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Print - 2009-12-06
US soya exports eye EU

US soya exports eye EU

Sizzling US soyabean export sales appeared poised to cool down this month after a record run, but a long-awaited EU ruling on genetically modified corn will help the market maintain its momentum for a while longer. US soyabean and soyameal sales to the Eu
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Asian palm oil sector wary of 2010 after strong rally

Asian palm oil sector wary of 2010 after strong rally

Prospects for global vegetable oil supplies to grow faster than demand next year, putting a halt to an impressive price rally, are likely to dominate a palm oil meeting in Indonesia this week. Resilient Asian demand, and tight stocks of soyoil and palm oi
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
New York coffee slip

New York coffee slip

Arabica coffee closed down more than 2 percent Friday, falling from Thursday's four-week high and giving back this week's gains on pressure from the strong dollar, traders said. Arabica coffee futures for benchmark March delivery dropped 3.30 cents, or 2.
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Strong dollar drags New York sugar to weak settlement

Strong dollar drags New York sugar to weak settlement

Raw sugar futures tumbled on Friday, closing down 2.6 percent on pressure from currency after better-than-expected US jobs data pushed the dollar sharply higher, brokers said. The March raw sugar contract dropped 0.59 cent or 2.6 percent to close at 22.52
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
US soya softer

US soya softer

US soyabean futures closed lower on Friday, weighed down by a firm dollar despite persistently strong export and domestic demand for US soya. CBOT January down 4 cents at $10.43 a bushel. Funds sold 3,000 lots. Exporters sell 232,000 tonnes US soyabeans t
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
US rice up

US rice up

US rice futures closed firm on support from strong Asian rice prices but a firm dollar limited gains. CBOT January up 1 cent at $15.71-1/2 per hundredweight. Vietnam to boost 2010 rice production-attache. South Korea says seeks 74,462 tonnes non-glutinous
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
World market price for upland cotton

World market price for upland cotton

The US Agriculture Department set the prevailing world market price for upland cotton at 57.82 cents per lb, effective through December 10. The price is adjusted to US quality and location for Strict Low Middling, 1-1/16 inch upland cotton.
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
New York cocoa drifts lower

New York cocoa drifts lower

US cocoa futures finished lower on Friday in choppy and modest dealings, pressured by the strong dollar but underpinned by long-term supply concerns, traders said. The benchmark March contract inched down $12 to close at $3,376 per tonne. Session range fr
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Gold price extends record run higher

Gold price extends record run higher

Gold prices broke through 1,200 dollars for the first time ever last week, cementing the precious metal's rapid rise over the past year as nervous traders sought safe-haven investments. There were meanwhile multi-month highs for silver, platinum and palla
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Iraq to decide on Qurna, Zubair before year end

Iraq to decide on Qurna, Zubair before year end

Iraq's government is expected to decide on deals with oil majors to develop the West Qurna and Zubair oilfields before the end of 2009, a deputy of the oil minister said on Saturday. Cabinet approval of a contract for an Eni-led group to develop Zubair an
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
US home buyers' negotiating power falls

US home buyers' negotiating power falls

Home buyers in much of the United States paid thousands of dollars below asking prices in October, but had slightly less negotiating power than in September, real estate website Zillow.com said this week. According to October Zillow Real Estate Market Rep
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Iran dismisses Total form South Pars investment

Iran dismisses Total form South Pars investment

Iran has dismissed France's Total from investing in development of phase 11 of the country's South Pars gas field, state television reported on Saturday. "Total has been dismissed from investing in the project to develop the phase 11," Hojjatollah Ghanimi
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
North Korea closes down dollar shops

North Korea closes down dollar shops

North Korea has closed down all shops and restaurant dealing in foreign currencies following a sudden money reform, a news report said Saturday. The Joongang daily also quoted a North Korean businessman engaged in trade with China as saying that people ar
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Obama vows steps to restart job growth

Obama vows steps to restart job growth

President Barack Obama pledged on Saturday to do all he could do reignite US job growth as he defended his handling of the economy amid Republican attacks. With the US unemployment rate at 10 percent and economic anxiety growing, Obama's job approval rati
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
New head expects Germany to contribute Opel aid

