Sri Lanka ranked 9th best destination to travel in 2025 in BBC’s first-ever travel guide

Travel

By Nuzla RizkiyaSri Lanka has been ranked among the top 10 destinations to travel in 2025 by BBC Travel’s inaugural guide to the world’s top travel spots.The island nation was ranked in the ninth spot on the list compiled by the global media giant, in consultation with its journalists and leading sustainable travel authorities such as the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, Sustainable Travel International and World Travel and Tourism Council.Sri Lanka was described in the travel guide as a welcoming country renowned for its misty hilltop tea plantations, roaming wild elephants, ancient temples and rolling surf, offering visitors a wealth of incredible travel experiences.“In April 2022, the former prime minister announced Sri Lanka’s bankruptcy but a new president aims to rebuild the country’s fortunes after it was hit by a pandemic and civil unrest,” BBC noted.

The guide went on to highlight several developments in Sri Lanka, including the construction of its first seven-star hotel in Kandy, a US $ 1 billion mega resort in Colombo and the launch of a new airline, which will connect Sri Lanka to far east Europe and Australia.The other attractions spotlighted included the 300 kilometre Pekoe Trail, which takes hikers through tea plantations and rural villages and the country’s new initiatives to promote sustainable tourism.“Visitors looking for a coolcation can take a legendary train ride into its mountainous interior or travel to Colombo and Galle to discover a new generation of mixologists putting their spin on arrack, a fifth-century drink,” the guide added.Additionally, it encouraged visitors to explore more of the ground island through an innovative start-up that allows travellers to self-drive tuk-tuks, with payments directly being made to the vehicle owner. 

‘The travel industry needs our young people working abroad’

Travel

We’ve all either heard it or said it ourselves: “why do you want to work in travel?” It’s a standard interview question for most companies when recruiting. Yet many are already picking up subtle changes in the answers given by younger candidates – and it’s not good news.

Besides telling us they love travelling themselves, candidates’ responses frequently used to be followed by the words “after I did my season(s)”. Post-Brexit, these are not experiences younger candidates can so easily draw on.

Let’s remember, it is today’s younger recruits who will tomorrow be advising customers on their holiday choices, or negotiating the accommodation, transport and logistics that make those holidays possible.

They are the future managers, directors and entrepreneurs in our sector. And it’s vitally important we invest in our “talent pipeline”. We are a service industry more than a booking platform – we’d all much rather be dealing with someone who has been to our holiday destination or knows the country.

Louisville business owner charged with kidnapping, assaulting alleged shoplifter

Business News

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) -A Louisville business owner appeared in court on Friday, Jan. 17, after police said he and others abducted and assaulted a man accused of shoplifting at the store. On Oct. 6, 2024, police said a man went inside E-Z Mart on Algonquin Parkway and took a box of vapes without paying. An arrest citation says that the store’s owner, Kaushalkumar Patel, tried to chase the man in a van after he tried to run. Patel got out of the van, allegedly pepper-spraying the man in several areas, including his face and anus, according to the citation. Patel along with several others hit the man with their fists and a blunt object before pulling him into the van and driving him to a garage close to E-Z Mart, where they pulled the victim from the van, and beat him. He was placed back in the van and taken to a location on Lee Street where he was dropped off. The man’s mother picked him up and took him to the hospital, where he required stitches.Patel was charged with complicity to kidnapping, assault and wanton endangerment. He appeared in court on Friday, January 17, and was placed on a $100,000 cash bond.Copyright 2025 WAVE. All rights reserved.

The science of getting a good night’s sleep in hotels

Science and Health

Whether you’re traveling for leisure or for work, it can be hard to believe that hotels are in the business of sleep. Between uncomfortable beds, noisy air conditioners, slamming doors, and loud upstairs guests, rest can be a hard thing to achieve while away from home.Dr. Rebecca Robbins, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and an associate scientist at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, knows the importance of sleep. Her research aims to encourage behavioral changes to improve sleep and circadian health, so it was only natural that she became interested in the hotel experience.In a 2020 paper published in Tourism and Hospitality Research, Robbins and her colleagues found that only one in three travelers reported being satisfied

Cerulean Winds’ giant offshore farm on track for 2030: 4 need-to-know business stories

