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Politics

Halliburton to move from Texas to Dubai

By TIMES WIRES
Published March 12, 2007

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - Oil services giant Halliburton Co. will soon shift its corporate headquarters from Houston to the Mideast financial powerhouse of Dubai, chief executive Dave Lesar announced Sunday. The chairman, president and CEO will make the move, a spokeswoman said. Lesar, speaking at an energy conference in nearby Bahrain, said he will relocate to Dubai from Texas to oversee Halliburton's intensified focus on business in the Mideast and energy-hungry Asia, home to some of the world's most important oil and gas markets. In 2006, Halliburton - once headed by Vice President Dick Cheney - earned profits of $2.3-billion on revenue of $22.6-billion. More than 38 percent of Halliburton's $13-billion oil field services revenue last year stemmed from sources in the Eastern Hemisphere, where the firm has 16,000 of its 45,000 employees.

President wants to make case at U.N.

IRAN - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wants to take his case for pursuing nuclear power before the U.N. Security Council, the government said Sunday, as the world body debates new sanctions on the Islamic nation for its refusal to suspend uranium enrichment. Iran has rejected U.N. demands that it halt enrichment, insisting its nuclear program is peaceful and aimed at producing energy. The United States and its European allies fear its aim is to produce nuclear weapons. South Africa's U.N. Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo, whose country holds the rotating Security Council presidency, said Ahmadinejad had not made a formal request, but if he did, "it would be very difficult to deny him that opportunity."

Police detain opposition leader

ZIMBABWE - Heavily armed police killed a protester and arrested the leader of the main opposition party as they broke up a prayer meeting protesting government policies Sunday. Police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena said one man was shot and killed when 200 opposition party members attacked about 20 policemen. Three policemen were hospitalized with injuries, Bvudzijena told state television. Police said they arrested Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, and other top party officials as they "instigated people to come out and commit acts of violence." Authorities had declared that the meeting breached a three-month ban on political demonstrations against economic misery and political repression.

Elsewhere

Mauritania: The country voted Sunday in its first presidential election since a coup two years ago. Results aren't expected for several days.

France: Police recovered two rare violins worth a total of $250,000 that were stolen from a Los Angeles Philharmonic musician in December, authorities said Sunday.

Afghanistan: Clashes between Afghan police and Taliban militants killed eight officers and two Taliban in volatile southern Afghanistan, authorities said Sunday. Separately, a suicide bomber killed a police officer in western Farah province.

Egypt: A 4-year-old boy has contracted the potentially deadly strain of bird flu, bringing to two dozen the number of people to be diagnosed with the disease since it appeared in the country last year, the Health Ministry said Sunday.

[Last modified March 12, 2007, 07:48:42]