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Dec 05, 2024 اردو ► PRINT EDITION ► BR MARKETS ► Dollar to PKR ►
Print - 2014-11-23
Mexican coffee tumbles to 10-month low

Mexican coffee tumbles to 10-month low

The premium of coffee grown in Mexico and stored in US warehouses has tumbled to a 10-month low as exporters there clear out their stocks to make room for the new crop being harvested, US importers said on Thursday. "They're trying to get rid of what they
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
US FOB Gulf soyabean export premiums steady to firm

US FOB Gulf soyabean export premiums steady to firm

Soyabean export premiums for shipments from the US Gulf Coast were steady to firm on Friday, underpinned by tight nearby export loading capacity and hopes that an interest rate cut in China would spur demand from the world's top buyer, traders said.
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Oil cake market rates

Oil cake market rates

The December vaida was up on the forward cottonseed oilcake market on Saturday in the process of trading, dealers said. The December contract closed at Rs 1500.40 but commenced with a gain of 20 paisa at Rs 1500.60 in the morning session, they said. The J
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Trading activity slowed down on cotton market

Trading activity slowed down on cotton market

Some leading mills and spinners were on the sidelines on the cotton market on Saturday, causing a fall in the volume of business, dealers said. The official spot rate maintained overnight level at Rs 4,800, they added. In the ready session, around 15,000
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Canadian canola futures higher

Canadian canola futures higher

ICE Canadian canola futures edged higher on Friday, supported by a lack of farmer selling and stronger soybean markets. January canola gained 70 cents to $431 per tonne. The contract gained 0.7 percent for the week. Chicago Board of Trade January soybeans
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
US natural gas futures fall five percent

US natural gas futures fall five percent

US natural gas futures ended down 5 percent on Friday on profit taking after as forecasts for less frigid temperatures spurred some traders to cash in on gains made earlier in the week. Front-month gas futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange closed do
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Upward trend seen on grain market

Upward trend seen on grain market

Rising trend was witnessed on the wholesale grain market on Saturday in the process of modest activity, dealers said. On the cereals side, Moong Punjab was higher by Rs 250 to Rs 11750 and Moong Afghan went up by Rs 850 to Rs 12250, Khandsari was down by
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
US Midwest corn bids steady to higher

US Midwest corn bids steady to higher

Spot corn basis bids were mostly steady to higher around the US Midwest on Friday after rising earlier this week due to slow farmer selling, grain merchants said. A large processor in Decatur, Ill., raised its corn bid by 2 cents from Thursday to 10 cents
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Asian coffee: Vietnam sales pick up, Indonesia's output falls

Asian coffee: Vietnam sales pick up, Indonesia's output falls

Sales of fresh Vietnamese coffee beans are picking up as the harvest is accelerating in the world's largest robusta producer and prices have improved in line with global market gains, traders said on Thursday. Up to 15 percent of Vietnam's 2014/2015 crop
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Saudi Arabia tenders to buy 330,000 tonnes of hard wheat

Saudi Arabia tenders to buy 330,000 tonnes of hard wheat

Saudi Arabia's state grains authority GSFMO said on Thursday it had issued an international tender to purchase 330,000 tonnes of hard wheat. The tender deadline is Friday, November 21, said GSFMO director general Waleed el Khereiji. The wheat, with 12.5 p
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Palm oil down on European vegoils market

Palm oil down on European vegoils market

Palm oil on the European vegetable oils market was offered lower on Thursday due to slower Malaysian palm oil exports during the first 20 days of November. "Dwindling exports were the main reason for prices to come down a bit. Overall lack of fresh market
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
CBOT wheat futures end flat

CBOT wheat futures end flat

Front-month wheat futures on the Chicago Board of Trade closed unchanged on Friday following a choppy, technical trade, as poor export demand for US wheat offset support from short-covering and strength in corn and soy, traders said. K.C. hard red winter
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
EU wheat prices steady to higher

