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Print - 2014-02-24
Militants escape from Bangladesh prison van in bomb ambush

Militants escape from Bangladesh prison van in bomb ambush

Gunmen opened fire and tossed bombs on Sunday at a prison van carrying militants of a banned Islamist movement to a court house, freeing three of their colleagues and killing a policeman in the ambush, police and witnesses said. The three convicts sprung
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Bangladesh ambassador hurt in Kenya assault

Bangladesh ambassador hurt in Kenya assault

Bangladesh's High Commissioner to Kenya Wahidur Rahman has been attacked and slightly injured during a robbery at his Nairobi home, police said Sunday. Nairobi detective Nicholas Kamwende said two of the diplomat's local guards had been detained for quest
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Morsi accused of leaking security secrets to Iran

Morsi accused of leaking security secrets to Iran

Prosecutors on Sunday accused deposed president Mohamed Morsi of leaking state secrets to Iran's Revolutionary Guards as part of a plot to destabilise Egypt, at the second hearing of his trial for espionage.
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
China's foreign minister makes rare visit to Iraq

China's foreign minister makes rare visit to Iraq

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks in Baghdad on Sunday on issues ranging from trade to arming Iraq's hard-pressed security forces, on the first such visit in over a decade. Wang met with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, during which the Iraqi prem
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Car bomb kills 14 in Syrian town on Turkish border

Car bomb kills 14 in Syrian town on Turkish border

At least 14 people were killed and 70 wounded in a car bombing on Sunday near a field hospital in a Syrian town on the border with Turkey that serves as a main supply line for rebels fighting President Bashar al-Assad, activists said. The attack shattered
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Syrian rebel, friend of al Qaeda leader, killed

Syrian rebel, friend of al Qaeda leader, killed

A Syrian rebel commander who fought alongside al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden and was close to its current chief, Ayman al-Zawahiri, was killed by a suicide attack on Sunday, intensifying infighting between rival Islamist fighters.
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Hamas says to privatise Gaza crossing

Hamas says to privatise Gaza crossing

The Gaza Strip's militant Hamas rulers have said they plan to let private contractors take over the running of the Palestinian territory's border crossings with Egypt and Israel. "The government is to give the private sector the opportunity to handle the
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
US now bugging German ministers in place of Merkel

US now bugging German ministers in place of Merkel

The US National Security Agency (NSA) has stepped up its surveillance of senior German government officials since being ordered by Barack Obama to halt its spying on Chancellor Angela Merkel, Bild am Sonntag paper reported on Sunday. Revelations last year
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Militants shoot down Iraqi helicopter, occupy northern town

Militants shoot down Iraqi helicopter, occupy northern town

Militants shot down a helicopter on Saturday and briefly occupied a town, in an escalating turf war with Iraq's government that has killed at least 25 people in two days, police said. All four crew members were killed when their helicopter was downed duri
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Japan drafts revision of arms exports ban

Japan drafts revision of arms exports ban

Japan has drafted new guidelines that would reverse a decades-old ban on weapons exports, a source with knowledge of the matter said on Sunday, a move that could further strain ties with neighbours China and South Korea. Tokyo has been reviewing the self-
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Wall Street week ahead: S&P may stall near high; Yellen in focus

Wall Street week ahead: S&P may stall near high; Yellen in focus

After the S&P 500 slipped on Friday and broke a two-week rally, stocks may find tougher sledding in the coming week as investors may be unwilling to push the benchmark index to a record high. The Standard & Poor's 500 has risen 3 percent over the past thr
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Forecasters slash C$ targets, see weakness through 2014

Forecasters slash C$ targets, see weakness through 2014

Currency strategists have slashed their forecasts for the beleaguered Canadian dollar and see it weakening through 2014 as central bank concerns about weak inflation keep interest rates at current low levels, a Reuters poll showed on Wednesday. Turmoil in
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Emerging market ripples still driving currency trading volumes

