Headline

FULL LIST: Not American Or British, See 2024 World’s Most Powerful Passports

Published

4 months ago

January 11, 2024

Editor

Henley Passport Index has listed the most powerful passports in the world on Thursday.

HPI is a global passport-ranking website with an original, authoritative ranking of all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa.

Their index is often based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) – the largest, most accurate travel information database – and enhanced by Henley & Partners’ research team.

According to the passport ranking website, four European countries have moved up to share the top spot on the 2024 index.

“Residents of France, Germany, Italy, and Spain now have visa-free access to 194 of 227 destinations, three more than last year.

“South Korea, Sweden, and Finland all climbed one spot to take joint second place, with access to 193 locations. Austria, Denmark, Ireland, and the Netherlands shared third place, allowing travel to 192 places.”

“The U.K. now ranks joint fourth (access to 191 destinations), while the U.S. retained joint seventh place (188 destinations). A decade ago, the two countries shared the top spot. And comparing this year’s list to the 2014 ranking reveals some other major shifts.”

A report by Times revealed that: “The United Arab Emirates was the fastest climber over the past decade, jumping to 11th place and offering access to 183 destinations without a visa. And China, up two spots this year to land in 62nd place, has visa-free access to 85 destinations — almost twice as many as 10 years ago.”

It added that the chairman of immigration consultancy Henley & Partners, Dr. Christian Kaelin, said that while the general trend over the years had been toward greater travel freedom, the gap between those at either end of the list was wider than ever.

“The average number of destinations travelers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 111 in 2024,” he said.

“However, as we enter the new year, the top-ranked countries are now able to travel to a staggering 166 more destinations visa-free than Afghanistan, which sits at the bottom of the ranking with access to just 28 countries without a visa.”

Recall that for the past five years, Singapore and Japan have boasted the world’s most powerful travel documents, granting their citizens access to more countries without a prior visa than anyone else.

See the full list below:

France
Germany
Italy
Japan
Singapore
Spain
Finland
South Korea
Sweden
Austria
Denmark
Ireland
Netherlands
Belgium
Luxembourg
Norway
Netherlands
United Kingdom
Greece
Malta
Switzerland
Australia
Czechia
New Zealand
Poland
Canada
Hungary
United States
Estonia
Lithuania
Latvia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Iceland
United Arab Emirates
Cyprus
Liechtenstein
Malaysia
Bulgaria
Croatia
Romania
Monaco
Chile
Argentina
Brazil
San Marino
Andorra
Hong Kong (SAR China)
Brunei
Israel
Barbados
Mexico
Bahamas
St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Vatican City
Seychelles
Uruguay
Antigua and Barbuda
Costa Rica
Trinidad and Tobago
Mauritius
Panama
Grenada
St. Lucia
Ukraine
Paraguay
Dominica
Macao (SAR China)
Taiwan (Chinese Taipei)
Peru
Serbia
Guatemala
El Salvador
Columbia
Honduras
Solomon Islands
Samoa
Nicaragua
Tonga
Tuvalu
North Macedonia
Marshall Islands
Montenegro
Venezuela
Kiribati
Albania
Micronesia
Palau Islands
Moldova
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Georgia
Russian Federation
Türkiye
Qatar
South Africa
Belize
Kuwait
Timor-Leste
Ecuador
Maldives
Vanuatu
Bahrain
Botswana
Fiji
Guyana
Jamaica
Nauru
Oman
Saudi Arabia
China
Papua New Guinea
Bolivia
Thailand
Belarus
Suriname
Lesotho
Namibia
eSwatini
Indonesia
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Malawi
Dominican Republic
Kosovo
Tanzania
Azerbaijan
Morocco
Tunisia
Zambia
The Gambia
Cape Verde Islands
Philippines
Uganda
Armenia
Sierra Leone
Ghana
Rwanda
Zimbabwe
Kyrgyzstan
Cuba
Benin
Mongolia
Mozambique
India
Uzbekistan
Gabon
Sao Tome and Principe
Tajikistan
Burkina Faso
Madagascar
Cote d’Ivoire
Guinea
Mauritania
Togo
Equatorial Guinea
Senegal
Niger
Algeria
Cambodia
Guinea-Bissau
Mali
Bhutan
Central African Republic
Chad
Comoro Islands
Egypt
Haiti
Jordan
Vietnam
Angola
Cameroon
Congo (Rep)
Turkmenistan
Burundi
Laos
Liberia
Djibouti
Myanmar
Ethiopia
Congo (Dem. Rep.)
South Sudan
Iran
Lebanon
Nigeria
Sudan
Eritrea
Sri Lanka
Bangladesh
North Korea
Libya
Nepal
Palestinian Territory
Somalia
Yemen
Pakistan
Iraq
Syria
Afghanistan

