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Print - 2012-09-08
Barclays bid rates and maximum rates for payment of interest

Barclays bid rates and maximum rates for payment of interest

Barclays bid rates, maximum rates for payment of interest by authorised dealers on deposits (other than those brought under FE Circular No: 45 of 1985) and on deposits (brought under FE Circular No: 45 of 1985) - issued by the Foreign Exchange Rates Commi
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
State Bank of Pakistan conversion rates

State Bank of Pakistan conversion rates

Rates applicable for conversion into rupees of Foreign Currency Deposits, Dollar Bearer Certificates, Foreign Currency Bearer Certificates, Special US Dollar bonds and profits thereon by all banks and also for providing forward cover on foreign currency d
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
New York cotton

New York cotton

Thursday's closing prices of New York cotton in US cents/lb.

Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
New York cotton

New York cotton

Thursday's closing prices of New York cotton in US cents/lb.

Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
BRIDGE NOTES: It's all about trump control

BRIDGE NOTES: It's all about trump control

In the play of a bridge hand, the wily declarer ensures that every move he makes is for the protection of his contract and not for its Jeopardy.
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Literary Notes: Faraz's death anniversary passes quietly

Literary Notes: Faraz's death anniversary passes quietly

Ahmed Faraz's 5th death anniversary passed quite silently in the midst of political turmoil the country is facing nowadays. Ever since the TV channels have started running Death Anniversary notices of eminent man of letters the literary programmes on the
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
ART FACTS: A walk through Karachi

ART FACTS: A walk through Karachi

A solo exhibition of cityscape paintings by Hanif Shahzad at Chawkandi Art Gallery, Karachi gives visitors the feeling of being in the Karachi city. It is just like a walk through Karachi along the busy streets painted in hues of vivid blue, yellow, green
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Promoting peace through education

Promoting peace through education

Each year from 1966, UNESCO (United Nations scientific, educational and cultural organisation) celebrates International Literacy Day on 8 September. UNESCO every year sets the theme of the day. This year theme of the International literacy day is "Educati
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
KARACHI CHRONICLE: local government: talks a classic farce

KARACHI CHRONICLE: local government: talks a classic farce

We are informed the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) have failed once again to agree on the shape of the new local government system in Sindh. Anyone with an iota of political sense could have predicted the failure five year
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Trading tribulation

Trading tribulation

"But I believe in fair trade, and I will tell you, I have many, many friends heading up corporations, and people that do just business in China, they say it's virtually impossible. It's very, very hard to come into China. And yet, we welcome them with ope
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Brazil offers many opportunities for Pakistan

Brazil offers many opportunities for Pakistan

In 2011 Brazil became the 6th largest economy in the world, after surpassing the UK. Therefore, Brazil can offer many economic opportunities for Pakistan. Take a moment of your time and access www.brasilglobalnet.gov.br register yourself and become a memb
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Message from Ambassador

Message from Ambassador

This is a special year for the Embassy of Brazil in Islamabad, since we celebrate the 190th anniversary of the Independence of Brazil, which happened on 7th September 1822, and the 60th anniversary of the opening of the first Embassy of Brazil in Pakistan
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Rates inert on grain market

Rates inert on grain market

According to the Karachi Grain and Seeds Merchant Group, not a single change was seen in the commodity prices on Friday.
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Indonesia to lift grain, sugar stocks to cap food prices

Indonesia to lift grain, sugar stocks to cap food prices

Indonesia's state procurement agency Bulog plans to lift rice stocks up to four-fold from current levels and boost sugar, soybean and corn stocks to defend against food inflation due to rising commodities prices, a junior government minister said.
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
China's fourth quarter rapeseed imports seen surge 86 percent

China's fourth quarter rapeseed imports seen surge 86 percent

China, the world's top soya importer, has increased imports of rapeseed to bridge a shortage of soyabeans expected in coming months after severe drought cut supplies from the United States, an official think-tank estimated on Friday.
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Canadian canola futures fall

Canadian canola futures fall

ICE Canadian canola futures dipped on Thursday as commercials hedged their purchases from farmers and mild pressure spilled over from weaker soybeans, traders said. Volume was a light total of 11,300 contracts, with trading stuck in a range. Saskatchewan
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
India's August soyameal exports fall