EU wheat prices steady to higher

Western European wheat prices were steady to higher on Thursday, supported by healthy export demand and a rebound on the US market. On the Paris-based Euronext futures market, January milling wheat rose 2.25 euros or 1.3 percent to 174.75 euros a tonne. A
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Cameroon's cocoa grinder purchases 13,144 tonnes of beans

Cameroon's cocoa grinder purchases 13,144 tonnes of beans

Cameroon's local cocoa grinders had purchased 13,144 tonnes of beans by the end of October, down from 13,658 tonnes in the same period in the 2013/14 season, according to statistics from the National Cocoa and Coffee Board (NCCB) seen on Thursday. Leading
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Indian soyabean futures down on profit taking

Indian soyabean futures down on profit taking

Indian soyabean futures fell on Thursday for the second session in a row on profit taking as arrivals of the main summer oilseed crop picked up in major spot markets. Soyaoil took cue from rival palm oil, while rapeseed ended up on short covering on dimin
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Asian millers eye Canadian spring wheat as Australian supply slows

Asian millers eye Canadian spring wheat as Australian supply slows

Asian flour millers are looking at buying Canadian spring wheat for shipment early next year as supplies from drought-hit Australia are likely to remain slow, traders said. Canadian western spring red spring wheat is being offered at around $345 a tonne,
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Indonesian sugar sector 'at critical point' due to scarce raw imports

Indonesian sugar sector 'at critical point' due to scarce raw imports

Indonesia's government must issue 2015 raw sugar import permits this month or face further closures of refineries and shutdowns at food and drinks businesses, an industry group in the world's top importer said, warning the situation was at crisis point.
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Telecom Italia seals $1 billion masts deal

Telecom Italia seals $1 billion masts deal

Telecom Italia will examine a possible tie-up between its Brazilian unit Tim Participacoes and local group Oi, it said as it announced the sale of mobile phone masts for more than 900 million euros ($1.1 billion). Brazil's telecom market is in the process
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Apple $450 million e-book settlement gets final court approval

Apple $450 million e-book settlement gets final court approval

A US judge on Friday gave final approval to Apple Inc's agreement to pay $450 million to resolve claims it harmed consumers by conspiring with five publishers to raise e-book prices. During a hearing in Manhattan, US District Judge Denise Cote approved wh
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Egypt hires German firm to bore transport tunnels under Suez Canal

Egypt hires German firm to bore transport tunnels under Suez Canal

Egypt will use machines made by a German firm to bore at least four tunnels under the Suez Canal, part of an $8 billion project to expand the waterway that the government hopes will raise revenues and foreign currency reserves. Unlisted Herrenknecht AG wa
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Hungary teachers protest against cuts, reforms

Hungary teachers protest against cuts, reforms

Thousands of Hungarian teachers demonstrated in Budapest on Saturday against Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government, demanding a stop to funding cuts and dialogue over controversial education reforms. The approximately 2,000 teachers said they have been
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Chinese premier urges 'new growth engines'

Chinese premier urges 'new growth engines'

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has called for "new growth engines" to counter slowing growth in the world's second largest economy, Xinhua reported late on Friday. The comments came as China unexpectedly cut interest rates for the first time in more than two
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
China's ICBC to set up offshore yuan centre in Los Angeles

China's ICBC to set up offshore yuan centre in Los Angeles

China's Industrial and Commercial Bank (ICBC) signed a pact with the Los Angeles city government to promote cross-border yuan trade and set up an offshore renminbi centre in California, the bank said on Saturday. The move to create an offshore RMB centre
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
US, Mexico reach aviation pact

US, Mexico reach aviation pact

The United States and Mexico have reached an agreement to expand passenger and cargo air service that would remove current limits on the number of airlines that can provide passenger service on routes between the two countries, the US Transportation Depar
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Belarus cuts 2015 economic growth forecast

Belarus cuts 2015 economic growth forecast

Belarus has cut its 2015 economic growth forecast to 0.2-0.7 percent from the previous 2.0 percent because of the economic slowdown in Russia, state news agency Belta quoted Economy Minister Nikolai Snopkov as saying. In recent years, Belarus has received
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Europe not at risk of full-blown deflation: ECB's Constancio