New head expects Germany to contribute Opel aid

The new head of General Motors'European operations, Nick Reilly, expects the German government to contribute state aid for the restructuring of its loss-making Opel brand. Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Reilly said he continued to receive positive sig
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
General Motors chairman shakes up senior management

General Motors chairman shakes up senior management

General Motors Co Chairman and Chief Executive Ed Whitacre announced a broad shake-up of the automaker's senior leadership on Friday, tightening his grip on the company three days after replacing its CEO. The shake-up suggests that Whitacre, the 68-year-o
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Algeria, Egypt to form Selena energy joint venture

Algeria, Egypt to form Selena energy joint venture

Algeria's state-owned energy firm Sonatrach is setting up an oil and gas joint venture with two Egyptian national companies, its chief executive officer told Reuters on Saturday. "We could invest around maybe $15 billion but it is not settled yet," Sonatr
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Venezuela takes over three more small banks

Venezuela takes over three more small banks

Venezuela on Friday took over three more banks, raising the week's tally to seven, in a clean-up of the financial sector that has worried investors but seen unlikely to herald a major nationalisation wave. Finance Minister Ali Rodriguez said the three sma
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
BHP, Rio seal iron ore joint venture agreement

BHP, Rio seal iron ore joint venture agreement

Mining giants BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto on Saturday signed a $116 billion iron ore joint venture agreement to combine their Western Australian iron ore operations. The agreement brings together two of the world's three largest iron ore producers, and has
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Saudi investors shrug off Dubai debt crisis

Saudi investors shrug off Dubai debt crisis

Saudi stocks closed down one percent on Saturday as investors shrugged off neighbouring Dubai's debt crisis in the first trading day on the Riyadh market in nearly two weeks. The Gulf's largest equities market sank 2.3 percent when trading opened for the
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Saudi hails 'perfect' price at Arab oil meeting

Saudi hails 'perfect' price at Arab oil meeting

Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia on Saturday described the current oil price as stable and "perfect" for consuming and producing nations as he led talks in Cairo with other Arab oil ministers. With oil around $75 a barrel, ministers said there was no need fo
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Canadian bonds drop

Canadian bonds drop

The Canadian bond prices were lower across the curve on Friday following the jobs data, but the selling began on both sides of the border even before the release of the employment reports, analysts said. "Better than expected jobs reports might feed stron
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Canadian bonds drop

Canadian bonds drop

The Canadian bond prices were lower across the curve on Friday following the jobs data, but the selling began on both sides of the border even before the release of the employment reports, analysts said. "Better than expected jobs reports might feed stron
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Chilian stocks up

Chilian stocks up

Chile's blue chip IPSA stock index closed higher on Friday, led by retail shares ahead of a 2010 investment plan announcement by top retailer Cencosud, while the peso slipped, traders said. The IPSA rose 0.62 percent to close at 3,349.73 points, while the
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Canadian shares lower

Canadian shares lower

Toronto's main stock index dropped on Friday as a slide in commodity prices hurt the resource-heavy index and wiped out nearly all the gains recorded earlier in the week. The sharp pullback was headlined by shares of Barrick Gold Corp, which fell 8.7 perc
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Turkish bonds slip

Turkish bonds slip

Turkish bonds fell on Friday after a surprise spike in November inflation data put pay to expectations of a last interest-rate cut by the Central Bank, while shares gained further after Turkey's upgrade by Fitch. Consumer prices rose a higher than expecte
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Turkish bonds slip

Turkish bonds slip

Turkish bonds fell on Friday after a surprise spike in November inflation data put pay to expectations of a last interest-rate cut by the Central Bank, while shares gained further after Turkey's upgrade by Fitch. Consumer prices rose a higher than expecte
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
US corporate bond spreads narrow

US corporate bond spreads narrow

US credit spreads tightened on Friday after the Labour Department said the economy shed far fewer jobs than forecast last month, raising hopes the recovery is gaining traction. The cost of protecting corporate debt with credit default swaps fell, with the
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
US corporate bond spreads narrow

