Malaysia seizes $129.9M in crude oil from tankers suspected of illegally transferring oil
Two tankers suspected of illegal ship-to-ship oil transfers were detained and more than 512 million ringgit (US$129.9 million) worth of crude oil seized 24 nautical miles west of Muka Head, Penang last week, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency said on Saturday, Reuters reported.
The agency did not specify the origin of the oil being transferred.
The waters off Malaysia are known as a regular site for illegal ship-to-ship transfers, where oil is shifted between tankers at sea to obscure its origin. Malaysian authorities said in July last year they would more tightly enforce rules around the practice, according to Reuters.
Pakistan military says it has killed 92 militants in Balochistan
Pakistan' military says it has killed at least 92 militants blamed for deadly co-ordinated attacks in the south-western Balochistan province on Saturday, Reuters reported.
The military said 15 security service personnel and 18 civilians were also killed. It accused India of supporting the militants. Delhi has repeatedly denied such accusations.
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) rebel group had earlier claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying dozens of soldiers were killed, according to Reuters.
US special envoy for Iraq Mark Savaya no longer in the post, sources say
Mark Savaya, named by U.S. President Donald Trump as special envoy for Iraq in October, is no longer in that role, sources familiar with the move said, Reuters reported.
The move comes amid growing tensions between Washington and Baghdad over Washington's push to curb Iranian influence in Iraqi politics.
Savaya, a Christian Iraqi-American entrepreneur, was among a handful of Arab Americans named to senior posts by Trump, who campaigned heavily during the 2024 presidential election to win the Arab and Muslim vote in Detroit and around the country, according to Reuters.
Five killed in gas explosions in Iran, officials say
Five people have been killed in two separate explosions in Iran which local officials and state media say were caused by gas leaks, BBC reported.
One person was killed and 14 injured in a blast at a residential building in the southern city of Bandar Abbas on the Gulf coast, a local official told Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency.
Another explosion killed four people in the south-western city of Ahvaz, the state-run Tehran Times reported, according BBC.
