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Print - 2012-08-04
ART FACTS: Innovative, symbolic and soft images

ART FACTS: Innovative, symbolic and soft images

Late Masur Aye's innovative, symbolic and soft images are shared with Karachiites by Citi Art Gallery, Karachi among a group show of twenty contemporary artists title "Fusion of Contemporary Art". The exhibition was full of forms, colours, textures, surfa
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
No escape from slump for Europe's top economies in July

No escape from slump for Europe's top economies in July

Europe's biggest economies endured another torrid month in July as businesses battled slumping demand, according to surveys on Friday that gave scant hope the region will emerge any time soon from a malaise induced by a paralysing debt crisis. Purchasing
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
No solution in sight?

No solution in sight?

The severe energy crisis has escalated from wilful destruction of public and private property to attacks against the person and assets of parliamentarians, irrespective of party affiliations, and looting. The energy shortfall is more acute in the Punjab w
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Dry weather to dominate Black Sea grain region

Dry weather to dominate Black Sea grain region

Hot and dry weather will continue to dominate the Black Sea regions in August, increasing pressure on weak grains crop prospects in Russia and Ukraine, while rains in Kazakhstan are expected to aid its crop, forecasters said on Wednesday. Weather in the B
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Ukraine pledges two-month notice of grain export curbs

Ukraine pledges two-month notice of grain export curbs

Ukraine has signed a pledge to give the world grain market two months notice of any planned restrictions on its grain exports, the agricultural ministry has said. The former Soviet republic, a major world exporter of barley and wheat, rattled world market
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Law thrown out; early poll possible

Law thrown out; early poll possible

Supreme Court of Pakistan on Friday struck down a new law that sought to exempt members of the government from contempt trials, clearing the way for legal proceedings against the prime minister. Parliament passed the bill last month after the Supreme Cour
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
HRW wheat bids unchanged

HRW wheat bids unchanged

Spot basis bids for hard red winter wheat in the US Plains mainly stayed unchanged on Friday in a mostly quiet market, with mills well-stocked and spot supply limited. Producers were focused on prospects for rain to replenish drought-hit soils ahead of fa
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Law thrown out; early poll possible

Law thrown out; early poll possible

Supreme Court of Pakistan on Friday struck down a new law that sought to exempt members of the government from contempt trials, clearing the way for legal proceedings against the prime minister. Parliament passed the bill last month after the Supreme Cour
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Russia to export 4.5 million tonnes of grain in July-August

Russia to export 4.5 million tonnes of grain in July-August

Russian grain exports are off to a fast start in the new agricultural year even though Russia's exportable surplus has shrunk drastically in a drought which slashed yields in key producing regions, a top Russian grain analyst said on Friday.
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Canadian canola futures fall

Canadian canola futures fall

ICE Canadian canola futures fell on Thursday, pressured by a decline in US soyabeans but the drop was limited due to slow farmer selling, traders said. * Producer sales were expected to be light until harvest of what is expected to be a record crop starts
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Morocco seeks to buy 300,000 tonnes of EU wheat

Morocco seeks to buy 300,000 tonnes of EU wheat

Morocco's grains authority ONICL will tender mid-August to buy up to 300,000 tonnes of EU-origin soft wheat as part of a preferential tariff agreement, stepping up it purchases as it gears up for its biggest import campaign in three decades. ONICL said it
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Activity at Karachi and Qasim ports

Activity at Karachi and Qasim ports

The Karachi Port handled 164,534 tonnes of cargo comprising 124,362 tonnes of import cargo and 40,172 tonnes of export cargo including 6,712 loaded & empty containers during last 24 hours ended at 0700 hours on Friday. The total import cargo of 124,362 to
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
No change on grain market

No change on grain market

According to the grain and seed merchants group's press release no change was seen on the wholesale grain and oilseeds market on Friday as most of the participants were busy in preparations for Juma prayers.
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Prices stabilise as ginners refrain from panic selling

Prices stabilise as ginners refrain from panic selling

Prices were firm on the cotton market on Friday as the ginners stopped panic selling, which saved the rates from falling sharply in the near future, dealers said. The official spot rate was unchanged at Rs 5550, they said. In the ready business over 10,00
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Volkswagen, Porsche finalise early merger

