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Nov 16, 2024 اردو ► PRINT EDITION ► BR MARKETS ► Dollar to PKR ►
Print - 2005-12-22
Shanghai copper softens

Shanghai copper softens

Shanghai copper futures dipped in thin Wednesday trade as investors kept a nervous eye for potential volatility on the London Metal Exchange, on speculation that China State Reserves Bureau might cover a large short position.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Comex copper up

Comex copper up

US copper futures managed a higher settlement on Tuesday after spending most of the day in negative territory on some late local and speculative buying, though the market still held under a key technical level, market sources said.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
New York gold reverses to end down

New York gold reverses to end down

New York gold futures reversed gains to end near last week's low in thin trade on Tuesday, with traders wary of volatility in the final sessions of 2005 but clinging to a bullish view for next year.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Tokyo gold falls as investors sell more

Tokyo gold falls as investors sell more

Tokyo gold futures fell more than 2 percent on Wednesday as investors lightened their positions further ahead of the year-end holidays after last week's plunges dampened near-term sentiment.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Gold hits four-week low as funds sell

Gold hits four-week low as funds sell

Gold fell to its lowest level in four weeks around $489 an ounce on Wednesday as investors unwound positions before the end of the year, dragging other precious metals with it.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
AFMC to tender for milled rice

AFMC to tender for milled rice

South Korea's Agricultural and Fishery Marketing Corporation will tender to buy 22,557 tonnes of milled rice on January 12 next year, a corporation official said on Wednesday. The tender is to meet part of its 2005 import quota under a World Trade Organis
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Malaysian tin slips

Malaysian tin slips

Malaysian tin fell 1.1 percent on Wednesday, extending the previous day's loss after a sharp drop in the London price.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Oil holds at $58 after Nigeria pipeline attack

Oil holds at $58 after Nigeria pipeline attack

Oil prices held steady on Wednesday, but were underpinned by lost Nigerian supplies following an oil pipeline explosion and expectations US data will show crude stocks fell for the first time in three weeks.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Japan sees firm Canada canola imports

Japan sees firm Canada canola imports

Japanese oilseed processors expect canola imports from Canada to hold firm around 1.85 million tonnes in calendar 2006, thanks to a good quality crop in Canada and smaller output in Australia, another major exporter.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
New York sugar easier but off day's lows

New York sugar easier but off day's lows

Raw sugar prices settled lower on Tuesday on speculative sales and profit-taking as the market retreated from near an 11-year high and brokers said the sweetener may drift right into the holiday weekend.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Soyabeans reverse to close lower

Soyabeans reverse to close lower

The Chicago Board of Trade soyabean market ended lower Tuesday after a volatile session that began strong on follow-through technical buying, traders said.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Weaker Tokyo futures dent physical prices

Weaker Tokyo futures dent physical prices

Asian rubber prices eased on Wednesday in thin trade as producers were not keen to sell while buyers held back on hopes of a further drop in prices.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Malaysian palm oil ends down, support seen at 1,400

Malaysian palm oil ends down, support seen at 1,400

Malaysian crude palm oil futures closed lower on Wednesday in thin trade after a drop in Chicago prices, but fears of local supply disruption after heavy rains will help prices hold above 1,400 ringgit a tonne, traders said.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
EU probes Italy TV decoder aid

EU probes Italy TV decoder aid

The European Commission took a swipe at Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's media empire on Wednesday by launching an investigation into public grants to buyers of digital decoders for terrestrial television in Italy.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
BoE minutes fan UK interest rate cut expectations

BoE minutes fan UK interest rate cut expectations

The chances of another British interest rate cut in the new year increased on Wednesday after news that one Bank of England policymaker had wanted borrowing costs to come down two weeks ago.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Philip Morris sets to make Marlboros in China

Philip Morris sets to make Marlboros in China

China's state-run tobacco monopoly reached an agreement Wednesday with Philip Morris Incorporated (PMI) for the licensed manufacture of the Marlboro brand of cigarettes in China.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
IBM to buy Micromuse for $865 million