India's August soyameal exports fall

India's soyameal exports dropped in August to the lowest level in at least two years due to poor demand from Iran and rapidly falling soyabean stocks as the season draws to a close, a leading industry body said on Thursday. India, Asia's leading supplier
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Ukraine exports 1.67 million tonnes of wheat in 2012-13 season

Ukraine exports 1.67 million tonnes of wheat in 2012-13 season

Ukraine's wheat exports have reached 1.67 million tonnes so far in the 2012/13 season, or about 42 percent of the maximum export volumes agreed by the government and traders' unions, the Agriculture Ministry said on Friday. Ukraine's wheat harvest fell to
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Wheat export premiums hold steady at US Gulf Coast

Wheat export premiums hold steady at US Gulf Coast

Wheat export premiums at the US Gulf Coast held steady on Thursday, despite a nearly-three-percent spike in futures prices, as signs of thinning Black Sea supplies underpinned US export prospects, traders said. Egypt's GASC bought 475,000 tonnes of Black
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Activity at Karachi and Qasim ports

Activity at Karachi and Qasim ports

The Karachi Port handled 99,736 tonnes of cargo comprising 69,284 tonnes of import cargo and 30,452 tonnes of export cargo including 3,012 loaded & empty containers during last 24 hours ended at 0700 hours on Friday. The total import cargo of 69,284 tonne
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Phutti prices slide on cotton market

Phutti prices slide on cotton market

Seedcotton prices drifted lower on the cotton market on Friday in the process of modest trading, dealers said. Official spot rate was unchanged at Rs 5650, they said. In the ready business, nearly 4000 bales of cotton changed hands between Rs 5600-5700, t
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Brazil soya belt stays dry

Brazil soya belt stays dry

Brazil's main grain belt remains dry and there are no immediate forecasts for rain just nine days before farmers can legally start planting what is expected to be a record soyabean crop, a local weather forecaster said on Thursday. "The rains are delayed
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Sri Lanka drought may cut growth to 6.7 percent

Sri Lanka drought may cut growth to 6.7 percent

Sri Lanka's economic growth this year may range between 6.7 percent and 7.2 percent depending on the impact of a drought that has lasted since the beginning of the year, Treasury Secretary P.B. Jayasundera said on Thursday. The central bank has forecast 7
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Chile posts largest trade gap since 2008, CPI up

Chile posts largest trade gap since 2008, CPI up

Chile, the world's top copper producer, posted its largest trade deficit in August since the height of the global financial crisis nearly four years ago, as exports of the metal slipped below the $3.0 billion mark for the first time since June 2010. Chile
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Japan government could run out of money by end-November

Japan government could run out of money by end-November

Japan's government could run out of money by the end of November, the finance minister warned, even after an emergency spending deferral to cope with opposition parties' obstruction of an expenditure-enabling bill, raising the stakes in wrangling over the
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Myanmar MPs pass new investment law

Myanmar MPs pass new investment law

Myanmar's parliament on Friday passed an eagerly awaited new law aimed at boosting foreign investment in the former pariah state, which is emerging from decades of military rule. The move comes as global corporate giants from Coca-Cola to General Electric
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
China approves $157 billion infrastructure spending

China approves $157 billion infrastructure spending

China has given the green light for 60 infrastructure projects worth more than $150 billion as it looks to energise an economy mired in its worst slowdown in three years, fuelling hopes the world's growth engine may get a lift from the fourth quarter. Sha
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Pandora stock pounded by possible Apple entry

Pandora stock pounded by possible Apple entry

Pandora Media shares plunged Friday after reports said Apple is in talks to license music for a rival online radio service. Shares of Pandora, the largest Internet radio operator, slid 17.6 percent to $10.35 in early trade on Wall Street. The Wall Street
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Pandora stock pounded by possible Apple entry

Pandora stock pounded by possible Apple entry

Pandora Media shares plunged Friday after reports said Apple is in talks to license music for a rival online radio service. Shares of Pandora, the largest Internet radio operator, slid 17.6 percent to $10.35 in early trade on Wall Street. The Wall Street
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Greece's lenders in crucial audit