Business News

Hello and welcome to our daily digest of business, financial and economic news from around Scotland.Cerulean Winds is developing wind farms in Aspen, Beech and Cedar1. A renewable energy firm is aiming to develop a three gigawatt floating offshore wind project which will help decarbonise oil and gas platforms running by 2030.Cerulean Winds is developing three wind farms, Aspen, Beech and Cedar, in the Central North Sea.The company said offshore surveying work was completed last year meaning it is on track with plans to make a final investment decision for all three sites in 2026 and go into commercial operation before 2030.Dan Jackson, Cerulean’s founding director, said: “Floating offshore wind is a once-in-a-generation industrial and economic opportunity, but if we don’t move quickly, the UK will miss this chance to secure much-needed investment, jobs and skills.Advertisement“We’re putting everything in place for the project to be producing before 2030.”Cerulean plans to offer the green electricity produced by its wind farms to power offshore oil and gas assets.Jon Stanton, Weir’s chief executive, said mining was central to Saudi Arabia’s programme to diversify its economyJAMES SPEAKMAN FOR THE TIMES2. The Weir Group is forming a joint venture to supply mining equipment in Saudi Arabia.The Scottish firm is partnering with Olayan Saudi Holding Company to serve the growing minerals sector in the Middle East state.Jon Stanton, Weir’s chief executive, pointed out mining is a “core economic pillar” in Saudi Arabia’s 2030 programme to diversify its economy.AdvertisementHe said: “Combining Weir’s technical expertise with Olayan’s local insights will allow us to better serve our customers and drive growth in the region.”Pinsent Masons’ new home includes tenants such as News UK, the publisher of The Times3. Pinsent Masons is relocating its Glasgow base to the Aurora building on Bothwell Street.The law firm has agreed to lease about 31,000 square feet across two floors and will move more than 300 staff there.Other tenants at the building include PwC, the accountancy company, SSE, the energy company, and News UK, the publisher of The Times.Barry McCaig, the head of Glasgow at Pinsent Masons, said: “Aurora’s development manager, HFD Property Group, is a long-term client of our firm and our strong relationship will ensure a seamless move once a state-of-the-art fit-out project has been completed.”AdvertisementDouglas Lumsden, the Scottish Conservative MSP, said that BP’s decision to axe jobs is “disastrous” for ScotlandALAMY4. The likelihood of job cuts in BP’s Aberdeen office will be a “hammer blow” for the northeast of Scotland, an MSP has warned.Douglas Lumsden, the Scottish Conservative spokesman for energy and net zero, suggested the opposition to oil and gas from UK Labour and the SNP was causing “economic damage”.He said: “The consequences of Labour’s shortsighted sanctions of increasing the windfall tax, ending the investment allowance and opposing all new oil and gas licences are now being felt, resulting in the loss of thousands of jobs. “BP’s decision is disastrous for Scotland and must act as a catalyst for both Labour and the SNP to show some common sense for a change by supporting the sector, instead of turning their backs on it.”BP has yet to say exactly where the axe will fall but the company employs about 2,000 people across Scotland.AdvertisementAbout 600 of those are not likely to be affected as they work in petrol stations.

Where to Stream ‘Twin Peaks,’ ‘Mulholland Drive,’ and Other David Lynch Movies and Shows

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Legendary director David Lynch, the director of films such as Mulholland Drive and Dune and the creator of cult favorite TV show Twin Peaks, has died, his family announced Thursday. He was 78. 

“It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch,” the post on his official Facebook page read. We would appreciate some privacy at this time. There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us. But, as he would say, ‘Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.’ It’s a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way.”

Lynch spent more than four decades working as a filmmaker, starting with 1977’s Eraserhead. His work included the sci-fi epic Dune, the acclaimed period drama The Elephant Man, and the surreal suburban mystery Blue Velvet, as well as the acclaimed series Twin Peaks and its sequel Twin Peaks: The Return. His unique vision earned him praise as one of the best American directors in recent history. Want to revisit his work (or check it out for the first time)? Here’s where you can stream Lynch’s movies and other projects. 

