Sri Lankan stocks ended higher on Wednesday after the head of the government's peace secretariat met his Tamil rebel counterpart, prompting hopes for a restart to the stalled peace process, brokers said.
Thai stocks rose 1.59 percent on Wednesday as concerns about the directions of domestic and US interest rates eased and stronger markets overseas boosted buying in energy and telecommunications stocks, analysts said.
Taiwan stocks closed up 1.57 percent on Wednesday, with tech heavyweights like UMC leading a rebound from a near one-year low after Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said US economic growth remains solid.
Philippines stocks finished higher for the first time in three days on Wednesday as investors bought selected blue chips, including telecoms sector leader Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co (PLDT).
Hong Kong stocks gained over two percent in active trade on Wednesday spurred by market soothing comments from Fed chief Chairman Alan Greenspan and solid earnings from top US technology companies.
US stocks climbed on Tuesday, bolstered by strong results from companies like Corning Inc and moderately upbeat comments from US Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan.
Jakarta stocks ended at a two-week high on Wednesday, inspired by gains in regional bourses, but the outlook was overshadowed by domestic political uncertainty due to a long election process.
Singapore blue chips were up 0.42 percent at the close on Wednesday, buoyed by a rebound in recently battered technology stocks such as Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing.
Indian shares rallied to a near-two-month closing high on Wednesday as investors cheered the government's decision to scale back a controversial tax that had dogged trade since July 8, when the federal budget was presented.
US Treasuries prices slid on Tuesday as traders interpreted Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan's optimism on the economy as a signal that the central bank could raise interest rates more quickly than anticipated.
US Treasuries prices slid on Tuesday as traders interpreted Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan's optimism on the economy as a signal that the central bank could raise interest rates more quickly than anticipated.
Tokyo's Nikkei average closed a slow trading day up 1.5 percent on Wednesday after a jump in US stocks encouraged investors to buy back techs including Hoya Corp, reversing the previous day's falls.
Malaysian shares finished slightly up on Wednesday, with sentiment boosted by Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan's upbeat comments about the economy.
The Bangladeshi taka eased against the US currency for a third straight session on Wednesday after banks bought dollars to cover imports of fuel oil and industrial raw materials, dealers said.
The Indian rupee ended lower for the third straight day on Wednesday, dragged down by dollar buying by importers in a market nervous about robust growth prospects which could impact the pace of foreign capital inflows.
The dollar firmed on Wednesday, keeping gains made after Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said US economic growth was solid, which reinforced expectations of a steady rise in interest rates.
The dollar climbed against most major currencies on Tuesday, after Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said US economic growth was solid and inflation was not a threat.
Asian currencies were mostly weaker against the dollar on Wednesday after Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan sounded upbeat on the US economy, although stock market gains helped lift the South Korean won.
The Hong Kong dollar weakened on Wednesday as funds continued to flow out of the territory, forcing the de facto central bank to step in three times to defend the currency's peg to the US dollar.
West Indies captain Brian Lara said England's dependence on in-form Durham quick Stephen Harmison could be a weakness during the forthcoming four Test series which gets underway at Lord's here on Thursday.
Sachin Tendulkar shone with both bat and ball to help India to an easy eight-wicket win over Bangladesh in the Asia Cup super league match here on Wednesday.
Pakistan crashed to their lowest-ever total against Sri Lanka before suffering a seven-wicket defeat in their opening Asia Cup super-league match here on Wednesday.
Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels would not hesitate to resume hostilities if the government provoked them, but have no intention of breaking a cease-fire that has held for 20 months, the group said on Wednesday.
A diplomatic spat between China and Singapore deepened on Wednesday after Beijing delayed an invitation to a Singaporean trade delegation to protest a visit by Singapore's future prime minister to Taiwan.
The trial of 70 suspected mercenaries accused in Zimbabwe of plotting a coup in oil-rich Equatorial Guinea was postponed on Wednesday until the following day to give the defence more time to prepare.
Iraq's Kurds have a "natural right" to reclaim their old land in the northern city of Kirkuk after being driven out by Saddam Hussein, interim Iraqi President Ghazi al-Yawar said on Wednesday.
Augusto Pinochet faced charges Tuesday over secret multimillion-dollar US bank accounts, possibly tainting with fraud the Chilean ex-dictator known for human rights abuses but thought to be un-corrupt.
French authorities rushed thousands of tourists out of the Eiffel Tower Wednesday after receiving an anonymous warning of an undisclosed threat, the management of the Paris landmark said.