Greece's lenders in crucial audit

The chief auditors of Greece's bailout lenders arrived Friday on a crucial mission to decide whether Athens gets extra time to implement spending cuts in return for badly needed loans. The troika of creditors - the IMF, EU and European Central Bank - have
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
German exports, imports and industrial production climb

German exports, imports and industrial production climb

German exports and imports edged up in July and industrial output rose unexpectedly, showing sustained resilience in Europe's largest economy to the euro zone crisis, but economists expect to see increased signs that business is now flagging.
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Merkel welcomes 'conditionality' of ECB bond programme

Merkel welcomes 'conditionality' of ECB bond programme

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday welcomed conditions attached to a new ECB bond-buying programme aimed at solving the eurozone debt crisis, saying governments also had work to do. "The ECB made clear yesterday ... that the future of the euro will
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Merkel welcomes 'conditionality' of ECB bond programme

Merkel welcomes 'conditionality' of ECB bond programme

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday welcomed conditions attached to a new ECB bond-buying programme aimed at solving the eurozone debt crisis, saying governments also had work to do. "The ECB made clear yesterday ... that the future of the euro will
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Grim US jobs market confronts Obama, Fed

Grim US jobs market confronts Obama, Fed

US jobs growth slowed sharply in August, setting the stage for the Federal Reserve to pump additional money into the sluggish economy next week and dealing a blow to President Barack Obama as he seeks re-election. Nonfarm payrolls increased only 96,000 la
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Germany sells Deutsche Post stake for 924 million euro

Germany sells Deutsche Post stake for 924 million euro

The German government has sold a 5 percent stake in Deutsche Post for 924 million euros ($1.17 billion) as it tries to raise billions of euros from privatisations this year to offset the budget strain of the euro zone crisis. The placement, announced late
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Lufthansa and unions hint at new talks to end strike

Lufthansa and unions hint at new talks to end strike

As a 24-hour walkout grounded 900 Lufthansa flights on Friday, management and unions of Europe's biggest airline hinted at fresh talks to end their bitter wage dispute. Negotiations could be held as early as Friday, a spokesman for the UFO labour union to
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Seoul shares climb

Seoul shares climb

Seoul shares powered to their largest daily gain in six weeks on Friday, jumping 2.6 percent as most sectors rallied on improved risk sentiment globally. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) finished up 48.3 points at 1,929.58, its highest level
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Nikkei posts biggest one-day gain in five months

Nikkei posts biggest one-day gain in five months

Japan's Nikkei average climbed 2.2 percent on Friday, its biggest one-day percentage gain in five months, after the European Central Bank outlined its bond buying scheme in an attempt to draw a line under the region's debt crisis. Stronger-than-expected j
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Friday's midday trade: stocks hang in as jobs data fuels Fed hope

Friday's midday trade: stocks hang in as jobs data fuels Fed hope

Disappointing US jobs growth was not enough to knock the benchmark S&P 500 off a four-year high on Friday, as the poor figures boosted optimism that the Federal Reserve will act to stimulate the economy next week. The nonfarm payrolls report, which showed
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Wall Street at multi-year highs on ECB, data

Wall Street at multi-year highs on ECB, data

US stocks closed at multi-year highs on Thursday, with the S&P 500 ending at its highest level since before the collapse of Lehman Brothers as investors hailed a new European bond-buying program aimed at stemming the region's debt crisis. Sentiment was al
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Australian shares up

Australian shares up

Australian shares rose 0.3 percent on Friday, recovering from one-month lows, with miners leading gains after China approved infrastructure plans worth $157 billion and the European Central Bank announced a long-awaited bond-buying programme. The benchmar
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Treasuries yields rise

Treasuries yields rise

US Treasuries yields rose on Thursday as traders upped bets that Friday's highly anticipated employment report would come in above economists' expectations and after the European Central Bank announced a new bond-buying program.
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Treasuries yields rise

Treasuries yields rise

US Treasuries yields rose on Thursday as traders upped bets that Friday's highly anticipated employment report would come in above economists' expectations and after the European Central Bank announced a new bond-buying program.
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Taiwan stocks up