Europe not at risk of full-blown deflation: ECB's Constancio

Europe is not at risk of sliding into "full deflation" but the current rate of inflation is dangerously low, European Central Bank Vice President Vitor Constancio said on Saturday. Many fear the euro zone, where annual inflation fell far short of the ECB'
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Lockheed, Pentagon ink $4.7 billion deal

Lockheed, Pentagon ink $4.7 billion deal

The Pentagon said on Friday it had awarded Lockheed Martin Corp a contract valued at $4.7 billion for an eighth batch of F-35 fighter jets that lowered the average price per jet by 3.5 percent from the last contract, and 57 percent from the first batch. T
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Italy expects no further EU demands to correct budget

Italy expects no further EU demands to correct budget

Italy does not expect any more requests from the European Commission to change its 2015 budget to meet European rules on debt reduction, Italy's top official on EU policy said on Saturday. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's government has already tightened its
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Russia has no plan to cut oil output

Russia has no plan to cut oil output

Russia, the world's biggest energy exporter, does not plan to cut oil production to shore up prices, Rossiya 24 television quoted Energy Minister Alexander Novak as saying on Saturday. Russia, which relies on oil and gas exports for about half its federal
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
US welcomes oil deal between Iraqi Kurdistan and Baghdad

US welcomes oil deal between Iraqi Kurdistan and Baghdad

US Vice President Joe Biden welcomed an agreement between Iraq's central government and its northern Kurdistan region over the management of oil exports, a step forward in a feud that has threatened the unity of Iraq. In a speech in Istanbul on Saturday t
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Samsung files ITC complaint to block Nvidia chips from US

Samsung files ITC complaint to block Nvidia chips from US

South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co Ltd has filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission seeking to block computer-graphics chips made by Nvidia Corp from the US market, Bloomberg reported. Samsung had accused Nvidia of infringing several
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Ghana creates power ministry

Ghana creates power ministry

Ghana's President John Mahama created a ministry of power on Saturday in a fresh bid to resolve a long-standing electricity crisis that has slowed economic growth and frustrated citizens with frequent power cuts. Kwabena Donkor, the chairman of parliament
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Venezuela ships first crude mixed with Algerian oil to China

Venezuela ships first crude mixed with Algerian oil to China

Venezuela is sending its first shipment of crude mixed with Algerian light oil to China, according to state oil company PDVSA and traders. Venezuela recently started importing Saharan Blend from Algerian state-run Sonatrach to dilute its extra heavy crude
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Critics pounce on US EPA biofuel delay, call for action

Critics pounce on US EPA biofuel delay, call for action

The Obama administration on Friday postponed a decision on 2014 biofuel-use targets until next year, prompting opponents to call on Congress to reform the highly contested federal program to promote renewable fuels like corn ethanol. The administration sa
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Volkswagen on track to reach 2018 margin goal

Volkswagen on track to reach 2018 margin goal

German auto maker Volkswagen , which is cutting costs and overhauling its development and production, is on track to reach its goal of a pretax profit of 8 percent of sales by 2018, German weekly Wirtschaftswoche reported on Saturday. The publication cite
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus to cut December sugar import duty

Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus to cut December sugar import duty

Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus will cut raw sugar import tariffs in December to $171 per tonne from $240 per tonne in November, the Russian Sugar Producers' Union said. The sugar duty imposed by Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, whose policies are aligned u
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Brazil government slashes budget surplus goal

Brazil government slashes budget surplus goal

Sharp depletion of Brazil's fiscal accounts has prompted the government to slash its key budget surplus goal to a fraction of its original target, according to a planning ministry report released on Friday. In the report, the government says it plans to d
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
India regulator says Holcim-Lafarge merger may hurt competition

India regulator says Holcim-Lafarge merger may hurt competition

A planned merger by Switzerland's Holcim Ltd and France's Lafarge to create the world's biggest cement maker might hurt competition in India, the country's antitrust regulator said on Saturday, asking the firms for more details. The all-share combination
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Schaeuble raps German firms for avoiding taxes via Luxembourg

