Travelling to these countries could put your safety at risk

Brits are reminded to check important information before jetting off on holiday, as the Foreign Office currently has travel warnings in place for 52 countries. The Government body advises people not to venture to these locations amid safety and security concerns.

And a further 24 countries have “all but essential travel” guidelines set by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). Failing to adhere to these warnings can not only put your safety at risk but invalidate any travel insurance you have.

As reported by The Independent, political conflicts, natural disasters and safety concerns are some of the reasons the UK Foreign Office will advise people to avoid certain destinations.

Among these current restrictions are advice against “all travel” and “all but essential travel” to entire countries or parts of countries in Europe, Africa, Asia and South America.

Of a total of 226 countries or territories with foreign travel advice pages, 76 are currently flagged as having no-go zones due to security issues, health risks and legal differences with the UK.

Below is the full list of countries on the FCDO “do not travel” list.

FCDO advises against all travel

• Afghanistan
• Belarus
• Burkina Faso
• Haiti
• Iran
• Iraq
• Israel
• Mali
• Niger
• Palestine
• Russia
• South Sudan
• Syria
• Yemen

FCDO advises against all travel to parts

• Algeria – all travel to within 30km of Algeria’s borders with Libya, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Tunisia
• Armenia – within 5km of the full eastern border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the M16/H26 road between the towns of Ijevan and Noyemberyan
• Azerbaijan – within 5km of the Azerbaijan-Armenia border
• Benin – northern border regions
• Burundi – FCDO advises against all travel to Mugina, Cibitoke, Bukinyayana, Bubanza and Mpanda communes, and parts of Ntahangwa commune, specifically the RN5 road north of Melchior Ndadaye International Airport
• Cameroon – Bakassi Peninsula, parts of the Far-North Region, North-West Region and South-West Region and within 40km of the Central African Republic, Chad and Nigeria borders
• Central African Republic – against all travel except to the capital, Bangui
• Chad – Borkou, Ennedi Ouest, Ennedi Est and Tibesti provinces, Kanem Province, including Nokou, Lake Chad region and within 30km of all Chad’s other borders
• Congo – within 50km of the Republic of Congo-Central African Republic border in Likouala Region
• Côte d’Ivoire – FCDO advises against all travel within 40km of the borders with Burkina Faso and Mali, to the Northern Zanzan and Savanes provinces and to Comoé National Park
• Democratic Republic of the Congo – within 50km of the border with the Central African Republic, the province of Kasaï Oriental, the Kwamouth territory of Mai-Ndombe Province and provinces in Eastern DRC
• Djibouti – Djibouti-Eritrea border
• Egypt – within 20km of the Egypt-Libya border and the North Sinai Governorate
• Eritrea – within 25km of Eritrea’s land borders
• Ethiopia – international border areas, the Tigray region, Amhara region, Afar region, Gambela region, Oromia region, Somali region, Central, Southern, Sidama and South West regions and Benishangul-Gumuz region
• Georgia – South Ossetia and Abkhazia
• India – within 10km of the India-Pakistan border and Jammu and Kashmir
• Indonesia – Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, Mount Sinabung, Mount Marapi, Mount Semeru, Mount Ruang, Mount Ibu
• Jordan – within 3km of the border with Syria and all but essential travel to all other areas
• Kenya – Kenya-Somalia border and northern parts of the east coast
• Lebanon – areas in Beirut and Mount Lebanon Governorate, the South and Nabatiyeh Governorates, the Beqaa Governorate, the Baalbek-Hermel Governorate, the Akkar Governorate, the city of Tripoli and Palestinian refugee camps
• Libya – advises against all travel to Libya except for the cities of Benghazi and Misrata
• Mauritania – Eastern Mauritania and within 25km of the Malian border
• Moldova –Transnistria
• Mozambique – Cabo Delgado province, parts of Nampula province and Niassa province
• Myanmar (Burma) – Chin State, Kachin State, Kayah State, Kayin State, Mon State, Rakhine State, Sagaing and Magway regions, Tanintharyi Region, Shan State North, North Mandalay Region, and East of the Yangon-Mandalay Expressway in Bago region
• Nigeria – Borno State, Yobe State, Adamawa State, Gombe State, Katsina State, Zamfara State and the riverine areas of Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states
• Pakistan – within 10 miles of the border with Afghanistan, areas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province and the Balochistan Province
• Philippines – western and central Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago
• Saudi Arabia – within 10km of the border with Yemen
• Somalia – advises against all travel except the western regions Awdal, Maroodijeh and Sahil, for which it advises against all but essential travel
• Sudan – against all travel except to the Hala’ib Triangle and the Bir Tawil Trapezoid, for which it advises against all but essential travel
• Togo – within 30km of the border with Burkina Faso except for the city of Dapaong and the N1 highway leading to it from the south
• Tunisia – parts of Western Tunisia, including the Tunisia-Algeria border and Southern Tunisia, including the Tunisia-Libya border
• Turkey – within 10km of the Turkey-Syria border
• Ukraine – all regions of Ukraine with the exception of some western areas, for which it advises against all but essential travel
• Venezuela – border areas, the Orinoco Mining Arc, south of the Orinoco river and the Zulia state. All but essential travel to all remaining areas of Venezuela
• Western Sahara – within 30km of ‘the Berm’ boundary line and areas south and east of the Berm boundary line

