The fluctuations observed during the day:

Bulls again defeated bears at Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) on the last day of the trading week as the benchmark-100 index gained 16.85 points to close at 18,631.21 points against 18,614.36 points Thursday. Commenting on the market performance, Khalid Usma

All timings are in PST (Pakistan Standard Time).

Bulls again defeated bears at Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) on the last day of the trading week as the benchmark-100 index gained 16.85 points to close at 18,631.21 points against 18,614.36 points Thursday. Commenting on the market performance, Khalid Usma

The squeeze play can be a fascinating affair and the most rewarding of all Bridge plays. Today's illustration is one such lesson in squeeze play.

A rocket attack close to an election rally wounded at least eight people on Friday in a troubled tribal district on the Afghan border, officials said. The attack took place in Wana, the main town of South Waziristan. "At least eight people were wounded wh

Poet, short-story writer, journalist, artist and columnist Abeda Iqbal Azad passed away on April 20, 2012. Abeda was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She was a graduate of medicine but toggled between multi lines of interest. She also translated many short stor

A rocket attack close to an election rally wounded at least eight people on Friday in a troubled tribal district on the Afghan border, officials said. The attack took place in Wana, the main town of South Waziristan. "At least eight people were wounded wh

Many cultures have produced pottery which combines a function as a vessel. And clay is one of the oldest materials for pottery as well as clay being the medium originally modelled for casting. Hamir Soomro also got inspired by ceramics works about two yea

The caretaker government on Friday said that although the deteriorating law and order situation was a serious challenge ahead of the general elections, nothing could thwart the holding of free, fair and transparent elections. A meeting on law and order si

On Sunday, billions of people around the world will celebrate the International Earth Day. The main purpose of the day is to save our mother Earth from the challenges, which are threatening its existence. The global theme for Earth Day 2013 is "The Face o

The caretaker government on Friday said that although the deteriorating law and order situation was a serious challenge ahead of the general elections, nothing could thwart the holding of free, fair and transparent elections. A meeting on law and order si

Unfortunately, it is exam time, otherwise many leading Karachi schools in the public and private sectors, in poor and affluent institutions would be holding mock elections. This is a practice in the democratic developed countries, particularly our patron

"The more interviews that an expert had done with the press, Tetlock found, the worse his predictions tended to be."? Nate Silver, The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail - But Some Don't.

Indian sugar futures were treading water on Thursday as surplus supplies outweighed summer demand. The key May contract on India's National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange was down 0.17 percent at 2,950 rupees ($54.47)per 100 kg at 0905 GMT, after fall

Corn export premiums at the US Gulf Coast rose on Thursday, despite minimal export demand, as flooding that was expected to halt barge shipments on Midwest rivers sent spot CIF barge basis values sharply higher, traders said. Soyabean export premiums were

Brazil's center-south cane belt will stay dry for the next few weeks, forecaster Somar said on Thursday, speeding up the harvest of cane and output of sugar that was hampered by an unusually wet start to April. "The outlook for sugar cane is favourable be

Spot basis bids for hard red winter wheat were unchanged on Thursday in the southern US Plains and Gulf export markets, and country movement was hushed, dealers said. Another round of freezing temperatures in the southern Plains probably harmed more of th

Ukraine's maize exports are unlikely to exceed 12.0-12.5 million tonnes in the 2012/13 season, compared to the previous year's 15 million tonnes, due to a smaller harvest and sluggish demand, traders said on Thursday. The former Soviet republic cut maize

Indian soyabean futures extended the previous session's gains on Thursday due to an upside in overseas prices and thin supplies in the local spot market amid healthy demand from oil mills. Soyaoil rose, following gains in Malaysian palm oil, while rapesee

European wheat futures in Paris were flat to higher on Thursday as weather-fuelled gains in the US market lent support. But movements in Paris continued to be modest after mild weather in western Europe this week eased crop concerns and as operators await

The Karachi Port handled 96,179 tonnes of cargo comprising 58,777 tonnes of import cargo and 37,402 tonnes of export cargo including 2,887 loaded and empty containers during the last 24 hours ended at 0700 hours on Friday. The total import cargo of 58,777

According to the Grain and Oilseed Merchant Group, no change was seen in the commodity rates on Friday.

