Middle East Crude Watch-Brent/Dubai EFS jumps to 20-mth high
SINGAPORE: Front-month Brent/Dubai Exchange of Futures for Swaps (EFS) for September jumped on Wednesday to the highest since December 2008 when OPEC producers began record supply curbs. The spread between…
BlackBerry says it will not let India monitor messages
NEW DELHI: The maker of BlackBerry said Wednesday it hoped for a rapid solution to a security row with the Indian government but insisted it would not allow surveillance of…
Bahrain’s Investcorp swings to H2 profit
MANAMA: Investcorp, the Bahrain-based asset manager that once floated luxury brands Gucci and Tiffany posted a return to profit for the second half on Wednesday buoyed by its hedge fund…
Kenya votes on new constitution amid high security
NAIROBI: Kenyans formed long lines before sunrise across the country Wednesday to vote on a new constitution that would reduce the powers of the presidency in the nation's first ballot…
Floods ravage Pakistan’s heartland, threaten south
KOT ADDU: Floodwaters ravaged hundreds of villages in Pakistan's main province of Punjab Wednesday, destroying homes, soaking crops, and threatening more lives. Aid workers warned that bloated rivers would soon…
Lebanon general detained on suspicion of spying for Israel
BEIRUT: Lebanese authorities have detained a senior member of a Christian party allied with the Shiite Hezbollah on suspicion of spying for Israel, a source close to the party told…
Iran claims to have S-300 surface-to-air missiles
TEHRAN: Iran has obtained four S-300 surface-to-air missiles despite Russia's refusal to deliver them to Tehran under a valid contract, a semiofficial Iranian news agency claimed Wednesday. The Fars news…
US urges Japan to get tough on Iran
TOKYO: Senior US officials on Wednesday urged Japan to follow Europe's example and take "strong measures" to punish Iran over its contentious nuclear program. Japan imposed sanctions against Iran on…
UN peacekeepers tread fine line between rebels and Khartoum
KHARTOUM: UN-African Union peacekeepers in Darfur are facing a new crisis, with the Sudanese government demanding they hand over local leaders suspected of ties with rebels and the rebels urging…
Al-Qaeda-linked group claims tanker attack in Gulf
CAIRO: An obscure Al-Qaeda-linked group says a suicide bomber attacked a Japanese oil tanker in the Persian Gulf last week. There have been conflicting reports about what happened to the…