Diamond theft probe

TAIPEI: Taiwanese police said on Thursday they were working with their counterparts in Japan to trace a man they believe has stolen valuable diamond rings in both countries. The man took millions of Taiwan dollars worth of jewellery from a De Beers shop inside Taipei 101, the world’s second-tallest building, said the Criminal Investigation Bureau. He did so by pretending to be a customer shopping for a ring for his sister, according to the bureau. Police later found that the man looked very much like a man caught on video stealing diamond rings in a Japanese department store last month using the same method.

Gas supply deal

BAKU: Azerbaijan will supply Iran with over two million cubic meters of gas daily until April 1, Azerbaijan’s state oil company’s chief said on Thursday. The contract signed by Azerbaijan’s State Oil Company and its Iranian counterpart “stipulates supplies until April 1, 2010,” Rovnag Abdullayev said, adding that another, long-term contract currently being prepared. “Until then, Azerbaijan will reconstruct its gas compressing station in Astara (on Iranian border) and the Gadjibul-Astara pipeline. After that we will be able to supply Iran with three to five million cubic meters of gas daily,” Abdullayev told reporters.