Germany: The European Commission has conditionally cleared UAE-based Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC)'s €11.8bn bid for plastics producer Covestro. To counter possible negative effects, ADNOC has offered to discard its unlimited UAE state subsidisation and to share Covestro's sustainability patents with some competitors, Emerging Markets Watch News has reported.

The deal would reportedly mark the watershed in terms of value of overseas investments by UAE-based entities to date. Covestro’s revenues were €3.2bn in the third quarter of 2025, with a net loss of €47m.

China: A deadly fire at the Wang Fuk Court high-rise housing complex in Hong Kong reportedly spread ‘rapidly’ through affected buildings. La Verdad Online News has reported that materials in the complex ‘fuelled’ the spreading fire. Alongside bamboo scaffolding, this reportedly including polystyrene insulation, which was blocking ‘some windows.’

The Wang Fuk Court fire has a death toll of 55, with 279 people missing. Approximately 4800 residents occupy 2000 units across eight 31-floor buildings. Police have arrested three construction firm employees on suspicion of manslaughter.

Azerbaijan: Matanat-A has inaugurated a new US$25.3m, 1.5Mm³/yr stone wool insulation plant in Baku’s Garadagh District. Azer News has reported that the plant is equipped with systems produced in Germany, Türkiye and the US. The Azerbaijan Business Development Fund contributed a loan of US$5.88m. The Baku plant will supply the domestic stone wool insulation market, along with the Georgia, Central Asia and Middle East export segments.

Germany: A fire destroyed 100 pallets of glass wool outside Knauf Insulation’s Bernburg mineral wool insulation plant in Saxony-Anhalt overnight on 18 – 19 November 2025. The Mitteldeutsche Zeitung newspaper has reported the estimated damages at €30,000.