Where to watch ‘Twin Peaks,’ ‘Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me,’ and ‘Twin Peaks: The Return’ 

Kyle MacLachlan as Special Agent Dale Cooper and Michael Ontkean as Sheriff Harry S. Truman in ‘Twin Peaks’ | ©1990 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Credit: CBS Photo Archive. Image is a framegrab.

Twin Peaks broke the TV mold when it premiered on April 8, 1990, on ABC. The series about an FBI agent investigating a teen girl’s murder in a strange Pacific Northwest town lasted just two seasons, but it generated a legion of loyal fans. He followed with the 1992 movie Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, which revealed more of the doomed Laura Palmer’s story. In 2017, he revisited the world of Twin Peaks in Twin Peaks: The Return. The 18-episode series picked up 25 years after the original show’s cliffhanger ending, which saw Agent Cooper trapped in the Black Lodge and his body possessed by an evil doppelganger. 

Twin Peaks and Twin Peaks: The Return are streaming on Paramount+. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me is streaming on Max. 

‘Eraserhead’ and ‘Mulholland Drive’ are streaming on the Criterion Channel 

‘Eraserhead’ | LMPC via Getty Images

If you want to dive into Lynch’s filmography, a subscription to the Criterion Channel might be your best bet. The curated streaming service is home to several of the director’s films. 

Lynch’s first feature-length film, Eraserhead, stars Jack Nance as a man who becomes a father to a strange, inhuman child. Eraserhead is also streaming on Kanopy and Max.

Regarded by many as Lynch’s masterpiece, Mulholland Drive was originally intended to be the pilot for a TV series. When network execs rejected the show, Lynch reworked it, crafting an unsettling, noir-ish mystery about an aspiring actress who connects with a woman suffering from amnesia following a car accident. 

The nightmarish LA-set thriller Lost Highway follows a musician convicted of murdering his wife. It’s also streaming on Kanopy.

Lynch’s last full-length film, the largely plotless Inland Empire, is about a Hollywood actress starring in a remake of a cursed older movie. It’s also streaming on Max. 

Criterion Channel is also home to a collection of Lynch’s short films, including Six Men Getting Sick and The Grandmother. Subscribers can also watch two documentaries about his life and work, David Lynch: The Art Life (also on Max) and Lynch/Oz (also on Kanopy). 

How to watch ‘Blue Velvet,’ ‘Dune,’ and other David Lynch movies

Isabella Rossellini on the set of ‘Blue Velvet’ | De Laurentiis Entertainment Group/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images

Where can you stream Lynch’s other movies? 

The neo-noir Blue Velvet, which stars Kyle MacLachlan as a college student caught up in a bizarre small-town mystery, is streaming on Max. 

Dune, an adaptation of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi epic, was a box office flop when it was released in 1984, but it’s since gained a cult following. It’s also available to stream on Max. 

Lynch’s most accessible film is The Straight Story. This 1999 drama based on a true story stars Richard Farnsworth as Alvin Straight, an elderly farmer who drives his riding mower from Iowa to Wisconsin after he learns his estranged brother has had a stroke. You’ll find it on Disney+.  

In the 2017 short What Did Jack Do?, Lynch plays a detective who interviews a monkey suspected of murder. It’s streaming on Netflix. 

Unfortunately, two David Lynch movies are currently unavailable to stream: The Oscar-nominated The Elephant Man, about a disfigured man in Victorian England and the doctor who cares for him; and Wild at Heart, about a young couple on the run from hired killers. 

For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, subscribe to Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s YouTube channel.

The eerie abandoned ‘island’ full of creepy dolls that’s a haven for dark tourism