US corporate bond spreads narrow

US credit spreads tightened on Friday after the Labour Department said the economy shed far fewer jobs than forecast last month, raising hopes the recovery is gaining traction. The cost of protecting corporate debt with credit default swaps fell, with the
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
US Treasury Outlook: non-farm payrolls report seen determining influence

US Treasury Outlook: non-farm payrolls report seen determining influence

The US Treasuries market approaches Friday's US employment report with the expectation payrolls shed fewer jobs in November than October. Yields have risen this week, unwinding a safety bid related to debt issues in Dubai that created fresh demand for US
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
US Treasury Outlook: non-farm payrolls report seen determining influence

US Treasury Outlook: non-farm payrolls report seen determining influence

The US Treasuries market approaches Friday's US employment report with the expectation payrolls shed fewer jobs in November than October. Yields have risen this week, unwinding a safety bid related to debt issues in Dubai that created fresh demand for US
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Korean bonds off lows

Korean bonds off lows

South Korean government bond prices trimmed some of their earlier heavy losses on Friday as strong quarterly economic data was countered by the authorities' vows to sustain accommodative policy. The debt market opened sharply lower on renewed fears of a r
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Korean bonds off lows

Korean bonds off lows

South Korean government bond prices trimmed some of their earlier heavy losses on Friday as strong quarterly economic data was countered by the authorities' vows to sustain accommodative policy. The debt market opened sharply lower on renewed fears of a r
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Treasuries tumble

Treasuries tumble

US Treasury debt prices tumbled on Friday, sending yields to three-week highs, as a surprisingly low number of US job losses in November fuelled economic recovery hope and sapped demand for safe-haven bonds. The government said the US economy lost 11,000
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Treasuries tumble

Treasuries tumble

US Treasury debt prices tumbled on Friday, sending yields to three-week highs, as a surprisingly low number of US job losses in November fuelled economic recovery hope and sapped demand for safe-haven bonds. The government said the US economy lost 11,000
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Mexican stocks hit two-year high

Mexican stocks hit two-year high

Mexican stocks hit their highest in 2 years on Friday after data showed weaker-than-expected US job losses in November, boosting Mexico's economic prospects. The peso was flat near a 13-month high. Mexico, which sends around 80 percent of its exports to t
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Brazilian stocks fall

Brazilian stocks fall

Brazilian stocks closed lower on Friday, as unexpected good news on the US labour market sparked worries of potential interest rate hikes sooner than previously anticipated. The benchmark Bovespa index dropped 1.04 percent to 67,603.52, reversing gains fr
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Emerging Markets: emerging markets spreads tighten

Emerging Markets: emerging markets spreads tighten

Emerging markets snapped higher on Friday in the wake of a better-than-expected US jobs report, but prices slipped back as the day drew on as markets retrenched in quiet trade after the employment euphoria. Spreads narrowed between emerging market soverei
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Emerging Markets: emerging markets spreads tighten

Emerging Markets: emerging markets spreads tighten

Emerging markets snapped higher on Friday in the wake of a better-than-expected US jobs report, but prices slipped back as the day drew on as markets retrenched in quiet trade after the employment euphoria. Spreads narrowed between emerging market soverei
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
US stocks rise

US stocks rise

US stocks advanced on Friday as data showed the economy shed far fewer jobs than expected last month, brightening the outlook for the economy and profits. Economically sensitive sectors like industrials, technology, consumer and financials made the day's
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
IMM speculators increase short bets on US dollar

IMM speculators increase short bets on US dollar

Currency speculators increased bets against the US dollar in the latest week to the most since at least June, 2008, according to Commodity Futures Trading Commission data released on Friday. The value of the dollar's net short position rose to $21.8 billi
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Canadian dollar falls

Canadian dollar falls

The Canadian dollar fell against the US currency on Friday, squeezed by weak commodity prices and a surging greenback, which climbed on employment data that showed the US shed far fewer jobs than expected in November. Initially, the US numbers helped to b
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
US dollar soars

US dollar soars

The dollar on Friday posted its best performance against a basket of currencies in nearly a year after data showed the United States lost far fewer jobs than expected last month, bolstering hopes the economy is on a stable path to recovery. Employers cut
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
East African currencies seen mainly stable

