Thailand revives $30bn land bridge project to rival Malacca Strait
Thailand is reviving plans for one of its most ambitious infrastructure projects in decades, a proposed $30 billion “Land Bridge” that would conne...
The first half of 2025 saw a sharp decline in asylum applications across Europe, with Germany experiencing a nearly 50% drop compared to last year.
According to German media reports citing data from the EU Asylum Agency (EUAA), Germany received 65,495 asylum applications between January and June 2025, marking a 43% decrease from the same period in 2024.
German Interior Minister Volker Dobrindt credited the drop to successful migration policy reforms, pledging continued efforts to overhaul the system.
Across Europe, Spain received the highest number of asylum claims in the first half of 2025 with over 76,000 applications, followed by France (75,428), Germany (65,495), Italy (62,534), Greece (27,718), and Belgium (around 17,000). Hungary, Slovakia, and Lithuania reported very low numbers due to stricter immigration policies.
Among asylum seekers in Germany, Afghan nationals made up about 22%, Syrians 20%, and Turkish citizens 11%. Russians were the fifth largest group, accounting for just over 3%. Overall, nearly 400,000 people applied for asylum across EU countries, Norway, and Switzerland in the first six months of 2025.
Donald Trump has said the U.S. will resume bombing Iran if Tehran doesn't "behave," at the sidelines of the G7 summit in France. Earlier, the U.S. President criticised Israel for its tactics against Hezbollah, saying it was unnecessary to bomb entire apartment buildings to tackle militants.
U.S. President Donald Trump said a preliminary agreement to end the war in the Gulf has been signed by the U.S. and Iran, though details have yet to be made public and both countries said a permanent truce is yet to be negotiated.
Pakistan's heavy reliance on imported energy was laid bare by the U.S.-Iran conflict, which disrupted regional supplies, drove up costs and exposed vulnerabilities in the country's energy security. However, a proposed peace agreement now offers hope for economic relief.
A cyber extortion group has claimed it stole more than a terabyte of data from Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk after the company allegedly refused to pay a $25 million ransom.
American technology company Snap has launched its first augmented-reality (AR) glasses for consumers, marking a major push into wearable computing as tech firms race to redefine personal devices in the AI era.
Thailand is reviving plans for one of its most ambitious infrastructure projects in decades, a proposed $30 billion “Land Bridge” that would connect the Gulf of Thailand with the Andaman Sea and offer an alternative trade route to the busy Strait of Malacca.
U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has delivered a stark message to North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) allies, warning that some member states are falling short on defence commitments and signalling a tougher U.S. approach as the alliance prepares for its upcoming summit in Ankara.
North Korea has withdrawn its ambassador to the United Kingdom just one month after he arrived in London, in a move linked to British sanctions on a children's camp, according to reports.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has told U.S. President Donald Trump to "stay out" of Brazil's upcoming election, pushing back against comments made by the American leader about the country's political situation.
Russia and Ukraine exchanged new attacks overnight on Thursday. Missiles struck Kyiv while Ukrainian drones hit a major oil refinery in Moscow, just hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks with U.S. President Donald Trump and European leaders on efforts to end the war.
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