Sri Lanka is in the midst of a political and economic crisis, with a number of protests reported in the capital city of Colombo. AP Photo
Sri Lanka is in the midst of a political and economic crisis, with a number of protests reported in the capital city of Colombo. AP Photo
Sri Lanka is in the midst of a political and economic crisis, with a number of protests reported in the capital city of Colombo. AP Photo
Sri Lanka is in the midst of a political and economic crisis, with a number of protests reported in the capital city of Colombo. AP Photo

Travel

Airlines

Dubai to Sri Lanka flights cancelled until end of August by flydubai

Emirates and Etihad continue to operate to the island nation as usual for now

Panna Munyal
Panna Munyal

July 11, 2022

  • English
  • Arabic

Try booking a flight from Dubai to Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka from the flydubai website at the moment, and you'll only be able to do so from September 1 — and then, too, at your risk.

The budget carrier shows all dates in July and August as struck out until August 31, with flydubai saying it has suspended flights to Sri Lanka, which is facing economic and political crises, "until further notice".

The flydubai website shows no dates for flights to Sri Lanka for the rest of July and August. Photo: flydubai.com
The flydubai website shows no dates for flights to Sri Lanka for the rest of July and August. Photo: flydubai.com

The decision has been made on the back of violent protests that have escalated, over the island country's crises, with a mob setting fire to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's home on Saturday. However, the airline said it will "closely monitor the situation on the ground”, with a representative also saying: "Passengers who have booked to travel on these flights will be contacted and offered a refund. We apologise for the inconvenience caused to our passengers’ travel schedules."

Located on the west coast of Sri Lanka, Colombo is a four-and-a-half-hour flight from the UAE.

The capital is home to beautiful beaches and historic temples, and is a gateway to other parts of the tourism-reliant country.

Both Emirates and Etihad Airways are operating flights to Sri Lanka for the moment, but travellers are advised to double-check before making new bookings.

Sri Lanka crisis: in pictures

  • A demonstrator presents Sri Lanka's new 'Wildlife Minister' at President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's Cabinet meeting room in Colombo. Huge crowds had poured into the city to protest in previous days amid months of unrest sparked by the country's economic collapse. Reuters
    A demonstrator presents Sri Lanka's new 'Wildlife Minister' at President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's Cabinet meeting room in Colombo. Huge crowds had poured into the city to protest in previous days amid months of unrest sparked by the country's economic collapse. Reuters
  • Demonstrators take a break inside Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's residence in Colombo. Reuters
    Demonstrators take a break inside Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's residence in Colombo. Reuters
  • Children play the piano inside the president's house in Colombo. Reuters
    Children play the piano inside the president's house in Colombo. Reuters
  • A demonstrator poses for photographs where President Gotabaya Rajapaksa used to hold events. Reuters
    A demonstrator poses for photographs where President Gotabaya Rajapaksa used to hold events. Reuters
  • People wait to visit the presidential residence in Colombo after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled amid the country's economic turmoil. Reuters
    People wait to visit the presidential residence in Colombo after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled amid the country's economic turmoil. Reuters
  • Part of the private residence of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was burnt by demonstrators. Reuters
    Part of the private residence of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was burnt by demonstrators. Reuters
  • Demonstrators vandalised part of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's house in Colombo. Reuters
    Demonstrators vandalised part of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's house in Colombo. Reuters
  • Crowds flock to take a look inside the presidential palace in Colombo. EPA
    Crowds flock to take a look inside the presidential palace in Colombo. EPA
  • Part of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's private residence was burnt by demonstrators. Reuters
    Part of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's private residence was burnt by demonstrators. Reuters
  • People take a dip in a swimming pool at the presidential palace in Colombo. EPA
    People take a dip in a swimming pool at the presidential palace in Colombo. EPA
  • Protesters pretend to hold a Cabinet meeting in the meeting hall of the president's official residence. AP
    Protesters pretend to hold a Cabinet meeting in the meeting hall of the president's official residence. AP
  • Firefighters try to douse a fire at the residence of Sri Lanka's prime minister during protests in Colombo. AFP
    Firefighters try to douse a fire at the residence of Sri Lanka's prime minister during protests in Colombo. AFP
  • People watch the blaze. AFP
    People watch the blaze. AFP
  • An unidentified man poses for pictures while seated on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s chair at the presidential palace in Colombo, a day after it was overrun by anti-government protestors. AFP
    An unidentified man poses for pictures while seated on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s chair at the presidential palace in Colombo, a day after it was overrun by anti-government protestors. AFP
  • Protesters rest on sofas in the prime minister's residence. AP
    Protesters rest on sofas in the prime minister's residence. AP
  • Soldiers and police gather outside the burnt private residence of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in Colombo. AP
    Soldiers and police gather outside the burnt private residence of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in Colombo. AP
  • A security officer inspects a police vehicle, a day after it was vandalised by protesters in front of the residence of Sri Lanka's prime minister. AFP
    A security officer inspects a police vehicle, a day after it was vandalised by protesters in front of the residence of Sri Lanka's prime minister. AFP
  • Protesters stand on a vandalised police water cannon at the entrance to the president's official residence. AP
    Protesters stand on a vandalised police water cannon at the entrance to the president's official residence. AP
  • Protesters sing and dance after storming the Sri Lankan president's official residence. AP
    Protesters sing and dance after storming the Sri Lankan president's official residence. AP
  • Protesters crowd inside the president's official residence. EPA
    Protesters crowd inside the president's official residence. EPA
  • Protesters cheer inside the president's official residence. EPA
    Protesters cheer inside the president's official residence. EPA
  • A man picks up a tear-gas canister to throw it away as police try to disperse protesters in Colombo. AP
    A man picks up a tear-gas canister to throw it away as police try to disperse protesters in Colombo. AP
  • An injured protester during an anti-government demonstration in Colombo. EPA
    An injured protester during an anti-government demonstration in Colombo. EPA
  • The security forces fire tear gas and use water cannon to disperse an anti-government protest. EPA
    The security forces fire tear gas and use water cannon to disperse an anti-government protest. EPA
  • A protester walks in front of police during an anti-government protest, calling for the resignation of the president over his alleged failure to address Sri Lanka's economic crisis. EPA
    A protester walks in front of police during an anti-government protest, calling for the resignation of the president over his alleged failure to address Sri Lanka's economic crisis. EPA
  • Protesters gather inside the compound of Sri Lanka's Presidential Palace in Colombo. AFP
    Protesters gather inside the compound of Sri Lanka's Presidential Palace in Colombo. AFP
  • Protesters are demanding that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigns. AP Photo
    Protesters are demanding that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigns. AP Photo
  • Hundreds of people attended the rally. EPA
    Hundreds of people attended the rally. EPA
  • Security forces fire tear gas to disperse an anti government protest rally. EPA
    Security forces fire tear gas to disperse an anti government protest rally. EPA
  • Protesters throw back tear gas canisters fired by security forces. EPA
    Protesters throw back tear gas canisters fired by security forces. EPA
Infiniti QX80 specs

Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6

Power: 450hp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000

Available: Now

Miss Granny

Director: Joyce Bernal

Starring: Sarah Geronimo, James Reid, Xian Lim, Nova Villa

3/5

(Tagalog with Eng/Ar subtitles)

More from Neighbourhood Watch:
BOSH!'s pantry essentials

Nutritional yeast

This is Firth's pick and an ingredient he says, "gives you an instant cheesy flavour". He advises making your own cream cheese with it or simply using it to whip up a mac and cheese or wholesome lasagne. It's available in organic and specialist grocery stores across the UAE.

Seeds

"We've got a big jar of mixed seeds in our kitchen," Theasby explains. "That's what you use to make a bolognese or pie or salad: just grab a handful of seeds and sprinkle them over the top. It's a really good way to make sure you're getting your omegas."

Umami flavours

"I could say soya sauce, but I'll say all umami-makers and have them in the same batch," says Firth. He suggests having items such as Marmite, balsamic vinegar and other general, dark, umami-tasting products in your cupboard "to make your bolognese a little bit more 'umptious'".

Onions and garlic

"If you've got them, you can cook basically anything from that base," says Theasby. "These ingredients are so prevalent in every world cuisine and if you've got them in your cupboard, then you know you've got the foundation of a really nice meal."

Your grain of choice

Whether rice, quinoa, pasta or buckwheat, Firth advises always having a stock of your favourite grains in the cupboard. "That you, you have an instant meal and all you have to do is just chuck a bit of veg in."

Evacuations to France hit by controversy
  • Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
  • Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
  • The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
  • Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
  • It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
  • Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
  • Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups

Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.

Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.

Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.

Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.

Biog

Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara

He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada

Father of two sons, grandfather of six

Plays golf once a week

Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family

Walks for an hour every morning

Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India

2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business

 

As it stands in Pool A

1. Japan - Played 3, Won 3, Points 14

2. Ireland - Played 3, Won 2, Lost 1, Points 11

3. Scotland - Played 2, Won 1, Lost 1, Points 5

Remaining fixtures

Scotland v Russia – Wednesday, 11.15am

Ireland v Samoa – Saturday, 2.45pm

Japan v Scotland – Sunday, 2.45pm

The President's Cake

Director: Hasan Hadi

Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem 

Rating: 4/5

Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ovasave%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20November%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Majd%20Abu%20Zant%20and%20Torkia%20Mahloul%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Healthtech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Three%20employees%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24400%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League final:

Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports

Sonchiriya

Director: Abhishek Chaubey

Producer: RSVP Movies, Azure Entertainment

Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Manoj Bajpayee, Ashutosh Rana, Bhumi Pednekar, Ranvir Shorey

Rating: 3/5

It's up to you to go green

Nils El Accad, chief executive and owner of Organic Foods and Café, says going green is about “lifestyle and attitude” rather than a “money change”; people need to plan ahead to fill water bottles in advance and take their own bags to the supermarket, he says.

