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Print - 2009-04-05
US rice ends mixed

US rice ends mixed

US rice futures on the Chicago Board of Trade closed mixed on Friday, with the nearby contracts supported by spillover buying from soybeans and wheat, traders said. The softer dollar was also supportive. Front two months ended 15 cents per hundredweight h
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Fund buying drives US copper futures up

Fund buying drives US copper futures up

Copper rallied above the psychological $2.00 per lb level in New York futures trade on Friday, as fund interest mounted amid a budding sense of optimism about the economy and longer-term demand prospects for industrial metals. Copper for May delivery surg
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
New York gold down

New York gold down

US gold futures ended lower on Friday as risk aversion receded after the previous session's stock markets rally and as the tone of the global economy improved after the G20 leaders' summit. Gold for June delivery settled down $11.60, or 1.3 percent, at $8
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Soyabean futures extends gains

Soyabean futures extends gains

Chicago soyabean futures rose on Friday with help from crude oil to extend their strong rally this week, but trading was hesitant ahead of closely watched US jobs data. Wheat edged higher and corn inched down as markets were cautious in the run-up to the
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
US soya rises

US soya rises

US soya rose on Friday and flirted with two-month highs on continued aggressive exports of US soya and lingering support from a bullish soya plantings report released by the US government early in the week. Soya has had a bullish week with Tuesday's data
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
India soyoil eases

India soyoil eases

Indian soyoil futures eased on Friday afternoon on profit-taking triggered by weakness in rival Malaysian palm oil and soyoil on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), but firm demand limited the losses. At 1:44 pm (0814 GMT), the April contract was down 0.58
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Australia cotton harvest seen best in four years

Australia cotton harvest seen best in four years

Australia's cotton harvest this year is set to be at least 1.4 million bales, more than double last season's harvest and the best crop in four years, the country's top cotton processor said on Thursday. New seed varieties had lifted quality and yield, wit
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
China seeks to stabilise cotton output in 2009

China seeks to stabilise cotton output in 2009

China's agriculture ministry said on Thursday it is urging local authorities to persuade farmers to maintain their cotton acreage after a survey showed they intended to grow less of the fibre this year.
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
New York sugar settles down

New York sugar settles down

Raw sugar futures closed lower on Friday on profit-taking and in line with softer outside markets, but analysts said the sweetener is poised to move up on chart-based buying next week. The key May sugar contract slid 0.51 cent to finish at 12.55 cents per
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Ukrainian palm oil imports to fall

Ukrainian palm oil imports to fall

Ukraine's palm oil imports will fall 10 percent this year to 440,000 tonnes because of increasingly cheaper and plentiful domestic supplies of sunflower oil, Malaysian and Indonesian traders said on Friday. The shift contrasts with last year when Ukraine
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Commodities' prices steady on G-20 summit, gold loses shine

Commodities' prices steady on G-20 summit, gold loses shine

Commodity prices held steady last week as the G20 summit stoked hopes of an economic upturn and rising demand for raw materials but gold fell as world leaders agreed to sell reserves to help fund IMF lending. Markets were overshadowed Friday by news that
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
RBS to cut more jobs, wants end to public flogging

RBS to cut more jobs, wants end to public flogging

Royal Bank of Scotland will cut more jobs, Chairman Philip Hampton warned on Friday, as he called for an end to the "public flogging" of the state-rescued bank over its past mistakes. In spite of Hampton's attempts to draw a line in the sand, however, RBS
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Companies curtail hospitality spending at sports

Companies curtail hospitality spending at sports

Companies are cutting spending on hospitality centred around sports events in the face of the recession and criticism that such outlays are unnecessary, a top marketing executive said on Friday. "People are spending, but they're spending a lot more judici
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
German upper house approves bank expropriation law

German upper house approves bank expropriation law

Germany's Bundesrat upper house of parliament approved a law on Friday that gives the government the power to take control of banks hit by the financial crisis, potentially forcing shareholders to sell their stakes. The law, agreed mainly to allow the gov
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
All eyes on Irish budget; Europe pledged support

All eyes on Irish budget; Europe pledged support

Ireland's European partners vowed on Friday to support the Irish economy through its fiscal crisis but said it was up to Dublin to get its public finances under control, starting with next week's emergency budget. Ireland's ballooning deficit, which led S
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
California may sell $4 billion in taxable bonds