Emerging market ripples still driving currency trading volumes

January's spiking volumes in the foreign exchange are holding up in February because the selloff in emerging market currencies is still boosting demand for more liquid, major currencies, traders and officials said.
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Emerging market ripples still driving currency trading volumes

Emerging market ripples still driving currency trading volumes

January's spiking volumes in the foreign exchange are holding up in February because the selloff in emerging market currencies is still boosting demand for more liquid, major currencies, traders and officials said.
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Russia's Detsky Mir aims for London IPO in mid-March

Russia's Detsky Mir aims for London IPO in mid-March

Russian children's goods retailer Detsky Mir, owned by oil-to-telecoms conglomerate Sistema , is aiming to launch its planned London initial public offering in mid-March, two banking sources said on Tuesday. Detsky Mir is among a number of retail companie
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
China to widen yuan trading band, expand convertibility

China to widen yuan trading band, expand convertibility

China will expand the yuan trading band in an orderly way and quicken convertibility on the capital account, the central bank said on Wednesday, reaffirming its long-standing stance. In a statement published on its website, www.pbc.gov.cn, the People's Ba
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Egypt's bourse crosses key level as financials rise; Gulf markets mixed

Egypt's bourse crosses key level as financials rise; Gulf markets mixed

Egypt's bourse surged on Sunday to a new 65-month high and crossed a key psychological level as improving financial outlook lifted sentiment, while Gulf shares were mixed. Cairo's EFG-Hermes surged 6.9 percent to its highest since March 2012 in a delayed
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Qatar stock exchange to list Mesaieed Petrochemical

Qatar stock exchange to list Mesaieed Petrochemical

Qatar's stock exchange will list Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding Co, a unit of state-owned Qatar Petroleum, on February 26, it said on Tuesday, opening up trading in the shares to foreigners.
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Tokyo investors look to G20, US and Japan data

Tokyo investors look to G20, US and Japan data

Tokyo investors next week will look to fresh US and Japanese data, as well as a meeting of finance officials from 20 major economies who gather in Sydney this weekend. All eyes will be on US housing, consumer confidence and growth figures as markets look
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Everything one pound, except the Poundland share listing

Everything one pound, except the Poundland share listing

Poundland, Europe's largest single-price discount retailer, plans a 750 million pound ($1.25 billion) flotation on the London Stock Exchange, cashing in on the recession-proof allure of goods that sell for just one pound ($1.67). The 500-store Poundland c
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Danish services firm ISS revives IPO plan

Danish services firm ISS revives IPO plan

Danish business services firm ISS has revived plans to float its shares on the Nasdaq OMX Copenhagen market with an initial public share offer (IPO) which it hopes will raise 8 billion Danish crowns ($1.5 billion) for the company.
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Obama to unveil manufacturing institutes in Detroit, Chicago

Obama to unveil manufacturing institutes in Detroit, Chicago

President Barack Obama will announce two new manufacturing institutes aimed at attracting and nurturing businesses that will hire workers for highly paid jobs in the United States, a White House official said on Saturday. One institute, to be located in D
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Apple, Samsung fail to settle patent case

Apple, Samsung fail to settle patent case

Apple and its South Korean rival Samsung will return to court next month after failing to agree on a settlement to end a legal battle over patents in the United States. The two firms had been pushed into talks by a court order that saw Apple CEO Tim Cook
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Germany to raise tax intake forecast as economy recovers

Germany to raise tax intake forecast as economy recovers

The German Finance Ministry has increased its tax intake forecast to allow for accelerated economic growth and expects to collect 7.1 billion euros more than previously expected between 2015-2018, weekly magazine Spiegel reported on Sunday.
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Egypt food supply shake-up sees official referred to prosecutors

Egypt food supply shake-up sees official referred to prosecutors

A shake-up of Egypt's food import and storage authorities has seen an official from its main food buying agency referred to prosecutors over suspected corruption on local rice deals, while the head of its silos and storage holding company was fired. Egypt
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Facebook's big buy, WhatsApp messaging app, back up after outage