“People always want someone else to do the work; it doesn’t work like that,” he adds. “The first step: you have to consciously make that decision and change.”

When he gets a takeaway, says Mr El Accad, he takes his own glass jars instead of accepting disposable aluminium containers, paper napkins and plastic tubs, cutlery and bags from restaurants.

He also plants his own crops and herbs at home and at the Sheikh Zayed store, from basil and rosemary to beans, squashes and papayas. “If you’re going to water anything, better it be tomatoes and cucumbers, something edible, than grass,” he says.

“All this throwaway plastic - cups, bottles, forks - has to go first,” says Mr El Accad, who has banned all disposable straws, whether plastic or even paper, from the café chain.

One of the latest changes he has implemented at his stores is to offer refills of liquid laundry detergent, to save plastic. The two brands Organic Foods stocks, Organic Larder and Sonnett, are both “triple-certified - you could eat the product”.  

The Organic Larder detergent will soon be delivered in 200-litre metal oil drums before being decanted into 20-litre containers in-store.

Customers can refill their bottles at least 30 times before they start to degrade, he says. Organic Larder costs Dh35.75 for one litre and Dh62 for 2.75 litres and refills will cost 15 to 20 per cent less, Mr El Accad says.

But while there are savings to be had, going green tends to come with upfront costs and extra work and planning. Are we ready to refill bottles rather than throw them away? “You have to change,” says Mr El Accad. “I can only make it available.”

Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi

Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe

For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.

Golden Dallah

For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.

Al Mrzab Restaurant

For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.

Al Derwaza

For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup. 

Emiratisation at work

Emiratisation was introduced in the UAE more than 10 years ago

It aims to boost the number of citizens in the workforce particularly in the private sector.

Growing the number of Emiratis in the workplace will help the UAE reduce dependence on overseas workers

The Cabinet in December last year, approved a national fund for Emirati jobseekers and guaranteed citizens working in the private sector a comparable pension

President Sheikh Khalifa has described Emiratisation as “a true measure for success”.

During the UAE’s 48th National Day, Sheikh Khalifa named education, entrepreneurship, Emiratisation and space travel among cornerstones of national development

More than 80 per cent of Emiratis work in the federal or local government as per 2017 statistics

The Emiratisation programme includes the creation of 20,000 new jobs for UAE citizens

UAE citizens will be given priority in managerial positions in the government sphere

The purpose is to raise the contribution of UAE nationals in the job market and create a diverse workforce of citizens

Essentials

The flights

Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Geneva from Dh2,845 return, including taxes. The flight takes 6 hours. 

The package

Clinique La Prairie offers a variety of programmes. A six-night Master Detox costs from 14,900 Swiss francs (Dh57,655), including all food, accommodation and a set schedule of medical consultations and spa treatments.

BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES

Friday Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (11.30pm)

Saturday Freiburg v Borussia Monchengladbach, Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Dortmund, Cologne v Wolfsburg, Arminia Bielefeld v Mainz (6.30pm) Bayern Munich v RB Leipzig (9.30pm)

Sunday Werder Bremen v Stuttgart (6.30pm), Schalke v Bayer Leverkusen (9pm)

Monday Hoffenheim v Augsburg (11.30pm)

Recipe

Garlicky shrimp in olive oil
Gambas Al Ajillo

Preparation time: 5 to 10 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

180ml extra virgin olive oil; 4 to 5 large cloves of garlic, minced or pureed (or 3 to 4 garlic scapes, roughly chopped); 1 or 2 small hot red chillies, dried (or ¼ teaspoon dried red chilli flakes); 400g raw prawns, deveined, heads removed and tails left intact; a generous splash of sweet chilli vinegar; sea salt flakes for seasoning; a small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Method

▶ Heat the oil in a terracotta dish or frying pan. Once the oil is sizzling hot, add the garlic and chilli, stirring continuously for about 10 seconds until golden and aromatic.

▶ Add a splash of sweet chilli vinegar and as it vigorously simmers, releasing perfumed aromas, add the prawns and cook, stirring a few times.

▶ Once the prawns turn pink, after 1 or 2 minutes of cooking,  remove from the heat and season with sea salt flakes.

▶ Once the prawns are cool enough to eat, scatter with parsley and serve with small forks or toothpicks as the perfect sharing starter. Finish off with crusty bread to soak up all that flavour-infused olive oil.

 

Specs

Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request

Updated: July 12, 2022, 8:39 AM
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