IBM to buy Micromuse for $865 million

IBM, the world's biggest computer company, on Wednesday said it agreed to buy software developer Micromuse Inc for about $865 million. Micromuse shareholders will receive $10 a share, a premium of nearly 39 percent over the stock's closing price of $7.21
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
IBM to buy Micromuse for $865 million

IBM to buy Micromuse for $865 million

IBM, the world's biggest computer company, on Wednesday said it agreed to buy software developer Micromuse Inc for about $865 million. Micromuse shareholders will receive $10 a share, a premium of nearly 39 percent over the stock's closing price of $7.21
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Siemens sells part of its SBS division

Siemens sells part of its SBS division

German engineering conglomerate Siemens has sold part of its loss-making IT services unit, SBS, to Fujitsu Siemens Computers for an undisclosed price.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
China eyes second major gas pipeline from west

China eyes second major gas pipeline from west

China is considering building a massive second pipeline connecting its gas-rich western region with the energy-hungry coast but may have to fill it with imported fuel, an official at PetroChina said on Wednesday.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Seagate to buy Maxtor for $1.9 billion in stock

Seagate to buy Maxtor for $1.9 billion in stock

Seagate Technology on Wednesday said it would buy rival computer disk-drive maker Maxtor Corp for $1.9 billion in stock, aiming to cut combined costs and drive development of new products.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Seagate to buy Maxtor for $1.9 billion in stock

Seagate to buy Maxtor for $1.9 billion in stock

Seagate Technology on Wednesday said it would buy rival computer disk-drive maker Maxtor Corp for $1.9 billion in stock, aiming to cut combined costs and drive development of new products.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Shell Nigeria pipeline still blazing, output down

Shell Nigeria pipeline still blazing, output down

Oil workers were on their way to extinguish a huge pipeline blaze in remote southern Nigeria on Wednesday, caused by a suspected dynamite attack that killed at least eight people.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
ConocoPhillips, Qatar Petroleum award LNG contract

ConocoPhillips, Qatar Petroleum award LNG contract

ConocoPhillips and Qatar Petroleum on Wednesday said they have awarded the engineering, procurement and construction contract for their Qatargas 3 liquefied natural gas project to a joint venture of Chiyoda Corp and Technip.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Singapore charity scandal hits government

Singapore charity scandal hits government

Singapore said on Wednesday it will press for charges to be laid against managers who milked the country's biggest charity, creating a scandal likely to become an issue in general elections expected as early as next year.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
DCC sale of Fyffes shares lawful: Irish court

DCC sale of Fyffes shares lawful: Irish court

The Irish High Court ruled on Wednesday that sales of shares in fruit importer Fyffes by marketing and distribution group DCC Plc in 2000 were lawful, sending DCC's shares higher and Fyffes' lower.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
DCC sale of Fyffes shares lawful: Irish court

DCC sale of Fyffes shares lawful: Irish court

The Irish High Court ruled on Wednesday that sales of shares in fruit importer Fyffes by marketing and distribution group DCC Plc in 2000 were lawful, sending DCC's shares higher and Fyffes' lower.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
US and EU pursued own interests at WTO meet: Oxfam

US and EU pursued own interests at WTO meet: Oxfam

The United States and the European Union nearly wrecked the World Trade Organisation's Hong Kong conference last week by pursuing their own interests at the expense of poor countries, Oxfam said on Wednesday.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Deutsche Bank boss faces retrial for bonus payouts

Deutsche Bank boss faces retrial for bonus payouts

The head of Deutsche Bank must go back to court to be retried over windfall bonuses he waved through at telecoms firm Mannesmann, the German federal court ruled on Wednesday, threatening his future as chief executive.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Former Chinese bank official gets death for graft

Former Chinese bank official gets death for graft

A Chinese court has sentenced a former official at the Agricultural Bank of China to death for accepting bribes and embezzling funds worth 15 million yuan ($1.86 million), state media said on Wednesday.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
FedEx posts higher profit