Facebook's big buy, WhatsApp messaging app, back up after outage

WhatsApp, the rapidly expanding mobile messaging app, suffered an outage for more than three hours on Saturday, frustrating users just days after its acquisition by Facebook for $19 billion. "WhatsApp service has been restored. We are so sorry for the dow
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Indian regulator allows compensation for Tata Power's Mundra plant

Indian regulator allows compensation for Tata Power's Mundra plant

The Indian electricity regulator allowed Tata Power to raise tariffs and receive compensation to make up for losses incurred at its flagship Mundra plant in the western state of Gujarat. The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission said Tata Power should
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
US, IMF 'stand ready' to help Ukraine rebuild ailing economy

US, IMF 'stand ready' to help Ukraine rebuild ailing economy

The United States and the International Monetary Fund offered Sunday to assist Ukraine in rebuilding its battered economy following devastating protests that have plunged the country into its worst crisis since independence. Fears that Ukraine's debt-lade
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Soros considers investing in European banks

Soros considers investing in European banks

George Soros wants to invest in Europe's financial sector, according to a German magazine's interview with the billionaire investor on Sunday. "I believe in the euro," weekly Der Spiegel quoted him as saying. "Therefore my investment team is looking forwa
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
France's AXA to take major stake in UAE's Green Crescent Insurance

France's AXA to take major stake in UAE's Green Crescent Insurance

French insurance giant AXA Group and its partner in the United Arab Emirates, Kanoo Group, plan to become major shareholders in the UAE's Green Crescent Insurance Co (GCIC), GCIC said on Sunday. The firm has called a shareholder meeting on March 26 "to co
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Bank of England's Broadbent sees long-awaited wage recovery

Bank of England's Broadbent sees long-awaited wage recovery

British wages are likely to start recovering some of the ground lost to inflation in recent years as the country's economic recovery builds, a top policymaker at the Bank of England said. "After five years in which the UK economy has looked very sick, it
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Russia tops medals table as Games end, Canada wins hockey

Russia tops medals table as Games end, Canada wins hockey

The Winter Olympics drew to a close on Sunday with host nation Russia on top of the medals table and Canada winning the men's ice hockey final, but news that two more athletes have tested positive for a banned substance dimmed the golden glow. Canada clai
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
India and Pakistan set for Asia Cup face-off

India and Pakistan set for Asia Cup face-off

India and Pakistan get a rare chance to score brownie points when they renew their intense, but intermittent, cricket rivalry in the Asia Cup one-day tournament which opens in Bangladesh on Tuesday. On-field contests featuring the traditional foes, which
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Gulbis wins Marseille Open

Gulbis wins Marseille Open

Latvia's Ernests Gulbis defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 in the final of the ATP Marseille Open on Sunday. The world number 23 edged a tight first set against the defending champion before dominating the second. It was a fifth career t
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Ibrahimovic hat-trick restores PSG's Ligue 1 lead

Ibrahimovic hat-trick restores PSG's Ligue 1 lead

A hat-trick from Zlatan Ibrahimovic earned Paris St Germain a 4-2 win at battling Toulouse on Sunday, restoring the champions' five-point lead at the top of Ligue 1. Monaco had cut the gap to two points with a 3-2 win over Stade de Reims on Friday but a s
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Barcelona slump to defeat as Bale lifts Real

Barcelona slump to defeat as Bale lifts Real

Real Madrid stormed three points clear at the top of La Liga after they beat Elche 3-0 on Saturday and Barcelona slumped to a 3-1 defeat at Real Sociedad. Asier Illarramendi gave Real the lead before the break but it took them until the 72nd minute to sco
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
South Africa level series

South Africa level series

South Africa took nine wickets after tea to level their three match series against Australia on the fourth day of the second Test at St George's Park on Sunday. Set to make 448 to win, Australia were bowled out for 216 after South Africa claimed the extra
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Gayle out of England ODIs

