In Monday's Middle East papers

28 July 2008 05:30  [Source: ICIS news]

 

OMAN TRIBUNE

Front Page

Israel kills Hamas fighter
The Israeli army killed a top Hamas fighter in the Occupied West Bank on Sunday even as clashes between Palestinian factions broke out in Gaza City early in the morning, wounding at least six people.

Patil wants federal police agency
The government on Sunday put the entire country on high alert as the police detained a number of people overnight following the serial blasts that rocked Ahmedabad.

Business

BankMuscat H1 net surges 43.7%
BankMuscat (SAOG), the nation’s leading financial services institution, announced on Sunday that the company’s net profit surged 43.7% to RO57.8m for the first half of the fiscal ended June 30, 2008, as against RO40.2m reported during the same period in 2007.

Nawras appoints Al Mashani as chairman
Nawras has announced the selection of a new board, with the appointment of HE Sheikh Salim Bin Mostahail Al Mashani as chairman and Abdulla Zaid Al Talib as vice-chairman.

KHALEEJ TIMES                                                                 

Front Page

Ahmedabad toll 45, more bombs found, India on alert
Gujarat was calm but tense Sunday amid the discovery of three bombs and a cache of explosives and a national security alert, a day after 20 bombs ripped through Ahmedabad killing at least 45 people, injuring 100 and leaving India wondering where and when the terrorists would strike next.

Back in US, Obama spars with McCain on Iraq
White House rivals John McCain and Barack Obama traded accusations of policy U-turns on Iraq Sunday after the Democrat's return from a much-acclaimed overseas tour.

Business

Work on QE2's home in Dubai starts in September
Nakheel will begin work on a luxury marina development project in September to house the world-famous cruise liner QE2, the company said in a statement yesterday.

Office rents rise 14% in Abu Dhabi
Demand for office space in the capital continues to be high as rents have increased by 14% in the second quarter of the year, a report said.

ARAB TIMES

Front Page

Strike involving about 7,000 Bangladeshi workers averted
A massive strike involving about 7,000 Bangladeshi workers was averted Saturday with the timely intervention of senior officials of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour, a group of workers told the Arab Times.

‘MoH staff, equipment insufficient for medical tests on 5,000 expats’
The Ministry of Health (MoH) has announced its inability to conduct medical tests on 5,000 expatriates on a daily basis citing lack of medical staff and equipment because some tests require more than one day for each person, reports Al-Anba daily quoting security sources.

Business

Zain H1 sky-rockets 26% to $551.5m
Zain announced today its consolidated financial results for the first half of 2008. The results showed significant growth in revenues with customer numbers exceeding 50 million.

Kuwait investing into Jordan
Jordanian Minister of Transportation Alaa Al-Bataynah estimated Kuwaiti investments in his country’s transportation sector at $1bn, with a total of $7bn spread.

ARAB NEWS

Front Page

Kingdom’s grand mufti condemns ‘malicious’ Turkish soap operas
The grand mufti of Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh, has condemned Turkish soap operas, which have charmed millions of people across the Arab world, and prohibited people from watching them, Al-Watan daily reported yesterday.

Stalemate on 'mahram' condition continues
Manal Al-Quais, a 23-year-old Saudi, won a scholarship from the King Abdullah Scholarship Program to study nursing in Canada.

Business

STC launches UIR service in 30 states
Saudi Telecom Co. (STC), the region’s largest telecommunications company, has launched a unified international roaming (UIR) service in 30 countries around the globe which will charge only SR1 per minute for receiving calls and SR1.50 for outgoing calls within the countries and to the Kingdom.

Riyal revaluation would be positive step, say experts
The proposal by Shoura Council member Waleed Arab Hashem last week to the council’s inflation committee urging possible revaluation of the Kingdom’s currency exchange rate has yet again pushed the issues of rising inflation, increased consumer pricing, and rumors of de-pegging from the weak US dollar back to center stage.

TEHRAN TIMES

Front Page

Iran-EU should draw new model for nuclear talks: Larijani
Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani on Sunday stated that Iran and the major powers should draw a new model for nuclear talks that will secure the interests of both sides through studying the two separate packages of proposals.

Indonesian band to give concerts in Tehran
The DEBU pop band will give concerts at Tehran’s National Grand Hall from July 29 to August 1.

Business

WTO edges towards banana deal as trade talks continue
African and Caribbean countries came under pressure on Sunday to reach a deal on bananas and remove a major obstacle to efforts to rescue global trade talks.

Chinese economy expected to stay stable
The Chinese economy was likely to maintain stable and fast growth this year, despite being beset with problems and uncertainties, as fundamentals of the economy remained unchanged, Yao Jingyuan, National Bureau of Statistics chief economist, said on Sunday.

ALJAZEERA

Front Page

Deadly bombings hit Istanbul
At least 15 people have been killed and more than 150 injured in two explosions on a busy shopping street in Istanbul, according to the city governor.

Turkey court to convene on AKP case
A Turkish court is set to convene on a daily basis until a decision is reached regarding the banning of the ruling party.

Business

US markets drop after triple blow
US markets have dropped by more than two per cent after yet another fall in US home sales, a rise in jobless claims and record losses posted by the second-biggest car maker in the country.

Qantas cuts jobs as oil price bites
Australian airline Qantas has said it will cut 1,500 jobs, or about 4% of its workforce, and scrap its growth plan for the coming year as a result of soaring fuel prices.

THE DAILY STAR

Front Page

Ministers expected to issue platform 'on Monday or Tuesday'
The ministerial committee tasked with drafting a policy platform met for the tenth time at the Grand Serail Sunday evening to pursue deliberations.

Citigroup report paints rosy picture of Lebanese economy
In its first report about Lebanon since the Doha accord, Citigroup indicated that despite a series of political shocks since 2005, the Lebanese economy has struggled but has been surprisingly robust.

Business

Profit-taking pulls BSE down as traders await next trend
Activity on the Beirut Stock Exchange was governed by profit taking, as investors started to rearrange their portfolios in preparation for the next trend in trading.

Amman to get Turkish aid in building water pipeline
Thirsty Jordan announced on Sunday that a Turkish firm will begin work next week on a near-$1bn project to supply the capital with water from an ancient southern aquifer.

GULF DAILY NEWS

No news update

By: Staff Reporter
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