The European Central Bank raised interest rates for the second time in three months on Thursday and signalled a further hike is likely this year to tackle inflation despite the intensifying eurozone debt crisis. The ECB raised its benchmark lending rate t

The personal photographer of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and three other photojournalists were arrested on Thursday and accused of spying for a foreign country. The arrests appeared to be the latest targeting what Georgia's powerful Interior Mi

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said on Thursday he was against Nato intervention in Libya but had to go along with it, an admission that exposed the fragility of the alliance trying to unseat Muammar Qadhafi. Nato warplanes have been bombing Lib

Residents in the Syrian city of Hama blocked streets with burning tyres on Thursday to keep out busloads of security forces, and dozens of families fled to a nearby town, an activist and a resident said. The city, scene of a 1982 massacre which came to sy

United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon called on Syria on Thursday to give UN aid workers immediate access to evaluate the needs of civilians caught up in a bloody crackdown on anti-government protests. The world body has been largely shut out from Syria, which

A UN rapporteur Thursday slammed a highly anticipated UN report said to back a 2010 Israeli commando raid on an aid flotilla aiming to break the Gaza blockade which left nine people dead. "The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Profes

A general strike shuttered schools and businesses and disrupted transportation for a second day Thursday in cities across Bangladesh. Opposition parties called the strike to protest a constitutional amendment they say will allow incumbents to rig election

Israel-Turkey talks meant to repair ties strained by a fatal attempt to breach Israel's Gaza blockade have collapsed, an Israeli official said on Thursday. The talks were being held ahead of a UN report which Haaretz newspaper said listed faults of both s

A Dutch appeals court on Thursday sentenced a Hutu man to life imprisonment for crimes including the killings of hundreds of women and children at a church complex during Rwanda's 1994 genocide. Joseph Mpambara had been convicted by a lower court in March

In a fresh blow to NASA's post-shuttle aspirations, key US lawmakers voted Thursday to kill off funding for the successor to the vastly successful space-gazing Hubble telescope. The US House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Just

Up to 13 civilians, mostly women and children, were killed in a Nato air strike on Thursday in the eastern Afghan province of Khost, provincial police chief Mohamad Zazai said. The coalition said those killed were family members of insurgents who also die

A Nato helicopter crashed Thursday in eastern Afghanistan but no one was hurt, the US-led coalition said. The crew was recovered after the crash, which occurred in Parwan province. Nato said the cause of the incident was under investigation. The Taliban c

The Pentagon's second ranking official announced Thursday he was resigning from his post. Deputy Defence Secretary William J Lynn said he intends to return to private life but will stay on the job until the fall. Defence Secretary Leon Panetta, who began

A second Indian cabinet member resigned on Thursday over allegations of corruption within government, dealing another blow to embattled Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran stepped down after being named in a police court repor

Rescuers have recovered eight bodies from a ferry that sank after it collided with an oil tanker in a river near Bangladesh's capital, a police official said Thursday. Local media said more than 20 people were still missing. Local police official Shahidul

Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh appeared on television on Thursday for the first time since an assassination attempt a month ago and said he was ready to share power within the constitution's framework. Saleh, who is recovering in Riyadh after the Ju

The United States and Iraq are negotiating the possibility of keeping some US forces in the country beyond a December 31 deadline for withdrawal, the US military's top officer said Thursday. "The negotiations are ongoing and it's hard," Admiral Mike Mulle

More than five years after South Korea's scientific reputation was shattered by a cloning research scandal, the country has approved stem cell medication in the form of a treatment for heart attack victims for the world's first clinical use. South Korea a

Thousands of fans braved rain and battled security restrictions in London's Trafalgar Square on Thursday to say farewell to the boy wizard Harry Potter at the world premiere of the final movie in the record-breaking series. "Harry Potter and the Deathly H

Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir vowed to fight northern rebels and boycott future international peace talks on Thursday, two days before the secession of the south of his country. South Sudan is due to declare independence on Saturday, a long-awai