The trading in skimmed milk powder ended up on Jodia Bazaar here on Friday. The following changes were noted.

Trading activity improved on the cotton market on Friday on betterment in the electricity supply in Punjab, dealers said. The official spot rate resisted further decline at Rs 6,650, they said. Rates of seed cotton in Sindh were unchanged at Rs 1,800 and

Cypress Semiconductor Corp, which makes touch sensing micro-controllers for cellphones, reported better-than-expected quarterly results on lower costs and an improvement in demand for its products in China. The company's shares rose 4 percent in premarket

Cypress Semiconductor Corp, which makes touch sensing micro-controllers for cellphones, reported better-than-expected quarterly results on lower costs and an improvement in demand for its products in China. The company's shares rose 4 percent in premarket

German sportswear giant Puma on Thursday named Bjoern Gulden, a former professional footballer and top manager at rival Adidas, as its new chief executive. "The administrative board of Puma today appointed Bjoern Gulden, 47, as the sports and lifestyle co

Asia Pacific economies must refrain from competitive currency devaluations and are vulnerable to speculative buying in the housing market, the Apec grouping's research arm said. Massive inflows of funds from industrialised economies into the region where

Russia's government commission on foreign investment has turned down US group Abbott Laboratories' request to buy Russian vaccine maker Petrovax, the head of Russia's competition regulator said on Friday. "The commission has reviewed the question about th

Almost a year after taking over at McDonald's Corp, Chief Executive Don Thompson is still looking for the right recipe to expand restaurant sales, which are being pinched by the weak global economy and stronger competition from revived rivals. The world's

Microsoft Corp's strategy of selling more long-term software licences to big business customers is helping to cushion the blow from plummeting PC demand and a faltering start for its Windows 8 system. Personal computer sales fell 14 percent in the first t

Microsoft Corp's strategy of selling more long-term software licences to big business customers is helping to cushion the blow from plummeting PC demand and a faltering start for its Windows 8 system. Personal computer sales fell 14 percent in the first t

Google Inc's core Internet business grew net revenue 23 percent in the first quarter, softening the effect of a sharp decline in its Motorola mobile phone division. Shares of Google, which reached an all-time high of $844 in March, were up 1.5 percent to

Google Inc's core Internet business grew net revenue 23 percent in the first quarter, softening the effect of a sharp decline in its Motorola mobile phone division. Shares of Google, which reached an all-time high of $844 in March, were up 1.5 percent to

Fourteen countries, including Switzerland, were called out on Friday by the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for not meeting new global standards meant to crack down on tax dodgers. The standards - which call for a

Blackstone Group LP has ended its pursuit of Dell Inc, easing the way for founder Michael Dell and his private equity partner Silver Lake to go ahead with a $24.4 billion deal to acquire the world's No 3 PC maker. New York-based Blackstone pulled out just

France's disgraced former budget minister Jerome Cahuzac has resigned from parliament, officials close to the speaker of France's National Assembly Claude Bartolone told AFP Thursday. Cahuzac, who is facing charges of tax fraud, tendered his resignation t

British bank Lloyds has hired advisers for the possible sale of its Scottish Widows asset management arm, as it prepares for a likely regulatory demand to raise more capital, sources said. UK banks are having to consider further disposals after the Bank o

British bank Lloyds has hired advisers for the possible sale of its Scottish Widows asset management arm, as it prepares for a likely regulatory demand to raise more capital, sources said. UK banks are having to consider further disposals after the Bank o

IBM Corp posted a rare quarterly earnings miss as the technology services company struggled with the depreciation of the Japanese yen and a failure to close a number of major deals, especially in Europe and the United States. Much like Oracle Corp last mo

IBM Corp posted a rare quarterly earnings miss as the technology services company struggled with the depreciation of the Japanese yen and a failure to close a number of major deals, especially in Europe and the United States. Much like Oracle Corp last mo

