World's most powerful passports 2024: 6 countries in top spot; India at 80th spot, Maldives 58, China 62, Pak 101

News Network
January 11, 2024

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France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and Spain start 2024 with the world's most powerful passport, allowing visa-free entry to 194 global destinations, according to the latest Henley Passport Index. The ranking is based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

India, meanwhile, held on to its previous year’s ranking of 80. Those holding an Indian passport have visa-free access to 62 destinations.

Ranking low on the index are Pakistan (101), Iraq (102), Syria (103) and Afghanistan (104).

Other neighbours of India were ranked as follows: Maldives (#58), China (#62), Bhutan (#87), Myanmar (#92), Sri Lanka (#96), Bangladesh (#97), and Nepal (#98).

The Henley Passport Index for 2024, curated by Henley & Partners, was released this week and ranks different passports according to the number of destinations their holders can visit without a prior visa or can avail of a visa on arrival, a visitor’s permit, or an electronic travel authority (ETA) on entering the destination. 

The rankings are based on the analysis of data provided by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). It then provides a ‘Visa-free score’ which, essentially, is the number of destinations that the holders of that particular passport can travel to without a prior visa or can avail of a visa on arrival or other similar permits.

For instance, those holding the passports of the countries in the #1 spot had access to 194 visa-free destinations while those holding the Afghanistan passport ranked last at #104, had visa-free access to only 28 of them.

As per the latest rankings, Finland, Sweden and South Korea shared the second rank, while Austria, Denmark, Ireland and Netherlands occupied the third spot.

The United States was ranked at number 7 along with Canada and Hungary. The United Kingdom passport fared better at spot number 4, which it shared with Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway and Portugal. In the Middle East, the UAE ranked the highest at #11.

Israel ranked at #21 while Russia took the 51st spot.

World’s 10 most powerful passports:

  1. France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Spain (Score: 194)
  2. Finland, South Korea, Sweden (Score: 193)
  3. Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands (Score: 192)
  4. Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, United Kingdom (Score: 191)
  5. Greece, Malta, Switzerland (Score: 190)
  6. Australia, Czechia, New Zealand, Poland (Score: 189)
  7. Canada, Hungary, United States (Score: 188)
  8. Estonia, Lithuania (Score: 187)
  9. Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia (Score: 186)
  10. Iceland (Score: 1)185

World’s 10 least powerful passports:

  1. Iran, Lebanon, Nigeria, Sudan (Score: 45)
  2. Eritrea, Sri Lanka (Score: 43)
  3. Bangladesh, North Korea (Score: 42)
  4. Libya, Nepal, Palestinian Territory (Score: 40)
  5. Somalia (Score: 36)
  6. Yemen (Score: 35)
  7. Pakistan ( (Score: 34)
  8. Iraq (Score: 31)
  9. Syria (Score: 29)
  10. Afghanistan (Score: 28)

The Henley Passport Index is an annual list put together by Henley & Partners, a London-based global citizenship and residence advisory firm. It claims to be the “original ranking of all the world’s passports”. The index covers 227 destinations and 199 passports.

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News Network
November 25,2024

Udupi: Six junior artists from the prequel of Kannada blockbuster film ‘Kantara’ were injured, when the bus they were travelling in overturned in the district, police said on Monday.

According to police, the accident occurred near Jadkal on Sunday night when the mini-bus carrying the crew of the film overturned.

“The incident happened while they were returning to Kollur after completing the shoot at Mudoor in Jadkal. The mini-bus was carrying 20 junior artistes when it met with the accident,” a police officer said.

The injured were rushed to hospitals in Jadkal and Kundapur for treatment, they said.

The Kollur police are investigating the matter.

"The news making rounds is completely false. The Kantara: Chapter 1 team began shooting at 06:00 AM today, and everything is proceeding as normal. A minor accident occurred 20 kilometres away from the shooting location, involving a local bus carrying some members of the Kantara team. However, no injuries were reported," a source close to the production said.

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News Network
November 14,2024

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Bengaluru: The Prime Minister Narendra Modi led union government has requested the Karnataka High Court to direct the Mandya district administration and the state government to clear a madrasa operating within the premises of the historic Jama Masjid in Srirangapatna.

The Waqf Board, opposing this move, has claimed the mosque as its property and defended the right to conduct madrasa activities there.

The matter was brought before a division bench headed by Chief Justice N V Anjaria following a public interest litigation filed by a person named Abhishek Gowda from Kabbalu village in Kanakapura taluk. The petition alleged “unauthorised madrasa activities” within the mosque.

Representing the Central government, Additional Solicitor General of India for High Court of Karnataka, K Arvind Kamath argued that the Jama Masjid was designated as a protected monument in 1951, yet unauthorised madrasa operations continue there.

He noted that concerns over potential law and order issues have so far prevented any intervention. Kamath urged the court to direct the Mandya district administration to take action and vacate the madrasa from the mosque.

In defence, lawyers for the state government and the Waqf Board contested this request, stating that the Waqf Board had been recognised as the owner of the property since 1963 and, thus, conducting madrasa activities there is lawful.

After hearing both sides, the bench adjourned the case for further arguments, scheduling the next hearing for November 20.

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News Network
November 12,2024

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The Taliban regime has appointed Ikramuddin Kamil as the acting consul in the Afghan mission in Mumbai, Afghan media has reported.

It is the first such appointment made by the Taliban set up to any Afghan mission in India.

There was no immediate comment from the Indian side on the appointment that came.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan has announced the appointment of Kamil as the acting consul in Mumbai, the Taliban-controlled Bakhtar News Agency reported on Monday, citing unnamed sources.

"He is currently in Mumbai, where he is fulfilling his duties as a diplomat representing the Islamic Emirate," it said.

The appointment is part of Kabul's efforts to strengthen diplomatic ties with India and enhance its presence abroad, the media outlet said

Kamil holds a PhD degree in international law and previously served as the deputy director in the department of security cooperation and border affairs in the foreign ministry, it said.

He is expected to facilitate consular services and represent the interests of Afghanistan in India, the report added.

Kamil's appointment comes days after the external affairs ministry's point-person for Afghanistan held talks with the Taliban's acting defence minister, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, in Kabul.

Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the Taliban's deputy foreign minister for political affairs, also posted on X about Kamil's appointment.

The appointment of Kamil is seen as part of efforts to facilitate consular services to the Afghan population in Mumbai.

There has been almost negligible presence of diplomatic staff at the Afghan missions in India.

Most of the diplomats appointed by the Ashraf Ghani government have already left India.

In May, Zakia Wardak, the seniormost Afghan diplomat in India, resigned from her position after reports emerged that she was caught at the Mumbai airport for allegedly trying to smuggle 25 kg of gold worth Rs 18.6 crore from Dubai.

Wardak had taken charge as the acting ambassador of Afghanistan to New Delhi late last year, after working as the Afghan consul general in Mumbai for more than two years.

She took charge of the Afghan embassy in New Delhi last November, after the mission helmed by then ambassador Farid Mamundzay announced its closure.

Mamundzay, who was an appointee of the Ghani government, had moved to the United Kingdom.

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