More than 2,300 south Sudanese have died in tribal and rebel violence this year, the United Nations said on Thursday, in an ominous reminder of the insecurity of the region in its final days before independence. South Sudan is due to secede on Saturday an

The European Parliament's political blocs backed new rules on Thursday to curb its members' rights to hold other jobs, but disappointed some who said there should be more transparency on lobbying in Brussels. The proposed new code, set to be voted into la

The financial crisis that began to hit Europe in mid-2008 reversed a steady, years-long fall in suicides among people of working age, according to a letter published on Friday by The Lancet. Researchers looked at mortality data provided by 10 European Uni

There is no time for rest for Novak Djokovic as the newly-crowned Wimbledon champion gets ready to lead Davis Cup holders Serbia in their quarter-final against Sweden which gets underway on Friday. Djokovic is riding the crest of a wave after defeating Ra

India's seam bowling attack continued to exploit the fragile West Indies batting line-up in the third Test on Thursday, leaving the hosts 128 for five in their first innings at lunch. Munaf Patel and Praveen Kumar shared the two wickets that fell before t

Norway's Edvald Boasson Hagen claimed his and Team Sky's maiden Tour de France victory in the race's sixth stage on Thursday. Compatriot Thor Hushovd, of Garmin-Cervelo, finished third to retain the race leader's yellow jersey after 226.5km of racing from

Sweden stunned two-time winners the United States 2-1 in their final Group C game at the women's World Cup here on Wednesday, but both teams march into the quarter-finals. Sweden took the lead when midfielder Lisa Dahlkvist netted a penalty after 15 minut

The women's World Cup in Germany was hit by a doping scandal on Thursday after North Korea defenders Song Jong-Sun and Jong Pok-Sim both tested positive for a banned anabolic steroid, FIFA announced. The pair were removed from the line-up for North Korea'

Football's governing body FIFA on Thursday lifted its suspension on the Football Federation of Belize, allowing the country to play the return leg of a 2014 World Cup qualifying tie. "The FIFA Emergency Committee has decided today, 7 July 2011, to provisi

Mohamed bin Hammam on Thursday expressed his hope that he will receive a fair hearing when he goes before FIFA's ethics committee to face bribery charges later this month. The 62-year-old Qatari has been suspended since May following allegations that he a

Argentina on Wednesday failed to make up for their disappointing opening draw against Bolivia when they could only manage another stalemate against Colombia, compromising their bid to reach the Copa America quarter-finals. Once again, despite on paper hav

Lesotho's 17-year-old sensation Montoeli Sonopo has joined Spanish side Atletico Madrid, becoming the first player from the tiny African nation to join a European team, his club said on Thursday. "We are busy patching up the finer details of his move but

The fifth and final one-day international between India and England in October has been brought forward by a day due to a local festival, the Indian cricket board said in a statement on Thursday. The match, scheduled to be held on October 26, will now be

Dozens of current and former football players have been charged with match-fixing, prosecutors said Thursday, in a deepening scandal which has battered the reputation of South Korea's K-League. Prosecutors have charged 57 people - 46 current and former pl

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has signed with new Tasmanian franchise Hobart Hurricanes for the Twenty20 Big Bash League, Cricket Tasmania said on Thursday. Ponting, who began his first-class career with the island state but rarely plays because

England captain Alastair Cook's unbeaten 95 completed his side's crushing 10-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the fourth one-day international at Trent Bridge here on Wednesday. England's win left the five-match series all square at 2-2 ahead of Saturday'

The Thai baht hit a three-week high on Thursday after the prime minister-elect pledged to fight inflation while capital inflows fuelled expectations that underperformers among emerging Asian currencies might catch up with gains made by their peers.

