Oil prices were little changed on Friday as stronger equities boosted hopes for economic recovery, outweighing US jobs data that showed the unemployment rate at a 26-year high. US crude settled at $68.02 a barrel, up 6 cents. London Brent crude dropped 30
Volatile copper prices rose on Friday, while zinc and lead dipped from multi-month highs, as the economic outlook remained uncertain after US jobs data. Copper for three-months delivery on the London Metal Exchange closed at $6,280 a tonne versus a close
Iraq has deployed thousands of reinforcements along its border with Syria to prevent insurgents from crossing the desert frontier, as the government said Friday it has provided Syria with evidence linking Iraqis there to bombings.
US cotton futures added to the previous session's advance after weekly export sales came in well above forecasts, and prices held at higher levels into the close on Thursday, suggesting demand for the fiber may be improving, brokers said. The December cot
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez told the Israeli people not to support their government, which he described as "genocidal" on Friday, the second day of his trip to Syria. Chavez is on an 11-day trip to Libya, Algeria, Syria, Iran, Belarus, Russia and Spa
The United States and Russia have made progress towards a deal to cut their huge arsenals of nuclear weapons and will hold another round of negotiations in Geneva from September 21, a US spokesman said on Friday. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was
Three leaders of the Shia Zaidi rebellion in northern Yemen were killed in a dawn attack on Friday on their hideouts in Saada province, centre of the rebellion, a military statement said. "Leaders of the rebellion, among the most dangerous terrorist eleme
Britain's leading share index closed 1.2 percent higher on Friday after US data showing employers shed fewer jobs last month than expected. The FTSE 100 closed up 54.95 points at 4,851.70, posting its biggest percentage gain in two weeks as it snapped a t
A British soldier has been court-martialed for refusing to return to Afghanistan. Lance Corp. Joe Glenton went AWOL in 2007 instead of serving his second tour of duty with the Royal Logistic Corps in Afghanistan. He handed himself in after being absent fo
US stocks gained ground on Friday after a mixed payrolls report failed to rattle investors as US job losses in August were the smallest in a year, although the unemployment rate hit a 26-year high. "There's huge concerns with the employment picture," said
Indian shares rose 1.89 percent on Friday, snapping four straight days of losses, on bargain hunting after prices had fallen more than three percent, dealers said. The benchmark 30-share Sensex rose 290.79 points to 15,689.12. Buying came in at the close
European credit default swap spreads were slightly tighter on Friday, alongside modest gains in US equity markets after mixed non-farm payrolls data. By 1446 GMT the investment-grade Markit iTraxx Europe index was at 96.82 basis points, according to data
Asian bond spreads narrowed on Friday after a four-day rise, as improved US retail sales and service sector data lifted market sentiment and demand for riskier assets such as a new Korea National Housing Corp (KNHC) bond. State-run KNHC sold the $750 mill
European credit default swap spreads were slightly tighter on Friday, alongside modest gains in US equity markets after mixed non-farm payrolls data. By 1446 GMT the investment-grade Markit iTraxx Europe index was at 96.82 basis points, according to data
Singapore shares closed 0.94 percent higher Friday ahead of the release of a widely monitored US jobs report, dealers said. The blue chip Straits Times Index rose 24.33 points to 2,622.69. Volume totalled 2.79 billion shares worth 1.75 billion Singapore d
Asian bond spreads narrowed on Friday after a four-day rise, as improved US retail sales and service sector data lifted market sentiment and demand for riskier assets such as a new Korea National Housing Corp (KNHC) bond. State-run KNHC sold the $750 mill
Bank-to-bank lending rates fell on Friday as the benchmark euro rate had its biggest fall in seven weeks after global policymakers said they were in no hurry to exit unconventional stimulus measures. Three-month borrowing rates for US banks were 0.3350 pe
The Indian rupee inched up for a third straight session on Friday, helped by a 1.9 percent rise in domestic shares, but dollar demand from oil refiners to meet import commitments capped the rise. The partially convertible rupee closed at 48.90/91 per doll
The dollar was little changed on a trade-weighted basis on Friday ahead of US employment figures that could set the tone for the greenback - and other financial markets - for the rest of the month. Trading ranges across major currency pairs were tight in
Eight people were killed in a bomb attack on a shrine in southern Iraq Thursday evening, security forces said Friday. A further 57 people were injured when three bombs exploded in the town of al-Mussajib, according to doctors from the security services.
