Raw sugar futures settled easier on Wednesday on another round of commodity fund sales and the poor finish may lead to further losses before the end of the week, brokers said.
Soyabean futures at the Chicago Board of Trade closed lower on Wednesday on follow-through technical sales amid rising US soyabean stocks due to sluggish exports, traders said.
Chicago Board of Trade rough rice futures dived on Wednesday on a technical setback after the rally on Tuesday, traders said. March rice closed 10 cents lower at $8.29 per hundredweight, and may settle 12-1/2 cents weaker at $8.52-1/2 more than offsetting
Asian rubber prices rallied on Thursday, buoyed by sharp gains in Tokyo futures and healthy consumer demand amid tight supply from major producing countries.
Britain and Brazil agreed on Thursday to push for an ambitious reform of world trade rules and called for a summit of world leaders to thrash out the issues blocking a deal.
The European Islamic Investment Bank (EIIB) on Thursday became the first investment bank compliant with Shariah law to get the go ahead to invest and take deposits in Britain.
Google Inc said on Wednesday it had agreed to pay up to $90 million to settle its part of an industrywide lawsuit alleging Web search companies overcharge some advertisers by billing them for false customer leads.
Microsoft Corp on Thursday unveiled its 'Origami' project, a paperback-book sized portable computer, which is a hybrid between a laptop PC and a host of mobile devices that the world's biggest software maker hopes will create an entirely new market.
Japan's central bank scrapped its super-loose monetary policy on Thursday but - reflecting concerns about fallout for world markets and the domestic economy - said it will keep short-term interest rates around zero for now.
Japan's financial regulator penalised the Japanese brokerage unit of J.P. Morgan Chase & Co on Thursday, ordering it to halt some operations for three weeks for manipulating prices in stock futures trades.
The Bank of England kept interest rates at 4.5 percent for the seventh month running on Thursday and expectations of a cut in British borrowing costs this year are waning.
Cold weather helped to drag down German industrial production slightly in January by hurting construction output, but the general trend was strong, with activity in the core manufacturing sector rising substantially.
India and Myanmar agreed Thursday to consider ways of transporting natural gas from fields off western Myanmar to the energy-hungry giant next door, officials said.
President George W. Bush, who has threatened to veto legislation blocking the Dubai ports deal, has not changed his position, the White House said on Thursday.
A powerful House of Representatives committee has voted overwhelmingly to block Dubai Ports World from managing six US ports, moving closer to a showdown with the White House over the deal.
The US trade deficit widened more than expected in January to a record $68.5 billion, as record imports fuelled by high oil prices outstripped record exports propelled by stronger foreign demand, a US Commerce Department report showed on Thursday.
Seoul shares fell for a third consecutive session on Thursday, as technology firms such as Samsung Electronics were again hit by heavy foreign selling amid worries about the outlook for global interest rates.
Hong Kong stocks firmed on Thursday, as the strong finish of the Tokyo Nikkei boosted sentiment, ending a two-day sell-off. But some analysts warned the market was due for further declines as sentiment remained cautious.
The Dow industrials and the US Standard & Poor's 500 Index finished higher on Wednesday as investors piled into defensive shares of consumer staples, pharmaceutical and utility companies on concerns about higher interest rates.
Singapore share prices closed flat on Thursday in a market that lacked fresh leads, dealers said. The Straits Times Index was up 1.65 points at 2,504.25 on volume of 884 million shares at 914.8 million Singapore dollars (561 million US). Gainers beat lose
US Treasury debt prices traded narrowly mixed on Wednesday, allowing long-term bond yields to catch up to their short-dated counterparts for the first time in over a month.
US Treasury debt prices traded narrowly mixed on Wednesday, allowing long-term bond yields to catch up to their short-dated counterparts for the first time in over a month.
Philippines share prices closed 0.5 percent higher on Thursday as selective bargain-hunting in blue chips provided support after two days of losses, dealers said.
Thai share prices closed 0.71 percent higher on Thursday, snapping back from recent sharp losses on gains in bank stocks but the broader market was kept in check due to concerns over the current political turmoil, dealers said.
The Nikkei average rose 2.62 percent on Thursday after the Bank of Japan decided to end its five-year-old experiment with ultra-loose monetary policy, putting an end to weeks of market uncertainty.
Malaysian share prices closed 0.81 percent higher on Thursday, led by gains in construction stocks on hopes the sector will benefit from a forthcoming government development plan, dealers said.
Taiwan stocks rebounded 0.42 percent on Thursday, led by flat panel makers such as AU Optronics amid optimism of solid earnings momentum, but some fund managers said further upside was limited.
Chinese shares fell for a fourth straight session, closing 0.42 percent lower on Thursday as banking stocks led the market down on profit-taking amid a broader technical correction.
Interbank buy/sell rates for the taka against the dollar on Thursday. 68.18/71.60 (previous 68.14/68.20). Call Money Rates: 10.00-25.00 percent (previous 10.00-25.00 percent).