Volkswagen, Porsche finalise early merger

Europe's biggest automaker Volkswagen wrapped up its take-over of German luxury sports car group Porsche two years earlier than planned Wednesday in a move they said would strengthen both firms. In a deal announced last month, the two companies - which ha
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
UK makes fresh call for simpler savings products

UK makes fresh call for simpler savings products

A suite of simple financial products could encourage Britons to save more for retirement and restore faith in banks after a string of mis-selling scandals, a UK government-backed review said on Thursday. Britain said winning back consumers, whose incomes
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Mexican central bankers play down inflation spike for now

Mexican central bankers play down inflation spike for now

Mexican central bankers are playing down a temporary spike in inflation but will act if they think raising credit costs can help contain prices, minutes of their July rate meeting showed on Friday. Banco de Mexico policymakers were unanimous in their deci
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Facebook growth clouded by dubious accounts

Facebook growth clouded by dubious accounts

Facebook's latest figures showing growth in global users also highlights concerns that some may come from dubious sources - duplicate accounts, pages for pets and those designed for spam. Facebook members grew to 955 million at the end of the second quart
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Argentina confirms tax-take up 28 percent to new high

Argentina confirms tax-take up 28 percent to new high

Argentina's July tax revenue rose 28 percent from a year earlier to a record 61.32 billion pesos ($13.4 billion), the tax agency said on Friday, confirming figures announced by President Cristina Fernandez a day earlier. The figure beat a 58 billion peso
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Bad loans climb at Italian banks as recession bites

Bad loans climb at Italian banks as recession bites

Italy's top two banks, Intesa Sanpaolo and UniCredit, were forced to set aside billions of euros to offset a marked increase in risky loans as they reported sharp falls in second-quarter profits on Friday. Intesa, Italy's biggest retail bank, set aside 1.
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Procter & Gamble profit tops forecast

Procter & Gamble profit tops forecast

Procter & Gamble Co posted a higher-than-expected quarterly profit despite a drop in sales, just weeks after the world's largest household products maker took the blame for its disappointing performance and said it was focusing on ways to improve.
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
RBS confirms it sacked staff over: Libor rigging scandal

RBS confirms it sacked staff over: Libor rigging scandal

State-controlled Royal Bank of Scotland said on Friday it has dismissed employees over an interest rate rigging scandal, but gave no indication of whether it would reach a settlement soon with investigating authorities. Reporting a drop in first-half oper
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Eurozone retail sales growth slows

Eurozone retail sales growth slows

Retail sales in the euro zone came in above expectations but growth slowed sharply from the previous month, as consumers in the currency bloc struggled with the effects of the economic downturn. Sales at stores in the 17 countries sharing the European cur
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
NYSE net income down

NYSE net income down

NYSE Euronext said new strategies and cost cuts should help the transatlantic exchange return to growth next year after quarterly income fell by a fifth. Chief Executive Duncan Niederauer also said his firm had not received any claims over the $440 millio
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Obama says too many still jobless, need to help middle class

Obama says too many still jobless, need to help middle class

US President Barack Obama welcomed Friday's data showing employers kept hiring in July but said there were still too many Americans without jobs, and warned that Republican tax plans would hurt the middle class at a still-sensitive time. "We've still got
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
US job growth steps up, but jobless rate rises

US job growth steps up, but jobless rate rises

US employers in July hired the most workers in five months, but an increase in the jobless rate to 8.3 percent kept prospects of further monetary stimulus from the Federal Reserve on the table. Nonfarm payrolls rose 163,000 last month, the Labour Departme
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
BHP CEO drops bonus after $3.3 billion writedowns

BHP CEO drops bonus after $3.3 billion writedowns

BHP Billiton Chief Executive Marius Kloppers will give up a bonus potentially worth millions of dollars after the world's biggest miner said it was taking $3.3 billion in writedowns due to plunging commodities prices. BHP will take a $2.84 billion charge
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
IMF extends Iraq loan to February

IMF extends Iraq loan to February

The International Monetary Fund announced Friday an extension of a two-year loan window to Iraq by seven months to allow the authorities time to get policy measures on track under the program. That means Iraq has extra time to borrow from the $1.96 billio
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Toyota posts stronger profit