Sterling ended flat against the dollar after US jobs data on Friday and slightly up on the euro, as investors focused on whether the Bank of England will stick to its loose monetary policy at next week's meeting. Trade was choppy as the US employment repo
Top US military chiefs launched a staunch defence of their campaign in Afghanistan against the Taliban before a war-weary public but warned that time was running out to make headway. Amid waning public support for the conflict as US troop deaths reach rec
UN nuclear inspectors were never given access to North Korean installations where the communist regime claims to have enriched uranium, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Friday. IAEA spokesman Marc Vidricaire said the UN atomic watchdog verified
Security forces in far-west China's strife-hit city of Urumqi used tear gas to break up fresh protests on Friday, as thousands of Han Chinese demanded better security after a reported spate of attacks with syringes.
Rescuers in Indonesia continued digging Friday to reach dozens buried by a major earthquake that killed at least 64 people as anger mounted at the slow response from authorities. Police and troops cleared boulders and mounds of earth in the village of Cik
Workers at South Africa's Impala Platinum, the worlds No 2 platinum producer, attacked union leaders who tried to persuade them to return to work, injuring a top union official, the company and union said on Friday. Implats spokesman Bob Gilmour said on F
An engine on an Air India airliner caught fire Friday as the jet prepared to take off from Mumbai, triggering an evacuation that left some of its 213 passengers with minor injuries, the airline said. "Flames were noticed in one of the engines. The fire wa
The US Embassy in Afghanistan says it has fired eight security guards following allegations of lewd behaviour and sexual misconduct at their living quarters. The embassy said Friday the management team of the private contractor that provides the guards is
The European Union is ready for talks or confrontation over Iran's nuclear programme, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said Friday. "If they are ready to engage with us, we're ready to cooperate with them," said Bildt, whose country holds the EU presid
The White House said Friday it regretted Israel's reported plans to build new settlements, calling it "inconsistent" with its international commitments to the peace process. "We regret the reports of Israel's plans to approve additional settlement constru
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will approve building new settler homes before considering a freeze that could lead to a resumption of peace talks with Palestinians, an aide said on Friday. US President Barack Obama's administration has been pre
British oil major BP Plc told the UK government two years ago that slow progress in concluding a Prisoner Transfer Agreement with Libya threatened a multi-billion dollar exploration deal it was negotiating. BP, Europe's second-largest oil company, said on
A 10-day-old baby born with a heart on the outside of his body is recovering in an Indian hospital after undergoing surgery to create space for the organ, reports said Friday. The unnamed boy from the eastern Indian state of Bihar had a complete thoracic
Young men spray hoses in a car-washing contest and play pool. Children make paper crowns in an art class, while their parents have a picnic. Alongside the fun and games, Muslim clerics answer questions about jihad or give lectures about the proper dress f
Gabon's main cities were calm on Friday, a day after the announcement that ruling party candidate Ali Ben Bongo had won a presidential election sparked riots and attacks on French interests in the oil-producer. An overnight curfew remained in force in oil
The choice of a powerful former leader of Japan's new ruling party for a key role raised concerns on Friday that incoming Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has created a rival power centre that will muddle policymaking. Veteran lawmaker Ichiro Ozawa will assu
There are some 300,000 children in Peru that slip through government social aid programs because they lack birth certificates, according to a World Bank report out Thursday. The figure represents 2.9 percent of the total population of minors up to age 17,
Explosions ripped through a munitions factory in northern Serbia on Thursday killing seven people and injuring 14 others, officials said. "Seven employees, six women and one man, were killed in the explosions" that rocked the Prvi Partizan plant in Uzice,
A huge wildfire burning in the mountains above Los Angeles, now the largest ever in the county, was started by arson and will be investigated as a homicide, authorities said on Thursday. The so-called Station Fire has killed two fire-fighters, destroyed 6