East African currencies seen mainly stable

Kenya's shilling and Uganda's shilling will be stable against the dollar in the next week, while the Tanzanian shilling has a mixed outlook, traders said on Wednesday.
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Forex outlook: dollar likely to rally in the week ahead

Forex outlook: dollar likely to rally in the week ahead

The dollar is likely to rally in the week ahead after a surprisingly strong US employment report prompted investors to believe the Federal Reserve may raise interest rates sooner than anyone had anticipated. The dollar rallied after government data on Fri
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Former UN weapons inspector condemns Blair, Bush on Iraq

Former UN weapons inspector condemns Blair, Bush on Iraq

George W. Bush and Tony Blair's conviction that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was a threat blinded them to the lack of evidence justifying a war to depose him, an ex-UN weapons inspector said Saturday. Hans Blix, who led the UN weapons inspection team in th
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Landslides, house collapses kill 15 in Brazil

Landslides, house collapses kill 15 in Brazil

At least 15 people were killed this week in landslides and house collapses in Sao Paulo state, after days of driving rains and high winds, Civil Defence officials said Friday. Most of the victims, including five children aged 5-14, perished under landslid
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Indian court rules against Reliance Power land buy

Indian court rules against Reliance Power land buy

An Indian court has quashed an order by a state government that allowed Reliance Power to buy land for its planned Dadri power project without hearing landowners' grievances, domestic media reported on Saturday. The Anil Dhirubhai Ambani group firm, which
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Namibia president re-elected

Namibia president re-elected

Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba has been re-elected after winning more than 75 percent of the vote in last week's elections, according to official results released Friday. Pohamba's ruling South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO), in power s
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Sikh protest leaves one dead; curfew imposed in Ludhiana

Sikh protest leaves one dead; curfew imposed in Ludhiana

An indefinite curfew was imposed in India's northern Ludhiana city Saturday after Sikhs protesting the holding of a religious congregation clashed with police, leaving one dead and 15 injured, news reports said.A government official said the curfew had be
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Hospitalised Thai King addresses nation

Hospitalised Thai King addresses nation

Thailand's aging monarch addressed the nation on Saturday for the first time since hospitalisation more than two months ago, marking his 82nd birthday with a call for "calm" in the politically turbulent country. The world's longest-reigning monarch, regar
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Two more Rwandan peacekeepers killed in Darfur

Two more Rwandan peacekeepers killed in Darfur

Two Rwandan peacekeepers were killed and a third was wounded in an attack in Sudan's war-torn region of Darfur on Saturday, in the second such deadly incident in as many days, a UN source said. "Rwandan soldiers were distributing water at the gate of a ca
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Police seize art treasures of Parmalat founder, prosecutor

Police seize art treasures of Parmalat founder, prosecutor

Police have seized art worth some 100 million euros ($151 million) which they say belonged to Calisto Tanzi, ex head of dairy group Parmalat who was convicted in one of Italy's biggest cases of fraudulent bankruptcy, a magistrate said. The chief prosecuto
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Maldives gets $92.5 million bailout from IMF

Maldives gets $92.5 million bailout from IMF

The IMF has approved a 92.5-million-dollar bailout package to help the Maldives weather the global financial crisis, the international lender announced Saturday. The Indian Ocean nation's economy has been hard hit by a fall in tourism, lower fish exports
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Iraq MPs again fail to vote on new election law

Iraq MPs again fail to vote on new election law

Iraq's parliament met on Saturday to vote on a new electoral law for polls early next year but no quorum was reached and the session was postponed until Sunday, speaker Iyad Samarrai said. "There are only 113 members present, and therefore no quorum. A ne
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Nobel prize foundation frets over its finances

Nobel prize foundation frets over its finances

The Nobel Foundation might have to reduce the money it awards winners of its prestigous prizes due to the effects of the global financial crisis, its director said on Saturday. The foundation will give 10 million Swedish crowns ($1.5 million) for each pri
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
American student Knox gets 26 years for Briton's murder

