International
Scotland’s only refinery to shut down in 2025
Grangemouth, Scotland’s only oil refinery, is to close down in 2025 with the loss of 400 jobs, operator Petroineos said, according to a report by Reuters.
The company cited economic difficulties as the reason for the closure, stating that the company had invested $1.2 billion since 2011, and returned losses over $775 million over the same period.
Reuters quoted Petroineos as saying it was preparing to shut Grangemouth, Britain’s oldest refinery as production ceases in the second quarter of next year, subject to an employee consultation, a company spokesperson said.
The decision was however criticised by trade unions and politicians.
It is deeply disappointing that Petroineos have confirmed their previous decision to close Grangemouth oil refinery,” UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said.
Reuters further reports that the site will become an import and distribution terminal for finished fuels, which will cut the number of employees at the site from 475 to around 75 over the next two years.
Petroineos is a joint venture between PetroChina International London (PCIL) and INEOS Group, a British chemicals firm founded by billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Grangemouth is increasingly unable to compete with bigger, more modern and efficient sites in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
Due to its size and configuration, Grangemouth incurs high levels of capital expenditure each year just to maintain its licence to operate,” the company said.
It said the plant is currently losing around $500,000 per day, and expects to see a $200 million loss for 2024.
Analysts have said the commencement of operation by the Dangote refinery would significantly reduce fuel importation, thereby affecting the businesses of many refineries outside Africa.
The refinery operation is a business that thrives on volume and analysts anticipate closure of more refineries in Europe if more African countries invest in domestic refining.
International
Death toll in Hong Kong fire rises to 44 with 279 still missing, authorities say
Hong Kong authorities say the fires in four of the buildings have been brought under control, but large plumes of smoke are still hanging over the residential estate.
Photo: AFP
At least 44 people have been killed so far in a major fire engulfing public housing apartments in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district, with 279 people not accounted for.
Three construction company executives have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter connected to flammable materials, including mesh and plastic sheets, that may have allowed the fire to spread quickly.
More than 800 firefighters are tackling the blaze at Wang Fuk Court, which has been burning for over 18 hours.
The fire has been classified a level five blaze, the most serious level in Hong Kong.
A baby and an elderly woman were rescued during a late-night rescue, local media reports.
Hong Kong authorities say the fires in four of the buildings have been brought under control, but large plumes of smoke are still hanging over the residential estate.
I can smell it in the air. I can also see a number of small fires still burning in the apartment blocks.
Even more fire engines and an ambulance have arrived this morning to help with rescue efforts
BBC.
An Indian fighter jet has crashed while performing a display at an airshow in Dubai, officials have said.
Details later.
A Bangladeshi war crimes tribunal has sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death.
The verdict, delivered on Monday, November 17, 2025, follows a months-long trial that found Hasina guilty of ordering a lethal crackdown on a student-led uprising last year. She received a death sentence for the killing of several protesters and a life sentence on charges of crimes against humanity.
The ruling marks the most significant legal action against a former Bangladeshi leader in decades and comes ahead of parliamentary elections expected in early February 2026. There was cheering and clapping in the courtroom as the death sentence was pronounced. The verdict can be appealed in the Supreme Court, though Hasina’s son and adviser, Sajeeb Wazed, said they would not appeal unless a democratically elected government, including the Awami League, is in office.
Prosecutors told the court that evidence showed Hasina directly ordered security forces to use lethal force to suppress protests in July and August 2024. A United Nations report estimates that up to 1,400 people were killed during the demonstrations, with thousands more injured, making it the deadliest unrest in Bangladesh since its 1971 war of independence.
Hasina, represented by a state-appointed defense lawyer, denied the charges, calling the tribunal proceedings unfair and claiming a guilty verdict was “a foregone conclusion.”
Tensions in Bangladesh had escalated ahead of the verdict, with at least 30 crude bomb explosions and 26 vehicles torched in recent days, though no casualties were reported.
FG Launches Nationwide Training to Boost Livestock Extension Capacity
Osun PDP Congress: Thugs Arrested, Alleged Governor Makinde Mobilised Them
Osun PDP Governorship Primary: Adebayo Adedamola Emerges Winner
Tech Expert, Zuckerberg trains with UFC champions, Adesanya, Alexander
Organ Trafficking: Ekweremadu bags 10 years in UK prison
SAINT OBI: Between his marriage and his death
-
Entertainment2 days agoMeta suspends Idris Abdulkareem’s Accounts Over New Song, ‘Open Letter to Donald Trump’
-
Politics2 days ago2027: I won’t be a Vice President to anybody – Amaechi
-
Opinions2 days agoAgbakoba Writes Oyetola on ‘Unlocking Nigeria’s Maritime Potential to Generate ₦70 Trillion Annually’
-
News2 days agoGovernor Radda , Deputy Survive Road Accidents
-
Sports2 days agoNigerian coach sells Osimhen’s boots
-
News3 days agoPDP Slams Tinubu’s Ambassadorial List as ‘Scandalous,’ Demands Withdrawal
-
Crime2 days agoSokoto Police Arrests Notorious “Sai Malam” Cult Members, Exposes Online Recruitment via WhatsApp
-
Politics1 day agoGovernor Oyebanji Forwards former Commissioners Name for Screening