Michael Jackson was buried on Thursday, more than two months after he died of a drug overdose, marking the last stop for a superstar who spent most of his 50 years in the public gaze. The singer, whose enormous success with such albums as "Off the Wall" a
A court in junta-ruled Myanmar agreed Friday to hear an appeal by opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi against her conviction for sheltering an American man who swam to her home, her lawyer said. The Nobel laureate was sentenced to 18 more months under hous
A roadside bomb blast ripped through a police car in Russia's violence-plagued southern Ingushetia province on Friday, killing three officers and wounding two others, authorities said. Five policemen were in the car hit by the explosive device near the vi
At least 10 people, four of them children, were killed in a landslide triggered by monsoon rains in India's financial capital of Mumbai, officials said Friday. The landslide buried nearly 20 shanties in Mumbai's Sakinaka area during the heavy downpour lat
India sees increased trade with the rest of the world as the key to prosperity and wants to at least double its share of global trade flows, Commerce Minister Anand Sharma said on Friday. Sharma dismissed the idea of blocking imports to protect Indian ind
South African President Jacob Zuma on Friday warned his government will not tolerate "anarchy" during protests, after recent violence over soldiers' pay and a new public transport system. Two people were shot this week as Johannesburg rolled out a new bus
Thousands of mourners lined the streets of the southern Indian city of Hyderabad Friday to pay their respects to their popular chief minister who was killed in a helicopter crash this week. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, 60, the head of south-eastern Andhra Prad
Actor Nicolas Cage plays a deranged, drug-addicted detective in "Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans", re-visiting the corrupt cop role made famous by Harvey Keitel 17 years ago. Despite the similarity in title to Abel Ferrara's 1992 cult classic "Ba
Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urged MPs to approve President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's cabinet, a senior lawmaker said on Friday, the latest sign of his full backing for the hard-liner. The ISNA news agency quoted Deputy Spearker Mohammad Reza
The world can still cap global warming at far lower levels than widely expected if nations "bite the bullet" and slash greenhouse gas emissions, the chairman of the UN climate panel says. Rajendra Pachauri told Reuters that an appeal last month by the wor
Thai anti-government protesters Friday again postponed plans for a mass rally, pushing the date back to the third anniversary of the coup that toppled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra. The so-called "Red Shirt" movement said it had decided to defer a pro
Serbia's army commander has suggested that Iraq should give up hope to rebuild its Air Force with aging Saddam Hussein's jet fighters recently discovered in Serbia because they aren't in flying condition. The Iraqi Defence ministry said earlier this week
The armed forces in Madagascar on Friday rejected a call from the opposition to head a unity government and said politicians should resolve the crisis on the Indian Ocean island. The country's political powerbrokers remain deadlocked on who should lead a
The Dalai Lama left Taiwan Friday after a five-day religious mission that tested the island's rapidly warming relationship with China. Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, whom Beijing labels a "splittist," left from Taoyuan International Airport, outside Tai
Resolution Capital has upped its global equities fund's exposure to Australia and Britain, and reversed its Australia-centric fund's negative bias on property firm GPT Group. Managing director Andrew Parsons said on Friday Resolution's global fund had als
President Asif Ali Zardari has not extended the term of present local governments institutions till December 31, said President's Spokesman Farhatullah Babar. Talking to media here on Friday Babar rejected the reports that the president had extended the t
Resolution Capital has upped its global equities fund's exposure to Australia and Britain, and reversed its Australia-centric fund's negative bias on property firm GPT Group. Managing director Andrew Parsons said on Friday Resolution's global fund had als
President Asif Ali Zardari has not extended the term of present local governments institutions till December 31, said President's Spokesman Farhatullah Babar. Talking to media here on Friday Babar rejected the reports that the president had extended the t
The South Korean won firmed on Friday as local exporters sold dollars, while regional peers moved in tight ranges as investors kept to the sidelines ahead of a US payrolls report. Investor sentiment remained wary even as Asian stocks drifted higher after
Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, in a massive bureaucratic reshuffle on Friday, sent home Interior Secretary Kamal Shah, Privatisation Secretary Ahmed Jawad and Election Commission Secretary Kanwar Dilshad, and decided not to renew the contract of
Singapore police said Friday they had arrested 21 people following a rare street brawl involving members of a small opposition political party. Police were called in after a fight broke out Thursday among members of the Singapore Malay National Organisati
Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, in a massive bureaucratic reshuffle on Friday, sent home Interior Secretary Kamal Shah, Privatisation Secretary Ahmed Jawad and Election Commission Secretary Kanwar Dilshad, and decided not to renew the contract of
The Australian dollar held its ground near $0.84 on Friday as investors refrained from making big trades ahead of a key US jobs report. The Aussie was steady at $0.8401 in light trade, virtually unchanged from $0.8390 seen late in New York on Thursday. Eq
Khalid A. Mirza is said to have been illegally removed from the Chairmanship of Competition Commission of Pakistan. According to informed sources, the CCP chairman is a tenure appointment and Mirza's term expires on 20 July next year. It appears that Esta
Canada's currency rose slightly against the greenback on Thursday, boosted by stronger equities, but investors largely avoided big bets ahead of key domestic and US jobs data that will give a glimpse into the health of the two economies.
Khalid A. Mirza is said to have been illegally removed from the Chairmanship of Competition Commission of Pakistan. According to informed sources, the CCP chairman is a tenure appointment and Mirza's term expires on 20 July next year. It appears that Esta
The Hong Kong dollar edged higher against the US dollar on Friday, underpinned by a rally in the stock market and signs of fund inflows for upcoming IPOs, dealers said. The local currency firmed to 7.7505 in late afternoon, near the upper end of its tight
Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Friday said the present government would complete its five-year tenure. Speaking at Iftar dinner at Sindh Governor House here, the Prime Minister said the people of the country will not allow any effort to derail
The Swiss franc was trading below recent 1-1/2-month peaks against the euro and was stuck in a range against the dollar in cautious early Friday trading ahead of Swiss inflation data. Economists polled by Reuters expect a yearly rate of Swiss consumer pri
Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Friday said the present government would complete its five-year tenure. Speaking at Iftar dinner at Sindh Governor House here, the Prime Minister said the people of the country will not allow any effort to derail
The dollar dipped against the yen but held above this week's seven-week low on Friday as investors hunkered down to await US non-farm payrolls later in the day. The market is uncertain how the dollar will react to the August non-farm payrolls report, afte
The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) on Friday directed the media not to comment on its in-camera proceedings except information provided to it (media) through the press release. The SJC in its one page order said: "The Council is pleased to order that in v
The yuan ended flat against the dollar on Friday after an adviser to the central bank said late on Thursday that China's economic recovery will last into 2010, underscoring views that the stable yuan policy will continue.
The Special Committee of the Parliament on Constitutional Reforms has unanimously decided to repeal Article 58 2(b) of the Constitution and bring Local Government system under administrative control of the provinces, reliable sources told the Business
The yen slipped from a seven-week high against the dollar and declined versus other major currencies on Thursday as an upbeat tone in global stock markets reduced the Japanese currency's safe-haven allure. The euro erased gains against the dollar after th
The Special Committee of the Parliament on Constitutional Reforms has unanimously decided to repeal Article 58 2(b) of the Constitution and bring Local Government system under administrative control of the provinces, reliable sources told the Business
Taiwan stocks ended up 0.68 percent on Friday at their highest close in more than a year, as technology shares such as Compal Electronics rallied on expectations of stronger sales in the third quarter. The main TAIEX share index finished 48.48 points high
The government is likely to impose ban on travel of chief executives and board members of pubic sector organisations by club/first class after serious reservations were expressed during a Cabinet meeting.
