As you may know, my close ties with Canada go back almost four decades, to the time when many thousands of Asian refugees from Uganda, including many Ismailis, were welcomed so generously in this society. These ties have continued through the co-operation

Many young artists who specialise in miniature painting are now moving towards modernism but a few of them are still working to promote the traditional style miniature. Safdar Ali Qureshi is one of them who is determined and continues to evaluate and pay

Official, amature and media analysis of attack and 1000 kg blast that flattened CID building on November 11 followed the usual cleche pattern the police are inefficient; the security agencies are unable to defend themselves so what can one hope they will

Aristotle observed that, 'given the choice between a king who ruled by discretion and a king who ruled by law, the latter was clearly superior to the former.'

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged world governments on September 24, 2010 to end the "long inertia" at the Geneva disarmament talks and free up much of the money spent on arms for use (in) alleviating hunger, disease and other ills in impoverished na

ABOUT US: Pak Oman Investment Company Limited is a specialised Financial Institution formed as a joint venture between the Governments of Pakistan and Sultanate of Oman in July 2001. The company has equal equity participation by each sovereign spon

The banking sector is an important factor in maintaining financial equilibrium and economic stability. The Omani banking sector, which comprises the Central Bank of Oman (CBO) and various commercial and specialised banks operating in the Sultanate, is sta

The main features of the Seventh Five-year Development Plan (2006-2010) were deter mined by three major factors - the basic targets and principles of Oman's long-term development strategy (1996-2020), an assessment of the performance of the Sixth Five-yea

His Majesty Sultan Qaboos was born in Salalah, the most southerly city of the state then known as Muscat and Oman, on 18th November 1940. He was the only son of the late Sultan Said bin Taimur and the eighth direct descendant of the royal Al Busaidi line

Firstly I want to thank Almighty Allah for all his benefits for peace and harmony, and for our creation. We give prayers and salam to the best human being the Holy Prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon him). At the start of my speech I would like to convey to H

The Asian Games was hit by its first positive drugs test on Friday as anger mounted over the controversial disqualification of a Taiwan taekwondo fighter. Uzbek judoka Shokir Muminov was stripped of his -81kg silver medal and thrown out of the sporting sh

World champions Spain suffered their worst defeat for 47 years as Portugal hammered their neighbours 4-0 in a Lisbon friendly arranged to promote the countries' joint World Cup bid on Wednesday. In another big derby, played in neutral Qatar, Argentina bea

World football chief Sepp Blatter on Friday promised that a "new FIFA" would choose the hosts for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups but admitted that changes would be needed to avoid corruption scandals. Blatter sought to turn the page on the damaging World Cu

Two FIFA executive committee members were banned and fined on Thursday, one for bribery, over allegations they had offered to sell their votes in the contest to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Four other officials were also banned and fined in an unpre

The sale of English Premier League side Blackburn Rovers to Indian poultry firm Venky's has been completed, the club announced in a statement on Friday. The statement on Blackburn's official website said the club's holding company had sold its 99.9 percen

South African captain Graeme Smith said he would like to end the tour with a clean sweep in all three formats of the game as they take on Pakistan in the second Test starting here from Saturday. Smith said his team would love to win the second Test - the

Tharanga Paranavitana hit an impressive 95 and Mahela Jayawardene a solid 58 to help Sri Lanka draw the opening Test against the West Indies on Friday. Sri Lanka, following on 202 runs behind, reached 241-4 in their second innings when play was called off

The bosses of the money-spinning Indian Premier League announced a schedule for the fourth edition of the troubled cricket tournament on Wednesday, setting April 8 as the start date. The IPL, which revolutionised cricket when it burst onto the scene in 20

After long wait, two Karachi cricketers - fast rising batsman Asad Shafiq and medium pacer Tanvir Ahmed are set to make their debut in the second Test against South Africa starting here on Saturday. 24-year-old Asad, who scored 1244 runs in 12 first class

Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq said his team can build on their rearguard action in drawing the first Test and turn the tables on South Africa in the second match which starts on Saturday. Set a mammoth 451-run target, Pakistan defied South Africa on the

Madagascar's army chief insisted on Friday that dialogue was the only way to end a stand-off with rebel officers holed up in barracks in the capital, despite earlier government orders to quash the mutiny. The apparent refusal by the army to use force agai

World powers should stop threatening Iran if they want to achieve results at talks on Tehran's nuclear programme, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Thursday. Speaking at a news conference on a visit to Azerbaijan, he gave no indication whether

The Obama administration may now be forced to rely on military tribunals to try "war on terror" suspects after a New York jury cleared the first ex-Guantanamo inmate brought to a civilian court of almost all charges, experts said Thursday.