California may sell $4 billion in taxable bonds

California is considering a sale of $3.5 billion to $4 billion in taxable bonds later this month, with Build America Bonds to be included in the offer to help finance public works, a spokesman for Treasurer Bill Lockyer said on Friday. The transaction wou
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
California may sell $4 billion in taxable bonds

California may sell $4 billion in taxable bonds

California is considering a sale of $3.5 billion to $4 billion in taxable bonds later this month, with Build America Bonds to be included in the offer to help finance public works, a spokesman for Treasurer Bill Lockyer said on Friday. The transaction wou
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Obama to ease Cuban sanctions

Obama to ease Cuban sanctions

US President Barack Obama plans to ease economic sanctions on Cuba, allowing Cuban-Americans to visit families as often as they like and send them unlimited financial aid, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday. Citing an unnamed senior administration
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
'Banks resisting pressure to swap debt for stock'

'Banks resisting pressure to swap debt for stock'

Banks that have loaned Chrysler LLC $6.8 billion are resisting government pressure to swap more than $5 billion of that debt for stock, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
White House seeks to sidestep bailout fund curbs

White House seeks to sidestep bailout fund curbs

The administration of President Barack Obama is crafting new financial bail-out initiatives in a way it believes will allow firms receiving funds to avoid restrictions imposed by Congress, The Washington Post reported on Saturday.
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Britain digs in heels over supervision reform

Britain digs in heels over supervision reform

Britain clashed with its European Union partners on Saturday over an ambitious reform of financial supervision that would erode its sovereignty in regulating the bloc's biggest financial centre. The UK is fiercely protective of its City of London financia
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Obama plays up role as consensus builder at G20

Obama plays up role as consensus builder at G20

Where President George W. Bush was known for his "cowboy diplomacy," his successor, President Barack Obama wants to be known as a listener and a builder of bridges. Taking his first major foreign trip since becoming president in January, Obama arrived in
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
New York Times threatens to shut Boston Globe

New York Times threatens to shut Boston Globe

The New York Times Co has threatened to shut The Boston Globe unless the newspaper's unions quickly agree to $20 million in concessions, the Globe reported on Friday, quoting union leaders. The union officials said executives from the Globe and the
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Asian firms on Iraq shortlist for oil deals

Asian firms on Iraq shortlist for oil deals

Asian companies are among nine firms shortlisted by the Iraqi oil ministry for contracts in 11 oil and gas fields, according to a document obtained by AFP on Saturday. The companies selected from the 38 which submitted bids in a tender process launched on
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Swiss ministers cast doubt on OECD tax list criteria

Swiss ministers cast doubt on OECD tax list criteria

Swiss ministers on Saturday cast doubt on the criteria behind the OECD's classification of tax havens, which was at the heart of a crackdown announced at a Group of 20 summit this week. Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Singapore and more than 30
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Kodak clinches deal to amend credit pact

Kodak clinches deal to amend credit pact

Eastman Kodak Co has struck a deal with lenders to amend a credit agreement, granting the ailing company much-needed financial leeway as it struggles to resuscitate demand for its photography products. Kodak said on Friday its new credit facility provides
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
South Africa on track to halve unemployment

South Africa on track to halve unemployment

South Africa will meet a 2014 target to halve unemployment, a cabinet minister said on Saturday, despite the prospect of rising job losses in the global financial crisis. Unemployment has remained stubbornly high in Africa's biggest economy and fears are
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Japan eyes up to $3,000 in green car subsidy

Japan eyes up to $3,000 in green car subsidy

Japan is considering introducing subsidies of up to 300,000 yen ($2,991) for the purchases of gasoline/electricity hybrids and other low emission vehicles to shore up slumping auto demand, the Nikkei business daily said on Saturday.
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
East Timor secures funding from international donors

East Timor secures funding from international donors

International donors have pledged 221 million dollars to help shield East Timor's economy from the impact of the global slowdown, the country's prime minister said Saturday. Xanana Gusmao said the global financial crisis would continue to impact upon the
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
South Korean bonds sink

