A leading opposition challenger to Democratic Republic of Congo's President Joseph Kabila called on Tuesday for the Central African state's elections to be annulled, accusing authorities of systematic fraud. Vital Kamerhe, a former government minister, sa

A Malian court has sentenced to death a Tunisian man accused of throwing an explosive device at the French embassy in Mali's capital in January, wounding two people, state television reported on Tuesday. Like many countries in West Africa, Mali maintains

Russia on Tuesday activated a radar warning system against incoming missiles in its enclave of Kaliningrad on the borders of the EU, in response to Western plans for a US missile shield in Europe. President Dmitry Medvedev announced that the Voronezh-DM s

A member of Egypt's ruling military council said on Tuesday that he expected turnout in the first stage of a parliamentary election to exceed 70 percent. Egypt's first parliamentary poll since Hosni Mubarak was ousted began on Monday and the first round o

The only daughter of brutal Soviet tyrant Joseph Stalin - who defected to the United States in 1967 and became a vocal critic of the Soviet Union - has died at age 85, The New York Times reported Monday. Born Svetlana Stalina on February 28, 1926, she led

An exchange of rocket fire hit the Lebanese-Israeli border on Tuesday in the first such incident since 2009, coming at a time of heightened regional tensions over Syria and Iran's nuclear programme. UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, said at le

Foreign Policy magazine named 14 "brave" individuals who helped bring the pro-democracy Arab Spring movements to the Middle East and North Africa as the top global thinkers of 2011. Alaa al-Aswany, the dentist turned blacklisted novelist who rose to fame

Tokyo has once again proved its worth at the top table of world food with more Michelin three star restaurants than Paris, according to the latest edition of the gastronomical guide. Japan as a whole also beats France, with 32 establishments granted the m

China's first aircraft carrier began its second sea trial on Tuesday after undergoing refurbishments and testing, the government said, as tensions over maritime territorial disputes in the region ran high. The 300-metre (990-foot) ship, a refitted former

US Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Baghdad on a surprise visit on Tuesday evening, as American troops depart Iraq ahead of a year-end deadline, an AFP photographer said. Biden was met at the airport by US ambassador to Iraq James Jeffrey and General L

King Mohammed VI on Tuesday appointed Morocco's first-ever Islamist prime minister and charged him with forming a government following his party's historic election win. Abdelilah Benkirane, head of the moderate Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD

Nepalese MPs extended parliament's term for a fourth and final time Tuesday to allow the drafting of a new constitution in line with a peace accord brokered after the civil war ended in 2006. Lawmakers agreed to the six-month extension after a panel of le

Thirteen of the warmest years recorded have occurred within the last decade and a half, proving that global warming is a reality, the UN's World Meteorological Organisation said on Tuesday The year 2011 caps a decade that ties the record as the hottest ev

US-Pakistani relations are at one of their worst points in memory after the Nato strike that killed 24 Pakistani troops, but can recover, Washington's top military officer said on Monday. General Martin Dempsey said Pakistani anger was justified given the

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources has decided to transport raw gas from Latif Well through a transmission line to Sawan plant, official sources told Business Recorder here on Tuesday. Latif Petroleum Concession Agreement (PCA) was sig

The president of Pakistan's cable TV association says operators have blocked BBC World News because of a documentary critical of the country's commitment to fighting Islamist militants. Khalid Arain says the decision was implemented Tuesday after the netw

Temperature in Skardu dipped to minus 8 degree centigrade, lowest of the season, during the last 24 hours, the Met Office said on Tuesday. "A shallow trough of westerly wave still prevailing over northern area," the office said. It said that mainly dry we

China's top state newspaper on Tuesday accused the United States of flouting international law and fanning terrorism after a Nato attack killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, and it warned that the Islamabad's grip on security could be dangerously weakened.