Two long-term employees of Bernard Madoff, who admitted to the largest investment scam in US history, worth 65 billion dollars, have been arrested as accomplices, prosecutors said Thursday. Annette Bongiorno, 62, who worked for Madoff for 40 years, and Jo

Nigeria's security forces handed 19 foreign and local hostages to their employers on Thursday after freeing them from militant camps in the creeks of the Niger Delta oil region. The hostages - two Americans, two Frenchmen, two Indonesians, one Canadian an

Demonstrations by far right groups like the English Defence League (EDL) act like recruiting sergeants for Islamic militants across Britain, the head of a regional counter terrorism unit said on Friday. Detective Superintendent John Larkin from West Midla

India will pay an extra 713 million rupees ($15.8 million) in compensation to the victims of the world's worst industrial accident that killed thousands in 1984, the government said in a statement late on Thursday. India says about 3,500 people died when

Six countries declined invitations to the December 10 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony for jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo after an unprecedented campaign by China to sabotage attendance, the Norwegian Nobel Committee told Reuters. The six nations that decl

The Indian government on Wednesday cracked down on two television reality shows, saying they had adult content and asked channels to broadcast them only after 11 pm, news reports said. Big Boss, the Indian version of the international show Big Brother, an

Americans are the most likely to go without health care because of the cost and to have trouble paying medical bills even when insured, a survey of 11 wealthy countries found Thursday. "The US stands out for the most negative insurance-related experiences

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Friday said that by celebrating Eid with flood victims, the delegation from Turkey has proved that Turk people really consider Pakistan as their home. He thanked people of Turkey for not only donating money and reli

Chairman of Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA), Masood A Majeed and vice chairman Shehzad Ali Khan have said that out of total 1200 ginning factories in Sindh and Punjab, 931 are operational. Of these, 716 are in Punjab and 215 in Sindh., and tota

Punjab Chief Minister, Shahbaz Sharif here on Friday paid a surprise visit to Northern Lahore and reviewed availability and prices of sugar at various shops. Member National Assembly, Bilal Yaseen and District Co-ordination Officer Lahore, Ahad Cheema acc

Eid-ul-Azha was celebrated with usual enthusiasm and religious fervour in Sialkot, Daska, Pasrur, Zafarwal, Sambrial and Ugoki areas of Sialkot district on Wednesday. Eid prayers were offered at mosques and other places in the city and other parts of the

The PakTurk International Cag Educational Foundation and Solidarity Organisation in collaboration with the federal and provincial governments have arranged programmes to sacrifice animals across the country during all three days of the Eid-uz-Zaha.

Chief of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, Syed Munawar Hassan has urged the masses to fully participate in the sit-in planned by his party on December 5, 2010 in Islamabad to pressurise the government to control price hike, unemployment and recover missing perso

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader and former federal minister Ahsan Iqbal Friday said that his party cannot remain a silent spectator to PPP-led coalition government policies that are leading the country to ruination besides creating mani

With a view to regulate production and sale of all kind of medicines and curb trade of spurious, sub-standard medicines in the province of Punjab, the PML-N led government has planned to make necessary legislation. Before preparing the draft of the propos

Fire breakout in the emergency Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Mayo Hospital on Friday evening created harassment among the patients and their relatives. Patients were shifted immediately to other wards and no injury or causality was reported. According to M

The Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) is striving for the promotion of quality education besides providing 'students friendly schooling' to the students who mostly belong to poor strata. This was stated by PEF Chairman Raja Anwar while presiding over a me

"So they all supported Dr Sheikh of the Finance Ministry over and above the Interior Minister?"