South Korean bonds sink

South Korean government bonds slumped on Friday after a two-day rebound as investors feared Monday's major bond auction might reignite supply concerns. The government plans to auction up to 2.7 trillion won ($2.01 billion) in 3-year treasury bonds on Mond
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
South Korean bonds sink

South Korean bonds sink

South Korean government bonds slumped on Friday after a two-day rebound as investors feared Monday's major bond auction might reignite supply concerns. The government plans to auction up to 2.7 trillion won ($2.01 billion) in 3-year treasury bonds on Mond
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
US Treasury prices tumble

US Treasury prices tumble

US Treasury debt prices fell sharply on Friday as investors looked beyond a dismal employment report to again focus on vast upcoming issuance. Hopes for some sort of moderation in the economy's retrenchment also began driving traders into riskier assets,
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
US Treasury prices tumble

US Treasury prices tumble

US Treasury debt prices fell sharply on Friday as investors looked beyond a dismal employment report to again focus on vast upcoming issuance. Hopes for some sort of moderation in the economy's retrenchment also began driving traders into riskier assets,
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Chile stocks up

Chile stocks up

Chilean shares closed firmer on Friday, following gains on Wall Street, while the peso fell slightly, weighed down by worse-than-expected US jobs data, traders said. The IPSA leading share index rose 0.62 percent to close at 2,551.26 points after firming
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Brazil stocks rise to six-month high

Brazil stocks rise to six-month high

Brazil's stocks rose for a fourth session to a six-month high on Friday. The Bovespa index of the Sao Paulo stock exchange gained 1.5 percent to 44,390.98, after jumping 4.2 percent the previous session. The index has risen nearly 8 percent over four stra
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
US corporate bonds spread tighter

US corporate bonds spread tighter

US credit spreads tightened on Friday, extending gains from the previous session as optimism about economic recovery efforts improved investors' appetite for risk. The cost of insuring corporate debt with credit default swaps fell sharply, with the main i
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
US corporate bonds spread tighter

US corporate bonds spread tighter

US credit spreads tightened on Friday, extending gains from the previous session as optimism about economic recovery efforts improved investors' appetite for risk. The cost of insuring corporate debt with credit default swaps fell sharply, with the main i
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
China convertible bond market flourishes in crisis

China convertible bond market flourishes in crisis

Chinese firms, spurred by a rebounding domestic share market, are poised to launch a boom in convertible bond issuance that defies refinancing woes hounding issuers elsewhere in Asia. Investors also look likely to lap up the new issues as yields languish
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
China convertible bond market flourishes in crisis

China convertible bond market flourishes in crisis

Chinese firms, spurred by a rebounding domestic share market, are poised to launch a boom in convertible bond issuance that defies refinancing woes hounding issuers elsewhere in Asia. Investors also look likely to lap up the new issues as yields languish
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
New Zealand shares rise

New Zealand shares rise

New Zealand share prices closed 1.11 percent higher on Friday, following global optimism over efforts by world leaders to solve the economic crisis, dealers said. The benchmark NZX-50 index rose 28.68 points to 2,614.48 on turnover worth 82.76 million dol
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
American credit market outlook

American credit market outlook

Lincoln National Corp's debt costs have soared on concerns about investment losses and impending debt maturities, and unless markets recover or federal aid materialises, the company's capital levels are likely to come even further under pressure.
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
American credit market outlook

American credit market outlook

Lincoln National Corp's debt costs have soared on concerns about investment losses and impending debt maturities, and unless markets recover or federal aid materialises, the company's capital levels are likely to come even further under pressure.
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Chile stocks jump

Chile stocks jump

Chilean shares closed firmer on Friday, following gains on Wall Street, while the peso fell slightly, weighed down by worse-than-expected US jobs data, traders said. The IPSA leading share index rose 0.62 percent to close at 2,551.26 points after firming
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Mexican stocks end firmer

Mexican stocks end firmer

Mexico's stocks rose on Friday after the central bank said it would activate a $30 billion swap line with the US Federal Reserve this month to aid Mexican firms. The government's benchmark 10-year peso bond rose 0.21 of a point in price, pushing its yield
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Toronto stocks pulled down

