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According to the Henley Passport Index, South African passport holders can travel to 101 destinations without a prior visa. The ranking places the country 50th or 96th globally, depending on the report, with regional highlights across Africa, Asia, the Americas, and the Caribbean.
Actress AnnaLynne McCord and former rugby star Danny Cipriani have married in Los Angeles, as confirmed by McCord on Instagram. The wedding follows a crowdfunding campaign that drew criticism and death threats, despite the couple's reported $8 million combined net worth. They plan additional ceremonies in London and Cambodia.
President Donald Trump is considering a new 7.5 percent tariff on Chinese goods over excess manufacturing capacity, according to multiple reports citing people familiar with the deliberations. Officials view the rate as calibrated to preserve a trade truce and a planned late-September meeting with Xi Jinping. The step follows a Supreme Court ruling against earlier reciprocal tariffs and comes amid wider U.S. duties that Asian economies have largely accepted without retaliation.
India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) marks a decade since its launch in August 2016, with annual transactions surging from 1.78 crore in FY17 to 24,162 crore in FY26. The platform now handles nearly half of global real-time payments, operates in 11 countries, and has become the backbone of India's digital economy.
The Philippines expressed optimism that negotiations for a South China Sea Code of Conduct will conclude within the year, urging all parties to sustain momentum on remaining sensitive issues. Foreign Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro made the remarks after co-chairing the ninth Philippines-Malaysia Joint Commission Meeting in Manila, where both countries also exchanged views on 'illegal and coercive actions' in the region.
US President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke by phone ahead of new 50% tariffs on Canadian goods, with negotiations described as 'intense and delicate.' The talks cover about $20bn in imports, with disputes over auto tariffs and US content requirements remaining unresolved.
An Indonesian frigate joined a brief naval exercise with China's navy off Taiwan's east coast during Taiwan's Han Kuang drill, prompting Taipei to request an explanation. Jakarta described the maneuver as a routine transit, while analysts debate the implications for Indonesia's longstanding neutral foreign policy.
The US Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security has issued a final rule that removes national security controls on many lower-endurance drones while increasing controls on certain military-use drones and sales to several countries. The rule, effective Aug. 13, adjusts endurance thresholds and clarifies classification, impacting drone manufacturers and exporters.
At an APEC digital technology and AI forum in Chengdu, ministers issued a statement supporting open-source AI models, a rare consensus in a field often framed as a US-China contest. Across Asia, governments and start-ups are building on open Chinese systems, attracted by lower costs and local data control.