The Swiss franc traded slightly easier against the dollar early on Thursday but quickly firmed to trade almost unchanged from Wednesday after Swiss consumer prices rose faster than expected in February.
China's yuan closed lower to the dollar on Thursday for the third straight day as the US currency traded stronger, with some dealers suspecting that the central bank had given the market a shove.
The yen fell on Thursday after the Bank of Japan scrapped its ultra-loose monetary policy of the past five years but said that restrained inflation may keep interest rates very low for some time.
The dollar slipped against major currencies on Wednesday, but held within tight ranges, consolidating the previous session's gains as traders awaited several potentially market-moving events later in the week.
The Hong Kong dollar inched higher on Thursday as a firmer local stock market eased worries about capital outflow. "Some investors snapped up the local currency, tracking an improved local stock market, in anticipation of a limited downside risk following
Risk-averse investors stuck to US dollars on Thursday, pushing high-yielding Asian currencies down for a second straight day, after the Bank of Japan announced an end to five years of ultra-loose monetary policy.
The Australian dollar rallied off a two-month low on Thursday after employment growth topped market expectations, but retained a downward bias as global monetary conditions tighten while local rates remain on hold. The currency's gains were also capped ar
Reigning champion Padraig Harrington will try to become only the second player to capture back-to-back titles at the 5.5 million-dollar US PGA Honda Classic starting here Tuesday.
Cricket is unlikely to be played in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi despite being the most popular sport in India, the country's Olympic chief said on Thursday.
Upul Tharanga slammed an impressive maiden century to help Sri Lanka take a handy first innings lead over Bangladesh in the second and final Test here on Thursday.
Kenya will tour Bangladesh later this month to play four one-day internationals, an official said on Thursday. The first match will be played on March 17 in Bogra, the second on March 20 in Khulna and the third and fourth in Fatullah on March 23 and 25, a
Former Sri Lankan captain Aravinda De Silva led a group of players to persuade President Mahinda Rajapakse to restore democracy in the country's cricket at a meeting at the Singhalese Sports Club ground here on Wednesday to demand the sacking of the inter
Ashes hero Kevin Pietersen cracked a robust 64 in murky conditions to help England survive early blows in the second Test against India here on Thursday.
Scott Styris starred for New Zealand Thursday, backing up an unbeaten century with two wickets in three balls to even the honours on the opening day of the first Test against the West Indies.
US museums have come under fire over the way they acquire antiquities after Greece, Italy and Peru have demanded the return of ancient pieces from American institutions.
Zimbabwe has made more arrests in connection with the discovery of an arms cache and a suspected plot to launch a military rebellion against President Robert Mugabe, police said on Thursday.
Indian and Chinese officials will hold border talks at the weekend, the Indian foreign ministry said Thursday, as part of meetings aimed at resolving a four-decade row between the Asian giants.
Dissent within France's ruling UMP party over a widely criticised youth job seeker contract has added to the woes of Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, presenting a fresh test of his governing style and authority.
UN troops who fled when rioting mobs attacked their bases in the west of war-divided Ivory Coast in January are preparing to return to the volatile region, the mission's top peacekeeper said on Thursday.
The United States made a new plea to African nations on Thursday to back the deployment of UN peacekeeping troops in Sudan's Darfur region and sought to ease Sudanese concerns about the make-up of the force.
The US military will close Abu Ghraib prison, probably within three months, and transfer some 4,500 prisoners to other jails in Iraq, a military spokesman said on Thursday.
A leading cardinal on Thursday backed allowing Muslim pupils in Italy to study the Holy Quran in state schools, in the Vatican's latest gesture of concern for good relations with Islam.
Two suspected Taleban rebels and a woman were killed in an hours-long clash with security forces in eastern Afghanistan overnight, police said Thursday.
Japanese police said on Thursday that domestic violence rose more than 17 percent last year, a record high since they began compiling national statistics in 2002.
A Frenchman who drugged his teenaged children's tennis rivals, resulting in the accidental death of one of them, was given an eight-year prison sentence by a court here Thursday.
Three people were killed and 19 wounded in the eastern Turkish city of Van on Thursday in an explosion officials said was almost certainly caused by a suicide bomber.
France's right-dominated parliament on Thursday approved a controversial new youth jobs contract which earlier this week brought hundreds of thousands of students and workers on to the streets in a major challenge to Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin.
Iran is probably the No 1 challenge to the United States, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Thursday after Tehran vowed no compromise in a stand-off with the West over its nuclear programs.
Thirteen rebels were hanged in Iraq Thursday, a government official said. The insurgents had been sentenced for crimes including murder, rape, kidnappings and bombings, the official said on condition of anonymity. He declined to say where the executions h
Iraq's first parliament since elections in December looked likely to convene on Sunday, but there was no sign of a breakthrough in the political deadlock that is delaying formation of a government of national unity.
Interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said he planned to impose permanent Israeli borders by 2010 through pullouts from parts of the occupied West Bank, unless Hamas recognised the Jewish state and renounced violence.