Toronto stocks pulled down

Toronto's main equity index slipped on Friday as an improved tone in the global economy weighed on gold prices and rattled mining issues. The retreat ended a three-day winning streak on the TSX, but the index still recorded its fourth-straight weekly gain
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Canadian bonds fall

Canadian bonds fall

The Canadian government bond prices were lower across the curve on Friday as job losses in the United States were not as bad as some market players had feared. That added to optimism that has been building over the past few weeks over the state of the glo
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Canadian bonds fall

Canadian bonds fall

The Canadian government bond prices were lower across the curve on Friday as job losses in the United States were not as bad as some market players had feared. That added to optimism that has been building over the past few weeks over the state of the glo
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Argentine stocks rise

Argentine stocks rise

Argentina's stock and bond market trends on Friday. The MerVal stocks index jumped 5.49 percent to 1,196.97, the highest close since the first week of the year, catching up with gains made on Wall Street a day earlier, when there was a holiday in Argentin
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Dow ends above 8,000 in best four-week run since 1933

Dow ends above 8,000 in best four-week run since 1933

US stocks rose on Friday, with the Dow marking its best four-week winning streak since 1933, lifted by robust results from Research in Motion and comments by Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, who said the central bank will do everything it can to stabilise banks
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
IMM speculators pare long US dollar positions: CFTC

IMM speculators pare long US dollar positions: CFTC

Currency speculators trimmed their long US dollar positions in the latest week, according to data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission on Friday. The value of the US dollar's net long position was $5.16 billion in the week ending March 31, down f
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Canadian dollar rises to week's high

Canadian dollar rises to week's high

The Canadian dollar rose to its high for the week against the US dollar on Friday as appetite for risk increased along with optimism about a global economic recovery, which hurt safe-haven currencies.
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Forex outlook: dollar likely to go up next week

Forex outlook: dollar likely to go up next week

The US dollar is likely to gain in the week ahead as a jump in the US unemployment rate to its highest since 1983 prompts investors to again seek the relative safety of the greenback. While other US data earlier in the week, including a survey on the US m
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
US dollar rises versus yen

US dollar rises versus yen

The US dollar rose against the yen on Friday after US jobs data was as bad as many had feared and did little to dampen investors' improved appetite for risk. The euro also edged higher, extending gains it made in the previous session after the European Ce
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Quantitative easing may boost some currencies

Quantitative easing may boost some currencies

Major central banks which have recently ventured into "quantitative easing", or direct expansion of the money supply, as a way to fire up slumping economies, may yet find the strategy strengthens their currencies unless inflation is allowed to get out of
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
China March new lending 1.3 trillion yuan

China March new lending 1.3 trillion yuan

China's new bank lending reached 1.3 trillion yuan ($190 billion) in March, official media said on Friday citing sources, posting a third consecutive month of strong loan growth that offered a tentative sign of economic recovery.
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Brazil's real gains

Brazil's real gains

Brazil's currency on Friday strengthened as the agreement by G20 leaders to stimulate the global economy increases investor appetite for riskier emerging market assets. Brazil's currency, the real, strengthened 1.34 percent to 2.206 per dollar, adding to
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Koroki leads Kashima to 2-1 win over Kyoto

Koroki leads Kashima to 2-1 win over Kyoto

Forward Shinzo Koroki led defending champions Kashima Antlers to a come-from-behind 2-1 victory against Kyoto Purple Sanga in their J-League clash on Saturday. After going down 1-0, Koroki set up a goal for Ryuta Sasaki in the 84th minute and then scored
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Chelsea ruin Shearer homecoming with 2-0 win

Chelsea ruin Shearer homecoming with 2-0 win

Chelsea proved unpopular guests at the Alan Shearer homecoming party on Saturday as they won 2-0 at St James' Park to stay in the Premier League title hunt and leave Newcastle United mired in relegation trouble. Goals by Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Djokovic topples Federer to book Miami meeting with Murray

Djokovic topples Federer to book Miami meeting with Murray

Once-invincible Roger Federer was reduced to a rare bout of racket-bashing Friday as he was toppled in the semi-finals of the Miami ATP Masters 1000 by Serbian Novak Djokovic. Djokovic, ranked number three in the world, defied the blustery conditions to b
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Four-goal Celtic six points clear in Scotland