Taiwan stocks up

Taiwan stocks rose 1.3 percent on Friday, gaining along with regional bourses, after the European Central Bank outlined a bond-buying scheme to help calm the euro zone's debt crisis, lifting investor sentiment towards risk. The main TAIEX index ended 98.1
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
China shares outperform Asia, Hong Kong snaps three-week losing streak

China shares outperform Asia, Hong Kong snaps three-week losing streak

Mainland Chinese shares posted their best day in eight months on Friday, lifting the Hong Kong market, on growing signs that Beijing is accelerating spending to bolster growth. In Hong Kong, traders said gains came not only from short covering, but also l
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Miners, banks lift European shares to fresh peaks

Miners, banks lift European shares to fresh peaks

Gains in heavyweight banking and mining stocks drove European shares to fresh peaks on Friday, as the European Central Bank's (ECB) bond-buying plan and expectations of more monetary stimulus measures boosted the region's equity markets. The FTSEurofirst
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Southeast Asia markets rise

Southeast Asia markets rise

Southeast Asian stock markets rose on Friday, taking their cues from strong overseas markets after the European Central Bank's latest bond-buying plan to help troubled countries in the region revived appetite for risk. Jakarta's Composite Index gained 1 p
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Indian shares higher; bluechips rally

Indian shares higher; bluechips rally

India's main stock index climbed 1.95 percent on Friday, its biggest single-day percentage gain since June 29, tracking strong global markets after the European Central Bank's commitment to bond-buying plan revived appetite for risk. Gains in bluechips le
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
FTSE rises after US data boost QE3 expectations

FTSE rises after US data boost QE3 expectations

Strength in miners and financials outpaced falls in defensives as Britain's FTSE 100 rose on Friday, extending the previous session's propitious gains, as the risk-on trade prevailed after weak US jobs data heightened the prospects for more economic stimu
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Australian and New Zealand dollars climb

Australian and New Zealand dollars climb

The Australian and New Zealand dollars bounced higher on Friday, as markets cheered the European Central Bank's plan to tackle the region's debt crisis and more hints of stimulus in China. The Aussie dollar rose to $1.0321, its strongest in a week and up
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Yuan slightly lower

Yuan slightly lower

The yuan closed slightly lower against the dollar on Friday, ignoring a rally in the euro that weakened the dollar in global markets, and traders said the yuan has little potential to appreciate given the sharp slowdown of China's economic growth. "Sentim
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Euro rises in Asia

Euro rises in Asia

The euro inched up versus the dollar and held near a two-month high on Friday while the safe haven yen nursed heavy losses as markets cheered the European Central Bank's plan to tackle the region's debt crisis. ECB President Mario Draghi, backing up his p
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Euro rallies broadly in London

Euro rallies broadly in London

The euro hit a two-month high against the dollar and the safe-haven yen on Friday as investors cheered the European Central Bank's plan to lower borrowing costs for Spain and Italy. ECB President Mario Draghi, backing up his promise to do whatever it take
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Early trade in New York: Dollar falls versus euro, yen

Early trade in New York: Dollar falls versus euro, yen

The dollar fell to a near four month low against the euro and a one month low against the yen on Friday after a smaller-than-expected rise in US nonfarm payrolls prompted bets the Federal Reserve will pump additional money into the sluggish economy.
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Euro climbs in New York

Euro climbs in New York

The euro hit a two-month peak against the US dollar on Thursday, rising for a second straight session, after the European Central Bank unveiled a new and potentially unlimited bond-buying program to stem the euro zone debt crisis. Investors have been anti
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Indian rupee gains

Indian rupee gains

The Indian rupee rose on Friday in line with other Asian currencies and shares, which rallied as risk appetite returned to markets after the European Central Bank put forth a bond-buying plan to help the ailing euro zone economies. "The rupee rose trackin
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
ECB's move lifts Asian forex

ECB's move lifts Asian forex

Most emerging Asian currencies rose on Friday and were headed for weekly gains after the European Central Bank's new bond-buying programme increased risk appetites, though caution before key data from the US and China capped gains. The Taiwan dollar hit a
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Sterling hits four-month high versus dollar