Gayle out of England ODIs

West Indies opener Chris Gayle will miss the one-day international series against England with a back problem, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) said on Saturday. Dwayne Smith has been called up as replacement for the three ODIs against England in Anti
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Al Baraka Islamic bank sees new scope to expand

Al Baraka Islamic bank sees new scope to expand

Bahrain-based Islamic lender Al Baraka expects at least 15 percent growth in net profit this year as its business recovers across a region hit by the Arab Spring unrest, its chief executive said. The growth will also be fuelled by the company's entry into
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Emaar net profit beats estimates as Dubai booms

Emaar net profit beats estimates as Dubai booms

Emaar Properties, Dubai's largest listed property developer, posted a 48 percent increase in its quarterly profit from a strong upturn that boosted by growth in its malls, hotels and property business. Dubai's safe haven status during the region's Arab Sp
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Emaar net profit beats estimates as Dubai booms

Emaar net profit beats estimates as Dubai booms

Emaar Properties, Dubai's largest listed property developer, posted a 48 percent increase in its quarterly profit from a strong upturn that boosted by growth in its malls, hotels and property business. Dubai's safe haven status during the region's Arab Sp
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
InterContinental Hotels Group reports profit plunge

InterContinental Hotels Group reports profit plunge

InterContinental Hotels Group, the world's largest hotel operator by number of rooms, said on February 18 that annual net profit plunged owing to increased tax charges. Profit after tax dropped 31 percent to $372 million (271 million euros) last year comp
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
InterContinental Hotels Group reports profit plunge

InterContinental Hotels Group reports profit plunge

InterContinental Hotels Group, the world's largest hotel operator by number of rooms, said on February 18 that annual net profit plunged owing to increased tax charges. Profit after tax dropped 31 percent to $372 million (271 million euros) last year comp
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Peugeot posts 2.3 billion euro net losses

Peugeot posts 2.3 billion euro net losses

Peugeot Citroen halved losses last year, the car giant announced on February 19 along with a shareholder tie-up with China's Dongfeng and the French state ending one of France's oldest industrial dynasties. The shareholder deal, tied up on February 19, me
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Peugeot posts 2.3 billion euro net losses

Peugeot posts 2.3 billion euro net losses

Peugeot Citroen halved losses last year, the car giant announced on February 19 along with a shareholder tie-up with China's Dongfeng and the French state ending one of France's oldest industrial dynasties. The shareholder deal, tied up on February 19, me
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Sinopec seeks private investment in marketing arm

Sinopec seeks private investment in marketing arm

Sinopec Corp, Asia's largest oil refiner, plans to restructure its retail and wholesale business and sell up to 30 percent of the unit as China's government promotes private investment in the country's oil industry. The state-run company's board passed a
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Sinopec seeks private investment in marketing arm

Sinopec seeks private investment in marketing arm

Sinopec Corp, Asia's largest oil refiner, plans to restructure its retail and wholesale business and sell up to 30 percent of the unit as China's government promotes private investment in the country's oil industry. The state-run company's board passed a
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
BHP's first-half profit soars 83 percent

BHP's first-half profit soars 83 percent

Global mining giant BHP Billiton on February 18 posted a "monster" 83 percent first-half spike in net profit to US $8.1 billion on the back of spending cuts and strong production at its iron ore business. The result for the six months to December 31 was a
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
BHP's first-half profit soars 83 percent

BHP's first-half profit soars 83 percent

Global mining giant BHP Billiton on February 18 posted a "monster" 83 percent first-half spike in net profit to US $8.1 billion on the back of spending cuts and strong production at its iron ore business. The result for the six months to December 31 was a
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Commodities revenues JPMorgan posts 12 percent fall in 2013

Commodities revenues JPMorgan posts 12 percent fall in 2013

J. P Morgan Chase & Co's commodity revenues fell 12 percent last year, the bank said in a filing on February 20, shedding new light on the unit as the bank prepares to sell its physical trading arm to Swiss-based trader Mercuria.
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Commodities revenues JPMorgan posts 12 percent fall in 2013

