In Tuesday's Middle East papers

19 February 2008 04:30  [Source: ICIS news]

MUMBAI (ICIS news)--These were the top stories at 4:30 GMT in the following Middle-East newspapers’ online versions on Tuesday. ICIS has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. To go to the individual websites, click the links below:

THE TIMES OF OMAN

Front Page

Pakistanis vote amid violence, fraud fears
Millions of Pakistanis voted on Monday in critical elections overshadowed by violence and fears of rigging, with the fate of President Pervez Musharraf hanging in the balance.

Rice set to push for Kenya deal
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is set to push for a power-sharing deal in Kenya on Monday to end turmoil that has left more than 1,000 dead in a key US ally in east Africa.

Business

US trade gap falls first time in 6 years
The US trade deficit narrowed in 2007 for the first time in six years, as rising exports supported by a weak dollar helped offset a record gap with China, data showed Thursday.

Sikorsky unveils Tata helicopter project in India
US helicopter maker Sikorsky and the Tata Group of India are teaming up in a joint helicopter manufacturing project in India, Sikorsky said Friday.

OMAN TRIBUNE

Front Page

Pakistan election ends peacefully
The president of the main party that backs Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, the Pakistan Muslim League (PML), lost his seat in parliament in Monday's general election in which violence was far less than feared, television networks reported early on Tuesday.

Steps taken to reduce fish prices
The Ministry of Fisheries has taken a number of emergency steps to curb the fish price rise, HE Dr Hamad Bin Said Al Aufi, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Fisheries, said on Monday.

Business

Oil rises; Europe shares rally on banking gains
Oil advanced for a fourth day on Monday, supported by an escalating row between Opec member Venezuela and oil major Exxon Mobil. European shares rallied on Monday, wiping out the previous session's losses, lifted by robust gains for British banks such as Barclays and miners, which drew strength from higher metals prices.

Omantel to buy 60% stake in Pak telecom firm
Omantel on Monday announced plans to acquire 488,839,427 shares in Pakistani telecom operator Worldcall Telecom from the majority shareholder and others, representing 60% of the company's capital.

KHALEEJ TIMES

Front Page

Musharraf allies headed for defeat in Pakistan vote
The party that backs Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf was headed for defeat on Tuesday after voters rallied to the opposition, raising questions about the future of the US ally who has ruled since 1999.

Suicide bomber kills 37 in Afghanistan
A suicide bomber targeting a foreign military convoy in Afghanistan killed 37 civilians in an attack near the Pakistan border on Monday, the interior ministry said.

Business

Q-Cool signs deal for district cooling services
Q-Cool, the district cooling subsidiary of Emirates Utilities Company Holding (EUCH), has signed an agreement with Al Qudra Holding to provide district cooling services to Danet Abu Dhabi mixed use development.

CDNS set to be converted into 'Pakistan Saving Corporation'
President Pervez Musharraf is expected to promulgate an ordinance this week to covert the Central Directorate of National Savings (CDNS) into a "Pakistan Saving Corporation" to broaden its functions by introducing new saving instruments in the country.

ARAB TIMES

Front Page

5 more Australian/IPL players to sign up overnight
At least five Australian cricket players are waiting until the last minute to sign up for the Indian Premier League, with 15 mentioned by local media as likely starters in the lucrative Twenty20 competition.

Australia rejects compensation for Indian doctor
An Indian doctor arrested and charged in Australia with supporting failed car bomb attacks in Britain, only to be freed and later cleared, would get no compensation, Australia's top policeman said on Monday.

Business

GFH declares 95% dividend for 2007
Gulf Finance House (GFH) announced today that the Board of Directors has approved a dividend payout of $227m for the fiscal year 2007--95% of the par value of the paid-up capital--on the back of the excellent results last year with net profit up 61% at $340m.

NBK launches 1st Turkey realty fund
National Bank of Kuwait announced the launch of the first unique Islamic Turkey Real Estate Fund according to Islamic Shariah Principles. Salah Yousef Al Fulaij, Chief Executive Officer of NBK Capital, said that the Fund was designed to grant NBK clients a diversified portfolio of development and value added real estate projects according to Islamic Shariah Principles located primarily in Turkey and, to a lesser extent, in the MENA region.

ARAB NEWS

Front Page

Al-Dakhil appointed SRMG’s CEO
Dr Azzam M Al-Dakhil has been appointed chief executive officer of Saudi Research & Marketing Group (SRMG), the company announced yesterday. It said the group’s board of directors at a meeting, which was held on Sunday, made the appointment on the recommendation of Prince Faisal bin Salman, chairman of SRMG.

Counting under way after peaceful polls in Pakistan
Counting began yesterday after an election in Pakistan that was far less violent than feared. According to reports, 11 people have been killed--seven of them in Punjab province--and 70 wounded in election violence. Polling stations closed their doors at 5 pm. Results have started emerging and trends should be clear today.

Business

Kingdom, Luxembourg to form business forum
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Luxembourg will soon form a business council to promote bilateral trade between the two countries, Abdul Rahman Al-Jeraisy, chairman of the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry told Arab News yesterday, following his talks with Prince Guillaume, crown prince of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg who is currently visiting the Kingdom.

Brown defends Northern Rock decision
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown yesterday strongly defended the government's decision to nationalize the troubled UK mortgage lender, Northern Rock. It has been badly affected by the global credit crunch as a result of the fallout from the US subprime mortgage crisis.

TEHRAN TIMES

Front Page

SOAS and Iranian center team up for dialectology studies
An Iranian center and the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London have recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaborate on study projects focusing on Iranian dialects in danger.

Ahmadinejad: Expansion of ties with Japan important
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad cabled a message on Monday to Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda in which he underlined that expansion of ties between the two countries is important.

Business

Tata mutual launches growing economy fund
Tata Asset Management on Monday launched an equity fund to invest in infrastructure related sectors in growing economies overseas and in India.

China producer-price inflation accelerated last month
China’s producer prices rose at the fastest pace in more than three years as energy costs surged, adding pressure for more government measures to tame inflation.

By: Staff Reporter
+44 20 8652 3214

For the latest chemical news, data and analysis that directly impacts your business sign up for a free trial to ICIS news - the breaking online news service for the global chemical industry.

Get the facts and analysis behind the headlines from our market leading weekly magazine: sign up to a free trial to ICIS Chemical Business.

Printer Friendly