In Tuesday's Middle East papers

06 January 2009 05:00  [Source: ICIS news]

OMAN TRIBUNE

Front page

12 kids perish as Israel rains death on Gaza
Israeli troops backed by air strikes fought to seize ground from Hamas fighters deep inside the Gaza Strip on Monday despite international calls for a ceasefire in a conflict that has killed more than 540 Palestinians in 10 days.

ID card to turn ‘e-Purse’ soon
Residents of the Sultanate will soon be able to make electronic payments using their National ID or Resident Cards.

Business

Asian stocks at two-month high
Oil prices fluctuated around $47 a barrel on Monday after hitting a three-week high early in the session as Asian stocks rose to a two-month high, with expectations for a global economic recovery later this year prompting investors to venture back into riskier assets.

NBO wins 2008 Regional Corporate Governance Award
National Bank of Oman (NBO), the second largest commercial bank in Oman, has won the Regional 2008 Bank Corporate Governance Award organised by the Institute of Corporate Governance (Hawkamah) and the Union of Arab Banks (UAB).

KHALEEJ TIMES

Front page

Battles rage in Gaza as envoys appeal for truce
Israeli tanks, planes and ground forces pounded Gaza on Monday and the defence minister said the offensive against Hamas in the Palestinian enclave would go on until Israel was safe.

Turkey, Iran bombard Kurdish rebels in Iraq: PKK
Turkish warplanes and Iranian artillery bombarded Kurdish rebel hideouts in northern Iraq on Monday, a Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) spokesman said.

Business

Dubai shares off to good start; Up 7.7%
UAE shares on Monday surged on their first trading day in 2009 led by property stocks, tracking gains in overseas markets and helped by improving oil prices.

2008 milestone year for Dubai Duty Free as it crosses $1bn sales mark
Award winning Dubai Duty Free (DDF) has set a new retailing benchmark, when it announced a record annual sales of Dh 3.950m ($1.1bn), representing 23% increase over 2007.

ARAB TIMES

Front page

KD15 for first month, KD30 each for second, third -new visit visa fees
The Ministry of Interior (MoI) on Sunday started implementing the new fees for visit visa applications – KD 15 for the first month and KD 30 each for the second and third months, reports Al-Wasat daily quoting reliable ministry sources.

MPs call for cancellation of all festivals in ‘support’ of Gazans
Several MPs on Sunday continued to express their support for the people in Gaza and called for the cancellation of festivities lined up for the celebration of Hala February Festival as well as the National and Liberation Days in February.

Business

‘No plans to up Toyota parts, service charges’; All’s well, no crisis here, says Al Sayer
Kuwait, as well as the rest of the GCC States has remained largely insulated from the financial crises affecting the rest of the world and the region’s economy has remained relatively healthy and robust, according to a local "Taipan."

Zain eyes 30% net profit growth in 2009
Mobile Telecommunications Co (Zain) expects net profit to rise by more than 30% in 2009, its chief executive reiterated in remarks published on Sunday.

ARAB NEWS

Front page

Kingdom denounces silence - Palestinian factions asked to unite
Saudi Arabia denounced the silence of the international community over the ferocious Israeli war on unarmed Palestinians in Gaza and the collective punishment inflicted on the inhabitants of the territory.

Israel rejects truce monitors
Israel rebuffed European proposals for international observers in the Gaza Strip after any cease-fire as its forces pushed deeper into the territory, killing 50 Palestinians, 12 of them children.

Business

Kingdom plans share buyback law
Saudi Arabia has issued a draft law that would allow listed firms to buy back their shares, a senior government official said.

Saudi banks launch campaign against frauds
Saudi banks have launched a campaign to educate and raise awareness of their customers against the risks of financial and banking frauds in coordination with Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA).

TEHRAN TIMES

No new updates

ALJAZEERA

Front page

Israel closes in on Gaza City
Witnesses report big explosions and intense fighting near centre of the city.

UN: Humanitarian crisis worsening
World body's humanitarian chief contradicts Israeli assertion that there is no crisis.

Business

Global markets buoyed by optimism
Stimulus plans boost confidence but UN expected to issue grim economic report.

When the World Went Bust
An in-depth look at how unprecedented boom turned into a financial firestorm.

THE DAILY STAR

Front page

Hariri confident Hizbullah will not be suckered into new war
Parliamentary majority leader Saad Hariri dismissed concerns on Monday that Hizbullah might launch attacks on Israel's northern border to support Palestinians coping with the Zionist state's deadly assault on the Gaza Strip.

Parliamentary elections set for single day: 7 June
Lebanon will hold parliamentary elections on 7 June, the Interior Ministry announced on Monday.

Business

Shatah revises growth projection for Lebanese economy down to 3%
Finance Minister Mohammed Shatah on Monday revised Lebanon's projected GDP growth for 2009 to 3% from 5% in light of the global financial crisis and the expected economic slowdown in the oil-rich Gulf Arab states.

Global guidebook takes Lebanese real estate down a peg in terms of cost
The Global Property Guide's annual report on real estate investment trends around the world indicated that Lebanon ranked in 60th place globally, up from 62nd place in 2007.

GULF DAILY NEWS

Front page

We can beat recession!
Bahrain's development momentum can be maintained despite the global meltdown, said the Premier.

Bahrain doctors on mercy mission
Three Bahraini doctors will leave for Egypt today for an emergency meeting in Al Arish, where they will meet medical experts from across the Arab region to plan a response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Business

Singapore firm to build $20m plant in Bahrain
Singapore-based MTQ Corp is planning to construct a state-of-the-art $20m facility at the Bahrain International Investment Park (BIIP) in Hidd.

Group signs up for Industry Fair
Bahrain Industrial Group (BIG) will take part in this year's Gulf Industry Fair.

ICIS Copyright © Reed Business Information 2009

Author: Staff Reporter
+44 20 8652 3214

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