Pakistan: Labourers have demanded payment of compensation to the legal heirs of their colleagues who lost their lives during work in gypsum mines in the Karak District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The labourers said that several workers had been killed in gypsum mines at Lakh Kani, Bahaderkhel and Narri Panos areas in the Karak District, but the families didn't receive any compensation from the Workers Welfare Board of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. They also complained that the mine owners had provided no safety equipment to the labourers. The labour leaders threatened to stage a sit-in outside of the office of the labour commissioner of Kohat if their demands were not met.

Pakistan: An explosion in a gypsum mine in Khewra, Jhelum District left three people dead and seven others buried under rubble on 15 April 2014, according to local press. The explosion, which was a planned explosion carried out to expand the mine, appears to have gone wrong.

Belarus: A new gypsum plant will be commissioned by Volma Corporation in the town of Gatovo, Minsk district in 2018.

Volma plans to construct a new gypsum plant in the town of Gatovo, Minsk. The new plant will produce 500,000Mm²/yr gypsum partition blocks, 100,000t/yr of dry construction mixes and 30Mm²/yr of gypsum wallboard. Construction is due for completion in 2018.

Volma also plans to modernise the existing Belgips plant in Minsk to increase its production capacity of gypsum wallboard to 10Mm²/yr. The upgrades are expected to be complete in 2016.

The projects will have a combined investment of Euro43m.

US: Saint-Gobain's CertainTeed and home improvement retailer Lowe's have teamed up to offer the latest in backer board technology for easier, faster and more cost-effective tile installation projects.

Reinforced with embedded glass mats for added strength, moisture and mould resistance, Diamondback Tile Backer features a patent-pending polymer coating with a unique textured surface that creates a strong bond, reducing tile slippage during installation. Diamondback weighs 40% less than traditional cement boards and is much easier to handle, cut and install, saving installers valuable time. Highly mould resistant, CertainTeed's patented, proprietary Embedded Glass Reinforced Gypsum technology eliminates the need for an additional moisture barrier. Diamondback has also achieved GreenGuard Gold Certification.

"We are very excited about this partnership with Lowe's, which makes our innovative tile backer much more accessible to the homeowner DIY and contractor customer base," said Kelly Kuethe, marketing manager of CertainTeed.