The Karachi Police Department's intelligence unit has thwarted a major act of terrorism during Muharram by arresting 5 accused having affiliation with Jundullah group-an off-shoot of al Qaeda network. "It is concerted efforts of our CIA's Special Investig

Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Tuesday telephoned Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and requested him to reconsider Pakistani's decision to stay away from Bonn Conference. Karzai said that media reports were circulating that Pakistan had decided no

Unilever Pakistan is the largest and one of the oldest FMCGs working in Pakistan. It is also the biggest multinational operating in Pakistan. Every day millions of people around the world use Unilever products; the Company over the decades has grown to be

Unilever Pakistan is the largest and one of the oldest FMCGs working in Pakistan. It is also the biggest multinational operating in Pakistan. Every day millions of people around the world use Unilever products; the Company over the decades has grown to be

Cotton futures settled higher on Tuesday on investor short-covering as the market rebounded from an early fall to a 15-month low, and analysts said the market should consolidate in the days ahead. The key March cotton futures rose 1.40 cents, or 1.5 perce

Copper rallied on Monday to its highest level in more than a week, amid hopes that eurozone leaders would unveil concrete measures to deal with the region's debt crisis. In New York, benchmark December copper futures traded on the COMEX exchange similarly

In Shanghai, the most-active February copper contract gained 0.2 percent to close at 55,460 yuan a tonne on Tuesday. In China, copper inventories in warehouses monitored by the Shanghai Futures Exchange fell 12 percent to 65,205 tonnes last week.

Copper steadied on Tuesday after encouraging US consumer confidence and retail sales eased immediate worries about the outlook for the world's largest economy, but persistent fears about Europe's debt crisis prevented further gains. Three-month copper on

Oil prices rose on Tuesday on a report of a jump in US consumer confidence, an Italian bond auction attracting demand and after an attack by Iranian protesters on two British embassy compounds in Tehran. Investor relief after Italy managed to sell bonds,

Tokyo rubber futures crept higher on Tuesday on the back of firmer oil prices, but the upside was capped by profit-taking after a recent price jump to one-week highs, dealers said. The benchmark rubber contract on the Tokyo Commodity Exchange for May del

Grains rose on Monday as optimism about a resolution to the eurozone debt crisis helped weaken the dollar and spurred investors to buy risk assets such as agricultural commodities that had fallen to multi-month lows. Higher crude oil added to momentum for

Malaysian palm oil futures slipped on Tuesday on concerns of slower demand, although prospects of erratic weather hurting production limited losses. Traders shifted their focus from the eurozone debt crisis to prospects of weaker demand as refined palm oi

Cocoa futures crumbled Tuesday, with London bean values near a three-year low and US cocoa at a 2-1/2 year low, pressured by abundant supplies and by worries that the European debt crisis could spark a recession that would lessen demand for chocolate prod

Tuesday's Rotterdam vegetable oil prices at 1700 GMT.

Tuesday's Rotterdam vegetable oil prices at 1700 GMT.

Gold rose around 2 percent on Monday to above $1,700 an ounce, its biggest one-day gain in three weeks, swept higher by hopes that new proposals may emerge out of Europe to tackle the region's debt crisis. Spot gold rose 1.8 percent to $1,709.44 an ounce

Spot gold held steady above $1,700 per ounce on Tuesday, as investors watch a meeting of eurozone finance ministers later in the day in hopes that European policymakers will take decisive steps to tackle the region's debt crisis. Spot gold traded flat at

Gold steadied above $1,700 an ounce on Tuesday, a day after its second best session of the month, along with a recovery in risk assets such as stocks with which gold is trading more closely than at any time in the last year. Italy's borrowing costs hit a

US grain markets rose on Tuesday as investors grew more confident that Europe would resolve its debt crisis and a weaker dollar sparked a rally in commodities. Italy's successful completion of its closely watched bond auction calmed fears about eurozone d

Gold rose for a second consecutive session on Tuesday, extending the previous session's rally, as strong physical demand and a weaker dollar amid economic optimism lifted the precious metal. Bullion - a traditional safe haven which has recently followed r

National Nutrition Survey conducted by the government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata has identified malnutrition as major problem of the public health. The survey was conducted during the period of February to July 2011 was launched by the Secretary Healt

National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) has converted its 800 branches online out of its deep rooted network of 1265 branches which cover the remotest areas of the country. According to a press release issued here on Tuesday, through online facility NBP customers

