UK investment firm BlackRock, part of the global investment bank BlackRock Inc. denied reports by Norwegian news service "Norwatch" that it sold its stake in Africa-Israel Investments Ltd. because of the company's activity in the West Bank. "Norwatch" claimed that BlackRock was at one time the second largest shareholder in Africa-Israel, and sold its stake because the company was building homes in Maaleh Adumim, east of Jerusalem.