Sudan official says delay inevitable in vote on oil district
KHARTOUM/ JUBA: A vote due in January on whether the contested Sudanese oil district of Abyei should remain part of the north or join the south can no longer go…
Lawyers for Turkish aid flotilla victims ask ICC to act
THE HAGUE: Lawyers representing the Turkish victims of Israel's deadly storming of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in May urged the International Criminal Court in The Hague Thursday to pursue those…
Iranian director says politics force him to work abroad
BUSAN: Acclaimed Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami says the political climate in his homeland is forcing him to work overseas. Speaking on the sidelines of the 15th Pusan International Film Festival,…
Indian principal kidnapped in Niger Delta
LAGOS: Gunmen in Nigeria's restive southern delta kidnapped the principal of a school sponsored by Exxon Mobil Corp., killing two police officers in a firefight marking the latest abduction in…
Danish FM meets top Muslim cleric to defuse cartoon tension
CAIRO: Denmark's foreign minister said on Wednesday that the hurt caused to Muslims from cartoons lampooning the Prophet Mohamed was "very regrettable," after she met Egypt's top cleric to defuse…
China plans to expand investment in Africa
BEIJING: China said Thursday it would continue to invest Africa, despite criticism over its willingness to ignore human rights abuses, and environment and corruption issues in some countries. "We believe…
Oman banks see Q3 profit rise
DUBAI: Two of Oman's biggest banks posted a rise in third-quarter earnings on Wednesday, raising hopes for a positive year-end close for the country's banking sector. Bank Muscat, Oman's largest…
Kuwait telco Zain Q3 earnings up on customer boost
KUWAIT: Kuwaiti mobile telephone firm Zain, the Gulf Arab region's third-largest operator by market value, posted a 96 percent rise in third-quarter net profit, boosted by a sharp increase in…
OPEC has agreed to keep output steady, says delegate
VIENNA: OPEC ministers meeting in Vienna on Thursday were "100 percent" in agreement to keep output unchanged, a delegate told Reuters on Thursday. The ministers had yet to conclude the…
Who caused the currency wars?
WASHINGTON, DC: The world is on the brink of a nasty confrontation over exchange rates — now spilling over to affect trade policy (America’s flirtation with protectionism), attitudes towards capital…