Toyota posts stronger profit

Toyota Motor Corp on Friday posted its largest quarterly operating profit in four years and raised its 2012 global sales target on the strength of demand for cars like the Camry and Prius in key markets such as the United States and Japan. The world's top
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Toyota posts stronger profit

Toyota posts stronger profit

Toyota Motor Corp on Friday posted its largest quarterly operating profit in four years and raised its 2012 global sales target on the strength of demand for cars like the Camry and Prius in key markets such as the United States and Japan. The world's top
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Spain inches towards a full EU bailout

Spain inches towards a full EU bailout

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy inched closer on Friday to asking for an EU bailout for his country, but said he needed first to know what conditions would be attached and what form the rescue would take. His comments, at his first post-cabinet meeti
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Swiss property prices mark first fall in four years

Swiss property prices mark first fall in four years

Swiss property prices fell for the first time in four years in the second quarter, UBS's real estate index showed on Friday, taking the heat out of a housing market that could stabilise further after lending requirements for mortgages were tightened.
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
India's cabinet approves Boeing Dreamliner delivery

India's cabinet approves Boeing Dreamliner delivery

India's federal cabinet on Friday gave a formal go-ahead to state-run Air India to start taking deliveries of 27 Boeing Dreamliners, a government statement said. The government has not yet approved a compensation package agreed between Boeing and Air Indi
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Hong Kong shares slip; China stocks up

Hong Kong shares slip; China stocks up

Hong Kong shares weakened below a key technical support level on Friday, in a general move away from riskier assets after inaction by the European Central Bank and Federal Reserve dashed investors' hopes of easing. The Hang Seng Index closed down 0.1 perc
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Nikkei slips; Sony, Sharp earnings drag

Nikkei slips; Sony, Sharp earnings drag

Japan's Nikkei average fell on Friday after the ECB disappointed investors by offering no immediate action to prop up the euro, with wide quarterly losses from Sharp and Sony adding to the gloom. Both Sharp Corp and Sony Corp plummeted to their lowest in
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Friday's afternoon trade: Wall Street surges to three-month high

Friday's afternoon trade: Wall Street surges to three-month high

Wall Street rallied to its highest level since early May on Friday on a stronger-than-expected US jobs report, putting the S&P 500 on track to snap a four-day losing streak. US employers hired the most workers in five months in July, giving a lift to sent
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Wall Street takes a hit from ECB disappointment

Wall Street takes a hit from ECB disappointment

US stocks fell for a fourth day on Thursday after European Central Bank President Mario Draghi disappointed investors hoping for immediate action to contain the eurozone debt crisis. One of Wall Street's top market makers, Knight Capital Group, was fighti
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Treasuries rally

Treasuries rally

US Treasuries prices jumped on Thursday after the European Central Bank offered no bold plan to shore up the euro zone's banking system and the finances of weaker eurozone members, rekindling bids for low-risk government debt. ECB President Mario Draghi s
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Treasuries rally

Treasuries rally

US Treasuries prices jumped on Thursday after the European Central Bank offered no bold plan to shore up the euro zone's banking system and the finances of weaker eurozone members, rekindling bids for low-risk government debt. ECB President Mario Draghi s
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Seoul shares down

Seoul shares down

Seoul shares fell on Friday after investors were left disappointed by the lack of immediate policy action by the European Central Bank, following similar inaction from the US Federal Reserve. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 1.11 percent
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Indian shares falter

Indian shares falter

Indian shares edged lower on Friday to post a second day of losses as worries about the summer drought hit tractor maker Mahindra & Mahindra and lenders with rural exposure, but broader losses were kept in check as defensive stocks rallied. The summer dro
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Banks lift European shares to four-month highs

Banks lift European shares to four-month highs

European shares rose to their highest level in four months on Friday, led by gains in bank stocks, as investors said the European Central Bank's pledge to tackle the region's debt crisis had bought the area's troubled economies breathing space. Stronger-t
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Southeast Asian markets: Singapore, Indonesia lead gain

Southeast Asian markets: Singapore, Indonesia lead gain

Stocks in Singapore and Indonesia posted modest gains in light trade on Friday while most others ended little changed or weaker as investors were wary of the euro zone debt crisis and cautious ahead of US non-farm payrolls data for July. Singapore's Strai
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Taiwan stocks fall