A court in Bosnia's Serb Republic sentenced an ex-soldier to 20 years in prison for war crimes on Thursday, the longest jail term handed down so far in the semi-autonomous region.
A man sentenced to 10 years in jail in absentia in Kuwait for belonging to al Qaeda has handed himself in to authorities, security sources said on Thursday.
A House of Representatives committee late Wednesday rejected the Bush administration's new initiative to promote democracy in Iran as it approved $71 billion in emergency funds mostly to finance the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The rupee pulled away from two-week lows struck in intra-day deals to end broadly steady on Thursday, drawing support from a rebounding stock market and a rallying yen, dealers said.
Sterling moved off a one-month low against the euro on Thursday after upbeat British factory output data, but showed little reaction to the Bank of England's decision to leave interest rates unchanged.
The yen rose sharply from an earlier two-week low against the dollar after the Bank of Japan scrapped its five-year-old ultra-easy monetary policy and said the economy was recovering steadily.
US stocks advanced on Thursday after Japan's central bank said it would leave short-term interest rates near zero for now, soothing fears of a sudden global run-up in borrowing costs that would hurt equity markets.
Default swaps on GMAC, General Motors' finance arm, rose on Thursday, after the United Auto Workers union said it was not close to a cost-cutting agreement with GM and bankrupt supplier Delphi Corp.
Default swaps on GMAC, General Motors' finance arm, rose on Thursday, after the United Auto Workers union said it was not close to a cost-cutting agreement with GM and bankrupt supplier Delphi Corp.
Indian share prices closed up 0.62 percent Thursday in volatile trading led by steel and software stocks, dealers said. They said that despite the gain, trading sentiment remained cautious after foreign funds heavily sold shares in early morning trading.
Leading UK shares broke a steep two-day losing streak on Thursday, closing higher on well-received company earnings and boosted by gains in the drugs sector.
Global commodities demand may grow from strength to strength in coming years, driven by economic powerhouse China, but there's no guarantee prices won't swivel widely from their recent lofty heights.
Europe's policy on genetically modified (GMO) crops and foods came under fire on Thursday from EU environment ministers, many of whom complained of a lack of transparency and that their concerns were often ignored.
Oil rose on Thursday after losing nearly 6 percent this week on Opec's decision to keep pumping at near full rates and as US crude stocks jumped to their highest level in almost seven years.
Cotton futures ended slightly higher Thursday on combined options-related and commercial buying as players looked ahead toward a government production report being released tomorrow, dealers said.
London white sugar futures closed slightly lower on Thursday, weakened by speculative selling, traders said. Benchmark May concluded down $1.00 at $437.50 a tonne after moving between $433.50 and $442.30.
London Metal Exchange copper responded positively to tax news from China and a change in Japan's rate strategy on Thursday to end almost 2 percent higher, traders said.
Gold rebounded on Thursday from its lowest level in three weeks following a pick up in physical demand, a recovery in oil and some weakness in the dollar, but investors remained cautious and waited for a sustained rise.
US coffee futures closed firmer on Thursday, supported by floor brokers and speculative traders, although the market still was viewed as consolidating near where prices started the year, dealers said.
Raw sugar futures sagged from another bout of commodity fund sales to end lower Thursday and the weak tone could lead to more falls in the market before the end of the week, brokers said.
Wheat futures at the Chicago Board of Trade were lower at midmorning on Thursday, pressured by fund selling and beneficial rains in parts of the US Plains and Midwest winter wheat regions, traders said.
Chicago Board of Trade corn futures were higher early on Thursday, supported by strong weekly export data, traders said. The market was also due for a technical bounce, approaching oversold conditions after falling to a three-week low on Wednesday. The Ma
US copper futures were firmer in early business on Thursday amid some short covering following the market's 5.6 percent decline this week, sources said.
Chicago Board of Trade soyabean futures were firm early Thursday on a rebound from this week's technical sell-off, with firmer gold markets supportive, traders said. With the increase in speculative money from index funds flowing into commodity markets, c
US gold futures rallied from three-week lows on speculative and trade buying early Thursday, snapping back after a 1.8 percent drop previously, with added help from US economic data and firm crude oil.
Sialkot Tehsil Municipal Administration has decided to introduce a mechanised system costing Rs 18 million aimed at gradually replacing the manual system.
Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) engineers have underlined the need for provision of maximum facilities to its consumers and vowed to continue their hard work for the uplift of the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco).
The Federal government has decided to set up the first Women university and University of Engineering and Technology in Multan. President General Pervez Musharraf would lay the foundation stone of the institutions in April 2006, said District Co-ordinatio
Through your esteemed daily we would like to invite the attention of the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs on the issue. If the government has presented any Bill in the Parliament relating to the Citizenship Act of 1951, during the year 2005.
A number of private Pakistani TV channels are now operating round the clock. It appears that these channels are short of indigenous programmes and are, therefore, filling up the gap with the Indian programmes.