FedEx posts higher profit

FedEx Corp, the world's largest air-express carrier, on Wednesday posted a 33 percent increase in quarterly profit and raised its full-year forecast on growth in the US and Asian markets, sending shares up 2 percent.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
FedEx posts higher profit

FedEx posts higher profit

FedEx Corp, the world's largest air-express carrier, on Wednesday posted a 33 percent increase in quarterly profit and raised its full-year forecast on growth in the US and Asian markets, sending shares up 2 percent.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Google and AOL tie up

Google and AOL tie up

Online search titan Google is investing one billion dollars to take a five-percent stake in Time Warner's America Online unit as part of a major strategic alliance, the companies announced Tuesday.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Global foreign exchange reserves top $4 trillion: IMF

Global foreign exchange reserves top $4 trillion: IMF

Global foreign exchange reserves topped $4 trillion for the first time in the third quarter of 2005, the International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday in its first quarterly update of international currency reserves data.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
India and China win bid for Syrian oil field

India and China win bid for Syrian oil field

India and China, often fierce rivals in the race for global energy resources, have won a joint bid to buy Petro-Canada's 37 percent stake in Syrian oil fields for 573 million dollars, a top Indian official said Wednesday.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
EU wants special rules for migrants with skills

EU wants special rules for migrants with skills

The European Union should have special immigration rules to attract high-skilled workers from outside the bloc who now prefer the United States to Europe, the European Commission said on Wednesday.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
French spend despite gloom

French spend despite gloom

French consumers spent more than expected in November despite drooping morale, a trend economists hope will be repeated in Italy where banking scandals forced consumer morale to retreat in December from 3-year highs.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Strike forces New York commuters to improvise

Strike forces New York commuters to improvise

New Yorkers begged rides on the Internet, dusted off their bikes and put on their skates on Wednesday in the battle to beat a mass transit strike that has hit business and raised tempers at the height of the holidays.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
US growth little strong, still best since 2004

US growth little strong, still best since 2004

The US economy grew a bit less robustly in the third quarter than previously thought and prices picked up, the government said on Wednesday, though the pace of growth remained the strongest since the beginning of 2004.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Canada's retail sales rise

Canada's retail sales rise

Canadian retail trade rose by a greater-than-expected 0.6 percent in October, propelled by a 5.5 percent gain in new car sales, Statistics Canada said on Wednesday.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Premiere loses German soccer rights

Premiere loses German soccer rights

The German football league (DFL) granted cable operators key broadcast rights to Bundesliga soccer matches on Wednesday in a severe blow for pay-TV broadcaster Premiere, whose stock almost halved.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
UN renews Liberia sanctions

UN renews Liberia sanctions

The UN Security Council renewed diamond and timber sanctions on Liberia on Tuesday for another six months and asked an expert panel to take a fresh look at the bans by June 7.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
EU adds 15 to preferential trading scheme

EU adds 15 to preferential trading scheme

The European Union has added 15 developing countries to its list of preferential trading partners that enjoy reduced- or zero-duty access on their exports to the bloc, the European Commission said on Wednesday.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
US Senate approves spending-cut bill

US Senate approves spending-cut bill

The US Senate on Wednesday narrowly passed a bill to trim nearly $40 billion from federal spending over five years, including cuts to social welfare programs such as health care for the elderly and poor.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Taiwan stocks finish firmer

Taiwan stocks finish firmer

Taiwan stocks closed at a 20-month high on Wednesday with China Steel leading industrial shares higher after a share buyback, while electronics issues resumed their advance after easing in the previous session.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Singapore shares make little gains

Singapore shares make little gains

Singapore share prices closed 0.17 percent higher on Wednesday, led by gains in technology stocks, dealers said. They said the sector rebounded following Tuesday's sell-down but the market remained in a year-end lull. The Straits Times Index rose 3.95 poi
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Hong Kong stocks end up