Headline

JUST IN: One Dead, Many Injured As Deadly Turbulence Hit Singapore-bound Plane

Published

1 hour ago

May 21, 2024

Editor

One person died and multiple people were injured on a Singapore Airlines flight that experienced “severe turbulence” while heading from London to Singapore before it was diverted to Bangkok on Tuesday, the company said.

“We can confirm that there are injuries and one fatality on board the Boeing 777-300ER. There were a total of 211 passengers and 18 crew on board,” the airline said on Facebook.

The PUNCH reports that the airline also on its X account, #SingaporeAir, confirmed the incident.

It posted, “Singapore Airlines flight #SQ321, operating from London (Heathrow) to Singapore on 20 May 2024, encountered severe turbulence en-route.

“The aircraft diverted to Bangkok and landed at 1545hrs local time on 21 May 2024. We can confirm that there are injuries and one fatality on board the Boeing 777-300ER. Singapore Airlines offers its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased.

“Our priority is to provide all possible assistance to all passengers and crew on board the aircraft. More details at https://bit.ly/4bLqfCF. Regular updates will be provided on our Facebook and X accounts.”

The airline added that it was working with Thai authorities to provide medical assistance to passengers, and was sending a team to Bangkok to provide any additional assistance needed.

Turbulence during a flight refers to the irregular or unpredictable movement of air that causes the aircraft to experience sudden, erratic motions.

It is a common occurrence and can range from mild bumps to severe jolts.

Details later

Headline

Iran President Had ‘Lot Of Blood On His Hands’ – White House

Published

16 hours ago

May 20, 2024

Editor

Iran President Ebrahim Raisi had a “lot of blood on his hands”, the White House said on Monday despite Washington offering condolences after his death in a helicopter crash.

“This was a man who had a lot of blood on his hands,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters, saying Raisi was responsible for “atrocious” rights abuses in Iran and had supported regional proxies including Hamas.

Kirby said, however, that “as in any other case, we certainly regret in general the loss of life and offered official condolences as appropriate.”

Earlier, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, announced on Monday five days of mourning for President Ebrahim Raisi who died in a helicopter crash.

“I announce five days of public mourning and offer my condolences to the dear people of Iran,” said Khamenei in an official statement a day after the death of Raisi and other officials in the crash in East Azerbaijan province.

Headline

Iran Gets Interim President After Raisi’s Death

Published

1 day ago

May 20, 2024

Editor

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei assigned vice president Mohammad Mokhber to assume interim duties after the death of president Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash a day earlier.

“In accordance with Article 131 of the constitution, Mokhber is in charge of leading the executive branch,” said Khamenei in a statement, adding that Mokhber will be required to work with the heads of legislative and judicial branches to prepare for presidential elections “within a maximum period of 50 days”.

Recall that President Raisi was confirmed dead on Monday after his helicopter crashed in a mountainous region of the country.

Raisi was travelling with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian who also died in the accident.

Rescue teams had been scouring the area since Sunday afternoon after a helicopter carrying Raisi, the foreign minister and other officials had gone missing.

Early Monday, relief workers located the missing helicopter, with state TV saying the president had died.

“The servant of Iranian nation, Ayatollah Ebrahim Raisi has achieved the highest level of martyrdom whilst serving the people,” state television said Monday, with Mehr news agency also saying he was dead.

State television broadcast photos of Raisi, with the voice of a man reciting the Koran playing in the background.

Iran’s vice president for executive affairs Mohsen Mansouri posted on X a Koranic verse used to express condolences.

Meanwhile, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has announced a five days of mourning for President Raisi.

“I announce five days of public mourning and offer my condolences to the dear people of Iran,” said Khamenei in an official statement a day after the death of Raisi and other officials in the crash in East Azerbaijan province.