Saudi firm signs $200 million Afghanistan energy deal
Saudi Arabia’s Delta Energy International has signed a 25-year, $200 million oil and gas contract with Afghanistan’s Ministry of Mines ...
Asylum applications in the European Union fell by 13% in 2024, marking the first decline since 2020, according to Eurostat. Despite the drop, Syrians remained the largest group of applicants, with significant numbers also coming from Venezuela and Afghanistan.
Asylum applications in the European Union saw a notable decline in 2024, dropping by 13% compared to the previous year, according to Eurostat data released Thursday.
In total, there were 912,000 first-time asylum requests from non-EU citizens across the EU’s 27 member states, a decrease from over 1 million in 2023. This marks the first decline in asylum applications since 2020.
Syrians remained the largest group of applicants, accounting for 16% of the total, continuing their trend as the top nationality seeking asylum in the EU since 2013. Venezuela and Afghanistan followed, each contributing 8% to the overall number of requests. Notably, first-time applications from Syria dropped by 19.2% in 2024, with nearly 148,000 new requests.
The majority of asylum seekers were concentrated in Germany, Spain, Italy, and France, which collectively received more than three-quarters of the total applications. Additionally, unaccompanied minors represented 3.9% of applicants, highlighting ongoing challenges in managing vulnerable groups.
At least five people were killed and five others injured when an Amazon Prime Air cargo plane overran a runway and crashed while landing at Miami International Airport on Sunday, 6 September, local officials said.
U.S. special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Sunday on efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
A TV channel was struck during a live broadcast on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as Russian strikes on Kyiv killed at least three people, the city's Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Meanwhile, drones hit civilian infrastructure in Russia's southwestern Saratov region.
Indonesia has reopened Jakarta's main airport and four others after volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau forced widespread flight cancellations, though fresh eruptions have kept authorities on alert.
Operations at several energy facilities in Saudi Arabia were suspended on Tuesday after attacks by Iran-aligned Houthi forces injured more than 70 people and sparked fires, Saudi authorities said.
Huawei and Xiaomi have launched flagship foldable smartphones, intensifying the battle for China's premium handset market just days before Apple's latest product launch.
Israel said on Tuesday it was closing the British consulate in East Jerusalem after the UK, France and Canada announced plans to restrict imports from Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
France will move to restrict imports of goods from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, joining 11 other countries backing or considering similar measures, Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said on Tuesday.
A TV channel was struck during a live broadcast on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as Russian strikes on Kyiv killed at least three people, the city's Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Meanwhile, drones hit civilian infrastructure in Russia's southwestern Saratov region.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Monday a €200 million ($232 million) deal with Greenland, called the Global Gateway Partnership Package, aimed at strengthening the EU-Greenland partnership, amid growing U.S. interest in the Arctic island.
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