Britain has launched a legal challenge against a plan by 11 euro zone countries to set up a financial transaction tax, finance minister George Osborne said on Friday. Britain was concerned that the planned tax, drawn up by the European Commission, would h

Boeing Co said it would cut the production rate for the latest version of the 747 jumbo jet from 2 aircraft per month to 1.75 aircraft citing lower demand for large passenger and cargo planes. The first delivery of the 747-8 aircraft at the new production

Brazilian Finance Minister Guido Mantega blasted the United States and Europe Friday for stalling reforms that would water down their role in the International Monetary Fund. In a statement as representative to the Fund of 11 member countries, Mantega sai

Brazilian Finance Minister Guido Mantega blasted the United States and Europe Friday for stalling reforms that would water down their role in the International Monetary Fund. In a statement as representative to the Fund of 11 member countries, Mantega sai

Mainland China shares outshined Asia with their best day in a month on Friday, while Hong Kong markets snapped a five-day losing streak, as investors cheered local news reports pointing to increased foreign participation in the A-share market. Traders sai

Most US stocks rose on Friday, bouncing back a day after the S&P 500 closed below its 50-day moving average for the first time this year, but IBM's largest drop in eight years held back the Dow. Less than stellar earnings reports from McDonald's and Gener

US stocks fell on Thursday and the S&P 500 closed below a key technical level after disappointing forecasts from eBay and other companies, casting doubt on the market's recent strength. The S&P 500 ended below its 50-day moving average of 1,543.04 for the

Seoul shares rose on late Friday bargain-hunting, recovering from an earlier drop as auto shares led by Hyundai Motor plunged due to cost concerns over wage litigation. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed up 0.4 percent at 1,906.75 points

Prices for US Treasuries rose on Thursday as soft data pointed to a sluggish a recovery in the world's biggest economy, fuelling bids for safe-haven investments. The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits rose last week and factor

Prices for US Treasuries rose on Thursday as soft data pointed to a sluggish a recovery in the world's biggest economy, fuelling bids for safe-haven investments. The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits rose last week and factor

The Philippine main index hit an all-time closing high while Thai benchmark index rose for a second session on Friday after banks such as BDO Unibank Inc and Siam Commercial Bank Pcl reported strong quarterly earnings. Philippine Composite Index climbed 1

Japanese stocks rose on Friday in choppy trade after a downward trend in the yen helped offset negative sentiment from Wall Street and buoyed some exporters. Investors are keeping an eye on the meeting of officials from the Group of 20 leading economies a

European shares staged a small technical rebound on Friday, helped by merger activity in the mining sector, but a regional benchmark marked its worst weekly loss since November following weak economic data. Kazakh miner Eurasian Natural Resources Corporat

Taiwan stocks rose 1.8 percent in their biggest one-day percentage gain in more than six months on Friday, lifted by TSMC after the world's top contract chip maker posted a better-than-expected quarterly profit and issued an upbeat outlook. The main TAIEX

Australian shares ended 0.2 percent higher on Friday, as mining stocks rebounded after the recent sell-off in commodities eased, but the market still suffered its biggest weekly loss in almost a month as global growth concerns weighed on sentiment. Global

Britain's top share index edged higher on Friday, with some investors looking for bargains among mining and energy stocks after the recent steep sell off on global growth concerns. The biggest gainer though was Eurasian, which jumped 26.6 percent after it

The Chinese yuan closed up slightly on Friday after the central bank pushed up the official midpoint amid speculation that authorities were preparing to widen its trading band. The central bank set the midpoint at 6.2395 on Friday morning, up slightly fro

The yen fell on Friday after Japan said the Group of 20 has accepted Tokyo's stance that the Bank of Japan's sweeping monetary expansion is aimed at beating deflation and not at competitively weakening the yen. The comments by Japanese Finance Minister Ta

The yen fell on Friday after Japan said the Group of 20 accepted its stance that its aggressive monetary expansion was aimed at beating deflation and not at competitive devaluation. Traders said the lack of objection from the G20 to Japan's policy encoura

