Cotton futures settled higher in choppy trade on Friday as trade and speculative buying boosted values although option-related sales kept prices from breaching their session highs, market sources said.
London robusta coffee traded steady on Friday as the market paused for breath following the previous session's four percent slump, traders said. Liffe's benchmark November position made a session high of $1,019 per tonne but ended at $1,005, up $4 or 0.4
Copper was steady by the close of London Metal Exchange (LME) trade on Friday, recovering from early losses on light short-covering, dealers said. "The speculative sell-off first thing fizzled out and the shorts moved back in to cover. It's a steady close
Gold languished near one-month lows in Europe on Friday afternoon, as a strong dollar weighed on the precious metal that only a week ago hit eight-month highs, traders said.
US arabica coffee futures edged up Friday, boosted by light speculative buying and contract switching on the heels of a recovering robusta market in London, traders said. The New York Board of Trade's benchmark December arabica rose 0.7 percent, or 0.70 c
US cocoa futures ended in negative territory Friday, with producer hedging and speculative sales reining the benchmark price from a new 8-day high posted earlier in the session, traders said.
Raw sugar futures closed a whisker higher on Friday, with modest buying by local brokers supporting prices as the market stayed stuck in a narrow trading range and recent fund selling dried up, dealers said.
Corn futures at the Chicago Board of Trade were weaker early Friday as recent improved crop weather in the Midwest continued to weigh on prices, traders said. A sharp drop in soybeans and persistent reminders of the current big supply of feed grains globa
Wheat futures at the Chicago Board of Trade were firm early on Friday on short-covering ahead of the weekend in choppy trading, traders said. Gains were limited by a slide in soybeans that led to some spillover speculative selling in wheat futures, they s
New York copper futures were mixed early Friday as players seeking a near-term direction were torn between selling on inventory increases and buying dips in anticipation of rising demand over the medium term, traders said.
Soyabean futures at the Chicago Board of Trade were sharply lower early on Friday, pressured by the recent improvement in US Midwest crop weather and forecast for more rain this weekend, traders said.
US gold futures were whipped lower by early Friday, as a resurgent dollar prodded traders to trim positions in the precious commodity, but prices held above a fresh eight-day low in thin, pre-weekend trade.
University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) has announced admissions in various undergraduate courses for the academic session of 2005-2006 at the main campus and College of Agriculture, Dera Ghazi Khan (DGK) and at Toba Tek Singh (TTS) sub-campus.
The staff of City District Government Lahore (CDGL) on Friday removed another 137 banners displayed by the candidates of local government elections in different parts of the city in violation of code of conduct for the elections.
Jamaat-i-Islami Secretary General Syed Munawar Hasan has demanded resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner (EC) for Allegedly letting the massive rigging and bogus polling by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) workers in Karachi. "An independent and
Enthusiastic participation of the people in first phase of Local Bodies (LBs) election indicates that overall voters' turnout would be above 50 percent. Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Secretary Kanwar Dilshad said on Friday while speaking in a PTV
National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB) Chairman Danyal Aziz while rejecting the opposition's charges of rigging in the first phase of local bodies' elections said on Friday that such allegations were baseless and unfounded.
Special attention is being given to provide latest telecommunication facilities in Ghangche and Skardu districts of Baltistan, and a comprehensive plan is being implemented. The Baltistan Special Communication Organisation (SCO) Commanding Officer Colonel
Secretary Ministry of Religious Affairs Wakil Ahmed Khan Friday said that government had no political agenda or intention to interfere in the working of Madrassahs through registration. Speaking at a PTV programme, he said it was rather under the demand b
Two main opposition parties, the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and Pakistan People's Party have accused government of large scale rigging in phase-I Local Government elections. In an interview with VOA, Chief of Jamaat-i-Islami Qazi Hussain Ahmed said tension was
With continuous increase in the number of vehicles, parking problem in Islamabad is becoming an "incurable headache". The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has failed to anticipate the parking problem, which would aggravate with phenomenal increase in t
More than 2000 registered female voters of Moza Mohripur (Kabirwala) could not exercise their right of vote in Thursday's Local Government elections as their husbands had prevented them from casting their votes. Not a single woman turned up to cast her vo
Pakistan Council of Renewable Energy Technologies is executing a pilot production of silicon solar cells and modules project to meet power needs in the country. The project, costing over Rs 37 million, aims at providing electricity to improve the socio-ec
With a black and silver turban and an assault rifle over one shoulder, former Taleban commander turned Afghan police chief Jon Baz should be a poster boy for Afghanistan's amnesty offer to former militants. He is not.
