WORLD BRIEFS

RUSSIA: More than 100 protesters held

Russian police broke up anti-Kremlin protests in Moscow and St. Petersburg Sunday and detained more than 100 demonstrators, including several opposition leaders. In Moscow, several hundred demonstrators gathered in a central square, defying a ban imposed by authorities. The protesters said the ban violated the Russian constitution's guarantee of the right to gather. They denounced the policies of President Dmitry Medvedev and his predecessor and mentor Vladimir Putin, who continues to wield broad powers as prime minister. Several dozen protesters were detained, including opposition leaders Boris Nemtsov, Eduard Limonov, Ilya Yashin, and the head of the Memorial rights group, Oleg Orlov. Police spokesman Viktor Biryukov said about 300 people took part in the Moscow rally and about 100 were detained.

IRAQ: Final deal signed for major oil field

A consortium grouping Russia's private oil giant Lukoil and Norway's Statoil ASA signed a final deal Sunday to develop one of Iraq's biggest oil fields, capping an auction process key to the OPEC nation's plans to boost output and generate sorely needed reconstruction revenue. The deal on West Qurna Phase 2 field in southern Iraq is the last of the 10 fields that Iraq awarded last year during two international licensing rounds as it looked to revamp an oil sector battered by years of sanctions, neglect and, most recently, postwar violence and political bickering. The signing yesterday also offers some much-needed political capital for Iraqi officials ahead of elections in March.

WEST BANK: Investment fund to aid Palestinians

Two Arab investment companies have announced the launch of the first private equity fund designed to boost the Palestinian economy. The semiofficial Palestine Investment Fund and Dubai-based private equity firm Abraaj Capital said Sunday that they will invest in small and medium-sized businesses. They say they will provide an initial $15 million, and hope to raise a total of $50 million this year.

CYPRUS: UN chief backs reunification talks

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Cyprus on Sunday in a bid to re-energize slow-moving talks aimed at reunifying the ethnically divided island. His first visit here is seen as a personal show of support for talks between the Greek Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat. Both achieved marginal progress in 17 months of open-ended negotiations, but Ban said he's pleased about their progress on the key issue of power-sharing under an envisioned federal model.