FCDO advises against all but essential travel

The FCDO clarifies: “Whether travel is essential or not is your own decision. You may have urgent family or business commitments which you need to attend to. Only you can make an informed decision based on your own individual circumstances and the risks.”

• Bahrain
• Cuba
• Qatar
• Kuwait
• North Korea
• United Arab Emirates

READ MORE: UK holidaymakers warned of new £100 charge kicking off this weekREAD MORE: Man who left the UK for Australia realises ‘three things are better at home’

FCDO advises against all but essential travel to parts

• Angola – Cabinda Province, except Cabinda city and border areas in Lunda Norte Province
• Bangladesh
• Bolivia – Chapare region
• Brazil – four river areas towards the west of Amazonas State – along the Amazon River and its tributaries west of the town of Codajás and east of the town of Belém do Solimões, the Itaquaí River, the Japurá River and along the Rio Negro and its tributaries north or west of the town of Barcelos
• Cambodia – within 20km from the land border with Thailand
• Colombia – within 5km of borders and parts of northern, central and southern Colombia and the Pacific Coast
• Ecuador – seven coastal region provinces and within 20km of the Ecuador-Colombia border
• Ghana – Bawku Municipality
• Guatemala – within 5km of the Mexican border and the towns of Santa Ana Huista, San Antonio Huista and La Democracia
• Kosovo – the municipalities of Zvečan, Zubin Potok and Leposavic, and areas of Mitrovica north of the river Ibar
• Laos – Xaisomboun Province
• Malaysia – Eastern Sabah coastal islands
• Mexico – parts of Baja California, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Jalisco, Colima, Guerrero and Chiapas
• Papua New Guinea – Hela and Southern Highlands provinces, Enga Province in the Highlands, except Wabag District
• Peru – within 20km south of the Peru-Colombia border and the Valley of the Apurímac, Ene, and Mantaro River
• Rwanda – Rusizi district
• Tanzania – within 20km of the Tanzanian border with Cabo Delgado Province in Mozambique
• Thailand – parts of the south, near the Thailand-Malaysia border and within 20km of the land border with Cambodia

To check the travel advice for a country before you visit, see the Foreign Office’s complete guide here.

The awards, along with record-breaking funds raised for the Butterwick Hospice and the Moses Project, were handed out at Stockton Council’s annual general meeting. Councillor Bob Cook was also appointed Mayor of Stockton for the next year during the event at Billingham Forum.

Cllr Jim Beall nominated Cllr Cook, saying the former fitter was committed to public service with almost 35 years on the council and 14 years as its leader, describing him as kind, dedicated, reliable, calm, down to earth and affable and a champion for the disadvantaged. He said: “I am confident he will represent the borough with distinction.”

Cllr Cook chose Autism Matters and Neoangels as his charities as mayor. Cllr Marilyn Surtees, praised as a hard working, well respected community activist and champion, was appointed deputy mayor.

Cllr Lynn Hall praised the outgoing mayor, Cllr Stephen Richardson, as tireless and enthusiastic, said he “ensured we were well represented on the world stage” during the Stockton and Darlington Railway bicentenary celebrations, among more than 200 engagements as he raised a “staggering” £46,108 for his charities: “I think we can say you nailed it, Stephen.”

Cllr Tony Riordan said: “Your year as mayor has been nothing short of impressive. You’ve done a wonderful job bringing people together.”

Cllr Richardson said: “It’s been a tremendous honour and privilege. Every visit, every conversation, every event has reminded me how fortunate we are to live in such a remarkable borough. One defined by kindness, generosity and unwavering community support.”

He said Butterwick Hospice and the Moses Project, for which he raised £20,054 each, were both “life-changing” organisations, with Butterwick touching families at their most difficult times and providing comfort and dignity, while the Moses Project lifted people up from their lowest point and turned lives around, adding: “Both of these charities represent the best of our community – care, compassion and hope.”

