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The UK Foreign Office has updated its travel advice, warning against all travel to 36 countries due to conflicts and other risks. Travellers who ignore the advice risk invalidating their insurance and facing limited consular assistance. The advice covers both whole countries and specific regions, with some destinations now under 'all but essential travel' advisories.
The UK Foreign Office has issued travel warnings against all travel to 36 countries and all-but-essential travel advice for others, citing risks such as armed conflict, civil unrest, and natural disasters. Travellers are warned that going against the advice invalidates insurance and complicates consular help.
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.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced an expansion of sanctions against Iran, calling it 'an economic D-Day' and warning countries to sever financial ties with Tehran or face retaliation. The announcement came as Iran's currency hit a record low, with food prices soaring and the IMF forecasting a sharp GDP contraction.
India's ambassador to Saudi Arabia met with GCC Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi in Riyadh to review free trade agreement negotiations. Both sides discussed strengthening ties and preparations for a ministerial meeting, with talks having resumed in February after a pause in June due to the West Asia crisis.
India is negotiating free trade agreements with at least eight to nine more groups of countries, aiming to cover 75% of global trade, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal announced during a business delegation visit to Japan, as he courted Japanese investment across sectors including semiconductors and AI.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has urged introspection after a World Bank study found Kerala returnees from Saudi Arabia hold more conservative views on gender-based violence, while co-author Irudaya Rajan argues the discourse overemphasizes Gulf influence.
Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei warned that Tehran could halt all oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf if the US continues its economic war. The threat comes amid heightened tensions over US plans for tougher sanctions, with Iranian officials responding defiantly.
After months of delays caused by visa restrictions and the closure of the Wagah-Attari border following Operation Sindoor, around 150 Pakistani Sindhi women have reached India to marry men they were engaged to. The visas were issued after community leaders and a prominent shrine intervened, with brides traveling by air via transit routes and nearly 300 more still waiting.
An Indian national was killed and nine others were injured when their vehicle veered off a road in Oman on Saturday. The Royal Oman Police airlifted two critically injured people to Nizwa Hospital, while authorities are investigating the cause.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has defended the memorandum of understanding with the United States as the best way to move beyond a situation of 'neither war nor peace,' even as the 60-day deadline for talks expires without compromise. Meanwhile, the US Treasury is set to announce new sanctions, Iran’s security chief has warned neighbors against joining them, and violence continues in the West Bank and Gaza.
Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir is set to visit Tehran on Monday to continue mediation efforts between the US and Iran, as announced by Iran's foreign ministry. The visit comes amid stalled peace negotiations and looming US sanctions, with Pakistani sources confirming the trip.
Spa Weekend, the new comedy from The Hangover and Bad Moms writers Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, brings together Leslie Mann, Isla Fisher, Anna Faris, and Michelle Buteau as four friends whose luxury retreat spirals into chaos. The film, now in US cinemas, has sparked conversations about the state of original comedies on the big screen.
Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei said the Strait of Hormuz will stay closed until the US corrects its behavior and fulfills its commitments. Tehran also announced service fees for authorized ships and warned of penalties for non-compliant vessels, as the US prepares new economic measures.
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian defends a memorandum of understanding with the US as the best path out of a stalled war, while the new head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, warns that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the US changes its behaviour. Rezaei also threatens neighbouring countries against joining US economic pressure, and the US announces an 'Economic D-Day' campaign against Iran.
At the World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meeting in Bhubaneswar, South Africa's Tshepo Jason Tyantini and India's Abinaya Rajarajan emerged as the fastest male and female athletes. While Indian sprinters Animesh Kujur and Gurindervir Singh finished outside the medals, their coach sees the result as a valuable lesson ahead of the Asian Games.
Rohit Yadav won the javelin throw at the World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meet in Bhubaneswar with a personal best of 87.68m, becoming India's second-best thrower of all time behind Neeraj Chopra. The meet also saw Murali Sreeshankar win the long jump and several other Indian athletes shine.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian urged an end to the war with the US, claiming Tehran holds a position of strength, while Washington prepares to unveil 'the toughest sanctions in history.' With diplomatic talks stalled and the Strait of Hormuz partially shut, both sides trade defiant messages ahead of the US Treasury's press conference.
As India gears up for the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile is emerging as a key export item in bilateral talks, with a range of countries from the Gulf to Southeast Asia expressing interest. Recent combat use in Operation Sindoor has bolstered its appeal, and several agreements are already in place.
Japan is intensifying diplomatic efforts to ensure free and safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb, key routes for Middle East oil, as Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi wraps up a six-day visit to Saudi Arabia and Oman. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has also held phone talks with regional leaders, with some in her administration urging face-to-face meetings to achieve a breakthrough amid unpredictable U.S.-Iran negotiations.