Four-goal Celtic six points clear in Scotland

Celtic strikers Georgios Samaras and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink ended their goal droughts in Celtic's 4-0 win over Hamilton at Parkhead on Saturday to move them six points clear in Scotland. With Rangers not playing Falkirk until Sunday, the champions kne
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Gerrard signs new Liverpool deal

Gerrard signs new Liverpool deal

Steven Gerrard has agreed a new Liverpool contract that runs beyond his 33rd birthday and is likely to mean he ends his career at Anfield. Team-mate Dirk Kuyt has also agreed a new two-year deal with the club, who last month secured the services of manage
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Wolfsburg crush Bayern Munich 5-1 to go top of the table

Wolfsburg crush Bayern Munich 5-1 to go top of the table

Wolfsburg crushed champions Bayern Munich 5-1 on Saturday with braces from strikers Grafite and Edin Dzeko, to go top of the Bundesliga table on goal difference. Bayern drop to fourth place on 48 points, three off the top, while Hamburg beat Hoffenheim wi
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Flintoff hat-trick helps England to win series

Flintoff hat-trick helps England to win series

England ended their ragged tour of the West Indies on a high on Friday when an Andrew Flintoff hat-trick helped them beat the hosts by 26 runs in a rain-shortened match to win the one-day series 3-2. Flintoff took five for 19 in his five overs, including
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Ponting hails Aussie match-winner Hussey

Ponting hails Aussie match-winner Hussey

Captain Ricky Ponting hailed the return to form of Mike Hussey as Australia gained a crushing 141-run win over South Africa in the first one-day international at Kingsmead Friday. Hussey hit 83 not out as Australia piled up 286 for seven. South Africa wer
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
India name preliminary squad for World T20

India name preliminary squad for World T20

India has named a preliminary squad for the Twenty20 World Cup in England in June, pencilling in all but four players from the side that won the inaugural edition two years ago. Mahendra Singh Dhoni led a young team to surprise success in South Africa in
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
India in box seat for New Zealand series win

India in box seat for New Zealand series win

India took a big step towards winning their first Test series in New Zealand since 1968 after racking up a 233-run lead early in their second innings of the third Test here on Saturday. India were on 51 for one at stumps on the second day after dismissing
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Thousands mourn UK reality TV star Jade Goody

Thousands mourn UK reality TV star Jade Goody

Thousands of people turned out to bid farewell to reality TV star Jade Goody on Saturday, a fittingly public end for a woman whose life and death were pored over by Britain's celebrity-obsessed media. The one-time dental assistant, who died last month of
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Territorial claims, environment to dominate debate at polar summit

Territorial claims, environment to dominate debate at polar summit

Territorial claims targeting riches hidden at the bottom of the Arctic Ocean and preservation of the pristine environment of Antarctica will top the agenda of the first meeting on the future of the North and South Poles that opens here Monday.
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Slovaks vote in run-off presidential election

Slovaks vote in run-off presidential election

Slovakia voted in a run-off election for the largely ceremonial post of president on Saturday, choosing between the incumbent president and the strongest opposition candidate. The election was expected to test support for Prime Minister Robert Fico, who h
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Rahul Gandhi files candidacy for Indian elections

Rahul Gandhi files candidacy for Indian elections

Thousands cheered and showered flower petals on Rahul Gandhi, the scion of Indian politics' first family, as he filed his candidacy Saturday for elections that begin later this month. Gandhi, 38, a fourth-generation political leader, will run for a second
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Iraqi forces arrest more US-allied Sunni guards

Iraqi forces arrest more US-allied Sunni guards

Iraqi forces have arrested two Sunni Arab neighbourhood guards, a security spokesman said on Saturday, after a string of other arrests in Baghdad that raised tensions. US-backed Sunni Arab fighters who switched sides to fight al Qaeda in late 2006 have be
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Volcano erupts again in Chilean lake region

Volcano erupts again in Chilean lake region

Chile's Llaima volcano, one of South America's most active, spewed a more-than-1,000 metre (1,094 yard) flow of lava on Saturday in a fresh eruption, the country's National Emergency Office (ONEMI) said. Llaima, which lies in Chile's picturesque lake regi
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Algerian security sweeps leave 11 militants dead