President George W. Bush signed legislation on Wednesday aimed at encouraging the development of drugs and vaccines to negate the impact of attacks using biological and chemical weapons.
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun pledged on Wednesday to extend aid to North Korea once communist Pyongyang halted its nuclear arms programmes.
German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer launched a fresh bid to recruit Indian professionals on Wednesday, pledging that a new immigration law would make Germany a winning alternative for the best brains.
Former national security adviser Samuel Berger, under investigation for removing classified documents from the National Archives, stepped aside on Tuesday as an informal adviser to Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry.
Police scoured the Indian capital Delhi Wednesday to arrest the national coal minister for his alleged involvement in a 1975 massacre, as bedlam erupted in parliament over the missing politician.
The Palestinian parliament on Wednesday urged President Yasser Arafat to accept his prime minister's resignation and appoint a government empowered to carry out reforms and halt a descent into anarchy.
Israel said Wednesday it was determined to continue construction of its West Bank barrier despite an overwhelming UN General Assembly resolution calling for parts to be torn down.
The UN General Assembly demanded Israel obey a World Court ruling and tear down its West Bank barrier, with European nations contributing to an overwhelming favourable vote on Tuesday.
Saudi security forces killed two militants in a fierce clash in Riyadh and detained the wife and children of the suspected al Qaeda leader in Saudi Arabia, officials said on Wednesday.
A US citizen in court Wednesday charged with running a private "war on terror" in Afghanistan claimed he and two other Americans were working with the full knowledge of US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
The United States lifted all special restrictions on arms dealing with South Africa on Wednesday, drawing a line under a long-running dispute over illicit apartheid-era weapons trades.
After nearly 30 years, British mathematician Stephen Hawking admitted on Wednesday that his commanding theory about black holes as bottomless pits in space, sucking in all matter and energy like a giant vacuum cleaner, was flawed.
Britain announced one of its biggest peacetime military overhauls on Wednesday, cutting tanks, ships and thousands of personnel in an effort to adapt its forces to tackle modern threats including terrorism.
The pound dropped by 1-1/2 US cents to two-week lows on Wednesday after comments from US Fed chief Alan Greenspan gave an upbeat assessment of the US economy and reinforced expectations of higher interest rates.
The dollar hit two-week highs against the euro and high-yielding currencies such as sterling on Wednesday as upbeat comments from the Federal Reserve chief reinforced expectations of higher US interest rates.
Seoul shares closed more than 2 percent higher on Wednesday, led by technology and brokerage shares, as upbeat comments on the US economy by the chairman of the Federal Reserve sparked a broad-based market rally.
Technology stocks sagged on Wednesday, as investors locked in some of the previous session's strong gains, but solid earnings from conglomerate United Technologies Corp and J.P. Morgan Chase & Co underpinned blue chips.
Auto bonds trod water in Europe on Wednesday as General Motors weighed in with second-quarter results, while the high-yield market was buoyed by results from Ericsson and Colt, as well as a trading update from Invensys.
Auto bonds trod water in Europe on Wednesday as General Motors weighed in with second-quarter results, while the high-yield market was buoyed by results from Ericsson and Colt, as well as a trading update from Invensys.
UK stocks recouped more than a week's losses on Wednesday, plucked from levels near three-month lows by Alan Greenspan's assertions of a sustainable US expansion and key companies' reports of healthy growth.
Rains in Ivory Coast's cocoa-growing areas were below average in the second 10 days of July and analysts said weather conditions were not favourable at a crucial time for the development of this year's main crop.
Argentine raised its 2003/04 corn crop forecast for the second straight month, hiking it to 12.7 million tonnes from the 12.6 million tonnes it forecast in June, the government said on Wednesday.
Britain's grain shippers will find it hard to place wheat and barley in traditional export markets such as Spain, Italy and Portugal this year unless quality is up to scratch, the UK's Home-Grown Cereals Authority (HGCA) said on Wednesday.
World oil prices rose on Wednesday after an unexpected fall in US crude oil stocks overshadowed healthier gasoline and heating oil inventories, traders said.
London white sugar futures settled slightly lower in modest volumes on Wednesday on profit-taking as the market consolidated after recent gains, with attention focused on a Thai raw sugar tender, traders said.
NYBOT cotton futures settled easier Wednesday on trade and speculative sales as the market stalled after climbing steadily over the past few sessions, with most players uncertain about the next move in fibre contracts, brokers said.
