At least eight workers have died following a toxic gas leak at a ship-breaking yard in the southeastern Bangladeshi district of Chattogram, officials said on Friday.
The incident occurred at the Ferdaus Steel Shipbreaking Yard in Sitakund subdistrict, an area that hosts many ship-breaking yards where old vessels mostly imported from around the world are dismantled.
Soon after the leak, many workers lost consciousness and were rushed to a local hospital.
Six out of seven people taken to…
Philippines’ Marcos says China oil talks have ‘moved forward’ despite maritime row
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr on Friday said talks with China on joint oil and gas exploration had “moved forward” – signalling hopes of a deal before he leaves office in mid-2028, despite ongoing tensions in the South China Sea.
Marcos also confirmed for the first time a “provisional understanding” with Beijing over resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre at Second Thomas Shoal, although he insisted this did not mean Manila was seeking China’s permission or surrendering…
Construction companies get clarity on Scottish aggregates tax exemption
Construction companies that excavate rock, gravel or sand as a necessary part of laying foundations for houses or other building projects in Scotland do not need to pay Scottish aggregates tax on any subsequent commercial exploitation, Revenue Scotland has confirmed.
As floods devastate Mekong communities, economic strain, conflict compound crisis
Tens of thousands of people have been displaced by surging waters across Myanmar and Laos, with Thai farming communities along the Mekong River bracing themselves for difficult days ahead as authorities warn persistent heavy rains may bring flash floods.
Each year monsoon rains bring extensive flooding across the region.
Environmental campaigners say the damage is exacerbated by changing weather patterns and deforestation, as well as the string of dams across arterial rivers – like the Mekong –…
PAS’ latest sharia law push signals its Malaysian federal power ambition
Malaysia’s foremost Islamist party has set an early pace ahead of national polls, calling on the country’s Malay-Muslim majority to endorse its renewed efforts to broaden the reach of sharia law.
On Wednesday, the Kelantan state assembly – which is dominated by the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) – unanimously passed amendments to the Kelantan Syariah Offences Enactment Bill, in a bid to circumvent constitutional barriers that have prevented the criminalisation of certain acts under Islamic…
Erdogan wants Turkey-Saudi Arabia-Pakistan defence pact to draw more countries
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday he hoped more countries would join a defence agreement signed last week between Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan aimed at stabilising a region wracked by conflict.
The so-called Mecca Joint Defence Agreement was signed on Friday as the Middle East grapples with fallout from the US-Iran war, which has dragged in regional players and disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea.
“Our vision for it is not limited to the three…
FCA pension transfer case offers AR oversight lessons for firms
The Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) long-running enforcement action against pension transfer specialist, Heather Dunne, and Financial Solutions Midhurst Limited (FSML) director Richard Fenech offers important lessons for UK firms overseeing appointed representatives, experts have said.
Palm oil to cool data centres? Malaysia explores option as water demand surges
Malaysia is taking palm oil from the frying pan to server racks, as it banks on its biggest agricultural commodity to crack a code plaguing its data centre boom – keeping servers cool.
Researchers at the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) are developing a palm-based liquid to cool computer servers without relying on copious volumes of water, as the country grapples with high resource demands to support its rapidly expanding digital infrastructure.
The new approach – termed the Sawit EcoTherm…
Ukraine says Russia fired North Korean missiles in deadly attack
Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least 10 people overnight and wounded dozens, Kyiv said on Tuesday, accusing Moscow of launching North Korean missiles in the raid.
The allegation comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned – without providing evidence – that Moscow was receiving more ballistic projectiles and troops from its ally Pyongyang.
Russia has turned to North Korea for support throughout its four-and-a-half-year invasion.
Earlier in the war, Pyongyang dispatched…
UAE becomes latest GCC country to join Singapore Convention on mediation
The United Arab Emirates’s (UAE) accession to the Singapore Convention marks a positive step for the use of mediation to settle international commercial disputes, both in the Middle East and globally, experts have said.