A closely watched gauge of US jobless benefits hit a two-year low last week and factory activity in the country's Mid-Atlantic region accelerated in November, suggesting the economy's recovery was gaining speed. The improving economic picture was further

General Motors Co shares shot up as much as 9 percent on Thursday as investors bet that the top US automaker can make a lasting recovery as it returns to private ownership after a blockbuster IPO. GM shares began trading on the floor of the New York Stock

General Motors Co shares shot up as much as 9 percent on Thursday as investors bet that the top US automaker can make a lasting recovery as it returns to private ownership after a blockbuster IPO. GM shares began trading on the floor of the New York Stock

China's central bank said on Friday it will raise banks' reserve requirements for the second time in two weeks, stepping up its battle to rein in prices before inflation has a chance to take off. The People's Bank of China said it would increase required

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke hit back on Friday at critics of the US central bank's bond-buying program and issued a thinly veiled attack on China's policy of keeping its currency on a leash. Bernanke, facing a chorus of protests about the asset-

Nokia, the world's top cellphone maker, said on Friday some of its flagship N8 smartphones were sold with a power fault that meant they switched themselves off. The success of the N8 - Nokia's first real challenge to Apple's iPhone, more than three years

European regulators adopted a new guideline on so-called biosimilar antibody drugs on Friday, paving the way for cheaper copies of multi-billion-dollar medicines used to treat cancer and other serious diseases. The new rules are keenly awaited by drug com

The global recovery shows signs of easing on slowdown in emerging economies but remains on track for 4.6-percent growth this year, dipping to 4.2 percent in 2011, the OECD said on Thursday. Many countries must work harder and faster to cut budget deficits

A financial aid plan to help Ireland cope with its battered banks will be unveiled next week, EU sources said on Friday, but experts warned a rescue may not be enough to prevent contagion in the single currency bloc. The euro rose and the risk premium inv

Airbus A380s operated by Qantas Airways may be grounded for weeks as Rolls-Royce plans how to fix an engine problem which forced one of the superjumbos into an emergency landing, sources said. "It is a very complex process and it is still in the early sta

The United States and the European Union agreed on Friday to work more closely with Ukraine to speed up liberalisation of the ex-Soviet republic's energy market and open it to more investment. Holding the second meeting of the EU-US energy council on the

US regulators moved on Friday to bring more transparency to the sprawling derivatives market, hedge funds and private equity, all dimly lit corners of the financial world slated for more oversight. A raft of proposed rules issued by the Commodity Futures

The volume of futures contracts betting on the rate of return on US dollar deposits in European banks remains elevated, suggesting ongoing repositioning in cash markets, including the market for US Treasuries, Credit Suisse analysts said this week.

The Swiss franc trod water on Friday after the previous session's sharp losses against the euro as markets were eyeing the Irish debt crisis to see if the country were to accept help from the European Union. Hopes that Ireland was near a deal to shore up

The Indian rupee closed off lows after the dollar weakened against the euro, but the sharp fall in local equities prevented the unit from ending stronger. The rupee is, however, seen gaining next week as foreign inflows have not slowed as sharply as was e

Sterling fell against the euro on Friday as anticipation an aid plan would be agreed for Ireland buoyed the single currency. The pound also fell against the dollar after China raised banks' reserve requirements, denting stocks and riskier currencies as co

The euro edged up on Friday, recouping earlier losses on expectations that Ireland was near a deal to get tens of billions of euros from its European partners and the IMF for its shattered banks. The euro hit the day's high versus the dollar after China t

The euro steadied versus the dollar on Friday on growing confidence that Ireland's banking and debt crisis will be resolved, with key resistance capping upside in the near term. Hopes that Ireland was near a deal to get tens of billions of euros from its

The euro strengthened on Thursday, posting its largest one-day gain against the US dollar in two weeks, as investors became more optimistic about a rescue plan for debt-stricken Ireland. Gains in the euro, however, may prove short-lived given concerns Ire

The euro dipped on Friday but held onto most of its recent gains on budding hopes that Ireland is near a deal to shore up its banks and budget deficit, while the Australian dollar slipped as Chinese shares came under pressure.