Algerian security sweeps leave 11 militants dead

Police raids conducted east of the Algerian capital left 11 al Qaeda-linked militants and one officer dead, an official and local media said Saturday, as authorities intensified security measures before next week's presidential election. Combined forces w
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Mahathir rejoins main UMNO party

Mahathir rejoins main UMNO party

Former Malaysian premier Mahathir Mohamad has rejoined the main ruling party, the prime minister said on Saturday, a day after his beleaguered successor stepped down. Mahathir, who ruled the Southeast Asian country for 22 years until 2003, still wields so
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Iraq plans to open Saddam museum

Iraq plans to open Saddam museum

Iraq plans to open a museum filled with weapons, statues, paintings, furniture and artefacts that belonged to the nation's toppled dictator Saddam Hussein, officials told AFP on Saturday. The items collected and catalogued in the six years since the US-le
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Thousands of victims of Rwandan genocide to be exhumed

Thousands of victims of Rwandan genocide to be exhumed

Thousands of bodies of the victims of the 1994 Rwandan genocide which floated downriver and were eventually buried in mass graves in southern Uganda will be exhumed and re-buried Tuesday, reports said Saturday.Up to 20,000 bodies floated down the Kagera R
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Somali government orders all aid agencies to register

Somali government orders all aid agencies to register

Somalia's prime minister has ordered all aid agencies working in the lawless Horn of Africa nation to register with the new government for their own safety. The country is suffering one of the world's worst humanitarian catastrophes. A two-year Islamist r
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Israeli forces kill armed Palestinian woman, two gunmen

Israeli forces kill armed Palestinian woman, two gunmen

Israeli forces killed a Palestinian woman who shot at a police base in southern Israel on Saturday, and two militants in a separate incident in the Gaza Strip, medics and Israeli security official said. In a rare incident, the woman opened fire at a guard
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
US military removes lawyer from Guantanamo case

US military removes lawyer from Guantanamo case

The US military has removed a Navy defence lawyer from the case of a young Canadian terrorism suspect being held at the Guantanamo prison camp, a military official said on Saturday. Navy Lieutenant Commander William Kuebler had been serving as chief defen
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Karzai rejects criticism of women's law, pledges review

Karzai rejects criticism of women's law, pledges review

Afghan President Hamid Karzai Saturday rejected Western criticism that a new law imposes Taliban-style restrictions on women but ordered a review and vowed to correct anything of concern. Karzai has come under heavy blame from his allies, including Canada
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Darfur crisis on brink of deepening: US envoy

Darfur crisis on brink of deepening: US envoy

The humanitarian crisis in Darfur is "on the brink of deepening," US envoy Scott Gration said on Saturday of the war-ravaged Sudanese region, calling for renewed co-operation with the government and an end to hostilities. "I came away very concerned about
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Japan red-faced over mistaken North Korean rocket report

Japan red-faced over mistaken North Korean rocket report

Japan's government apologised on Saturday for mistakenly announcing that North Korea had launched a rocket, as the nation's military remained on alert for the expected move by Tokyo's secretive communist neighbour. North Korea has said it would launch a c
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
111 Tigers killed in fresh Sri Lanka fighting

111 Tigers killed in fresh Sri Lanka fighting

Sri Lankan troops advancing on the last remaining pockets of rebel resistance killed at least 111 Tamil Tigers in separate ground and sea clashes on Saturday, the military said. Security forces recovered the bodies of 93 Tigers killed at Puthukkudiriruppu
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Weather may have delayed North Korea launch: Seoul

Weather may have delayed North Korea launch: Seoul

Poor weather and planning may have forced North Korea to delay the launch of a long-range rocket on Saturday, officials in Seoul said, after Pyongyang reported preparations were complete and lift-off would take place soon. The United States, Japan and Sou
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Nato soldier, civilian, 47 Taliban killed in Afghanistan

Nato soldier, civilian, 47 Taliban killed in Afghanistan

A Nato soldier was killed by a roadside bomb explosion in southern Afghanistan Saturday, while the Afghan and international forces killed 47 suspected Taliban and an Afghan women in separate operations elsewhere in the country, the military said.
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
'30 million Bangladeshis exposed to climate change'

'30 million Bangladeshis exposed to climate change'