Schaeuble raps German firms for avoiding taxes via Luxembourg

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble sharply criticised leading German companies for reducing taxes by creating subsidiaries in Luxembourg, where tax rates are lower, according to Focus news magazine. "The list of those that have institutions in Lux
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Swiss agency has more queries over Etihad plan to buy Darwin stake

Swiss agency has more queries over Etihad plan to buy Darwin stake

Swiss authorities have given Darwin Airline until the end of January to answer more questions about Etihad Airways' plans to buy a third of the Swiss airline before it gives the deal the green light. Etihad - the national airline of the United Arab Emirat
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Egypt to attract $10-12 billion at investment summit

Egypt to attract $10-12 billion at investment summit

Egypt hopes to attract investment of $10-$12 billion in 20 projects, including in energy, transport and water, at a major conference in mid-March, the minister for international co-operation said on Saturday. The conference is seen as a critical part of t
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Bank of America hires government officials for financial crime team

Bank of America hires government officials for financial crime team

Bank of America has hired two US government officials to join its financial crimes team, according to three people familiar with the matter, as banks are under increasing pressure to police their transactions for suspicious activity. Bank of America has h
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Thyssen CEO says sale of submarine unit possible

Thyssen CEO says sale of submarine unit possible

ThyssenKrupp would consider a sale of the group's military submarine business under certain conditions, the German steel maker's chief executive told daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung. "The precondition for any talks would be an offer that reflects the value of
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
American Airlines unit to transfer 50 regional aircraft, cut jobs

American Airlines unit to transfer 50 regional aircraft, cut jobs

American Airlines Group Inc subsidiary Envoy Air plans to transfer at least 50 Embraer 145 aircraft to other regional carriers beginning in early 2015 in a move that will lead to job cuts, according to an internal letter reviewed by Reuters. American said
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Greece battles lenders over projected budget gap, Fitch affirms rating

Greece battles lenders over projected budget gap, Fitch affirms rating

Greece's government on Friday pushed ahead with plans for a near-balanced budget next year, ignoring objections from its international lenders who say Athens is set to miss its deficit forecast. The government and the European Union and International Mone
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Weary of the market rollercoaster, investors turn again to steady stocks

Weary of the market rollercoaster, investors turn again to steady stocks

The big story of recent stock market investment has been volatility, and the opportunities that sharp price swings can bring for those with strong nerves. But good news is emerging now for those who prefer safer strategies: some of the best returns this y
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Japan investors' keen on shares despite economic woes

Japan investors' keen on shares despite economic woes

Japanese retail investors' interest in domestic stocks has risen even as they have become more pessimistic on Japan's economic growth outlook this year, a Goldman Sachs Asset Management survey showed on Thursday. Growth expectations did pick up after the
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
TSX nears two-month high

TSX nears two-month high

Canada's benchmark stock index rose to its highest level in nearly two months on Friday as investors cheered a move by China to cut interest rates and signs that the European Central Bank might step up asset purchases. The surprise announcement was the fi
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
HSBC sees improved Brazil risk, reward as Rousseff adjusts policies

HSBC sees improved Brazil risk, reward as Rousseff adjusts policies

Strategists at HSBC Securities are recommending investors take on additional risk in Brazil, where equity markets sank about 30 percent from this year's peaks, on signs that President Dilma Rousseff will undertake gradual, more market-friendly policy adju
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Treasuries outlook: long bond yields fall after comments from Draghi

Treasuries outlook: long bond yields fall after comments from Draghi

US Treasury long bond yields fell on Friday in thin trading, in line with declines in the euro zone after European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said the central bank was prepared to do more to stimulate the sluggish euro zone economy. US government
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Treasuries outlook: long bond yields fall after comments from Draghi