He gave the following civic awards to people who went “above and beyond” and made a difference in their communities:

• Young Person – eight-year-old Ariadne Goldsmith, for the “amazing achievement” of walking 80 miles and raising just under £2,000 for Young Lives Vs Cancer;
• Service to the Community (Individual) – Janet Hodgson who, at 78, who “continues to inspire generations through her passion for dance”, teaching dance for 60 years at the Janet Dickinson School of Dance and raising over £250,000 for charities;
• Service to the Community (Groups) – Hope Cancer Community Group, a support group “like being in a family unit where everybody understands what the other is going through”;
• Service to the Community (Business) – Choco-Latte for providing a “safe, warm, welcoming community hub for everyone”, helping people with issues including isolation, mental health and dementia;
• Health and Wellbeing – Stockton Volunteer Driver Service, for providing “safe, door-to-door journeys for those unable to use conventional transport”, giving more than 300 people a “lifeline, restoring confidence and independence”;
• Green Award – Bright Minds, Big Futures, a youth organisation which has focused its efforts on sustainability and promoting recycling this year, hosting a thrift event with a catwalk and helping families find low-cost prom outfits;
• Special Award – Olga Maloney, for her “enormous selfless commitment”, working with the Billingham International Folklore Festival “at the heart of the event for nearly 30 years” as artistic director and producer, with similar festivals around the world and tours including Torvill and Dean.

Cllr Richardson also gave long service awards to three council employees for 25 years’ service. Council leader Cllr Lisa Evans announced there would be no changes to her cabinet this year.

A man in his 40s was found dead outside MyBar on Charminster Road in Bournemouth

Three men have been arrested on suspicion of murder following a man’s death after an alleged violent assault outside a Bournemouth bar.

Officers responded to reports of an attack outside MyBar on Charminster Road at approximately 3am this morning, discovering a man in his 40s from Christchurch, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

Two Bournemouth men, aged 37 and 46, along with a 34 year old man from Poole, have subsequently been taken into custody.

Police believe several people were present in the vicinity at the time and may have seen the alleged incident. They are being urged to contact Dorset Police online or by telephoning 101, quoting occurrence number 55260048268, as enquiries into the circumstances continue.

The force confirmed there will be a heightened police presence in the locality over the coming days, with members of the public who hold any information or have concerns encouraged to speak with officers. Motorists are also being appealed to share any dashcam footage which may have recorded the incident, reports the Mirror.

An “extensive cordon” remains in place while crucial work at the scene is being undertaken, police say.

Detective Chief Inspector Nicky Jenkins, of Dorset Police’s Major Crime Investigation Team, said: “Our thoughts are with the family of the man who sadly died and a detailed investigation is under way to establish what happened.

“An extensive cordon has been put in place and I would like to thank the public for their understanding while vital work at the scene is carried out. We know there were a number of people in the area at the time who may have witnessed what happened and we would ask them to please get in touch.

“I am also appealing to anyone who was driving in the area and has dashcam fitted to their vehicle to please check it for any relevant footage. Members of the public will see an increased police presence in the area over the coming days and we would encourage anyone with information or concerns to please speak with an officer.”

Those with information are urged to reach out to Dorset Police via their website or by dialling 101, quoting occurrence number 55260048268.

Whitby Coastguard said concerns were raised about the people on the beach in Robin Hood’s Bay on Sunday (April 5).

A coastguard spokesperson said it was able to respond to the incident and the situation was resolved “without the need for further action”.

However, they urged people concerned about the safety of others on the coast to “call 999 and ask for the coastguard immediately”, rather than post about it on social media.

The coastguard spokesperson said posting on social media “is not the way to report an incident”.

“Time matters,” they said. “Waiting, watching, or posting online can delay the help that may be needed.”

The coastguard spokesperson said people “can and do get cut off quicker than expected”, adding: “Not every situation looks “life-threatening” at first… but that can change in seconds.

“… Assessing risk from a Facebook photo, especially at a distance, is not something to joke about.

“These are real coastal conditions. Tides, terrain and access points are constantly changing, cliffs and banks continually collapsing. What may look ‘fine’ from one angle or moment in time can very quickly become dangerous.”

Jacobson was shocked by the gleeful response to October 7 in parts of academia and the hard Left, “though I was hardened to it all”. In 2014 he wrote J, a novel in which “every Jew in the country was expelled, gone, finished, none left”. He believes the “pro” Palestine marches are “genocidal marches, absolutely: ‘get rid of the Jews’”. October 7 and the aftermath, Jacobson says, performed an essential function for Europeans: retrospective absolution for the Holocaust. “It wiped out the Holocaust.” It went further, by charging the Jews themselves with Holocaust in Gaza: “The Genocide”.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Russian drone attack on Ukraine’s southern port city of Odesa killed two women and a toddler, authorities said Monday, while Ukrainian long-range drones targeted Russia’s key Black Sea port for oil exports.

The nighttime attack on Odesa heavily damaged an apartment block, killing the women and a 2-year-old child, officials said. Rescuers working under floodlights pulled four people from the rubble.

Eleven people were hospitalized, including a pregnant woman and two children — the youngest less than a year old, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post on X.