Sterling hits four-month high versus dollar

Sterling hit a four-month high against a weak dollar on Friday after US government jobs data disappointed the market and bolstered speculation that the Federal Reserve will ease monetary policy. But the pound dropped to its lowest in two months against th
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Rooney wants to stay at United for next decade

Rooney wants to stay at United for next decade

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has revealed he wants to stay at Old Trafford for the next decade after admitting handing in a transfer request two years ago was the biggest mistake of his career. Rooney, who joined United from Everton in 2004, was
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
France players forego bonuses for friendlies

France players forego bonuses for friendlies

France's international footballers have agreed to forego bonuses for friendly matches and will receive no bonus unless they qualify for the 2014 World Cup, French Football Federation (FFF) president Noel Le Graet said on Friday. "The players will forego t
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Karachi Boat Club organises ASRA Regatta 2012

Karachi Boat Club organises ASRA Regatta 2012

ASRA Regatta 2012 - the 4th Annual Regatta of the 'Association of School Rowing in Asia' is being hosted and organised by Karachi Boat Club. Being held in September 2012, ASRA Regatta 2012 promises to be a thrilling event with intense competition and lots
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Ferrer ousts Tipsarevic in epic to Open semi-finals

Ferrer ousts Tipsarevic in epic to Open semi-finals

Spain's David Ferrer rallied in the fifth set to outlast Serbian Janko Tipsarevic and advance to the US Open semi-finals on Thursday after a marathon battle that lasted four hours and 31 minutes. Fourth seed Ferrer matched his best Grand Slam showing by r
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Djokovic moves into sixth US Open semi-finals

Djokovic moves into sixth US Open semi-finals

Defending champion Novak Djokovic stormed into a sixth successive US Open semi-final on Thursday with a breathtaking 6-2, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 demolition of 2009 winner Juan Martin Del Potro. The second-seeded Serb is bidding to win a sixth Grand Slam title and
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Dutch tennis queen supreme as Iraqi wins hearts

Dutch tennis queen supreme as Iraqi wins hearts

Dutch wheelchair tennis star Esther Vergeer struck gold again with her 470th straight victory, as Iraq's cartwheeling Ahmed Naas claimed a javelin silver at the London 2012 Paralympics on Friday. There were medals galore at the Games, with the wheelchair
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Ganguly eyes Indian coach post

Ganguly eyes Indian coach post

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has pushed himself forward to become the next coach of the national side, telling cricket chiefs that next time they should turn to a home-grown candidate. The Zimbabwean Duncan Fletcher, who took over from South Africa
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Yuvraj back for India as Twenty20 series versus New Zealand begins

Yuvraj back for India as Twenty20 series versus New Zealand begins

Indian all-rounder and World Cup hero Yuvraj Singh will don national colours for the first time since battling cancer when a two-match Twenty20 series against New Zealand starts on Saturday. The 30-year-old left-hander underwent chemotherapy in the United
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Broad puts Pietersen absence to one side

Broad puts Pietersen absence to one side

England Twenty20 captain Stuart Broad has insisted the absence of Kevin Pietersen will not overshadow the upcoming series with South Africa and the defence of their World Twenty20 title in Sri Lanka. Pietersen remains in international exile as the row ove
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Bahrain police disperse protesters in Manama

Bahrain police disperse protesters in Manama

Bahraini police used tear gas to disperse dozens of Shia protesters who tried to gather on Friday in the capital Manama to demand the release of jailed opposition figures, witnesses said. The protesters, who came in small groups in the old quarter of the
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Nine killed in Iraq attacks

Nine killed in Iraq attacks

Attacks in Iraq, including a series of apparently co-ordinated bombings against Shiite places of worship in the north, killed at least nine people on Friday, security and medical officials said. A car bomb targeted the Khezal al-Tamimi husseiniyah, a Shia
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Venice credits roll, US, Korean films in awards race

Venice credits roll, US, Korean films in awards race

The credits are about to roll on this year's Venice film festival, and the world's oldest cinema showcase pits Hollywood's finest against up-and-coming American talent and movies by directors from South Korea, France and beyond. The 11-day stretch of scre
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Europe lays groundwork for banking union

