Asia

Three people, including two Chinese citizens, died in a fire on Tuesday at a petrochemical site in Russia’s far eastern Amur region, the company announced. More than 100 others were wounded as a result of the blaze at the remote Amur Gas Chemical Complex, a joint venture between Russia’s Sibur and the China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec). “The deaths of three people … two citizens of the People’s Republic of China and one Russian citizen, have unfortunately been confirmed,” Amur GKhK

A shipper needing to transit the Panama Canal bid a record US$5.3 million to secure its spot, according to people familiar with the matter. South Korea-based SK Gas Ltd agreed to pay the sum to travel the canal on September 1, said the people, who could not be identified as the information was confidential. The fee, determined through an auction run by the canal authority this week, breaks the previous high of US$4.6 million set earlier this month, also paid by a shipper controlling a South...

Dolly Parton, the country music icon whose soaring vibrato vocals, poignant songwriting and sparkling costumes defined her rise from a log cabin in the Tennessee mountains to the height of stardom and acclaim, has died, her nephew Brian Seaver said in a video shared on her Instagram page. She was 80 years old. US President Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered the lowering of flags across the United States for a week, calling Parton’s death a “true loss for millions of people”. “Very sad to report...

Canada announced retaliatory tariffs of up to 50 per cent on US$19.94 billion (C$27.6 billion) of American goods on Tuesday, escalating its trade confrontation with Washington days after negotiations collapsed and the Trump administration imposed sweeping new duties on Canadian products. The tariffs, which take effect on September 8, will apply to more than 700 categories of US goods at rates of 15, 25 or 50 per cent, according to the Canadian government. The targeted products range from steel,.

Ghislaine Maxwell’s bid to overturn her sex trafficking conviction and be freed from prison was rejected by a federal judge Tuesday who said the claims by Jeffrey Epstein’s former girlfriend and long-time associate that new evidence had emerged were “demonstrably meritless”. Maxwell filed a habeas petition last December seeking to set aside her conviction and free her from a 20-year prison sentence, claiming exonerating information was withheld and false testimony presented at her trial,...

US CIA Director ⁠John Ratcliffe travelled to Moscow ⁠on Tuesday for meetings ⁠with Russian officials, US media outlets reported, citing unnamed sources. The visit would be the first known visit to the Russian capital by a US spy chief since Ratcliffe’s predecessor, William Burns, ‌held talks with Vladimir Putin in November 2021. About three months after that meeting, the Russian president launched Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. CBS News and Axios reported the visit by Ratcliffe, US President...

China has called for public reports of suspected procurement corruption in the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF), as an anti-corruption campaign continues involving the country’s strategic missile branch. Suppliers, bidding and tendering agencies, evaluation experts and relevant military personnel are invited to provide information on suspected violations related to the Rocket Force’s procurement, according to a notice on Monday on the PLA’s official procurement website. The...

Experts seek income tests and exams to restrict derivatives access to informed investors

Chennai deep tech startup’s device used by World Chess Champion Gukesh among others; available for pre-order at $250

The healthcare venture seeks to offer an alternative approach to managing chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, thyroid disorders, PCOS and obesity

India awaits details of the fresh sanctions as Washington expands pressure on Tehran; China opposes the measures

However, a final decision will be taken after considering feedback from stakeholders

China’s new mine regulations will curb production, while Indian demand growth is expected to continue

NRIs increasingly opted for FCNR(B) route, but a fall in rupee denominated instruments pulled the overall figure down

Manufacturing, services activity remains robust in July; trade expands in double digits

The morning session opened in the red after Washington announced sweeping new sanctions targeting Iran and its trading partners in an effort to isolate Tehran and push for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz

Deal strengthens presence in the US and expands Salesforce and enterprise platform capabilities

Brazil’s data protection authority fined ByteDance US$30 million on Tuesday over its handling of children’s data on TikTok, the largest penalty it has imposed since it was created in 2020. The National Data Protection Authority, known as the ANPD, found five breaches of Brazil’s data protection law and gave ByteDance 10 working days to appeal. The company must also erase the records of users aged 13 to 18 whose parental authorisation is not regularised within 60 working days, instruct every...

Despite the threat of the Graham Bill and potential secondary tariffs, Russia remains India’s largest crude supplier

Funds to strengthen technology, expand banker network and build NRI and NBFC offerings