American student Knox gets 26 years for Briton's murder

An Italian court sentenced American student Amanda Knox to 26 years in prison on Saturday for murdering her British roommate in a drunken sex game, in a case which has drawn huge interest in Italy and abroad. After an 11-month trial in the Italian univers
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Texas refinery explosion kills one, injures two

Texas refinery explosion kills one, injures two

One person was killed and two injured in a Friday night explosion at Valero Energy Corp's refinery in Texas City, Texas, according to a city official. Valero spokesman Bill Day confirmed the casualties and said in a statement the 245,000 barrel per day (b
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Washington letter sells at record $3.2 million

Washington letter sells at record $3.2 million

A four page letter in which the first US president, George Washington, urges adoption of the country's then brand new constitution sold for a record 3.2 million dollars at auction Friday in New York. The letter from Washington to his nephew smashed the pr
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
WAPDA beat PIA in Premier Football

WAPDA beat PIA in Premier Football

Zulfiqar Ali Shah clipped precious winner, as Pakistan WAPDA edged out PIA on Saturday with narrow 1-0 margin score to outpace KRL and occupied second position in 14-team table of Pakistan Premier Football League (PPFL). The electricity men raced to 51 po
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Australia to play Germany in Champions Trophy final

Australia to play Germany in Champions Trophy final

Australia and Germany will meet in the men's Champions Trophy hockey final on Sunday after finishing first and second in the round-robin phase in Melbourne. The Australians finished top of the standings after thumping Spain while the Germans snuck into se
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Sri Lanka struggles despite Sangakkara's century

Sri Lanka struggles despite Sangakkara's century

Sri Lanka's captain Kumar Sangakkara scored an unbeaten century to delay India's victory bid in the third and final Test here on Saturday. The tourists, trailing by 333 on the first innings, survived a middle-order collapse in the post-lunch session to mo
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Pakistan on top of New Zealand as Asif strikes

Pakistan on top of New Zealand as Asif strikes

Pace bowler Mohammad Asif dominated once again and took first three wickets on Saturday as New Zealand managed just 70 of 405 runs required for victory in second cricket Test against Pakistan in Wellington. The hosts bowled Pakistan out for 239 in their s
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
One million tickets go on sale, locals not buying

One million tickets go on sale, locals not buying

An estimated one million World Cup tickets were made available on Saturday in the latest phase of sales for the 2010 finals amid fears not enough tickets were being bought by the South African hosts because of the cost. About 90 percent of the previously
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
South Africa jubilation tempered by tough draw

South Africa jubilation tempered by tough draw

South Africa celebrated a spectacular prelude to Africa's first World Cup finals on Friday with jubilation tempered by a tough draw for the hosts which could see them fall at the first hurdle. South Africa play the opening match of next year's finals agai
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Indian Prime Minister to attend Copenhagen talks

Indian Prime Minister to attend Copenhagen talks

India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will attend upcoming climate talks in Copenhagen, his office announced Saturday, days after the country pledged to cut its carbon footprint. An official from Singh's office said the premier would be in Copenhagen for
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Obama surprises with Copenhagen summit decision

Obama surprises with Copenhagen summit decision

US President Barack Obama will attend the end of the Copenhagen climate change summit, a late change of plan the White House attributed on Friday to growing momentum toward a new global accord. Obama was originally scheduled to attend the December 7-18 su
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Somalia seeks a dose of Obama's Afghan vision

Somalia seeks a dose of Obama's Afghan vision

Somalia's government called on Saturday for an international peace plan like President Barack Obama's new Afghan strategy, saying it would be more effective and far cheaper than current efforts to combat Somali piracy. "We accept that ... the situation in
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Three die in Nepal clashes

Three die in Nepal clashes

Hundreds of protesters torched vehicles and vandalised shops in western Nepal on Saturday after three people died in clashes between police and illegal forest settlers, a human rights group said. Nepal's Human Rights Commission urged the government to imm
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Philippines imposes martial law in massacre province

Philippines imposes martial law in massacre province

The military chief in the southern Philippine province of Maguindanao took over as local governor after martial law was imposed on Saturday, following the country's worst election-related crime last month. Police took five members of the Ampatuan politica
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Anti-China opposition gains ground in Taiwan's local election

