spotlight

Sri Lanka’s tourism product is vast; blue waves, golden sand, cool forests, and historical ruins are spread throughout the island. But poor destination management and infrastructure development means that tourists congest at only a handful of tourist sites.

Judges and lawyers are using AI. But candid conversations about risks and ethical use trail far behind. Meanwhile, legal AI companies keep developing their products with newer, bolder features.

Other than Manila, no Asian city takes Christmas as seriously as Colombo. Some traditions are dying and new ones are emerging. As many migrate, armed with milk wine, salt beef, and figgy pudding, Burgher aunties and uncles fight the good fight to preserve the best of Christmas past.

Doppler radar is vital for cyclone prediction. Despite trying for nearly two decades, Sri Lanka is the only country in the region without it. Met department mismanagement and negligence are the main cause, say audit reports. Ironically, Sri Lanka operated cyclone prediction radar in the 1980s.

Sri Lanka, while disaster-ready for milder cyclones, isn’t prepared for Ditwah-level devastation. In the weeks to come, audits will assess the gaps in our disaster management systems. But for now, we look at what worked and what didn’t – asking if any of the 486 deaths could have been avoided.

By clothing the presidency in such overmighty power, J.R.'s constitution magnified folly into catastrophe. Black July, the referendum that made a mockery of democracy, Indian intervention, all the way to Gota’s disastrous economic collapse — all bore the imprint of unchecked authority.

Authorities removed hundreds of unauthorised coastal buildings this year. But when they tried to demolish an illegal cafe on Trinco’s public beach, monks erected a Buddha statue. The authenticity of the monks’ Pooja Bhoomi deed is in question and officials object to the law’s selective application.

Colombo traffic will get worse as car imports resume, the economy recovers and migration into the city accelerates. Public transport remains a key barrier to growth, and railways are the pain point. Their modernisation was to kick-off with the Kelani Valley Line’s upgrade. But the project derailed.

Despite Supreme Court judgements against them, torturers remain in police service, and sometimes even get promoted. Neither the police department nor the national police commission takes discipline seriously.

This week, Lonely Planet included Jaffna in its list of best cities to visit in 2026. Three months ago, The Examiner accompanied a tour group, travelling to Jaffna from the south. The three-day tour revealed a sobering image of reconciliation, sixteen years since 2009.