Abu Dhabi / WAM The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) on Sunday signed an agreement with the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) awarding it an 8 percent interest in Abu Dhabi’s onshore oil concession. CNPC contributed a sign up bonus of AED6.5 billion (US$1.77 billion) to enter the concession. The onshore concession is operated by the Abu Dhabi Company …

  HAMAM AL-ALIL / AP US-backed Iraqi forces launched a large-scale military operation on Sunday to dislodge IS militants from the western half of Mosul city, a battle that is expected to be prolonged and difficult due to a densely packed civilian population and older, narrower streets. In a briefed televised speech on state TV, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi …

  MOGADISHU / AP A Somali police officer says a blast at a busy market in the western part of Somalia’s capital killed at least 15 people. Capt. Mohamed Hussein said the powerful blast thought to be from a car bomb tore through shops and food stands in Mogadishu’s Madina district Sunday. He said the bomb also wounded more than …