The South Korean won rose slightly against the dollar on Friday as foreign investors turned net buyers of local stocks amid easing worries about Ireland's debt crisis and on exporters' demand for settlements. The won, however, gave up most of its earlier

Canada's dollar rose against its US counterpart on Thursday as a weak greenback and optimism Ireland may soon see a solution to its debt woes helped attract investors to higher-yielding currencies. The currency also got a bounce from domestic data that sh

The Australian and New Zealand currencies lost momentum on Friday after briefly hitting one-week highs against the greenback, snapping two sessions of gains as investors locked in profits ahead of the weekend. Worries that Beijing may adopt more stringent

Spot yuan closed down against the dollar on Friday, but still traded above the mid-point set by the People's Bank of China as the dollar dropped 0.6 percent in global markets on Thursday. The market mostly expects more yuan appreciation, dealers said, but

Japan's Nikkei average marked a five-month closing high above 10,000 for a second day on Friday, propelled by hedge fund inflows from overseas and with a fall in the yen providing additional support. But the index lost steam after scoring an intraday high

Shares in Hong Kong and Shanghai retreated at midday on Friday, cutting short a technical rebound in the previous session, as investors unloaded banks and developers on fears of another rate rise in China. China wants to bring down inflation, which accele

Wall Street was on course for a second week of losses as markets pulled back from an autumn rally, largely taking cues from overseas. US stocks were lower on Friday, after the People's Bank of China raised bank reserve requirements for the second time in

US stocks jumped on Thursday on expectations of a resolution of Ireland's banking crisis, but the S&P 500's inability to break through resistance suggests stocks could be in a tight range through the end of the year. General Motors Co's shares gained 3.6

US Treasuries prices fell on Thursday, renewing their recent losing streak, as investors saw a further opportunity to close out long positions after reports Ireland was near an aid deal for its troubled banks. Some analysts also speculated that benchmark

US Treasuries prices fell on Thursday, renewing their recent losing streak, as investors saw a further opportunity to close out long positions after reports Ireland was near an aid deal for its troubled banks. Some analysts also speculated that benchmark

Most Southeast Asian stock markets closed firmer on Friday as foreign inflows picked on easing concerns over the eurozone debt crisis. Thailand saw the year's largest foreign inflows with $186 million, helping nudge the market up 0.4 percent following out

Australian shares slipped 0.2 percent on Friday, taking losses to the second straight week as investors fretted over Ireland's debt woes and a possible Chinese interest rate hike. Investors sentiment was also weakened after the country's top IPO in more t

Indian shares declined 1.7 percent to their lowest close in more than two months on Friday, after posting their second straight weekly decline, with dwindling foreign fund inflow hinting the rally may have run out of steam. Energy major Reliance Industrie

European shares fell on Friday on global growth fears after China raised bank reserve requirements and on investor concerns about Ireland's debt crisis. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index of top shares closed down 0.5 percent at 1,102.18 points and e

Taiwan stocks rose 0.27 percent on Friday, with major technology and automobile makers leading the way after the island's third quarter GDP growth beat market forecasts. Taiwan's benchmark TAIEX share index closed up 22.67 points at 8,306.12. The electron

Seoul shares ended up 0.7 percent on Friday as technology stocks including Samsung Electronics continued to rebound, while Hana Financial Group rallied on M&A hopes. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) ended up 0.68 percent at 1,940.96 points.

Britain's top share index fell on Friday, led by banks and commodity-linked stocks on worries over Ireland's debt crisis and concern over future growth in China after it increased its banks' reserve requirements. The FTSE 100 closed down 35.88 points, or

India has lost some 213 billion dollars to corruption, bribery and tax evasion over the past six decades a report said Thursday as parliament was stalled once again over a telecommunications scam. The Washington-based non-profit organisation Global Financ

Saudi King Abdullah named his son Prince Mitaeb bin Abdullah a member of the council of ministers and head of the national guard on Wednesday, the kingdom's second army commanded from the palace. In the announcement carried by the official SPA news agency