The Indian rupee edged higher in narrow band trade on Thursday, buoyed by local share gains and dollar inflows, but most traders preferred to wait for the series of data due this week and the next for more cues. The partially convertible rupee ended at 44

The Australian dollar jumped nearly half a cent on Thursday in the wake of stronger-than-expected employment data, while the New Zealand currency held its ground as markets took China's latest rate hike in their stride. The Aussie dollar rose as high as $

The Swiss franc was slightly weaker on Thursday ahead of Swiss inflation data for June and an expected interest rate hike by the European Central Bank. The franc was down 0.27 percent against the euro compared to the New York close, trading at 1.2016 per

Interbank buy/sell rates for the taka against the dollar on Thursday. 74.35/74.37 (previous 74.27/74.31). Call Money Rates: 8.50-12.00 percent (previous 7.50-12.00 percent).

Euribor interest rate futures were broadly lower and Eonia forwards rose slightly on Thursday after the European Central Bank raised interest rates as expected and kept the door open for more monetary tightening. The ECB will continue to monitor very clos

The yuan ended little changed versus the dollar on Thursday with the market expecting the Chinese currency to remain stable in the near term after China raised interest rates by 25 basis points on Wednesday. Spot yuan closed at 6.4658 on Thursday, almost

Sterling slipped against the dollar on Thursday, giving up modest early gains, as investors speculating that the Bank of England might consider more monetary stimulus to support a fragile UK economy sold into a brief move higher. Sterling had got a slight

The euro stabilised in Asia on Thursday but remained vulnerable as worries about Europe's sovereign debt problems could take centre stage again after a widely expected interest rate hike by the European Central Bank later in the day. Concern that Greece's

The euro slipped on Thursday, failing to benefit from a widely expected interest rate rise by the European Central Bank as investors speculated the bank may signal a more dovish stance on policy for the coming months. The euro slipped to a session low of

The euro slid against the US dollar for a second straight day on Wednesday as a China interest rate hike raised global growth concerns in a market already unnerved by the downgrade of Portugal's debt to junk. China raised rates for the third time this yea

The euro trimmed losses versus the dollar on Thursday following comments from European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet on Portugal. Trichet said the ECB "has decided to suspend rating requirement for Portugal." The euro last traded at $1.4271,

Commodity stocks led Britain's FTSE 100 sharply higher on Thursday, as US jobs data boosted confidence that the world's biggest economy was showing signs of picking up heading into second-half. Integrated oils rose along with crude oil as reports showed U

European shares climbed to a five-week high on Thursday as an encouraging US private sector jobs report and data showing American jobless benefits fell last week improved market sentiment and raised hopes of a sustained economic recovery. Equities, howeve

Australian shares pared early losses to end dead flat on Thursday after local jobs jumped more than expected in June, but caution prevailed with a rash of global data due and an announcement on Australia's carbon tax expected on Sunday. The unemployment r

Shares in Shanghai fell on Thursday from a six-week high, in the wake of China's third interest-rate hike this year, as some investors appeared to take profit in large-cap stocks while waiting to learn on Saturday see how high inflation was in June. Analy

Tokyo stocks snapped a seven-day winning streak on Thursday as utilities tumbled after the government proposed stress tests on nuclear reactors, sparking fears their restarts may be delayed, but the 10,000 line on the Nikkei held, boosting hopes for furth

US Treasury prices rose on Wednesday as Portugal's downgrade to junk status a day earlier revived fears Europe's debt problems could cascade, spurring safe-haven demand for low-risk government bonds. China's third interest rate increase this year on Wedne

US Treasury prices rose on Wednesday as Portugal's downgrade to junk status a day earlier revived fears Europe's debt problems could cascade, spurring safe-haven demand for low-risk government bonds. China's third interest rate increase this year on Wedne

Taiwan stocks fell 0.58 percent on Thursday, pressured by HTC Corp, which dropped by the maximum daily limit as investors looked beyond its forecast-beating quarterly profit to concerns over a slowdown in smartphone demand. The main TAIEX index fell 51.02