Treasuries outlook: long bond yields fall after comments from Draghi

US Treasury long bond yields fell on Friday in thin trading, in line with declines in the euro zone after European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said the central bank was prepared to do more to stimulate the sluggish euro zone economy. US government
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Rich values, poor rules dog Hong Kong-Shanghai stock volumes

Rich values, poor rules dog Hong Kong-Shanghai stock volumes

Profit-taking and queasiness about the rules blighted trading via the Shanghai-Hong Kong stock connect this week after a brisk first day when mostly hedge funds and private banks snapped up all the available mainland shares within hours.
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Eurozone yields hit record low

Eurozone yields hit record low

Yields on a clutch of euro zone countries' bonds hit record lows on Friday after European Central Bank President Mario Draghi gave his strongest signal yet that government debt purchases may not be far away. Ten-year bond yields in Ireland, Italy, Austria
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Eurozone yields hit record low

Eurozone yields hit record low

Yields on a clutch of euro zone countries' bonds hit record lows on Friday after European Central Bank President Mario Draghi gave his strongest signal yet that government debt purchases may not be far away. Ten-year bond yields in Ireland, Italy, Austria
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
US stocks end at records on central bank action

US stocks end at records on central bank action

US stocks closed higher on Friday, with major indexes notching a fifth straight weekly advance after China's central bank cut its benchmark interest rate and its eurozone peer announced asset purchases in efforts to boost each region's economy. The gains
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Nigerian naira hits record low

Nigerian naira hits record low

Nigeria's naira shed 0.76 percent on Friday to close at a record low against the greenback, despite the central bank intervening for a fifth day with dollar sales to prop up the currency, dealers said. The unit closed at 177.45 naira to the dollar, weaker
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Rouble decline to continue for two years

Rouble decline to continue for two years

Russia's rouble, which has fallen almost 30 percent against the dollar this year, will continue to decline over the next two years, Interfax news agency quoted former Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin as saying on Saturday. The rouble has sunk during an econ
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
PIMCO official bearish on South Korean won over 12-18 months

PIMCO official bearish on South Korean won over 12-18 months

A senior official at investment management firm PIMCO said on Wednesday the South Korean won would remain under pressure for some time and that the country's central bank would likely cut interest rates further. "I would be very surprised to see the Korea
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Goldman Sachs raises dollar/yen forecast

Goldman Sachs raises dollar/yen forecast

Goldman Sachs has raised its forecast for the dollar/yen currency pair at the end of 2015 by 10 yen to 130, the investment bank said on Friday, in a week that has seen Japan slip into recession and a snap election called. The yen has fallen over 10 percen
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Euro drops as Draghi raises stimulus hopes

Euro drops as Draghi raises stimulus hopes

The euro fell sharply on Friday after European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi said inflation expectations were declining to levels that were very low, keeping the door open for further monetary easing soon. The euro fell 1.19 percent to $1.2389 and dropp
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
South Africa's rand rallies

South Africa's rand rallies

South Africa's rand firmed against the dollar for the second straight day on Friday as renewed stimulus measures in the euro zone and China boosted the attractiveness of high-yielding yet riskier emerging market assets. By 1447 GMT the rand climbed 0.33 p
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
US dollar net long highest since 2008

US dollar net long highest since 2008

Speculators increased their net long US dollar position in the latest week to its largest in six years, data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission showed on Friday. The value of the dollar's net long position surged to $46.45 billion in the week e
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
New Argentine central bank chief says currency will be kept stable

New Argentine central bank chief says currency will be kept stable

Investors betting that Argentina will have another sharp currency devaluation are going to lose, central bank chief Alejandro Vanoli said on Tuesday, assuring the market that there is a firm policy to keep the peso stable. Since Vanoli became head of the
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Canadian dollar hits three-week high

Canadian dollar hits three-week high

The Canadian dollar rallied to a three-week high against the greenback on Friday after Canadian inflation data came in stronger than forecast, making an interest-rate cut by the Bank of Canada highly unlikely. The currency was also buoyed by a rise in cru
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Bearish bets on won largest since 2008 crisis