Commodities revenues JPMorgan posts 12 percent fall in 2013

J. P Morgan Chase & Co's commodity revenues fell 12 percent last year, the bank said in a filing on February 20, shedding new light on the unit as the bank prepares to sell its physical trading arm to Swiss-based trader Mercuria.
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Malaysian Airline reports fourth straight quarter of losses

Malaysian Airline reports fourth straight quarter of losses

Malaysian Airline System (MAS) reported a fourth straight quarter of losses and warned of tough operating conditions in 2014 as fuel and financing costs rise and stiff competition curbs fare increases. The losses come after growing competition in Southeas
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
GM plans to boost China sales this year

GM plans to boost China sales this year

General Motors Co plans to boost China sales this year by as much as 10 percent and keep pace with the country's overall auto market for the rest of the decade, the new chief of the company's China operations said in an interview. Matt Tsien, a Chinese-Am
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Adjusting monitor display colours to match the time of day

Adjusting monitor display colours to match the time of day

As a rule the displays of notebooks and computer monitors are set so as to be easy to read in the daytime, but when it's darker, these settings aren't always optimal for the user. One solution is the freeware programme F.Lux, which automatically adjusts t
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Setting a panoramic image on two desktop monitors

Setting a panoramic image on two desktop monitors

Microsoft's Windows 8.1 operating system gives users the ability to extend a single panoramic background image across dual monitors. Instead of both displays showing the same picture, the image is divided between the two monitors. If using one's own pictu
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Mozilla to release Firefox launcher for Android

Mozilla to release Firefox launcher for Android

Mozilla plans to release its own Firefox Launcher for Android smartphones. Launchers are apps that replace the usual Android home-screen with their own display or surface. Mozilla developed the app in cooperation with the creators of the EverythingMe laun
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Hiding old smartphones on Google Play

Hiding old smartphones on Google Play

The download platform Google Play remembers every smartphone with which a user has ever logged in. This is useful because owners of multiple devices can download apps specifically targeted for either mobiles or tablets. However, the list may also contain
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Apple to debut iTunes Festival in US at SXSW

Apple to debut iTunes Festival in US at SXSW

Apple said February 19 it will stage its first iTunes Festival in the United States during South by Southwest (SXSW) in Texas next month, with Coldplay, Imagine Dragons and Pitbull among the big names set to appear.
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Researchers working on social media 'lie detector'

Researchers working on social media 'lie detector'

University researchers are working on a system that could quash rumours spreading on social media by identifying whether information is accurate. Five European universities, led by Sheffield in northern England, are cooperating on a system that could auto
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
WhatsApp: a booming smartphone message service

WhatsApp: a booming smartphone message service

WhatsApp was launched five years ago as a shot at doing to text messaging what Skype did to telephone calls. If Facebook's move to buy the startup in a cash-and-stock deal valued as high as $19 billion is any indication, the California-based WhatsApp may
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Microsoft needs to get back to innovation roots: CEO

Microsoft needs to get back to innovation roots: CEO

Microsoft's new chief executive Satya Nadella says the tech giant needs to start thinking like a startup again if it wants to move ahead in the new technology landscape. "Culturally, I think we have operated as if we had the formula figured out, and it wa
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Hankies and rice: salvaging water-damaged mobile phone

Hankies and rice: salvaging water-damaged mobile phone

If your smartphone falls into water, you need an emergency plan. The chances of saving it are about 50:50, but there are things that will help if you act fast. The first thing is to switch off the device. If the immersion was of short duration, there is s
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
French TV channels seek protection from Google, Netflix

French TV channels seek protection from Google, Netflix

The heads of France's three largest private television networks have asked the government to protect them from US competitors like Google, Apple and Netflix who are set to enter the market. The bosses of TF1, Canal+ and M6, alarmed by the impending arriva
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Samsung seeks to wow mobile world with new smartphone

Samsung seeks to wow mobile world with new smartphone

Samsung aims to take the mobile world by storm Monday, almost certainly unveiling a new Galaxy S5 smartphone with rumoured Apple-fighting features such as a fingerprint scanner and larger screen. The top smartphone maker coyly announced to journalists an
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Sound-based login startup joins Google tech chorus