Transportation stocks were among the standouts in another flat session for US equities on Wednesday, and the sector's rally could be cause for optimism ahead. Broader gains were limited as a downgrade of Portugal's credit rating weighed on banking shares,

US stocks surged as markets opened Thursday following a pair of reports on employment in the United States that beat economists' expectations. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 66.49 points (0.53 percent) to 12,692.51 in the first 20 minutes of trad

Indian shares closed up nearly 2 percent in firm trade on Thursday, snapping a two-straight session fall, on a broad rally triggered across sectors by stable foreign fund inflows. Financials were among the top gainers, with State Bank of India (SBI) and I

Seoul shares finished higher for a seventh consecutive session on Thursday despite fresh global economic worries, as Korea's winning bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics lifted sentiment towards builders. Autos and shipbuilders also extended gains, while

Most Southeast Asian stock markets gained on Thursday as investors looked for bargains from regional blue chips and banks, while Singapore's property developers rose as hopes of a pause in policy tightening by China eased concerns over growth. Market play

Thailand's policy of allowing the baht to float freely will be maintained under its new government, Prime Minister elect Yingluck Shinawatra said on Thursday. The Bank of Thailand broadly lets market forces determine the level of the baht, intervening onl

Prices plunged on the domestic cotton market this week as global fiber values weekend, few appeared willing to buy yarns, world-wide economic condition worsened and more supply and surpluses of cotton entered the market.

Prices plunged on the domestic cotton market this week as global fiber values weekend, few appeared willing to buy yarns, world-wide economic condition worsened and more supply and surpluses of cotton entered the market.

Activity picked up on the cotton market on Thursday as the ginners did not show any resistance in selling despite the fall in the rates daily on steady supply position, dealers said. The Karachi Cotton Association (KCA) official spot was lowered further b

Upward trend was witnessed on the forward cottonseed oilcake market on Thursday while the December vaida was also inert in process of trading, dealers said. The July contract that had closed at 1426.50 opened with 30 paisa gain at Rs 1426.80. The December

The Karachi Port handled 82,949 tonnes of cargo including 61,919 tonnes of import cargo, 21,030 tonnes of export cargo and 3,621 loaded & empty containers during last 24 hours ended at 0700 hours on Thursday. The total import cargo of 61,919 tonnes compri

ICE Canadian canola futures rose on Wednesday, buoyed by a slow-down in farmer selling and firm rapeseed and soya values, traders said. Total volume was thin at less than 6,400 contracts, while open interest of 148,207 on Tuesday hovered around 10-month l

Vietnam has contracted to sell 150,000 tonnes of rice to East Timor and Sierra Leone, with loading to start this month, a state-run newspaper reported on Thursday, without giving any pricing details. This comes on the heels of the Vietnam Food Association

The trading in chemical items closed mixed on Jodia Bazaar here on Thursday. The following changes were noted.

Rice and Khandsari prices were higher on the wholesale grain market on Thursday in process of low trading, dealers said. On the cereal side, wheat old and new Bardan were lower by Rs 15 to Rs 2625-2640 owing to easy supply position, Khandsari, however, ga

Syria's state purchasing agency has issued an international tender to buy and import 100,000 tonnes of soft milling wheat, European traders said on Thursday. Bidding deadline was July 25. It is the largest wheat import tender reported from Syria since at

The European Union granted export licences for 18.5 million tonnes of soft wheat in the 2010/2011 season that ended on June 30, up from 18.0 million cleared in 2009/2010, official data showed on Thursday. The final total for 2010/2011 season included June

International bankers and European Union officials made no progress on Thursday in securing a private sector contribution for a second bailout of Greece and bond yields climbed on concern about the scheme. The managing director of the Institute of Interna

US private employers stepped up hiring in June and the number of Americans filing for jobless benefits fell last week, strengthening views the economy is positioned for a pick-up in the second half. Payrolls processor ADP said on Thursday private sector e