Hong Kong shares jumped 2.8 percent on Friday to post their biggest single-day gain in six weeks, after China hiked the limit for stock investments by foreign funds in a show of support for the market. China stocks rose 0.6 percent ahead of the announceme
The government is likely to impose ban on travel of chief executives and board members of pubic sector organisations by club/first class after serious reservations were expressed during a Cabinet meeting.
Seoul shares slipped on Friday led by technology issues such as Hynix Semiconductor, but markets remained stable despite news of North Korea's uranium enrichment, while tour issues rose on a positive brokerage note. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (
The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) on Friday directed the media not to comment on its in-camera proceedings except information provided to it (media) through the press release. The SJC in its one page order said: "The Council is pleased to order that in v
New Zealand share prices closed 0.22 percent higher Friday, led by gains in Fletcher Building, dealers said. The benchmark NZX-50 index rose 6.75 points to 3,098.32 on turnover worth 97 million dollars (66 million US). There were 51 rises and 27 falls amo
The Punjab government has expressed serious concern over the implementation of the value-added tax (VAT) at the retail stage, and raised several questions on methodology of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to bring the undocumented sector, particularly
Philippines shares price closed 0.99 percent higher on Friday, with sentiment boosted by good news on local inflation and an upturn in the US market, dealers said. The composite index gained 27.68 points to 2,830.99 while the all-shares index rose 0.79 pe
The Punjab government has expressed serious concern over the implementation of the value-added tax (VAT) at the retail stage, and raised several questions on methodology of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to bring the undocumented sector, particularly
Malaysian shares closed up 0.43 percent on Friday following gains on Wall Street, dealers said. The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index gained 5.08 points to 1,178.74 on volume of 609.22 million shares worth 1.08 billion ringgit (306.08 million dollars). There w
The Punjab government has expressed serious concern over the implementation of the value-added tax (VAT) at the retail stage, and raised several questions on methodology of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to bring the undocumented sector, particularly
US Treasuries prices slipped on Thursday, pulling benchmark yields off seven-week lows, on hints of stock market stability and on nervousness ahead of a key employment report. Bonds rallied for four consecutive days through Wednesday as stocks retreated f
The State Bank of Pakistan on Friday launched special financing scheme for cotton ginning factories with a view to encourage the cotton ginners to modernise their factories to produce quality ginned cotton for the textile value chain and to meet the short
US Treasuries prices slipped on Thursday, pulling benchmark yields off seven-week lows, on hints of stock market stability and on nervousness ahead of a key employment report. Bonds rallied for four consecutive days through Wednesday as stocks retreated f
The State Bank of Pakistan on Friday launched special financing scheme for cotton ginning factories with a view to encourage the cotton ginners to modernise their factories to produce quality ginned cotton for the textile value chain and to meet the short
Indonesian shares closed flat on Friday due to late buying in selected telecoms and auto stocks, dealers said. The Jakarta Composite Index gained 0.05 points to finish at 2,322.30. "Late buying in select telecom and auto stocks pushed the index slightly h
The State Bank of Pakistan on Friday launched special financing scheme for cotton ginning factories with a view to encourage the cotton ginners to modernise their factories to produce quality ginned cotton for the textile value chain and to meet the short
Japan's Nikkei average fell 0.3 percent to hit its lowest close in five weeks on Friday, with investors' reluctance to buy ahead of key US jobs data outweighing short-covering on better-than-expected US sales figures. Daiwa Securities Group dropped 6.1 pe
Senate Standing Committee on Industries and Production has summoned three former chairmen of Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) to explain their respective positions with regards to the colossal loss of Rs 22 billion it has suffered during the last one year. The