Sound-based login startup joins Google tech chorus

An Israel-based startup specializing in using sounds instead of passwords for logging in said on February 17 it has been bought by Google. SlickLogin did not disclose financial terms of the deal, and Google did not respond to an AFP request for comment ab
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
El Nino threatens to return, hit global food production

El Nino threatens to return, hit global food production

The El Nino weather pattern that can trigger drought in some parts of the world while causing flooding in others is increasingly likely to return this year, hitting production of key foods such as rice, wheat and sugar.
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Chemicals may be eroding child IQs: disputed study

Chemicals may be eroding child IQs: disputed study

Two public health experts warned about the stunting effects that a wide array of industrial chemicals, including toothpaste ingredient fluoride, may be having on child brain development, in a report some called alarmist.
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Malaria: high risk focused in 10 African countries

Malaria: high risk focused in 10 African countries

Gains in fighting malaria in sub-Saharan Africa have left the highest risk for the disease concentrated in 10 countries, according to a study published on February 19 by The Lancet medical journal. Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Ivory Coas
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Regular exercise key to living longer

Regular exercise key to living longer

Social contact and regular exercise are key to aging well and living a longer life, according to newly presented research. In fact, feeling extremely lonely can increase an older person's chances of premature death by 14 percent, an impact nearly as stron
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
'Living drug' kills leukemia in 88 percent of patients

'Living drug' kills leukemia in 88 percent of patients

A new approach to killing cancer cells that uses a patient's own immune system has beaten back leukemia in 88 percent of adults, US researchers said on February 19. The report by scientists in New York offers more good news for the burgeoning field of can
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Flu hits young, middle aged in US

Flu hits young, middle aged in US

The flu is hitting young and middle aged people in the United States particularly hard this season, as a tough flu strain re-emerged and too few people were vaccinated, health authorities said on February 20. More than 60 percent of all severe flu cases t
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Human resource needs putting deep-water ecosystems in peril

Human resource needs putting deep-water ecosystems in peril

Relentlessly rising human demand for deep-sea resources - fish, gas and oil, rare materials - is posing such a risk that international cooperation is needed if aquatic ecosystems are to be saved, US scientists warn. The doubling of the world's population
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Study predicts Antarctic ice melting will endure

Study predicts Antarctic ice melting will endure

The melting of ice in the Antarctic is considered a top threat to global sea level rise, and scientists said on February 20 the trend could continue for decades or even centuries to come. Researchers focused on the Pine Island Glacier in Antarctica, which
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
National Assembly, Senate to discuss issues related to insurgents today

National Assembly, Senate to discuss issues related to insurgents today

The important sessions of National Assembly and Senate, separately, will begin today (Monday) to discuss the situations arising out of the stalled peace dialogue with the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the government's future strategy, besi
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Beaconhouse organises 'The Learning Festival'

Beaconhouse organises 'The Learning Festival'

The Beaconhouse School System organised 'The Learning Festival' on Saturday for students aged 3 to 5 and their parents. The festival took place simultaneously in 14 Beaconhouse schools in Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Hafizabad and Multan. The event was
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Jimmy Engineer to hold exhibition of his works in Bangkok

Jimmy Engineer to hold exhibition of his works in Bangkok

Pakistani artist Jimmy Engineer will arrange an exhibition of his work on February 25, 2014 in Bangkok, Thailand. The artist, currently on a goodwill visit to Thailand, will organise his solo exhibition of art work. He will present his fourteen abstract p
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Polio vaccination drive restarts in Karachi

Polio vaccination drive restarts in Karachi

Health Ministry restarted its polio vaccination campaign on Sunday under tight security, after several polio workers were killed. The campaign was cancelled after one attack on a polio vaccination team on 21 January in Karachi which left three dead, inclu
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Anti-polio drive begins in Pindi today