Hong Kong stocks end up

Hong Kong stocks ended slightly higher on Wednesday after regional gains, with demand for blue chip laggards helping to build momentum and the trading debut of another property investment trust aiding a firmer sentiment.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
US blue chips fall on GM; financial stocks gain

US blue chips fall on GM; financial stocks gain

US blue chip stocks fell on Tuesday, led lower by General Motors Corp amid signs US carmakers were losing ground to Japanese rivals, but strong profits at investment bank Morgan Stanley boosted financial shares.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Malaysian shares drop

Malaysian shares drop

Malaysian share prices closed 0.16 percent lower on Wednesday in the absence of a fresh lead amid continuing concerns about the prospects of higher interest rates, dealers said. The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index was down 1.43 points at 894.65.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
US Treasuries dip on strong November housing starts

US Treasuries dip on strong November housing starts

US Treasury debt prices slipped on Tuesday after a 5 percent jump in November housing starts suggested the Federal Reserve might extend its string of interest rate hikes.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
US Treasuries dip on strong November housing starts

US Treasuries dip on strong November housing starts

US Treasury debt prices slipped on Tuesday after a 5 percent jump in November housing starts suggested the Federal Reserve might extend its string of interest rate hikes.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Chinese shares tumble

Chinese shares tumble

China's shares closed nearly 0.5 percent lower on Wednesday as investors sold top steel maker Baoshan Iron and Steel Co Ltd to lock in profits, but rallying bank stocks defied the trend.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Indian shares sag

Indian shares sag

Indian share prices closed marginally lower in light trade on Wednesday despite early gains linked to a joint oil exploration deal by state-owned Oil and Natural Gas and China National Petroleum, dealers said.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Jakarta shares decline

Jakarta shares decline

Indonesian share prices closed 0.21 percent lower on Wednesday led by Astra International as investors locked in profits ahead of the Christmas-New Year break, dealers said.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Thai shares close flat

Thai shares close flat

Thai share prices closed flat on Wednesday after last minute profit-taking which followed a sharp gain in local equities a day earlier, dealers said.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Nikkei hits five-year closing high, property firms lead

Nikkei hits five-year closing high, property firms lead

Japan's Nikkei average rose to a fresh five-year closing high on Wednesday, bolstered by gains in property shares such as Mitsubishi Estate Co Ltd amid hopes Japanese asset values will rise after years of deflation.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Philippines shares surge

Philippines shares surge

Philippine share prices closed 0.59 percent higher on Wednesday as investors picked up bargains and fund managers carried out window-dressing to boost their portfolios ahead of the year-end holidays, dealers said.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Bangladesh interbank forex, interest rates

Bangladesh interbank forex, interest rates

Interbank buy/sell rates for the taka against the dollar on Wednesday. 66.15-66.20 (previous 66.15-66.20). Call Money Rates: 6.75-14.50 percent (previous 7.00-15.00 percent).
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Chinese yuan weakens

Chinese yuan weakens

China's yuan eased to close at 8.0765 to the dollar on Wednesday after remarks of a senior economist helped cool speculation. The yuan, which was revalued by 2.1 percent on July 21 to 8.11 per dollar, ended 0.03 percent lower from Tuesday's close of 8.074
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Swiss franc ticks down further after dollar rally

Swiss franc ticks down further after dollar rally

The Swiss franc lost slightly against the US dollar on Wednesday after the greenback's rally against major currencies in the previous session in a largely technically driven move.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Dollar keeps gains versus yen as trade winds down

Dollar keeps gains versus yen as trade winds down

The dollar steadied on Wednesday, clinging to hefty gains made a session earlier after strong US housing data reinforced expectations for higher interest rates in 2006.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Dollar rallies in technical driven, thin trade

Dollar rallies in technical driven, thin trade

The dollar soared on Tuesday, with analysts citing upbeat US housing data as an excuse for traders to drive the currency sharply higher in a technically driven and relatively illiquid session.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Hong Kong dollar clings to tight range