US bank J.P Morgan Chase was slapped with fines and repayment penalties of $228 million for a bid-rigging scheme that short-changed issuers of municipal bonds, US authorities announced Thursday. In a case that has also seen Swiss bank UBS and Bank of Amer

US bank J.P Morgan Chase was slapped with fines and repayment penalties of $228 million for a bid-rigging scheme that short-changed issuers of municipal bonds, US authorities announced Thursday. In a case that has also seen Swiss bank UBS and Bank of Amer

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said Thursday it will invest around $500 million in Cambodia over the next three years to reduce poverty, mainly through infrastructure and agriculture projects. The soft loan forms part of a new "country partnership strat

India's government announced plans on Thursday to auction more than 800 FM radio licences, enabling listeners in many cities to tune into private radio stations for the first time. The auction of 839 licences marks an ambitious expansion of the sector and

Want to borrow $15 billion for a month at the rock-bottom interest rate of 1.16 percent? You can - but only if you're Goldman Sachs and your generous sugar daddy is the US government. The US Federal Reserve released data Wednesday on the emergency borrowi

Democrats and Republicans still have a long way to go to reach a deal to raise the US debt limit, President Barack Obama said Thursday, calling another round of crisis White House talks. "I will reconvene congressional leaders here on Sunday with the expe

The government has given an extension in Letter of Support (LoS) up to three years for four hydropower projects, ie 840MW Suki Kinari, 147MW, Patrind, 100MW Kotli and 100MW Gulpur hydropower project, official sources told Business Recorder.

EFU Capital Growth Fund Rates on Thursday (July 07, 2011).

Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani has reconstituted Federal Export Development & Promotion Board (FEDPB) without ensuring release of funds to the Commerce Ministry allocated two years ago.

EFU Capital Growth Fund Rates on Thursday (July 07, 2011).

The Directorate General of Intelligence and Investigation, Inland Revenue Federal Board of Revenue has started sector analysis of edible oil industry, taking into account import volume of Rs 197 billion raw materials consumed during first 11 months of 201

EFU Capital Growth Fund Rates on Thursday (July 07, 2011).

The Directorate General of Intelligence and Investigation, Inland Revenue Federal Board of Revenue has started sector analysis of edible oil industry, taking into account import volume of Rs 197 billion raw materials consumed during first 11 months of 201

EFU Pension Growth Fund Rates on Thursday (July 07, 2011).

The Directorate General of Intelligence and Investigation, Inland Revenue Federal Board of Revenue has started sector analysis of edible oil industry, taking into account import volume of Rs 197 billion raw materials consumed during first 11 months of 201

EFU Pension Growth Fund Rates on Thursday (July 07, 2011).

EFU Managed Growth Fund Rates on Thursday (July 07, 2011).

Pakistan Government International Bonds daily prices for Thursday (July 07, 2011)

Foreign exchange reserves have surged to a record high of $18.25 billion, a central bank official said Thursday. The reserves peaked last week, from the previously reported $17.95 billion in March, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said. The record was due

EFU Managed Growth Fund Rates on Thursday (July 07, 2011).

Foreign exchange reserves have surged to a record high of $18.25 billion, a central bank official said Thursday. The reserves peaked last week, from the previously reported $17.95 billion in March, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said. The record was due

EFU Managed Growth Fund Rates on Thursday (July 07, 2011).

EFU Pension Growth Fund Rates on Thursday (July 07, 2011).

The government has given an extension in Letter of Support (LoS) up to three years for four hydropower projects, ie 840MW Suki Kinari, 147MW, Patrind, 100MW Kotli and 100MW Gulpur hydropower project, official sources told Business Recorder.

Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani has reconstituted Federal Export Development & Promotion Board (FEDPB) without ensuring release of funds to the Commerce Ministry allocated two years ago.