Month: August 2026

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 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.

Retail and consumer brands – from luxury houses to sportswear labels, online fashion platforms and high street retailers – need to reconsider their online strategies to ensure they remain at the forefront of consumers’ minds in an age when those consumers are increasingly accessing information on products via AI-generated summaries online.

High-growth asset management, wealth management and payments firms must scale their governance, risk management and control frameworks in line with their business’ expansion, experts have warned.

The Law Society of England and Wales has published new guidance aimed at helping in-house legal teams navigate the growing legal and governance challenges posed by climate change.

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 –…

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…

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…

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.

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…