Liffe robusta coffee futures ended slightly up on Wednesday after a routine session that was dominated mainly by short covering and speculative buying interest, traders said.
Gold lost its grip on psychological support around $400 an ounce in Europe on Wednesday, having fallen sharply as the dollar rose on comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan that underpinned expectations for US interest rate moves.
NYBOT cocoa futures closed sharply higher early Wednesday, gaining $54, or 3.48 percent, after an early test to the downside failed to attract follow-through selling, forcing speculators to cover and funds to buy later in the day, which boosted prices to
NYBOT raw sugar futures finished softer early Wednesday on trade sales and speculative profit-taking with players expecting the sweetener to consolidate around its current levels for now, brokers said.
Chicago Board of Trade wheat futures were lower early Wednesday after Egypt turned back to French wheat at its latest tender on Tuesday night, traders said.
Chicago Board of Trade soyabean futures extended losses midday Wednesday amid continued technical fund selling that took new-crop November to a seven-month low, traders said.
COMEX copper futures fell sharply in early Wednesday dealings, in reaction to upbeat comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan on the state of the US economy, comments that left players believing the Fed would raise US interest rates and that
COMEX gold futures grasped at the pivotal $400 an ounce mark Wednesday morning after declining overnight, as the dollar gained against the euro on a report that Iraqi security had found a nuclear missile cache in Iraq, trading sources said.
It is two years since a group of Iranian exiles accused Iran of hiding a secret atomic weapons programme from UN inspectors, and diplomats and analysts say Tehran is only getting closer to the bomb.
Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, Khawaja Zaheer Ahmed on Wednesday said that government has allocated Rs 1.9 billion for the 102 ongoing projects of science and technology.
A member of Lahore High Court Bar Association has approached the Chief Election Commissioner, praying to restrain the respondent, Shaukat Aziz, from contesting election of the National Assembly as a petition against him is pending before the Lahore High C
There has been an outstanding performance of the industrial sector during the period July 2003-March 2004. According to the State Bank of Pakistan report for the period, large-scale manufacturing registered a growth of 17.1 percent compared to 6.7 percent
Nearly all sectors of our economy have welcomed the 2004-05 budget presented by the Finance Minister, Shaukat Aziz. It is evident that having concentrated on bringing fiscal discipline to the economy, the minister is now ready to use the room thus created
The government did not do any good to its own image or the democratic process when on Monday it rushed through the National Assembly a bill that allows politicians to hold public and party offices at the same time. It was hurriedly passed after the Speake
The World Bank (WB) has delivered a devastating critique of the government's three ongoing and five upcoming water projects' economic viability. The total cost of these projects is estimated at Rs 232 billion.
Macroeconomic Outlook and Monetary Policy Stance Recent global trends point to an improved economic outlook as the US and other developed economies have exhibited significant recovery and growth that started in the later half of the last fiscal year.
Macroeconomic Outlook and Monetary Policy Stance Recent global trends point to an improved economic outlook as the US and other developed economies have exhibited significant recovery and growth that started in the later half of the last fiscal year.
Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) called for restoration of night post office facility, installation of stamping machine and expansion in the building of Post Office, Allama Iqbal Town to facilitate the residents of the area.
Punjab Livestock Department in its meeting on Wednesday has approved a project costing Rs 41.924 million for establishment of disease free zones in the province.
Punjab University's Sheikh Zayed Islamic Centre, in collaboration with Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), Islamabad, arranged a roundtable seminar on 'Journalism and Research in Religious Institutes: Present Situation and Future Strategy' here on Wednesda
Allied Bank Limited (ABL) has opened a new branch in Rawalpindi to cater to the banking needs of the citizens. The Regional General Manager, Islamabad M. Saleem Khan Durrani and Regional Controller Operations, Islamabad Khalid Sohail Azmi performed the op
There was a need to devolve responsibility of monitoring service providers such as education, health, water and sanitation, to the people, in fact beyond the district level, so as the people could themselves monitor the quality of services and conduct acc
President People's Lawyers Forum Tanvir Hashmi has moved a resolution before the Lahore High Court Bar Association demanding immediate arrest of the culprits of PPPP leader Munawar Suharwardi.
President Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI), Mian Anjum Nisar has urged the Chairman KPT, Vice-Admiral Ahmad Hayyat, to restore the facility of getting imported items cleared in 14 days so as to save importers from hardships.