The Competition Commission of Pakistan on Tuesday announced holding of its 2nd international conference on December 1-2, 2011, with the collaboration of Competitiveness Support Fund/USAID. The theme of the conference is, "Competition Enforcement Challenge

The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) of Higher Education Commission (HEC) has decided to review the entry test system to have a common testing system for each discipline, besides adapting practices to standardise accreditation processes and harmonise the ra

Collectors of Customs will conduct audit of the duty-free shops on quarterly basis to check any possibility of the selling of imported goods, in the open market, on fake documents. Sources told Business Recorder here on Tuesday that the Chief Colle

A man has been killed in an explosion that took place in a house in Kuchlak, some 20km off the city on Tuesday. Police said that according to preliminary investigation, the blast took place in a house in Killi Khano village of Tehsil Kuchlak. As a result,

JCR-VIS Credit Rating Company Limited has reaffirmed the Insurer Financial Strength Rating of EFU General Insurance Limited at 'AA' (Double A). Outlook on the assigned rating is 'Stable'.

JCR-VIS Credit Rating Company Limited has reaffirmed the Insurer Financial Strength Rating of EFU General Insurance Limited at 'AA' (Double A). Outlook on the assigned rating is 'Stable'.

JCR-VIS Credit Rating Company Limited (JCR-VIS) has reaffirmed the medium to long-term entity rating of Pakistan Security Printing Corporation (Pvt) Ltd (PSPC) at 'AAA' (Triple A) with a outlook. Short-term rating has also been reaffirmed at 'A-1+' (A-One

JCR-VIS Credit Rating Company Limited (JCR-VIS) has reaffirmed the medium to long-term entity rating of Pakistan Security Printing Corporation (Pvt) Ltd (PSPC) at 'AAA' (Triple A) with a outlook. Short-term rating has also been reaffirmed at 'A-1+' (A-One

The business community as well as the industrialists have expressed grave concern over the lack of infrastructure facilities in SITE area of Hyderabad, which is affecting the overall production of the industries. At a meeting at Hyderabad Chamber of Comme

Meezan Bank, Pakistan's first and largest Islamic Bank, recently organised a Real Estate Consultant Conference in Karachi for selected Real Estate Agents and Builders here. The conference focused on enhancing relationships between the financial sector and

The Chairman of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Salman Saddique has assured Sarhad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI) that their genuine reservations about implementation of Prime Minister's Finance Package will be removed to ensure that the stalled bu

Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited has launched Easy Load Service for maximum facilitation of its valued customers. Now PTCL Vfone and EVO customers can instantly recharge their accounts with whatever amount they want through a large network of ap

"So is Shamsi base important or not."

Pakistan Biotechn-ology Information Centre (PABIC) will hold a seminar on "Benefits of using Biotechnology to boost Agriculture Produce" on Wednesday here at a local hotel. Dr Yousaf Zafar Director General Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission would be chief

To facilitate the members of PJBF and business community, PJBF initiated a business matchmaking programme in 2010. Under PJBF business matchmaking programme, ROHTO PHARMA JAPAN was visited by Ms Shaheena Anjum, EO PJBF and introduced the company for possi

Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ameer Haider Khan Hoti has chaired a consultative jirga comprising Sunni and Shia Ulema of provincial, divisional and district authorities in connection with maintaining religious harmony and Islamic brotherhood during Mu

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) will launch microinsurance regulatory framework by June 2012. "We are working to prepare draft rules on microinsurance in consultation with the stakeholders", Muhammad Asif Arif, Commissioner (Insu

A body has been recovered from the Dera Allah Yar area on Tuesday. Police on being informed, reached the area and shifted a body of a man dumped along the road side. The deceased was later identified as Mohammad Iqbal who had been kidnapped by unknown men

More than 64,500 Hajjis have returned to Pakistan through 181 post Hajj flights. PIA spokesman said here on Tuesday. PIA has operated 24 Post Hajj flights to Karachi bringing back 10,430 hajis to Karachi, 24 flights to Lahore with 11,917 hajjis, 27 flight

Pakistan People's Party (PPP) member in Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Nadeem Afzal Chan is likely to head the powerful parliamentary watchdog on public accounts following formal resignation by its former chairman Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.

Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) on Tuesday claimed to have recovered a hand grenade in the jurisdiction of Kalakot police station. According to police, the information was received that a hand grenade was lying near Al-Fateh School located in Lyari Jhatpa

The current increase in the support price of wheat would further increase the export cost of Pakistan's wheat which currently stands at over $305 per metric ton fob Karachi. Wheat Traders Association of Pakistan (WTAP) has expressed concern over the expor

High Commissioner of Bangladesh, Suhrab Hossain visited Punjab University and called on its Vice Chancellor, Professor Dr Mujahid Kamran in his office, here on Tuesday. Welcoming the High Commissioner, Dr Kamran briefed him about the university's infrastr

"About 27 million families in the country are living below the poverty line, while poverty in Sindh has increased in comparison to other provinces due to floods." This was stated by the chairperson of BISP Farzana Raja while addressing a press conference

Pakistan Industrial and Traders Associations Front (PIAF) has urged the government to expedite work on Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline and complete the project without any further delay to overcome the acute gas shortage being faced by the industry.

Managing Director Lahore Stock Exchange, Aftab Ahmed Chaudhry said that stock market is badly affected by the attack of Nato forces on Pakistani security forces, global economic crisis and domestic recession. National and international investment has been

Large scale sowing of jute in Pakistan can save $100 million annually being spent on import of this fibre crop from Bangladesh. Pakistan Jute Mills Association (PJMA) has launched an initiative to convince farmers of Punjab for commercial sowing of jute c

World AIDS Day will be observed on December 01 with the aim to push awareness among masses about this life threatening disease. This year's theme is 'Getting to Zero'. In order to mark this Day, health organisation, institutions and NGOs have chalked out

Commissioner, Syed Tahir Hussain, has said that there would be a high alert in all the 4 districts of Faisalabad Division during Muharram-ul-Haram and added that stringent security measures have been taken to maintain law and order at any cost.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said that the PPP-led democratic government's action after Nato's aggression against Pakistan was in accordance with the sentiments of the people of Pakistan. He said this while talking to reporters here at Allama Iqbal

Nato attack on Pakistani soldiers is an act of blatant aggression and violation of the country's sovereignty. "It is not an act of mistake and is against all international laws", expressed Allama Raghab Naeemi, Principal Jamia Naeemia here on Tuesday whil

President Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), Naeem Anwar Qureshi on behalf of exporters, manufacturers and traders strongly condemned the Nato strikes on Pakistani troops intestinally. Speaking to media persons at Chamber of Commerce and Ind

The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief, Syed Munawar Hasan has appealed to the nation to observe 'Protest Day' on Friday, December 2 to condemn the unprovoked Nato attacks on Pakistan's military posts resulting in the martyrdom of 24 officers and soldiers. He dir

Sunni Ittehad Council Pakistan (SICP) on Tuesday announced to observe the next Friday as a black day to denounce the Nato air strikes against Pakistan Army across the country. A large number of angry protesters demanded of the government to cut all kind o

The chairman of All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma), Mohsin Aziz expressed deep sense of sorrow on the loss of precious lives of the defenders of the borders of Pakistan in the Nato attack. In a press release issued here on Tuesday, he said tha

Welcoming the suspension of Natologistic supply to US-alliance troops in Afghanistan, All Pakistan Oil Tankers Owners Association (APOTOA), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, held a rally here at supply depot in Taro Jabba, demanding for permanently stoppage of the supp

Dr Zulfiqar Mirza has admitted on television that he secured a loan in violation of rules from a bank, on the basis of political influence, to set up a sugar mill which he owns. Credit must be given to him for at least accepting that he has committed a wr

The international community has been pumping huge sums of money into Afghanistan for more than a decade, but the country remains one of the world's 10 poorest. The World Bank estimates that 15.7 billion dollars in aid flowed into the country last year alo

Pakistan is basically an agriculture-based country and the large proportion of population formally or informally depends on this sector for their livelihood. Currently the agriculture sector accounts for a quarter of the GDP but significantly contributes

