Singapore and Japan break away from the group of six countries that shared top spot last year to secure gold and silver, respectively, on the 2025 Henley Passport Index, which ranks all the world’s 199 passports according to the number of destinations they can access visa-free, and is based on exclusive Timatic data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Singapore reclaims its crown as the most powerful passport in the world with visa-free access to 195 out of 227 destinations worldwide, leaving Japan in the runner-up spot with a score of 193 but still ahead of the rest after it regained visa-free access to neighboring China for the first time since the Covid lockdowns.

Sri Lanka was ranked 96 in the index, whereas the citizens will receive visa-free access to 44 countries in the world. Iran and South Sudan also ranked 96th in the index along with Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan passport was ranked 100th in 2023 and 102nd in 2022

Four newly appointed Supreme Court Justices took their oaths of office before President Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (12) at the Presidential Secretariat.

The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) has announced that a decision regarding the electricity tariff reduction for 2025 will be made before Friday (17).

The Alcohol and Drug Information Centre (ADIC) revealed that a 20% excise tax increase on alcohol last year led to a staggering reduction of 8.3 million litres in alcohol consumption while boosting government revenue by Rs. 11.6 billion.

The Vehicle Importers’ Association of Sri Lanka has warned that import taxes on vehicles, currently about 300%, could rise further, with some luxury vehicles potentially seeing tax rates as high as 600%.

Senior Professor of Forensic Medicine at Karapitiya Hospital U.C.P Perera said it was a matter of serious concern that the fatalities in road accidents have been increasing at a large proportion every year and that 118,240 road accidents had occurred in Sri Lanka for the last five years up to December 2024 claiming 12,140 human lives.

In a bid to address the salt shortage, chairman of National Salt Limited Gayan Wellala said plans are underway to fully activate the saltern including one in Elephant Pass in the north by March, this year to increase production of salt in the country

The deadline for importing rice ended at midnight yesterday, with a total of 167,000 MT of rice imported to Sri Lanka since the government allowed the imports. The Sri Lanka Customs reported that this includes 66,000 MT of Red Raw Rice and 101,000 MT of Parboiled Rice.

The traders in several areas of the upcountry yesterday demonstrated demanding the supply of adequate stocks of Nadu and Red rice varieties in view of the Thai Pongal festive season. A number of Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim traders from Agarapathana, Manrasi and Dayagama in the Nuwara-Eliya District participated.

While issuing a special gazette notification, the government announced an excise duty percentage on all vehicles imported starting in February, following the resumption of vehicle imports after a five-year suspension.

Former Sri Lankan Ambassador to Russia, Udayanga Weeratunga, has been arrested. Police said that he was arrested in connection with an incident involving the assault of a neighbor. He was arrested by the Mirihana Police and is scheduled to be produced in court.