Anti-polio drive begins in Pindi today

A five-day anti polio drive would commence from February 24 during the campaign,1408 polio teams would go door-to-door and administer polio drops to 711,744 children less than five years of age in all tehsils and union councils of the Rawalpindi district.
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Plan to register illegal Afghan DPs on anvil: Qadir Baloch

Plan to register illegal Afghan DPs on anvil: Qadir Baloch

Minister of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) Lieutenant General Abdul Qadir Baloch (retd) has said that the government has prepared a plan to register around 1.5 million unregistered Afghan refugees. "The plan is ready to register around 1.5 million i
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
CNG stations to remain closed for 24 hours from today morning

CNG stations to remain closed for 24 hours from today morning

All CNG stations would remain closed in Sindh, including Karachi, from Monday morning to Tuesday morning, said Chairman, All Pakistan CNG Association (APCNGA-Sindh), Shabbir Sulemanjee. In an announcement on Sunday, he has warned that CNG stations found o
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
753 criminals held, stolen items worth Rs 32 million recovered

753 criminals held, stolen items worth Rs 32 million recovered

Islamabad Police have arrested a total of 753 criminals and recovered stolen items worth 32 million, 15.859 kg Narcotics, 1985 wine bottles and cache of weapon from their possession. According to details, on the special directions of senior police officer
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
IHC's six benches to hear over 350 cases next week

IHC's six benches to hear over 350 cases next week

Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court (IHC) Justice Muhammad Anwar Khan Kasi has constituted four single and two division benches to hear over 350 cases during the next week starting from Monday. Four single benches include Chief Justice, Justice Riaz Ahm
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
National Assembly Speaker meets KP Governor

National Assembly Speaker meets KP Governor

The Speaker of the National Assembly, Ayaz Sadiq, called on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Engineer Shaukatullah Khan here on Sunday. In his meeting with the Governor Ayaz Sadiq discussed various matters of national and public interests. The Governor highlig
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Afghan Taliban kill 21 soldiers: prisoner swap attempt suspended

Afghan Taliban kill 21 soldiers: prisoner swap attempt suspended

The Afghan Taliban killed 21 soldiers in an assault on Sunday in a remote mountainous region, the Afghan government said, and six soldiers were missing after the militants' most deadly assault on the security forces in months. Also on Sunday, in a possibl
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Modi widens lead

Modi widens lead

Opposition leader Narendra Modi has widened his lead as candidate to become India's prime minister and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party is likely to emerge as the single largest party in coming elections, according to a new opinion poll. The B
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Taiwan independence group topples Sun Yat-sen statue

Taiwan independence group topples Sun Yat-sen statue

A radical Taiwanese independence group said Sunday they had pulled down a statue of the founding father of the nationalist republic who fled from the Chinese mainland to the island more than six decades ago. The event, which was condemned by politicians a
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Blast in Russia kills three

Blast in Russia kills three

An explosion that investigators said may have been caused by gas killed three people at a shopping complex in Russia's remote Altai region in southern Siberia on Sunday, law enforcement authorities said. Russian authorities are on alert for any attacks du
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Morocco summons French envoy over torture lawsuit

Morocco summons French envoy over torture lawsuit

Morocco has summoned the French ambassador in Rabat to protest against a French lawsuit filed against the head of Morocco's domestic intelligence for alleged complicity in torture, the foreign ministry said on Saturday. It was a rare diplomatic spat betwe
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Bomb kills two, wounds 22 in Thai capital

Bomb kills two, wounds 22 in Thai capital

A bomb killed two people and wounded at least 22 in a busy shopping district of the Thai capital on Sunday, hours after supporters of Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra promised to get tough with demonstrators paralysing parts of the city. But it was
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
Boosting farm credit

Boosting farm credit

Addressing a meeting of the Agricultural Credit Advisory Committee (ACAC), the new Acting Governor, State Bank of Pakistan, Ashraf Mahmood Wathra highlighted the importance of agriculture sector in the economy of the country and outlined six-point action
Published 24 Feb, 2014 12:00am
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