Hong Kong dollar clings to tight range

The Hong Kong dollar was trapped in its recent range against the US dollar on Wednesday, while interbank rates edged higher on year-end position adjusting and following firmer US bond yields.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Asian currencies weaker as US housing data boosts dollar

Asian currencies weaker as US housing data boosts dollar

Asian currencies lost some ground on Wednesday after stronger-than-expected US housing data for November reignited expectations of further increases in US interest rates, lifting the dollar against major currencies.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Atletico fined 6,000 euros

Atletico fined 6,000 euros

Atletico Madrid have been fined 6,000 euros ($7,132) by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) after a section of their fans hurled racial abuse at Espanyol goalkeeper Carlos Kameni in a league match last month.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Puerta given record eight-year drugs ban

Puerta given record eight-year drugs ban

The tennis career of Argentina's Mariano Puerta lay in tatters on Wednesday after he was banned for a record eight years after a positive drugs test.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Heartbroken Shabbir considers quitting

Heartbroken Shabbir considers quitting

Pakistan fast bowler Shabbir Ahmed Wednesday said he was considering quitting the game after he became the first bowler to be banned from bowling for 12 months for an illegal action.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Sri Lanka struggle to win final Test

Sri Lanka struggle to win final Test

India leg spinner Anil Kumble took three quick wickets on the fourth day to leave Sri Lanka struggling to save the final Test on Wednesday.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
England end disappointing tour with a victory

England end disappointing tour with a victory

England rounded off a disappointing tour of Pakistan with a six-runs win in the fifth and final one-day international on Wednesday. Paceman James Anderson (4-48) and all rounder Ian Blackwell (3-29) led the way after England's batsmen totalled a modest 20
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Death toll rises to 53 in India cold snap

Death toll rises to 53 in India cold snap

The death toll from a cold snap sweeping northern India rose to 53 Wednesday with three more homeless people reported to have succumbed to the chill.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Darfur police shoot, fire tear gas on demonstrators

Darfur police shoot, fire tear gas on demonstrators

Police opened fire and shot tear gas at Darfuri students trying to organise a demonstration on Wednesday against an attack on a village in Sudan's western region which killed 20 people, witnesses said.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Chad rebels say they poised for fresh attack

Chad rebels say they poised for fresh attack

Chadian rebels opposed to President Idriss Deby said on Wednesday they were poised for a fresh attack against a town on the border with Sudan which they attempted to storm at the weekend.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Speculation intensifies on Blair's departure date

Speculation intensifies on Blair's departure date

Facing a charismatic new opponent, doubters in his party and a clock he set ticking on his own premiership, politicians and analysts say Tony Blair's departure date will dominate British politics next year.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Waste rising fast, states must recycle more: EU

Waste rising fast, states must recycle more: EU

The European Union will tell its 25 member states to develop national programmes to tackle soaring waste levels as part of a bid to create a "recycling society", officials said on Wednesday.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Sweden to probe dark eugenics history

Sweden to probe dark eugenics history

Sweden launched a probe on Wednesday to understand how eugenics, a theory on improving the human race used by Nazi Germany to justify the Holocaust, became broadly accepted in the Nordic state in the early 20th century.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Musicians upset by Ahmadinejad's directive

Musicians upset by Ahmadinejad's directive

Iranian musicians reacted with a mixture of anger and dismay on Wednesday to a directive from a body headed by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad seeking to scrap Western music from the state media's playlists.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Israel to ban East Jerusalem vote

Israel to ban East Jerusalem vote

Israel said on Wednesday it would ban East Jerusalem Arabs from voting in a Palestinian election next month if militant Islamic group Hamas takes part - a move Palestinian officials said could delay the vote.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
French doctors separate conjoined twins

French doctors separate conjoined twins

A pair of 15-month-old twins born sharing part of the same spine have been successfully separated in a delicate operation in the southern French city of Marseille, doctors who participated in or witnessed the surgery said Wednesday.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
US spy court judge quits

US spy court judge quits

A federal judge has resigned from the court that oversees government surveillance in intelligence cases in protest of US President George W. Bush's authorisation of a domestic spying programme, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Saddam and witnesses accuse US forces