Europe lays groundwork for banking union

The European Central Bank should have power to police, penalise and even close banks across the euro zone, the European Commission will say next week when it fleshes out plans for a banking union to tackle the region's debt crisis.
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Hillary Clinton faced with new rifts

Hillary Clinton faced with new rifts

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived late Friday for an Asia-Pacific summit seeking progress in the tense South China Sea, but with concerns about frayed ties between Japan and South Korea. Clinton, filling in for President Barack Obama as he ent
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Putin touts former Soviet bloc as Asia-Europe bridge

Putin touts former Soviet bloc as Asia-Europe bridge

President Vladimir Putin on Friday said Russia and a new bloc with ex-Soviet states were well-positioned to become a bridge between Europe and Asia, as he hosted a Pacific regional summit. The Russian strongman, who is hosting the weekend's Apec summit on
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Mandela 'happier' in rural home: aide

Mandela 'happier' in rural home: aide

South Africa's anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela is "happier" since he returned to a quiet life in his rural childhood village, the CEO of his children's hospital project said Friday. "He's happier where he is now in Qunu. It's quiet. No one's bothering
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Weekly Japan anti-nuclear rally going strong

Weekly Japan anti-nuclear rally going strong

Thousands of anti-nuclear demonstrators returned to Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's executive mansion in central Tokyo Friday for a weekly rally. The gathering, organised on Facebook and Twitter, has been held every Friday since late March and ga
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
China president-in-waiting signals quicker reform

China president-in-waiting signals quicker reform

China's president-in-waiting, Xi Jinping, has said the ruling Communist Party must embrace reform with fresh vigour to stave off social and economic malaise, sources said, citing accounts of comments he made at a meeting with a party reformer. Xi met the
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Thousands rally to demand 'cleansing' of Tunisia

Thousands rally to demand 'cleansing' of Tunisia

Thousands of people protested in Tunis on Friday, mostly supporters of the ruling Islamist party Ennahda, demanding that Tunisia be "cleansed" of corrupt remnants of the ousted Zine el Abidine Ben Ali regime. The crowd gathered in the Kasbah, the site of
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Passengers get fright when Ryanair flight loses pressure

Passengers get fright when Ryanair flight loses pressure

A Ryanair flight in Spain lost cabin pressure and deployed oxygen masks Friday, frightening the 160 passengers and causing some to bleed through their ears. Shortly after take-off from Madrid to the Canary Islands, the 737-800 lost cabin pressurisation, w
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Myanmar garment workers protest in Yangon

Myanmar garment workers protest in Yangon

About 1,000 textile workers marched through Myanmar's main city Yangon on Friday to demand increased pay, in the latest show of labour activism following the end of decades of military rule. Long silenced under the generals who ran the country for almost
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Obama convention glow dimmed by grim jobs data

Obama convention glow dimmed by grim jobs data

A bleak monthly US jobs report poured cold water on President Barack Obama's hopes for a post-convention bounce on Friday, putting him on the defensive as he entered the final two-month sprint to the November 6 election.
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Bomb kills five Afghan civilians

Bomb kills five Afghan civilians

A roadside bomb tore through a vehicle in south-eastern Afghanistan on Friday, killing five civilians, police said. The attack happened at midday (0730 GMT) in the volatile district of Garda Seerai district in Paktya province on the border with Pakistan,
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Bombardment, blasts rock Damascus

Bombardment, blasts rock Damascus

Syrian forces bombarded a crowded Palestinian refugee district in Damascus on Friday, killing at least 10 people according to residents, while other parts of the city were rocked by apparent rebel bomb attacks. The main focus of the fighting is now in the
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
UN doubles number needing aid in Syria

UN doubles number needing aid in Syria

About 2.5 million people caught up in Syria's fighting need aid, the United Nations said on Friday, double the number it estimated in June. The sharp rise was caused by an upsurge in violence over the summer, particularly in the capital Damascus and the c
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
North Korea sends wreath to Moon's family