'Change' for the better and 'hope' of a brighter future. For many, these ideas have great conceptual depth and act as sustenance at times of difficulty. Yet one needs to realise that history shows these concepts have been reduced to mere words time and ag

After nearly a two-year delay, a full bench of the Supreme Court finally has rejected the government's review petition on the controversial National Reconciliation Ordinance, saying "no case was made for the review of the (December 16, 2009) judgement; as

According to a news item in Business Recorder on 29th November, 2011, the federal government is reported to have breached the borrowing limit of Pakistan Railways by taking a Rs 38.6 billion loan from the State Bank of Pakistan. This borrowing wa

Provision of quality healthcare to the people of Punjab through patronisation of private sector is included in the priorities of government for which health department is taking solid steps by providing soft loans to private doctors through Punjab Health

The Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs will discuss the controversy of 'memogate' in its meeting to be held on Wednesday here at the parliament house. The meeting has been convened on a single item agenda to discuss the situation emerging from t

Lahore High Court here Tuesday extended the stay order till December 13 against the levy of fuel adjustment surcharge for the months of June to October on industrial consumers after a law officer sought time to file reply in this regard.

The Tax Reform Core Group, in its two-day meeting with the Federal Board of Revenue officials concluded here today, has expressed its extreme reservation over frequent extensions being granted by the Board in filing of Income Tax (IT) and Sales Tax (ST) r

Chairman Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari chaired a meeting of senior party leaders at Bilawal House here Tuesday. Central Information Secretary PPP Qamar Zaman Kaira, MNA Farzana Raja, MNA Farah Naz Isphani, MNA Abdul Qadir Patel, Sin

The Employees Union (CBA) of the defunct Karachi Development Authority on Tuesday threatened to move to court if the old status of KDA was not restored. Despite restoration of Commissionerate System of 1979 in the province, the status of defunct KDA has n

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed a trial court in Rawalpindi to conduct hearing of the drag race case in transparent manner that took lives of five persons. During the course of hearing, Additional Advocate General Punjab Muhammad Hanif Khattana subm

Country Programme Director United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, Alice Harding Shackelford has expressed satisfaction on positive role of business community in accommodating the women folk in industrial sector of Sialkot.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Industries and Commerce, Syed Ahmad Hussain Shah, has said that the government is endeavouring hard for the self-reliance in power sector, saying that Rs 50 billion has been allocated for the hydel power generation proj

Pakistan does not seem to achieve large number of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and if the government wanted to remain in middle income group of the world, it has to maintain at least growth rate of 7percent. Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Dr

The Federal Cabinet's Sub-Committee on Energy, which met here on Tuesday, has decided to provide uninterrupted supply of electricity to agricultural tube-wells from 10 pm to 8 am daily. Federal Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Sheikh chaired the meeting held

Lahore High Court here Tuesday sought reply from federal government and Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) by December 19 in a writ petition questioning alleged irregularities by the authority in awarding of quota for liquefied natural gas. The petitio

Hashoo Group Hospitality Division, having its fold of all the Marriott and Pearl Continental hotels in Pakistan, now offers to its distinguished guests round the clock free access to Wi-Fi Internet Service in addition to the existing endless amenities.

UBL Fund Managers announced the launch of its new investment scheme "UBL Principal Protected Fund - I". The scheme will be open for public subscription from December 2 till December 27, 2011. UBL Principal Protected Fund-I is an open-end Fund of Funds inv

UBL Fund Managers announced the launch of its new investment scheme "UBL Principal Protected Fund - I". The scheme will be open for public subscription from December 2 till December 27, 2011. UBL Principal Protected Fund-I is an open-end Fund of Funds inv

Any body can guess very well about the joblessness in Sindh province that more than 63,000 youth appeared in tests, held at 23 districts to catch only 20,050 opportunities of short-term trainings with monthly stipend of few thousand rupees.

At least three persons including activist of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and a cop were fallen prey to targeted killing spree in separate incidents at various parts of the metropolis on Tuesday. According to police sources, an activist of PPP, who was al