Anti-China opposition gains ground in Taiwan's local election

Taiwan's China-friendly ruling party lost a county vote to the opposition on Saturday in elections seen as a first test for President Ma Ying-jeou's policy of engagement with Beijing. The Nationalist Party (KMT) lost the magistrate job in Ilan county to t
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Iran needs 20 nuclear fuel sites

Iran needs 20 nuclear fuel sites

Iran needs 20 uranium enrichment plants to produce enough fuel for its nuclear power plants and has no plans to withdraw from the Non-Proliferation Treaty, the official IRNA news agency reported on Saturday. "To provide fuel for our nuclear power plants,
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Karzai to unveil Afghan cabinet 'within days'

Karzai to unveil Afghan cabinet 'within days'

Afghan President Hamid Karzai will submit at least part of his long-awaited cabinet to parliament within days, amid mounting Western pressure to wipe out corruption, officials said Saturday. Re-elected for a second term following an August election scarre
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
US Marines advance in southern Afghanistan

US Marines advance in southern Afghanistan

US Marines pressed into a remote Taliban stronghold on Saturday with their first major assault in Afghanistan since President Barack Obama earmarked 30,000 more troops to try to turn the tide on the Taliban insurgency. Operation "Cobra's Anger", which inv
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Obama, Hu lookalikes in German rising tide protest

Obama, Hu lookalikes in German rising tide protest

German climate activists posing as international leaders sat inside a giant aquarium which was filled with water on Saturday in a protest held in Berlin against the world's rising sea levels. Around 20,000 people marched in London on Saturday to protest a
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
14 killed in shootout, prison break in Mexico

14 killed in shootout, prison break in Mexico

Fourteen people were killed Friday in northern Monterrey, including 11 drug traffickers and a woman passer-by in a shootout with police, and two police officers during a prison breakout, state officials said. The firefight between suspected drug trafficke
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Tens of thousands march against Berlusconi

Tens of thousands march against Berlusconi

Tewns of thousands of people demonstrated in the centre of Rome against Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi Saturday after an Internet call for a "No Berlusconi Day." Most of them wore scarves, T-shirts or sweaters in various shades of violet after t
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
'1,400 schools removed from ghost list'

'1,400 schools removed from ghost list'

Sindh Education Minister Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq has informed that 1,700 building structures, which were constructed in the name of schools and found abandoned in various parts of the province had been expunged from the list of 5,700 non-functional schools. The
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Shopkeepers relish sale bonanza of Sindhi cap

Shopkeepers relish sale bonanza of Sindhi cap

The sale of Sindhi cap all over Sindh has recorded a boom as various parties will observe the 'Sindhi Cap' Day on Sunday (December 6) to express solidarity and love for the culture of Sindh. Almost all shops in Hyderabad which sell Sindhi caps have now be
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Pakistan Iran relations

Pakistan Iran relations

Pakistan has always played an important role due to its strategic location. Both Pakistan and Iran are Muslim countries and leading players of South West Asia. Iran is also neighbour of Pakistan and both share a common border. Pakistan-Iran share 564 mile
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Rulers not able to persuade foreign investors: PML-N

Rulers not able to persuade foreign investors: PML-N

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Overseas Central Secretary General Sheikh Kaiser Mehmood has said that the rulers have not been able to persuade foreign investors to invest in Pakistan. As no foreign investor would invest in the country until we get
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Law & Justice body recommends amendments to various laws

Law & Justice body recommends amendments to various laws

The Law and Justice Commission has taken notice of the misuse of Section 489-F of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) relating to punishment awarded to an accused person for bouncing of a cheque. The meeting was held under the Chairmanship of Chief Justice of P
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Peshawar blast denounced

Peshawar blast denounced

Leader of the House Syed Nayyer Hussain Bukhari and Leader of the Opposition, in the Senate, Wasim Sajjad Saturday strongly condemned the car bomb blast that occurred at Peshawar, resulting in lost of precious lives. In their separate messages, they said
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Attack on senior APHC leader denounced