The US dollar and euro rallied more than 1 percent versus the yen on Friday after Japan said the Group of 20 countries did not oppose its aggressive monetary easing aimed at beating deflation rather than weakening the currency. The dollar rose 1.2 percent

The euro edged higher against the dollar on Thursday as more signals of a weakening US economic recovery lifted it from its biggest daily drop in 10 months in the previous session. The yen slipped against the dollar and euro as investors believed Japan wa

The Swiss franc on Friday rose against the yen that was down against a basket of currencies after Japan eased concerns its bold monetary stimulus could come under criticism at the Group of 20 meeting. The franc rose 0.9 percent against the yen, trading at

The Philippine peso rose on Friday as investors covered short positions even as the central bank announced steps to curb the currency's upside, while continuing inflows lifted the Thai baht to a fresh 16-year high although some traders booked profits. The

Sterling edged up against the dollar on Friday, supported by broad weakness in the yen and talk of corporate flows that could spur demand for the British currency. Analysts said sterling gains were likely to be short-lived however, given concerns the econ

The Australian and New Zealand dollars nursed sharp losses on Friday and were on track to end the week down more than 1 percent against a host of currencies as worries over global growth further sapped investor appetites. The Aussie dollar was pinned at $

Russia, Italy and defending champions Czech Republic, with 14 Fed Cup titles between them, take their powerful legacies into the semi-finals this weekend. But many eyes will be turned away from the all-European last-four ties to focus on the play-off betw

Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov flirted with a massive upset before Rafael Nadal managed to restore normal service as the Spaniard earned a tight 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 win in the quarter-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters on Friday. Nadal, bidding for an unprecedented n

Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq has said that tracks in England would not be that difficult like on his team's last tour to South Africa. He made these observations in a post match press conference after Sui Northern Gas team defeated WAPDA to win the Pres

Misbah-ul-Haq's Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd (SNGPL) ended the 2012-13 domestic season on a high note when they completed the double, beating WAPDA by 32 runs in the final of President's Cup One-Day National Cricket Tournament at National Stadium on Fri

New Zealand cricket captain Brendon McCullum said Friday he plans to sue former player John Parker for defamation over allegations surrounding his appointment as skipper late last year. McCullum, 31, took over from Ross Taylor in controversial circumstanc

John Terry has admitted he snubbed Football Association chairman David Bernstein's attempt to shake hands during the official Champions League trophy handover on Friday. Terry ignored Bernstein in a show of contempt for the man who stripped the Chelsea de

National Transmission and Despatch Company Limited (NTDCL) clinched first position in WAPDA annual Table Tennis competitions, held at Shahbaz Sharif Sports Complex. The event was organised by Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO), where players from a

Karachi cricket chiefs on Friday banned three international players, Sohail Khan, Fawad Alam and Khalid Latif, for lack of discipline during a domestic Twenty20 tournament. Sohail, 29, is banned from playing for Karachi in any domestic match, and Alam and

Six Australian swimmers who admitted taking banned sleeping pills and playing pranks at a pre-Olympics training camp last year were Friday fined and slapped with deferred suspensions. The sport's governing body Swimming Australia said the six-man 4x100m f

Former England captain Mike Denness died aged 72 on Friday after a long battle with cancer. Denness was the only Scotsman ever to captain England, leading the team in 19 of his 28 Tests between 1969 and 1975. He also played 12 one-day internationals and w

Zimbabwe will go into day four of the first Test against Bangladesh eyeing victory over their closest rivals after gaining the most from a wicket-filled Friday at Harare Sports Club. The hosts went to stumps on 187 for seven in their second innings, with

About 10,000 opposition protesters took to the streets of Bahrain on Friday to push their demands for political change two days before the Formula One Grand Prix that puts the Gulf Arab kingdom in the international spotlight. The atmosphere was largely pe

The Russian government announced Friday that it had sacked the head of the state postal company Russian Post owing to severe delays in international package delivery. Alexander Kiselyov, who has run the company since 2009, was replaced by telecoms executi

Indian airports have claimed international law must take a back seat to local courts in a row with foreign aircraft leasing firms over the future of grounded Kingfisher Airlines jets, according to government minutes seen by Reuters.

