Iran plans to build 10 enrichment plants
Iran said it was dramatically expanding its nuclear programme, in a move that raises the stakes in the international dispute over the programme and which could further inflame tensions in the Middle East
Tehran detains racing yacht’s British crew
David Miliband, UK foreign secretary, says five Britons have been detained after their boat may have inadvertently strayed into Iranian waters on its way from Bahrain to Dubai
UAE push to head off debts damage
The United Arab Emirates stepped in to shore up its banks and head off any potential capital flight as the nation’s federal authorities attempted to counter concerns over Dubai’s debt problems
Global Insight: Dubai’s neighbours are wary
Until the UAE sorts out Dubai World, Abu Dhabi and much of the rest of the region will try to limit the tremors unleashed by the crisis and hope that investors will not confuse Dubai with the generally healthier state of other Gulf economies
Signs of contagion as Egypt’s stocks suffer
Investors have been weighing up the implications for the region in terms of reputational damage, the impact on equity markets and the potential for international credit lines
Investors in emerging markets get wake-up call
Dubai’s debt woes are forcing emerging market investors worldwide to reassess some core assumptions
Dubai cast adrift as credibility crumbles
One of the immediate consequences of the emirate’s decision to seek a standstill agreement with Dubai World’s creditors is to curtail its ability to raise financing through capital markets
New ETF Filings: Egypt, Kuwait and ‘Trend Following; (Seeking Alpha via Yahoo! Finance)
Tom Lydon (ETF Trends) submits: The trickle of ETF filings and launchings has now morphed into a flood. Renewed investor confidence, money on the sidelines waiting to be deployed and optimism about the direction of the economy has fueled the fire. Van Eck is planning a few ETFs that focus on Eqypt and Kuwait indexes. Daisy Maxey for The Wall Street Journal reports that the new ETFs will deliver …
West Jordan police seek 2 men after vehicle theft (Deseret News)
Police are looking for two men, who may be armed, after the pair stole a man’s sport utility vehicle near an area fitness…
Iran’s nuclear move puzzles west
Tehran’s announcement raises the tensions between Iran and the world’s big powers just as the US is preparing to shift from Obama’s policy of engagement to a push for UN sanctions in the new year
Week ahead crucial for global markets
Some investors have passed off events in Dubai as a regional sandstorm in a teacup. But the week ahead is crucial for the global economy and financial markets
Blair sought military options on Iraq in 2002
Tony Blair, the former UK prime minister, asked for secret military options against Saddam Hussein to be prepared in June 2002, five months before a United Nations…
Dubai rejects debt guarantee
In its first public comments since a crisis erupted over the liabilities of its public companies, Dubai’s department of finance has clarified that it will not guarantee the debts of Dubai World, a state-owned entity
Dubai ruler hits out at reaction to crisis
In his first public comments since the debt crisis broke, the ruler of Dubai sought to calm jittery investors, saying markets had misread the announcement of a debt shake-up at state owned Dubai World
Anger within emirate levelled at leadership
Some locals are blaming the emirate’s leadership while the UAE’s media have fallen back on a ruse familiar in other Arab countries blaming their counterparts in the west for provoking it
Investors tear up old rules on behaviour
Emerging market bonds from China and Brazil have seen inflows as investors treat them as havens because of their healthier public finances, while the Greek and Irish debt markets have been sold off
Aleppo, Syria: my kind of town (Daily Telegraph)
Head to the Syrian city of Aleppo for exoticism, medieval shopping malls and deep-fried falafel.
China and Russia face pressure on Iran
Western diplomats are seeking to use Tehran’s announcement that it will expand its nuclear programme to push Russia and China into backing tougher sanctions against Iran