Saddam and witnesses accuse US forces

Saddam Hussein accused US forces on Wednesday of beating him in custody, after witnesses in his trial gave evidence linking the former Iraqi president and his henchmen to alleged killings and torture.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
UN approves long-delayed whistle-blower rules

UN approves long-delayed whistle-blower rules

Secretary-General Kofi Annan has approved long-delayed rules to protect UN employees from reprisals when they accuse superiors of misconduct, UN officials said late Tuesday.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Earthquake shakes eastern Indonesia

Earthquake shakes eastern Indonesia

An undersea earthquake of magnitude 6.3 rocked parts of eastern Indonesia on Wednesday, causing some panic, but there no immediate reports of casualties or damage, officials said.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Iran-EU talks end, further meeting in January

Iran-EU talks end, further meeting in January

Talks between Iran and the European Union's big three powers ended on Wednesday with an agreement to hold more negotiations in January aimed at easing concerns about Iran's atomic programme, an Iranian official said.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Elton John ties knot with long-term partner

Elton John ties knot with long-term partner

British pop star Elton John tied the knot with long-term partner David Furnish on Wednesday, joining hundreds of gay couples across England taking advantage of a new law to formalise their relationships.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Blair to stay in office until 2008

Blair to stay in office until 2008

British Prime Minister Tony Blair will stay in office until at least 2008, the tabloid Daily Mirror reported Wednesday, quoting unnamed senior allies.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Bush calls for renewed anti-terrorism powers

Bush calls for renewed anti-terrorism powers

US President George W. Bush on Wednesday called on the US Senate to approve funding for military operations, including the war in Iraq, and to renew a controversial package of anti-terrorism laws.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Attack on 'public indecency' sparks outrage in India

Attack on 'public indecency' sparks outrage in India

Students took to the streets in the northern Indian city of Meerut Wednesday after televised scenes of police kicking and punching young couples over "public indecency" prompted outrage.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Eritrea violated law with attack on Ethiopia: commission

Eritrea violated law with attack on Ethiopia: commission

Arch-rivals Ethiopia and Eritrea both claimed wrongdoing by the other was shown up Wednesday when an international panel formed to resolve disputes between them said Eritrea violated international law when it invaded the north of Ethiopia in May 1998.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Saudi Arabia to buy new UK combat jets soon

Saudi Arabia to buy new UK combat jets soon

Saudi Arabia is close to buying more combat aircraft from Britain, its defence minister said in remarks published on Wednesday, flagging a deal which one industry expert said may be worth 10 billion pounds ($18 billion).
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Indian rupee flat

Indian rupee flat

The rupee recovered its early losses to end flat on Wednesday, helped by robust foreign fund flows into India's flourishing stock market.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Sterling under pressure

Sterling under pressure

Sterling fell towards recent three-week lows against the euro and dipped versus the dollar on Wednesday on news that a Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee member opposed this month's decision to keep interest rates at 4.5 percent.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Euro jumps briefly

Euro jumps briefly

The euro got a brief boost on Wednesday after sources said the European Central Bank was likely to raise interest rates at least twice in 2006, while sterling fell after Bank of England minutes stoked talk of a UK rate cut.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Bonds: GM and Ford buffeted in thin holiday market

Bonds: GM and Ford buffeted in thin holiday market

US automakers came under renewed pressure in the European credit market on Wednesday, although there was little other action, with price quotes few and far between as Christmas drew closer.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Bonds: GM and Ford buffeted in thin holiday market

Bonds: GM and Ford buffeted in thin holiday market

US automakers came under renewed pressure in the European credit market on Wednesday, although there was little other action, with price quotes few and far between as Christmas drew closer.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
Seoul shares hit record high

Seoul shares hit record high

South Korean shares hit an all-time high on Wednesday, led by exporters such as Samsung Electronics after positive US economic data and an easing won currency lifted hopes for growing sales to the key US market.
Published 22 Dec, 2005 12:00am
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