Italy's main centre-left party chose former Prime Minister Romano Prodi as its presidential candidate on Friday, igniting a battle with Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right that increases the likelihood of a snap election in the summer. Berlusconi's camp imme

Jiroemon Kimura, the oldest man ever recorded, celebrated his 116th birthday Friday with a message from Japan's prime minister as health chiefs launched a study into why his home city boasts so many centenarians. It was a busy day for Kimura, who also gre

Saudi Arabia is hoping to wean jailed al Qaeda militants off religious extremism with counselling, spa treatments and plenty of exercise at a luxury rehabilitation centre in Riyadh. In between sessions with counsellors and talks on religion, prisoners wil

A German police bomb squad Friday destroyed a letter containing an explosive substance that was sent to the Berlin residence of President Joachim Gauck, his office and security sources said. Gauck, whose post as head of state is largely ceremonial, was no

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, under pressure to forge a national unity government, has pledged to launch talks "in the near future" on forming a new cabinet after the resignation of prime minister Salam Fayyad. Abbas made the remarks late Thursday a

Serbia agreed to cede its last remaining foothold in the country's former province of Kosovo on Friday, striking an historic accord to settle relations in exchange for talks on joining the European Union. The deal, brokered by the EU, capped six months of

At least six people are dead and more than 20 missing in a shipwreck near the river island of Marajo, in the Brazilian Amazonian state of Para, local authorities said Friday. The Governor's Office in Para said the accident happened late Thursday, when the

A peacekeeper was shot dead Friday in an attack on an African Union-UN base in Sudan's Darfur, the mission said, two days after the government announced it regained control of the area from rebels. "In the early morning hours of 19 April, one peacekeeper

Iraq ramped up security on Friday on the eve of its first election since US troops left, as attacks, including a bombing at a Baghdad cafe, killed 37 people in a spike in unrest before polling day. The deadly violence just before Saturday's provincial ele

France signalled on Friday it would push to modify a US proposal to the United Nations to allow UN peacekeepers to monitor human rights in the disputed Western Sahara before deciding which way it would vote. The dispute, dating back to 1975, pits Morocco,

Global hopes that democracy could replace dictatorships in Arab Spring nations risk being crushed by repressive regimes, the United States warned Friday in its annual human rights report. "The hope of the early days of the Arab Awakening has run up agains

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk sacked Friday the treasury minister for failing to inform him of a key Russian gas pipeline project. "In order to reestablish the treasury ministry's full control over the state's key companies, I've decided to dismiss Mi

Rescuers in Texas sifting through the rubble of homes destroyed when a fertilizer factory exploded in a massive fireball have so far recovered 12 bodies, an official said Friday. Approximately 200 other people were injured in Wednesday's blast in this sma

The Maltese navy rescued a group of 84 migrants on Friday, after the small dinghy they were sailing in got into difficulties while crossing the Mediterranean towards Europe. The group, which included 18 women and 32 children, was taken to Malta following

Ukraine's government survived a no-confidence vote in parliament on Friday despite its unpopularity over pension reform and charges of corruption - an outcome that reaffirmed President Viktor Yanukovich's grip as he eyes a second term in office. Oppositio

Four persons were wounded by buckshot on Friday after opposition activists marched on thousands of Islamists rallying outside the Supreme Court in central Cairo demanding judicial reform, an official said. In the clashes, the two sides pelted each other w

Nicolas Maduro was sworn in as president of Venezuela on Friday, taking the oath of office in the memory of the late Hugo Chavez to cheers in the National Assembly. "I swear it before the eternal memory of the supreme commander," he said after being read

US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel is set to leave Washington on Saturday for a five-nation tour of the Middle East. The trip comes as the United States is close to finalising a 10-billion-dollar arms deal with Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emira

ICE cotton fell over 1 percent on Thursday with speculators liquidating long positions as news that China's state reserve will sell some of its massive reserve offset robust weekly export sales data. While a sale this month was expected, traders fear it m