Taiwan stocks fall

Taiwan stocks ended 0.69 percent lower on Friday, with Hon Hai losing 3.77 percent after its Japanese partner Sharp Corp reported an operating loss and said it would cut jobs for the first time in 60 years. Rival LCD panel makers in Taiwan also tumbled on
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Australian shares drop

Australian shares drop

Australian shares fell 1.1 percent on Friday, shedding gains from earlier in the week, with the index pushed down by softer commodities prices and the lack of any imminent move for stimulus plans in the euro zone. Top miners slumped more than 2 percent, w
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
UK stocks hit three-month high

UK stocks hit three-month high

Britain's top share index hit a three-month high on Friday, as better-than expected US non-farm payrolls helped markets recover their appetite for risk. Following a rethink by investors at the lack of action taken by the European Central Bank on Thursday,
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Sterling falls versus euro

Sterling falls versus euro

Sterling fell to a three-week low against a firmer euro on Friday, with markets turning more optimistic about the prospect of future intervention by the European Central Bank to lower sky-high Spanish and Italian borrowing costs. The euro rose 0.7 percent
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Euro under pressure in Asia

Euro under pressure in Asia

The euro stayed under pressure on Friday after the European Central Bank dealt it a major setback by not immediately reviving bond buying to lower crippling borrowing costs for Spain and Italy. Many market players think the euro's downtrend will likely co
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Euro recovers in London

Euro recovers in London

The euro rose on Friday, regaining some ground after two days of losses as some market players took a more optimistic view of the European Central Bank's stance on sovereign bond buying that cold help tackle a three-year-old eurozone debt crisis. Many inv
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Early trade in New York: dollar, yen tumble; euro rallies

Early trade in New York: dollar, yen tumble; euro rallies

The dollar and yen tumbled on Friday after a report showing the US economy added the most jobs in five months in July dampened demand for traditional safe-haven currencies. The euro headed for its best one-day rise in a month against the dollar. Its rally
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Euro slumps in New York

Euro slumps in New York

The euro slumped for a second straight day against the dollar in volatile trade on Thursday after European Central Bank President Mario Draghi dashed hopes of immediate action to remedy the region's debt crisis. Investors had high expectations headed into
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Australian and New Zealand dollars hold near all-time highs

Australian and New Zealand dollars hold near all-time highs

The Australian and New Zealand dollars held near all-time highs on the euro on Friday after the European Central Bank disappointed some by not launching immediate bond buying, while offshore demand kept them resilient on the US dollar. The embattled euro
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
ECB fails to cheer Asia FX

ECB fails to cheer Asia FX

Most emerging Asian currencies eased on Friday and gave up a some of their weekly gains after the European Central Bank provided no immediate remedies to the euro zone debt crisis, prompting investors to cut riskier positions. Interbank speculators unwoun
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Yuan falls as PBOC sets midpoint near 2012 low

Yuan falls as PBOC sets midpoint near 2012 low

The yuan closed slightly lower against the dollar on Friday after the Chinese central bank fixed the yuan's midpoint near its 2012 low, signalling that it will allow the Chinese currency to fall below the key 6.40/dollar level, traders said. The People's
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Indian rupee gains

Indian rupee gains

A late recovery helped the Indian rupee gain on Friday, as demand for global risk assets recovered after the euro extended gains on the back of falling yields for Italian and Spanish debt. However, the local currency still posted its third straight weekly
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
England 48-0

England 48-0

England were 48 for no loss when bad light and rain stopped play early on day two of the second Test at Headingley on Friday.
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Petersen helps South Africa set daunting total

Petersen helps South Africa set daunting total

Alviro Petersen scored 182, his highest in a test match, to steer South Africa to a commanding 419 all out at tea on day two of the second test against England on Friday. His innings, which lasted 530 minutes, surpassed his previous best of 156 against Ne
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Black Caps out for 260 against West Indies

Black Caps out for 260 against West Indies

Kemar Roach took four wickets as the West Indies dismissed New Zealand for 260 before stumps on the first day of the second test at Sabina Park on Thursday. Roach finished with 4-70 and both Tino Best and Narsingh Deonarine took two wickets.
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Medals table

Medals table

Olympics medals table at the end of the sixth day of competition on Thursday:

Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Britain beat Pakistan

Britain beat Pakistan

Britain beat Pakistan 4-1 at the Riverbank Arena in the men's hockey Pool A on Friday.

Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Australia in surprise draw

Australia in surprise draw

World champions Australia surrendered a two-goal lead as Argentina battled back for a 2-2 draw in men's Olympic hockey on Friday. Meanwhile the Netherlands coasted to a third straight win of the tournament with a 5-1 victory over New Zealand.
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Saudi woman makes history

Saudi woman makes history

Judoka Wojdan Shaherkani became the first woman from Saudi Arabia to compete at the Olympics while Teddy Riner and home favourite Karina Bryant lit up the ExCel Arena on Friday. Shaherkani, 16, walked onto the judo mat and bowed to her opponent Melissa Mo
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Martynov wins gold in 50m prone rifle

Martynov wins gold in 50m prone rifle

Sergei Martynov of Belarus clinched gold in the men's shooting 50m rifle prone on Friday after scoring an Olympic record maximum 600 points en route to the final. The 44-year-old veteran, competing in his sixth Olympic Games after making his first appeara
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
South Korea's Oh wins men's archery gold

South Korea's Oh wins men's archery gold

Oh Jin-Hyek became the first South Korean to win the individual men's archery gold medal at the London Olympics on Friday. Oh beat Japan's Takaharu Furukawa 7-1 in the final at Lord's Cricket Ground. Bronze went to China's Dai Xiaoxiang, who beat European
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Japanese judo endures worst Games in 24 years

Japanese judo endures worst Games in 24 years

No Japanese man will win a gold medal in judo for the first time ever at an Olympic Games after Daiki Kamikawa lost in the heavyweight division in London on Friday. Kamikawa's second round defeat by Ihar Makaru of Belarus also condemned Japan, the home of
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Federer into final in record three-setter

Federer into final in record three-setter

Roger Federer fought through the longest three-set singles match in the Open era Friday when he beat Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 19-17 to reach the Olympic final. Wimbledon champion Federer was on the brink of a shock defeat on Centr
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Sharapova reaches first Olympic final

Sharapova reaches first Olympic final

Maria Sharapova swept into her first Olympic final as the Russian world number three defeated compatriot Maria Kirilenko 6-2, 6-3 in the semi-finals on Friday. The 25-year-old will play Wimbledon champion Serena Williams or world number one Victoria Azare
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Kazakhstan's Podobedova wins women's 75kg gold

Kazakhstan's Podobedova wins women's 75kg gold

Kazakhstan's Svetlana Podobedova won the Olympic Games women's -75kg weightlifting gold medal on Friday with a total lift of 291kg. Podobedova, 26, defeated Russia's Natalya Zabolotnaya who also lifted 291kg, but took silver on bodyweight. Belarusian Iryn
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Shooter Pupo gives Cuba first London gold

Shooter Pupo gives Cuba first London gold

Leuris Pupo won Cuba's first gold medal of the 2012 Olympics on Friday when he claimed the men's 25m rapid fire pistol shooting gold medal. India's Vijay Kumar took silver while Feng Ding of China clinched bronze. World champion Alexei Klimov of Russia fi
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Cuba's Ortiz wins women's heavyweight judo gold

Cuba's Ortiz wins women's heavyweight judo gold

Idalys Ortiz claimed Cuba's first Olympic judo title since Sydney 2000 as she won the women's heavyweight category at the ExCel Arena on Friday. Ortiz took a narrow judges' decision over Japan's Maki Sugimoto following a war of attrition. Beijing champion
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
China's Dong Dong wins men's trampoline

China's Dong Dong wins men's trampoline

China's Dong Dong won the Olympic Games men's trampoline gold on Friday ahead of Russia's Dmitry Ushakov with fellow Chinese Lu Chenlong claiming bronze. Dong Dong was bronze medallist in Beijing in 2008 and succeeds world champion Lu who was champion fou
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
China Zhang, Zhao win badminton mixed doubles

