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Singapore tops Henley Passport Index; Sri Lanka ranks 94th

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Singapore has once again been named the world’s most powerful passport, providing its citizens with visa-free access to 195 countries, according to the latest Henley Passport Index released in October 2024.

France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Spain shared the second spot, allowing entry to 192 countries, while Austria, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Sweden ranked third with access to 191 countries.

Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom allow visa-free travel to 190 countries, placing them fourth.

Australia and Portugal secured fifth place, offering access to 189 countries.

The United States ranked eighth, providing access to 186 countries, while India sits at 83rd with visa-free access to 58 countries.

Sri Lanka ranked 94th, allowing its citizens visa-free travel to 44 countries.

The Henley Passport Index rankings reflect the number of countries accessible without a visa and are influenced by international agreements and diplomatic relations. Asian countries, particularly South Korea, Singapore, and Japan, consistently top the list, highlighting their strong diplomatic ties globally.

Among the least powerful passports are those from Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, and Pakistan.

With agencies inputs

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Assets of 02 police officers to be probed

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Assets of two prominent police officers are to be probed after authorities received a number of complaints, highly placed sources in the government say.

One officer in question is a DIG while the other is a SSP, reports add.

The Police Illegal Assets And Property Investigation Division are conducting further investigations.

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AG seeks CID probe into social media smear campaign against his staff

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The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has opened a probe following a complaint by Attorney General Parinda Ranasinghe that his staff have been unduly targeted by false allegations on social media.

The AG’s instruction to the CID came after several of his staff complained to him over the allegation on social media.

Particularly targeted are senior AG’s Department officials awaiting promotions, sources said.

In one of the posts, a senior officer was accused of being supportive of granting bail to Thamil Makkal Viduthal Puligal (TMVP) leader Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, alias Pillaiyan, when his fundamental rights application over his arrest was taken up. During the hearing of the FR case, the matter of bail was not even considered, the sources said.

Another allegation was that in a case related to the suspended Police Chief Deshabandu Tennakoon, the AG prevented a senior officer from representing the department and instead sent a junior officer. However, on the particular day, the senior officer was indisposed, the sources said.

These allegations surface as the AG’s Department has filed more than 600 new indictments in High Courts so far this year, while the Bribery Commission has also referred several bribery and corruption cases to the AG for prosecution.

(sundaytimes.lk)
(This story, originally published by sundaytimes.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)

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19-yr. old dies after falling from elevator

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A 19-year-old youth has died after falling from a service elevator at a hotel in the Pannai area, in the Jaffna Police Division.

According to the police, the incident had occurred last night (June 21) and the deceased has been identified as a resident of Nirveli, Jaffna.

According to investigations, the youth was employed at the hotel and had been using the service elevator -intended for transporting goods.

Further investigations are underway.

This incident follows a similar case recently reported from a hotel in Moratuwa last week.

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19-yr.-old dies after hotel elevator collapses

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