A Bangladeshi rights group Saturday called for recognising environmental refugees with free economic migration rights under UN covenants as it estimated some 30 million people of the South Asian country are already exposed to climate change.
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
KESC embarks on 'Integrated Business Centre' drive

KESC embarks on 'Integrated Business Centre' drive

KESC embarks on an 'Integrated Business Centre' drive from 8th to be tested in the demographically diverse locality of Defence which covers 80,000 consumers. It will also cover localities including Gizri, Akhtar Colony, Quyumabad, T&T Colony, Hazara Colon
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Efforts on to ensure prompt response in disasters

Efforts on to ensure prompt response in disasters

The Capital Development Authority has stepped up efforts to upgrade its Emergency and Disaster Management Directorate to ensure early response to cope with any untoward incident for safety of human lives and property.
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Public flogging of girl condemned

Public flogging of girl condemned

The Association of Women for Awareness & Motivation (Awam) along with ANOA Network and other civil society organisations strongly condemned the public flogging of a 17-year old girl in Swat and termed it an inhuman and barbaric act while holding a protest
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Pakistan to strengthen defence ties with Malaysian Navy

Pakistan to strengthen defence ties with Malaysian Navy

The Pakistani ships will stay in Malaysia from April 4-7 to enhance defence relations and goodwill between the two countries. This was stated by Commodore Kamran Khan, the commander of mission from Pakistan Navy Ships Badr and Nasr while talking to media
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Centre for disaster preparedness, management unit inaugurated

Centre for disaster preparedness, management unit inaugurated

NWFP Governor, Owais Ahmed Ghani has said, occurrence of disasters - both natural and man made, is common practice in states and societies, but what matters, is the response of the respective institutions and individuals, how they confront the untoward si
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Two PN ships to participate in China PLA Navy celebrations

Two PN ships to participate in China PLA Navy celebrations

Two ships of Pakistan Navy would participate in celebrations of founding of People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China Navy starting from second half of this month, a Defence source at Pakistan Embassy said here on Saturday. More than 40 naval vessels would
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
DC directs to continue Punjab chief minister's welfare projects

DC directs to continue Punjab chief minister's welfare projects

Divisional Commissioner Zahid Saeed has said that the public welfare projects initiated on the directions of Chief Minister Punjab should continue with full zeal and enthusiasm. He said that Sasti Roti, Green Tractor Schemes, measures for prevention of de
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
BB assassination case: Defence lawyers pray for adjournment of hearing

BB assassination case: Defence lawyers pray for adjournment of hearing

The Defence lawyers in Benazir assassination case have prayed for adjournment of the hearing till the finalisation of report by the United Nations Committee to this effect. The case may be adjourned till the finalisation of the UN report to meet the requi
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Dangerous billboards

Dangerous billboards

Please refer to the letter of Aftab Ahmed which appeared in your esteemed newspaper. It is 100 percent correct. Nowadays, big billboards have been installed in the various main busy areas, especially at Shaheed-e-Millat Road, Karachi which are dangerous f
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Helmets

Helmets

Effective 1st of April, Punjab Police will catch all those who ride on a motorcycle without a helmet. As usual a few newspapers have lauded this move of the police on the same old song of security of the riders. We are a nation who start clapping the hand
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Recent trends in key macroeconomic variables quite encouraging

Recent trends in key macroeconomic variables quite encouraging

Recent trends in most macroeconomic variables suggest that the disciplined implementation of the macroeconomic stabilisation program is bearing fruit. With an improvement in fiscal discipline complementing the tightening of monetary policy, aggregate dema
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Recent trends in key macroeconomic variables quite encouraging

Recent trends in key macroeconomic variables quite encouraging

Recent trends in most macroeconomic variables suggest that the disciplined implementation of the macroeconomic stabilisation program is bearing fruit. With an improvement in fiscal discipline complementing the tightening of monetary policy, aggregate dema
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
Gwadar Port - a question of control

Gwadar Port - a question of control

According to a press report, representatives of the PPP and the MQM sharing the portfolio of ports and shipping as senior and junior ministers are on opposite sides over the question whether Islamabad or the Balochistan government should have control of t
Published 05 Apr, 2009 12:00am
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