at “a painfully high” price of $399 per tonne on a free-on-board basis, compared to cargoes sold in a tender one week ago, traders said.
Egypt's Supply Minister said last week he was not concerned by a potential invasion of Ukraine because the north African country has a diverse pool of suppliers and the upcoming local wheat harvest starts in April.
Agencies contributed to this report.
Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
TWISTERS
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Starring: Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos
Rating: 2.5/5
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
2019 Asian Cup final
Japan v Qatar
Friday, 6pm
Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'Nope'
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Jordan%20Peele%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Daniel%20Kaluuya%2C%20Keke%20Palmer%2C%20Brandon%20Perea%2C%20Steven%20Yeun%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Cabriolet
Price, base: Dh429,090
Engine 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission Seven-speed automatic
Power 510hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 700Nm @ 1,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.2L / 100km
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Tim%20Mielants%3Cbr%3ECast%3A%20Cillian%20Murphy%2C%20Emily%20Watson%2C%20Eileen%20Walsh%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Name: Colm McLoughlin
Country: Galway, Ireland
Job: Executive vice chairman and chief executive of Dubai Duty Free
Favourite golf course: Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club
Favourite part of Dubai: Palm Jumeirah