China Zhang, Zhao win badminton mixed doubles

China's top seeds Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei defeated compatriots Chen Xu and Ma Jin, the second seeds, 21-11, 21-17 on Friday to win the Olympic mixed doubles badminton title. Denmark's Joachim Fischer and Christinna Pedersen defeated Tontowi Ahmad and Li
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
First day of athletics thrills packed arena

First day of athletics thrills packed arena

A packed Olympic Stadium took centre stage on Friday with the opening day of the athletics when home favourite heptathlete Jessica Ennis thrilled the raucous crowd with a world best time in the 100 metres hurdles event. Business was not quite done in the
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Three firms share $1.1 billion of NASA space taxi work

Three firms share $1.1 billion of NASA space taxi work

NASA will pay more than $1 billion over the next 21 months to three companies to develop commercial spaceships capable of flying astronauts to the International Space Station, the agency said Friday. The lion's share of the $1.1 billion allotted for the n
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Sweden expels two Belarus diplomats

Sweden expels two Belarus diplomats

Sweden on Friday declared two diplomats from Belarus persona non grata after its ambassador to Minsk was expelled for his human rights work in the authoritarian-led country. Belarus has also been informed that its incoming ambassador to Sweden was not wel
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Attacks on Iraq security forces kill 11

Attacks on Iraq security forces kill 11

Shootings and a bombing killed at least six soldiers and five police on Friday, Iraqi security and medical officials said, a day after 33 people were killed in attacks mainly targeting security forces. At least 50 people, among them 37 members of the secu
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Iraq summons Turkey's envoy to protest over visit

Iraq summons Turkey's envoy to protest over visit

Iraq made a formal protest to Turkey's envoy in Baghdad on Friday after the Turkish foreign minister made a surprise visit to an oil-rich Iraqi city claimed by both the central government and the country's autonomous Kurdistan region.
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Clinton honours Uganda rights group, calls for Sudan deal

Clinton honours Uganda rights group, calls for Sudan deal

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Friday paid tribute to a Ugandan human rights coalition working for gay rights, hours after a brief stop in Juba where she called for a compromise deal between the rival two Sudans. Visiting the Ugandan capital Kampal
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Bodyguard killed in attack on Yemeni minister

Bodyguard killed in attack on Yemeni minister

Gunmen strafed the car of Yemeni Information Minister Ali Ahmed al-Amrani with bullets on Thursday, killing his bodyguard, but the official was not in the vehicle at the time, officials said. "Armed men fired shots at the information minister's car, killi
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
France calls for Bangladesh U-turn on Rohingya refugees

France calls for Bangladesh U-turn on Rohingya refugees

France said Friday it regretted a decision by Bangladesh to stop three non-governmental organisations from helping Rohingya refugees fleeing persecution in neighbouring Myanmar. "Until a lasting peace is established in (Myanmar's) Rakhine state, we urge t
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Mongolian court jails former president for corruption

Mongolian court jails former president for corruption

A court in Mongolia has jailed former president Nambar Enkhbayar for four years after finding him guilty of corruption charges that he has called politically motivated. Enkhbayar, 54, served as prime minister and then president for almost a decade until l
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Former president Truman's grandson meets nuclear survivors

Former president Truman's grandson meets nuclear survivors

A grandson of former US president Harry Truman, who authorised the atomic bombing of Japan during World War II, met survivors in Tokyo Friday, calling it "a good first step towards healing old wounds". Clifton Truman Daniel, 55, was in Japan to attend 67t
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Jailed Indonesia cleric threatens Myanmar over Rohingya

Jailed Indonesia cleric threatens Myanmar over Rohingya

Jailed Islamist cleric Abu Bakar Bashir threatened to wage war if Myanmar continues to harm Muslim Rohingyas, in a letter to the country's president Thein Sein seen on a website Friday. The 74-year-old is widely regarded as a spiritual leader of radical I
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Oracle agrees to $306 million settlement in SAP case

Oracle agrees to $306 million settlement in SAP case

US business software giant Oracle said Thursday it agreed to accept a $306 million settlement from German rival SAP to shortcut the appeals process in a suit over massive copyright infringement. The agreement is a stipulation between the two firms to end
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Judge scolds Samsung, lets patent trial proceed