After spending 15 years in Saudi Arabia and vacationing in various cities of Europe, North America and Far East, my wife this year decided that it was high time my kids aged 13, 10 and 4 got to know about their motherland - Pakistan.
Separate mechanism for taxation of small companies has been recently introduced in the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001, which apparently seeks to encourage corporatization of small businesses. A major portion of business in Pakistan is conducted informally thr
Faced with the risk of losing important Western markets if the country does not comply with the WTO requirements, that is, compliance with international labour standards, the government has suddenly sprung into action. Deciding to regulate the affairs of
President General Pervez Musharraf and NWFP Governor Khalilur Rehman issued identical ordinances on Wednesday, following a similar move by the governments of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan, to regulate the affairs of Madressahs. As indicated by the title o
The latest close of key indices on major world stock exchanges and the London closing values of the euro, the Japanese yen, the British pound and gold bullion (previous day's closes in brackets).
The re-vascularisation course in Pakistan-2005 (RCP-2005) will be held at the Liaquat National Hospital (LNH) here on August 20 and 21. According to RCP-2005 Course Director, Dr Mansoor Ahmad, ischemic heart disease has taken an epidemic shape in the coun
The Sindh government has prepared a plan to convert/establish nine monotechnic institutes into poly trade vocational institutes- each of these will introduce teaching of at least five locally demanded trade. This is being done on the directives of Sindh M
Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) would set up a fashion design institute in Karachi on the pattern of Lahore Institute while the planning was already at advance stage in this regard.
The Pakistan Customs seized 4300 pirated CDs/DVDs at Jinnah International Airport Karachi on Friday. According to a press released issued here the staff of the Collectorate of Customs (Preventive) posted at International Arrival Hall, Jinnah International
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) is organising a telecom forum on August 24 in the city. In a press release issued here on Friday, the PTA says Sindh governor Dr Ishratul Ibad will be the chief guest at the forum with the theme of "Development o
Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim has assessed voters turnout at over 38 percent in Sindh and said that it could be still higher at some places where there had been higher vote casting.
Karachi Building Control Authority (KBCA) has cancelled the NOC for sell and advertisement of under construction project of Zamindar Centre on Plot No7 RB-4 in Saddar Town. According to a press release of KBCA the public were informed that they must avoid
Chairman Standing Committee of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) on Housing Munir Sultan has urged the government to pay full attention to develop housing units in Karachi and provide incentive to builders and developers to
Sindh government on Friday reviewed the performance of District Co-ordination Officers and Town Police Officers during the first phase of local government elections and identified those who would be either rewarded or transferred as punishment in view of
Bilqees Begum Shaikh, Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, University of Sindh, presenting her final Ph D thesis at a seminar on 'Hereditary Disorders in Pakistani Families Kindred with Special Reference to Sindh', held at University campus on W
The Consul General of Indonesia in Karachi and Mrs Entjim Herrianto hosted a reception on Friday evening at a local hotel to mark the 60th Anniversary of the proclamation of Indonesian independence. The reception was also meant to say farewell to Pakistan
Pakistan People Party, Sindh describing the results of first phase of local government polls as 'engineered' has demanded of the Election Commission (EC) to declare elections held in the province, including Karachi as null and void and hold it afresh.
Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Muhammad Ijaz-ul-Haq on Friday said government has taken a number of steps for the welfare of minorities and creation of harmony among different faiths of the world. He was talking to a four-member delegation of Repu
The rupee managed to recover solid gains versus the euro in the open market on Friday, picking up 85 paisa for buying and selling at 72.50 and 72.80, dealers said.
The President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Major General (Retd) Sardar Mohammed Anwar Khan on Friday administered oath to Noreen Arif as Minister for Agriculture and Livestock AJK. The oath taking ceremony was held in the Presidential block of the Kashmir H
The rupee managed to recover solid gains versus the euro in the open market on Friday, picking up 85 paisa for buying and selling at 72.50 and 72.80, dealers said.