Russia has pounded civilian areas of Ukraine since it invaded its neighbor just over four years ago, killing more than 15,000 people, according to the United Nations.

It has also taken aim at Ukraine’s power grid, and the Russia overnight barrages also hit energy infrastructure in the Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Dnipro regions, Zelenskyy said.

More than 300,000 households were without electricity in the northern Chernihiv region after distribution facilities were damaged in attacks, according to the regional power utility.

Over the past week, Russia has launched at Ukraine more than 2,800 attack drones, nearly 1,350 powerful glide bombs and more than 40 missiles of various types, according to Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy expressed concern in a weekend interview with The Associated Press that the Iran war is draining stockpiles of weapons that Ukraine needs to defend itself, especially American-made Patriot air defense systems that can stop missiles.

Zelenskyy said Monday that the country’s partners “need to strengthen air defense together so that the interception rate of drones and missiles continues to increase.”

With U.S.-led peace efforts stalled, Zelenskyy added: “Russia has no intention of stopping” its invasion.

Ukraine has fought back by developing its own long-range drones, which now reach targets some 1,500 kilometers (900 miles) inside Russia.

Ukraine has used them recently to hammer Russian oil facilities as Moscow looks to boost its exports after the Trump administration gave it a temporary waiver from sanctions to ease supply constraints. Kyiv officials complain that Russia will use the additional revenue on new weapons to hit Ukraine harder.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said that air defenses downed 50 Ukrainian drones overnight.

Krasnodar Gov. Veniamin Kondratyev said that eight people, including two children, were injured in a series of Ukrainian drone attacks on Novorossiisk, one of Russia’s largest Black Sea ports. The attack damaged six apartment buildings and two private houses, he said.

Unconfirmed media reports said the drones targeted the Sheskharis oil terminal at the Black Sea port.

Last week, Ukraine’s drones struck oil facilities in the Gulf of Finland, in northwest Russia.

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Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Iran and the US have been presented with a framework drawn up by Pakistan, with the proposal outlining a two-stage approach including a 45-day ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz

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A potentially groundbreaking two-phase ceasefire proposal that could see the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz may come into force as early as today, reports suggest.

according to sources. The proposal sets out a two-stage strategy, featuring a 45-day cessation of hostilities and the reopening of the crucial Strait of Hormuz, two officials confirmed to the Associated Press.

Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, is understood to have been in discussions with US Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. According to the framework, face-to-face negotiations would take place in Islamabad, with between 15 and 20 days allocated to work towards a comprehensive agreement.

The development comes as oil markets reacted sharply on Monday, with West Texas Intermediate – the US benchmark – increasing by 1.86 per cent to exceed $112 per barrel, while Brent – the international benchmark – surged beyond $110.

On Sunday, Axios reported that the US, Iran and regional intermediaries were in discussions regarding a 45-day ceasefire forming part of a two-stage initiative to bring the conflict to a close. However, commentary published on Monday by Tasnim, an outlet affiliated with the IRGC, suggested a 45-day truce “under the shadow of war” has no place in Iran’s policy, reports the Mirror.

The commentary indicated Tehran has consistently rejected temporary ceasefires as they leave the door open for renewed aggression, maintaining that a suspension would enable the US and Israel to reorganise and rearm while keeping Iran vulnerable.

The statement added that, according to Iran’s position, the conflict can only conclude with concrete assurances preventing future US and Israeli attacks, and noted that the Strait of Hormuz would not revert to its previous conditions.

This follows Donald Trump’s profanity-laden warnings directed at Iran and its infrastructure should it fail to reopen the crucial shipping lane by his specified deadline of “Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time” (1am BST Wednesday).

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“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran,” he posted on Truth Social on Sunday. “There will be nothing like it!!!”

He seems to have pushed back the deadline once more, having originally set it for Monday (April 6) after declaring on Saturday (April 4) that Iran had “48 hours” to reach an agreement. That previous deadline had already been postponed by 10 days last month.

At the same time, Iran has launched strikes on infrastructure sites in adjacent Gulf nations and issued warnings about potentially blocking another vital waterway – the Bab el-Mandeb Strait near the Arabian Peninsula.

The Met Office said temperatures in York are due to rise from Tuesday (April 7).

Forecasters expect highs of 18C in York on Tuesday, rising to 21C on Wednesday.

Blue skies and sunshine are expected in the city on Monday afternoon, into Tuesday and Wednesday.

Thursday is, however, predicted to see temperatures fall back to 13C, the Met Office said.

There is also rain forecast throughout Thursday.

Later in the week, the Met Office expects temperatures to sit around 12C with clouds expected on Friday and Saturday, making way sunny intervals on Sunday.

The forecast comes after Storm Dave brought strong winds which caused disruption across York and North Yorkshire at the weekend.