Judge scolds Samsung, lets patent trial proceed

The judge in a massive smartphone patent case reprimanded Samsung for releasing excluded evidence on Friday but rejected a bid by Apple to order a verdict in the case. Judge Lucy Koh expressed irritation with Samsung's releasing to the media of documents
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
German prosecutors charge German Taliban suspect

German prosecutors charge German Taliban suspect

Prosecutors in Germany said on Friday they had charged a German man suspected of helping launch an attack on a military base in Afghanistan with being a member of an Islamist militant group and with preparing a serious act of violent subversion.
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Turkey former-army chief voices concern at coup war game

Turkey former-army chief voices concern at coup war game

A former Turkish military chief told a court on Friday that a 2003 war game, which prosecutors say was part of a coup plot, had gone too far in using real politicians' names and that he had raised his concerns at the time. The war game scenario, played ou
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Thousands in Japan stage anti-nuclear rally

Thousands in Japan stage anti-nuclear rally

Thousands of people staged a rally in front of the Japanese prime minister's office Friday, maintaining anti-nuclear sentiment triggered by last year's atomic crisis at Fukushima. It was the latest in a string of protests in Japan, which has seen a rising
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Super volcano, global danger, lurks near Pompeii

Super volcano, global danger, lurks near Pompeii

Across the bay of Naples from Pompeii, where thousands were incinerated by Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, lies a hidden "super volcano" that could kill millions in a catastrophe many times worse, scientists say. The boiling mud and sulphurous steam holes of the
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Four dead in ambush on Philippine mayor

Four dead in ambush on Philippine mayor

Gunmen ambushed a mayor's convoy in a troubled part of the southern Philippines, killing three police escorts and a civilian, officials said Friday. The town official was unhurt in the attack on Jolo island on Thursday, but the town's police chief and two
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
China garrison raises tension in disputed sea: US

China garrison raises tension in disputed sea: US

The United States on Friday criticised China's new military garrison in the contested South China Sea as risking an escalation in tensions. The State Department statement underscored US concerns about situation in the resource-rich sea, a potential flashp
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Colombian court orders army to leave tribal land

Colombian court orders army to leave tribal land

Colombia's constitutional court on Thursday ordered the army to withdraw from tribal land in the country's south-east, a decision Bogota said it intended to appeal. In the ruling, the court said the Jiw and Nukak indigenous tribes were in "grave danger of
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Pentagon to evaluate procedure in crimes against civilians

Pentagon to evaluate procedure in crimes against civilians

The Pentagon said Friday it has appointed of group of civilians and retired officers to determine how military justice has fared in cases of crimes against civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001. The Defence Legal Policy Board aims to see whether th
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
US Senate Intelligence panel to reconsider anti-leak plan

US Senate Intelligence panel to reconsider anti-leak plan

Only days after it approved them, a Senate panel is reconsidering strict new measures which it claimed would curb leaks of classified national security information to the media. Senate Intelligence Committee members voted last week to attach the anti-leak
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
US Senate Intelligence panel to reconsider anti-leak plan

US Senate Intelligence panel to reconsider anti-leak plan

Only days after it approved them, a Senate panel is reconsidering strict new measures which it claimed would curb leaks of classified national security information to the media. Senate Intelligence Committee members voted last week to attach the anti-leak
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Suicide bomber kills self, wounds nine in Kenya

Suicide bomber kills self, wounds nine in Kenya

A suspected suicide bomber killed himself and wounded nine people when he detonated a grenade near a military air base in Nairobi on Friday, police said, in the latest such attack since Kenya's military foray into neighbouring Somalia. The incident occurr
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
Taiwan receives two US-built minehunters

Taiwan receives two US-built minehunters

Taiwan has received two coastal minehunters from the United States, its navy said Friday, as part of an arms deal that has upset relations between Washington and Beijing. The Osprey class vessels, the world's second largest minehunters, were refitted afte
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am
New York cotton ends at 2-1/2 months top on jobs data

New York cotton ends at 2-1/2 months top on jobs data

Cotton futures settled at a 2-1/2 month high on Friday on speculative fund buying inspired by a report that showed US employers hiked hiring in July by the most in five months, analysts said. The Labour Department said non-farm payrolls rose by 163,000 la
Published 04 Aug, 2012 12:00am