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Iranian police say 139 foreigners arrested over unrest in Yazd province

Iranian police said 139 foreign nationals have so far been arrested in the central province of Yazd for their participation in recent protests, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Tuesday, without specifying their nationalities. Yazd, a predominantly desert province with a relatively small population above 1 million, was one of many provinces affected by nationwide protests in January. The protests, which started in December over economic hardships and quickly turned political, were repressed in the most violent crackdown since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The official death toll stands at 3,117, although rights groups say many more people have been killed. US-based rights group HRANA has said that nearly 50,000 people have so far been arrested. Authorities blame Israel and the United States for fomenting the violence. "These (foreign) individuals played an active role in organising, inciting, and directing riotous actions, and in some cases were in contact with netwo...

Oil prices rise despite larger-than-expected drop in US crude stocks

Oil prices extended gains from the previous session on Thursday, buoyed by a bigger-than-expected decline last week in crude stockpiles in the United States, the world's largest oil consumer. Brent futures rose 32 cents, or 0.4%, to $85.40 a barrel by 0340 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude gained 48 cents, or 0.6%, to $83.33. Both contracts settled higher on Wednesday. US crude inventories fell by 4.9 million barrels last week, the latest data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration showed. That exceeds a decline of 30,000 barrels forecast by analysts in a Reuters poll and a drop of 4.4 million barrels in a report from the American Petroleum Institute trade group. "Healthy demand signals from the U.S. outweighs concerns from modest Chinese growth last week," said Priyanka Sachdeva, senior market analyst at Phillip Nova. "Hopes of a Fed easing, which can boost economic growth, and current summer travel in the US are ensuring enough traction in oil demand from the world's largest economy," Sachdeva said. The prospects of cuts in interest rates in coming months in the both the US. and Europe helped to support the market. Federal Reserve officials said on Wednesday the U.S. central bank is "closer" to cutting interest rates given inflation's improved trajectory and a labour market in better balance, possibly setting the stage for a reduction in borrowing costs in September. Also, US economic activity expanded at a slight to modest pace from late May through early July with firms expecting slower growth ahead. The European Central Bank, meanwhile, is all but certain to keep interest rates unchanged on Thursday, but signalled that its next move is likely to be a cut. Investors are also awaiting policy news from a key leadership gathering in China that is to end on Thursday. The dollar eased on Thursday for a third straight session. A weaker dollar can boost demand for oil by making greenback-denominated commodities like oil cheaper for holders of other currencies.

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