Travel

While the borough of Xochimilco in the south of Mexico City is famed for its stunning collection of canals and well-preserved remnants of Aztec life, one area within it has grown to be come very popular among dark tourists.Hidden among the canals lies a site famous for the hundreds of dolls – and their severed limbs, decapitated heads and blank eyes – which hang from trees and lie scattered on the ground.The artificial island was once the home of a now-deceased reclusive man, Julian Santa Barrera. The story goes that in the mid-19th century, after finding a dead girl’s body in a nearby canal, Barrera collected and displayed the toys in the hopes of warding off evil spirits.It was also claimed that, after her death, the young girl’s spirit haunted the island, and to appease her, Barrera began scouring the rubbish and trading produce from his garden in exchange for more dolls. Evidence of the girl’s existence has yet to be found.Since the Island of the Dolls became open to the public, there have been reports of the dolls moving their heads and arms and evening opening their eyes. Some also claim to have heard the dolls whispering to each other.The island first gained its infamous reputation in 1943, when Mexican director Emilio Fernández used it as the location of the melodrama film María Candelaria.After Barrera died in 2001, his family opened the island to the public as a tourist attraction.Even the circumstances of his death are fascinating and shrouded in mystery. Barrera’s nephew came to the island to help his then-80-year-old uncle. As they fished in the canal, Barrera sang passionately, claiming that mermaids in the water were calling for him.The nephew left briefly and, upon his return, found Barrera lifeless, face down in the canal, in the same spot where the girl was said to have drowned.In addition to the dolls themselves, the grounds host three huts and a small museum, with articles from local newspapers about the island and its previous owner. In the one-room hut where Barrera slept, the first doll Barrera collected and Agustina, his favourite doll, are displayed.The Island of the Dolls is accessible to the public by gondola-like boats called trajineras.Some passengers succeed in convincing their drivers to visit the island, but several refuse to out of superstition.

Taiwan Tourism Offers Muslim Experience

Travel

To enhance Taiwan’s reputation as a Muslim-friendly travel destination, the Taiwan Tourism Administration (T.T.A) organized a significant event last year known as “Muslim Experience Day.” This initiative, curated by the Kuala Lumpur Office of T.T.A, invited Muslim students and influential figures in Taiwan to engage in the activities. Participants were able to experience Taiwan’s rich cultural diversity and its Muslim-friendly attractions, which in turn encouraged tourism partners to improve their offerings for Muslim travelers.

According to T.T.A, these two rounds of experiential activities resulted in more Muslim participants becoming advocates for Taiwan’s tourism. They actively shared the unique allure of Taiwan and its cultural inclusivity with their peers and followers on social media. By harnessing personal influence and the reach of social media platforms, Taiwan is effectively establishing itself as a Muslim-friendly destination on the global stage. Looking ahead, T.T.A plans to allocate additional resources to further enhance the Muslim-friendly tourism landscape, with the goal of attracting a greater number of Muslim visitors to Taiwan.
@media (max-width: 1200px) {

.ns-buttons.ns-inline .ns-button-icon { width: 100%; } .ns-buttons.ns-inline .ns-button-label { display: none; }
}.ns-inline:not(.ns-columns) .ns-buttons-wrapper {
justify-content: center;
}body .ns-inline:not(.ns-columns) a.ns-button, body .ns-inline .ns-total-share-count {
margin: 0px 5px 10px 5px;
}body .ns-inline .ns-total-share-count { color: #0a4d91; }

January Book-to-Screen Adaptations and More News for Libraries

Arts & Culture, Books

Katie’s parents never told her “no” when she asked for a book, which was the start of most of her problems. She has an MLIS from the University of Illinois and works full time as a Circulation & Reference Manager in Illinois. She has a deep-rooted love of all things disturbing, twisted, and terrifying and takes enormous pleasure in creeping out her coworkers. When she’s not at work, she’s at home watching the Cubs with her cats and her cardigan collection. Other hobbies include scrapbooking, introducing more readers to the Church of Tana French, and convincing her husband that she can, in fact, fit more books onto her shelves.

Twitter: @kt_librarylady
View All posts by Katie McLain Horner

It’s not all libraries and censorship today – we have some adaptation news too, including Christopher Nolan’s next project. *insert geek out noises here*Library NewsNashville libraries branch out with yoga, barber shops, and tools for rent. The Oregon governor wants to improve literacy, so why are so many school libraries empty? Book Adaptations in the NewsChristopher Nolan’s next movie is going to be an adaptation of The Odyssey. I have no idea what this will look like, but I can only imagine it’ll be epic (pun partially intended).

Check Your Shelf Newsletter

Sign up to receive Check Your Shelf, the Librarian’s One-Stop Shop For News, Book Lists, And More.

Thank you for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox.

Jennifer Armentrout’s From Blood and Ash is getting a series adaptation. Nightbitch is already available for streaming on Hulu. 7 of the best book-to-screen adaptations for January.