North Korea sends wreath to Moon's family

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has sent a wreath to the family of Sun Myung Moon, the deceased founder of the Unification Church, state media said Friday. Kim sent the wreath, expressing "deep condolences" over Moon's death, the North's official Korean C
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Afghanistan Harry's chance to change 'playboy prince' image

Afghanistan Harry's chance to change 'playboy prince' image

Prince Harry's long-wished-for return to the front line in Afghanistan gives him an early chance to redeem his image after pictures of him partying naked in Las Vegas were splashed around the world. The 27-year-old has worked hard to shake off his wild ch
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
North Korea says US troops could spawn 'all-out war'

North Korea says US troops could spawn 'all-out war'

North Korea on Friday called for the withdrawal of US troops from South Korea, saying their prolonged presence could spawn an "all-out war". The US troops' presence has turned the Korean peninsula into "the world's biggest hotspot", the North's foreign mi
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Russian court rejects believer's Pussy Riot suit

Russian court rejects believer's Pussy Riot suit

A Russian court on Friday threw out a claim for moral damages over the Pussy Riot punk performance from a Siberian Orthodox believer who had not been present in the church when the women sang. In the first of several civil suits launched against Pussy Rio
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Azerbaijan, Armenia trade barbs over axe-killer pardon

Azerbaijan, Armenia trade barbs over axe-killer pardon

Bitter enemies Azerbaijan and Armenia traded accusations on Friday amid growing international criticism of Baku's pardoning of an extradited Azerbaijani soldier who had hacked an Armenian to death. Ramil Safarov was pardoned, promoted and financially rewa
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Flash floods likely in vulnerable areas: Met Office

Flash floods likely in vulnerable areas: Met Office

In a severe weather advisory here on Friday, Meteorological department said that heavy rains would cause urban/flash floods in D.G. Khan, Bahawalpur, Multan, D.I. Khan, Kohat, Bannu, Sukkur, Larkana, Zhob, Sibbi and Nasirabad on Saturday and Sunday.
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Bail pleas rejected

Bail pleas rejected

A special court of Control of Narcotics Substances (CNS) on Friday rejected the bail pleas of three accused arrested by Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) in ephedrine allocation quota allotment case. They are former Director General (DG) Health Dr Asad Hafeez, f
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Pakistan Exposition in Mumbai extended till September 8

Pakistan Exposition in Mumbai extended till September 8

The Made in Pakistan Expo 2012, which is the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry's (FPCCI) flagship event in the Maharashtra state in India, has been extended till September 8 on public demand. The largest solo exhibition of this natu
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Six more killed in Karachi

Six more killed in Karachi

At least six people were killed in different incidents of violence in the Sindh metropolis on Friday, police and sources said. A 25-year-old man named Anwar was shot dead near Khyber Chowk in Ittehad Town falling in the limits of Mochko police station.
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Wateen distributes prizes among team partners

Wateen distributes prizes among team partners

Wateen Telecom has announced the conclusion of its recently held nation-wide sales competition for its Direct Sales, Franchise Partners and Recovery Teams. In a press release, Wateen said the competition was part of an effort to provide incentives for Wat
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
New York cotton up for second day

New York cotton up for second day

Cotton futures rose for a second-straight day on Friday, as fund interest remained strong on the back of a weaker dollar and prospects of further stimulus in the world's largest economy. Cotton benefited from a drop in the US dollar and rallies in commodi
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Shanghai copper up

Shanghai copper up

The most-traded December copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange also rose 0.8 percent to close at 56,650 yuan ($8,900) a tonne on Friday, having earlier hit 56,890 yuan, its highest since May 14. The market was supported by the European Central
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Copper climbs

Copper climbs

Copper rose to its highest price in nearly four months on Friday, driven by hopes for more quantitative easing in the United States, China's approval of a multi-billion dollar infrastructure programme and the European Central Bank's plan to shore up its r
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am
Oil prices rise

Oil prices rise

Oil prices rose on Friday in volatile trading after a disappointing US August jobs report weakened the dollar and bolstered expectations for stimulus from the US Federal Reserve, even while denting the outlook for petroleum demand. Brent and US crude futu
Published 08 Sep, 2012 12:00am