Former Karachi Nazim Naimatullah Khan said on Friday that "White Paper" would be published soon on rigging, bogus voting in local bodies polls in Karachi. "A strategy will be announced shortly in this regard, for which all political parties are being appr
During the year under review the company registered impressive growth in sales - domestic volume sales increased by 19% while in terms of value the growth was @52% and export sales grew by 20%.
Islamabad police Friday presented a progress report before the Supreme Court on the ongoing investigation against the accused involved in making a fake order of the apex court.
During the year under review the company registered impressive growth in sales - domestic volume sales increased by 19% while in terms of value the growth was @52% and export sales grew by 20%.
Last date for electricity bills falling due on August 18 has been extended up to August 20, 2005 without late payment charges, KESC spokesman said here on Friday. While, bills falling due on August 25, can also be paid on August 26, without late payment c
The 'Watan Dost' Group, backed by Awami National Party (ANP), has emerged as the largest group in the local bodies elections, securing 28 seats of nazims in 92 union councils of the City District Peshawar, followed by Al-Khidmat Group of Jamaat-i-Islami (
Opposition parties are considering forming a grand alliance and a national charter to thwart rigging in local bodies elections. "The chief election commissioner (CEC) should play due role in ensuring transparent polls and withdraw cases against Hanif Abba
Lieutenant General Syed Afzal Ahmad, Surgeon General, Pakistan Army, paid a visit to the National University of Modern Languages (NUML) here on Friday. Soon after arrival, accompanied by NUML Rector Brigadier Dr Aziz Ahmad Khan (Retd) he took round of var
The National Assembly Standing Committee on Women Development on Friday condemned the act of barring women to exercise their right of vote in the local bodies elections and demanded of the Election Commission to declare the elections in such areas null an
The federal government proposes to set up a state-of-the-art tool, dye and mould (TDM) centre in Orangi, Karachi, which is projected to produce tools, dyes and moulds to the tune of $2.5 million per year for the domestic engineering industry.
Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) has floated a tender for import of 75,000 metric tons (MT) urea in bulk from international sources to meet domestic requirement. A TCP official said here on Friday that bidding for the tender would be held on August 2
Two-member bench of the Supreme Court (SC) on Friday dismissed a petition filed by the Ministry of Education against Dr Shahnaz A Riaz and upheld decision of the Federal Services Tribunal (FST) after hearing arguments of both the parties - petitioner as w
International Consultant Donald Marzullo has observed that many Pakistani institutions appear politically constrained and lack the procedural apparatus to speed necessary decisions, execute programmes and evaluate changing requirements.
The government has decided to grant the Gem and jewellery sector a status of the industry. This was disclosed by the Gems and Jewellery Strategy Working Group (SWOG) to be managed by the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (Smeda) in partner
Mian Mohammad Usman of Viva International (Pvt) Limited has joined Founders Group and announced his full support to Founders Group in the forthcoming LCCI elections.
Four senior judicial officers of Sudan were among a large number of their Pakistani counterparts that visited the Federal Shariah Court here on Friday and attended a briefing by Chief Justice Ijaz Yousof on his institution's working.
Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Friday granted bail to former nazim Town-I Peshawar, Haroon Bashir Bilour after the returning officer (RO) announced one-month imprisonment for Bilour on charges of creating disturbance in a polling station of Sheikhabad.
The cultivation of cotton crop has been completed over an area of 3.282 million hectares achieving 101.1 percent of the set target of 3.247 million hectares for the year 2005-06. According to official sources the cotton sowing has also marked an increase
Despite worst rigging, the PML-N-backed Watan Nawaz group won with visible majority in the first phase of Local Government elections and total sweep in Sialkot and Gujranwala districts. PML-N Central Secretary Finance Mohammad Pervaiz Malik said this whil
Judicial Magistrate South, Naheed Jabbar on Friday admitted Muhammad Asif, Presiding Officer in August 18 elections to bail against a surety of Rs 20,000. Eidgah police arrested him on Thursday after complaint from a candidate that accused deputy director
Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has said Police Patrolling Posts (PPPs) have been made operational in 22 districts of the province, while that project would soon be implemented in the remaining districts to curb crimes, and provide sense of p