Sri Lanka has been identified as one of the countries that recorded improvements in political rights and civil liberties in 2025, according to the latest Freedom House report titled Freedom in the World 2026. South Asians & Diaspora

The report notes that Sri Lanka registered a five-point increase on the organization’s 100-point freedom scale, placing the country in the “Partly Free” category.

The improvement comes at a time when global freedom has continued to decline, marking the 20th consecutive year in which more countries experienced deterioration than progress. According to the report, 54 countries recorded declines in political rights and civil liberties in 2025, while only 35 countries showed improvements.

Sri Lanka was among the countries with the largest one-year gains in freedom scores during the year, alongside nations such as Syria, Bolivia, Gabon, Fiji, and Malawi.

Sri Lanka is looking at sourcing fuel from Russia, following an urgent meeting held today (13) between Russia’s Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Levan S. Dzhagaryan, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herah.

The discussion took place after the removal of sanctions that had previously prevented Sri Lanka from purchasing Russian oil, seen as a solution to fuel supply chain disruptions caused by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

The United States has temporarily waived sanctions on Russian oil stranded at sea as Trump administration officials attempt to reverse a surge in prices that is causing mounting apprehension about global supplies.

As part of efforts to ensure the continuous supply of fuel to the island nation, the Foreign Minister held talks with Ambassador Dzhagaryan regarding the procurement of Russian fuel.

Sri Lanka’s tourism industry has begun 2026 on a strong footing, recording its highest-ever January arrivals, welcoming over 277,000 visitors and surpassing the previous high of 252,761 registered last year.

The country welcomed 277,327 tourists in January, marking a 10% year-on-year (YoY) increase compared to the same period last year. The improvement was underpinned by a notable rise in average daily arrivals, highlighting the industry’s continued recovery momentum following several years of disruption.

Average daily arrivals stood at 8,946 during the month, while the highest single-day inflow was recorded on 15 January, when 10,483 visitors arrived in the country. Weekly figures showed a steady upward trend, with 58,822 arrivals in the first week of January, followed by 62,590 in the second week, 64,077 in the third, and a sharp rise to 91,838 in the final week of the month.