CAIRO / Reuters Economists are roughly evenly split on whether Egypt’s central bank will raise interest rates at its monetary policy committee (MPC) meeting on June 16, after a jump in inflation in May. Six out of 11 economists in the Reuters poll expect the bank to hold rates while five expect a hike ranging from 25 basis points …

  ERBIL / Reuters Iraq’s Kurds are ready to strike an agreement with the central government in Baghdad on a deal to increase oil exports, if it guarantees them a monthly revenue of $1 billion, a spokesman for the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) said. Iraq’s central government in March stopped oil exports through a Kurdish pipeline to pressure the local …

  Amman / Tribune News Service An international group has commended Jordan for its responsible and balanced approach to its peaceful nuclear power programme. A report by the International Advisory Group (IAG) has indicated that the Kingdom has “aggressively engaged with the IAEA in the development of its nuclear programme and has sought and obtained extensive peer reviews and this …