Attack on senior APHC leader denounced

In occupied Kashmir, the All Parties Hurriyet Conference and other liberation parties have strongly condemned the attack on the 66-year old senior APHC leader, Fazl Haq Qureshi. An attempt was made on the life of Fazl Haq Qureshi, on Friday evening, in oc
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Capital gets explosives, weapons-detecting scanners

Capital gets explosives, weapons-detecting scanners

The government has received explosives and weapons detecting scanners from China and is all set to install these scanners at strategic points in Islamabad to check entry of terrorists and explosive laden vehicles. According to Interior Minister Rehman Mal
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Weekly inflation decreases by 0.09 percent

Weekly inflation decreases by 0.09 percent

The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), for the week ended on December 03, for the lowest income group up to Rs 3,000, has registered decrease of 0.09 percent over the previous week. The SPI for the week under review in the above mentioned group was recorded
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Lawyers boycott courts to protest Rawalpindi attack

Lawyers boycott courts to protest Rawalpindi attack

The lawyers on Saturday boycotted courts' proceedings in protest against the Rawalpindi episode, which claimed more than 40 precious lives including children and elders. The lawyers' leaders termed the attack conspiracy of Israel and India to destabilise
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Another victim of Naval blast passes away

Another victim of Naval blast passes away

Another security official who sustained serious injuries in Naval Complex gate suicide attack on Tuesday expired on Saturday. According to spokesman of Pakistan Navy Captain Mobeen, the security official Abdul Ghaffar was under treatment in PNS Zafar Hosp
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
PML-N leader for recovery of written-off loans

PML-N leader for recovery of written-off loans

Special Assistant to Chief Minister Punjab, MNA Malik Afzal Khokhar, has said that those who got their loans written off and who provided them the facility, both are "national criminals". In a statement issued here he said every child of Pakistan was unde
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Businessmen express solidarity with armed forces

Businessmen express solidarity with armed forces

Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), its affiliated chambers and associations have expressed complete solidarity with Pakistan armed forces in the war against terrorists, scheming foreign elements and local militants in South W
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Government hospitals are in bad condition: KCCI President

Government hospitals are in bad condition: KCCI President

President, Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Abdul Majid Haji Muhammad has said that health and education sectors hold fundamental importance for any country and presently Pakistan is in a dire need of establishing high quality educational and hea
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Beginning of the rights of Balochistan

Beginning of the rights of Balochistan

Serious work has begun on the phase-wise implementation of 'Aghaaze Haqooqe Balochistan" (Beginning of the Rights of Balochistan) package, which indicates that the Zardari-Gilani dispensation is serious about bringing relief and sense of dignity among the
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Security situation in Pakistan

Security situation in Pakistan

Pakistan wants to have good relations with the foreign world but the security situation is tense and volatile. A number of incidents describe the grave nature of the situation in FATA, Swat and other parts of NWFP, as well as the violence reported from in
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
'Climate friendly' N-power station in controversial comeback

'Climate friendly' N-power station in controversial comeback

To stand underneath a nuclear reactor is a rare, unnerving experience. In the control-rod drive chamber at the Kruemmel nuclear power plant near Hamburg, where spars of boron carbide and hafnium are pushed upward into the reactor to regulate the fission o
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Moot on climate change

Moot on climate change

The world leaders are set to meet tomorrow in Copenhagen at the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009, where they will hold discussions and evolve a strategy to counter the growing menace of climate change and international environmental pollution
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Value at risk: A guide for financial investments

Value at risk: A guide for financial investments

Value at Risk (VaR) is fast becoming an industry benchmark for managing financial risk. VaR is a useful concept, which is widely used for financial risk management and for evaluating the riskiness of financial investments. VaR is a single number, which me
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Persons with disabilities

Persons with disabilities

Dignity and justice for all of us is the theme of this year's International Day for Persons with Disabilities, as well as for the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Taking fingers off the nuclear button

Taking fingers off the nuclear button

In Pakistan, there is no such thing as 'finger on the nuclear button'. So it is no big deal that President Zardari has surrendered the chairmanship of the Nuclear Command Authority (NCA) to Prime Minister Gilani. With an elaborate nuclear doctrine and a f
Published 06 Dec, 2009 12:00am
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