Sri Lanka's powerful president, Mahinda Rajapakse, vowed to turn his battle-scarred nation into the economic "wonder" of Asia as he was sworn in Friday for a second six-year term. At a ceremonial inauguration that included a march-past by thousands of tro

Russia's military says one of its fighter jets has crashed, but its crew of two ejected safely. The Defence Ministry said a MiG-31 fighter jet went down Friday during a regular training mission. It crashed near the city of Perm in the Ural Mountains about

A heated exchange on the floor of Argentina's parliament took a nasty turn when an opposition lawmaker slapped the face of another deputy to the astonishment of television viewers. "I've had enough. I'm fed up after all these years with his recriminations

The US Defence Department is aware that Internet traffic was re-routed briefly through China earlier this year, a Pentagon spokesman said Friday, referring to what a congressionally appointed panel has described as a hijack.

The United States has picked Lithuania as its latest transit hub to send supplies to international troops in Afghanistan via rail-freight across Russia, US and Lithuanian authorities said Thursday. The US embassy in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius said tha

Iran has "successfully" test fired an upgraded version of a Soviet-era missile, a commander said in a report on Thursday, after Moscow dropped plans to supply Tehran with S-300 missiles. The website of Iran's English-language Press TV reported that the Is

President Barack Obama has awarded German Chancellor Angela Merkel the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States, the White House said Wednesday. Merkel is among 15 recipients of the award named by US President Barack

A sophisticated Malaysian cyber bandit hacked into the US Federal Reserve's computers and also stole nearly half a million credit and debit card numbers, US prosecutors in New York said. Lin Mun Poo, a Malaysian resident and citizen, was arrested on Octob

A former Societe Generale trader, who surprisingly admitted at trial that it was wrong for him to have copied the French bank's speed-trading computer code, was convicted of trade secrets theft on Friday. A New York jury took two hours to return the verdi

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange appealed on Friday against a Swedish court order for a warrant for his detention for questioning on allegations of rape, his lawyer said. "I have just filed an appeal," his Swedish lawyer Bjoern Hurtig told AFP. The Stockh

Hundreds of Muslims living in Athens protested outside the city hall on Thursday over a rumour that Greek police had torn up a Holy Quranic text after arresting an Egyptian street vendor, officials said. At least 300 Muslims from various countries gathere

Away from the headlines, Palestinians have been trying to advance their statehood agenda in small but symbolic ways in United Nations agencies that fall off the radar for most people. But even on the outer reaches of the sprawling UN system, their efforts

Egypt accused the United States on Thursday of meddling in its affairs in an unusually harsh criticism after Washington called for foreign monitors in this month's election and met with a group pressing for reform. "The latest positions taken by the admin

The Federal Board of Revenue has approved the cadre strength of both Inland Revenue Service (IRS) and Pakistan Customs Service (PCS). The IRS will have 1104 officials (BS-17 to 21) while PCS 379 officials (BS-17 to 22).

Intelligence officials say suspected US missiles have destroyed a moving vehicle near the border with Afghanistan, killing four alleged militants inside it. The attack by unmanned drones near Marsi Khel village in North Waziristan is the second in a week

A large number of diplomats, ministers, parliamentarians, senior civil servants and people from all walks of life attended the open house reception here at the PM House and exchanged Eid greetings with Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani.

Describing President Barack Obama's endorsement of India for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council as a "grand rhetorical gesture", a former US ambassador to the UN, has warned that any enlargement of the 15-member's body's permanent cat

The UK's North West member of the European Parliament, Sajjad Karim met British Prime Minister's advisor on international trade, Lord Leon Brittan and their meeting covered matters surrounding the European Union's trade access policies with Pakistan as we

The gas supply to 450 industrial units including Textile Processing, Printing, Dyeing and others of Faisalabad Region would remain close for next three days (Saturday to Monday). Due to the prolong load shedding, thousands daily wages workers including la

Chief of Army Staff (CoAS), General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani spent second day of Eid (Thursday) with troops deployed in Azad Kashmir. According to a press release issued here, the COAS on Thursday visited various locations along the Line of Control (LoC) in L