Bearish bets on won largest since 2008 crisis

Investors built up the largest short positions in the South Korean won since the 2008 global financial crisis in the last two weeks as sentiment towards most emerging Asian currencies soured as the yen hit multi-year lows, a Reuters poll showed. Long posi
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Paintings discovered at Greece's biggest ancient tomb

Paintings discovered at Greece's biggest ancient tomb

Paintings of daily life have been discovered on columns at Greece's biggest ancient tomb at Amphipolis in the northern region of Macedonia, the Greek culture ministry said Saturday. "After cleaning the columns, images of people, objects and utensils were
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Portuguese former Prime Minister Socrates arrested

Portuguese former Prime Minister Socrates arrested

Portuguese police have arrested former Socialist prime minister Jose Socrates and three other people in an investigation of suspected tax fraud, corruption and money-laundering, the Prosecutor General's office said on Saturday. The arrest, the first invol
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
India invites bids for $2.4 billion artillery contract

India invites bids for $2.4 billion artillery contract

India on Saturday invited bids for a $2.4-billion artillery deal while deferring a decision on acquiring 106 Swiss Pilatus aircraft for fighter pilot training. The bid for 814 mounted guns is the first big artillery tender in nearly three decades since th
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Obama urges critics to 'pass a bill' on immigration

Obama urges critics to 'pass a bill' on immigration

Obama urged Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform as he used his weekly address Saturday to again defend his unilateral action shielding millions of undocumented immigrants from deportation.
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Germany reports second case of bird flu

Germany reports second case of bird flu

German authorities on Saturday confirmed a second case of the H5N8 strain of bird flu in the eastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, with the virus found in a wild bird. The strain is highly contagious among birds but has never been detected in humans. "
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Mali records new Ebola case, linked to dead nurse

Mali records new Ebola case, linked to dead nurse

Mali has recorded a new case of Ebola in the capital Bamako after the friend of a nurse who died of the haemorrhagic fever earlier this month tested positive for the disease, health and medical officials said on Saturday. The nurse contracted the disease
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
French archaeologist dies

French archaeologist dies

French archaeologist Jean-Francois Jarrige, who headed the Musee Guimet in Paris for 22 years, has died aged 74 following a long illness, the prestigious museum of Asian arts said Saturday. Born in the south-western pilgrimage city of Lourdes on August 5,
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
United Nations members resolve to end child marriage

United Nations members resolve to end child marriage

  • The United Nations agreed on Friday that all members should pass and enforce laws banning child marriages, resolving to end a practice that affects about 15 million girls every year. The committee of the 193-nation General Assembly that deals with human
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Bahrain holds elections as Shia opposition boycotts vote

Bahrain holds elections as Shia opposition boycotts vote

Bahrainis voted on Saturday in elections boycotted by the Shia Muslim opposition over accusations that constituency changes would still favour the Sunni Muslim majority represented by the ruling family. Bahrain has been shaken by low-level unrest since Sh
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
US releases Guantanamo prisoner to Saudi Arabia

US releases Guantanamo prisoner to Saudi Arabia

A Saudi inmate held for 12 years at the US prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on suspicion of fighting in Afghanistan for al Qaeda has been transferred to Saudi Arabia, the US Defense Department said on Saturday. Muhammad Murdi Issa al-Zahrani was cleared fo
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Anti-foreigner protesters rally in German capital

Anti-foreigner protesters rally in German capital

About 500 protesters, among them neo-Nazis and angry local residents, protested in the German capital on Saturday against the construction of a centre for refugees seeking political asylum. A large number of police kept watch over the protest march and ov
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Obama signs order expanding US Afghanistan role

Obama signs order expanding US Afghanistan role

US President Barack Obama has signed a secret order authorising a broader military mission in Afghanistan in 2015 than originally planned, the New York Times reported on Saturday. The decision ensures a direct role for American troops in fighting in Afgha
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Obama signs order expanding US Afghanistan role

Obama signs order expanding US Afghanistan role

US President Barack Obama has signed a secret order authorising a broader military mission in Afghanistan in 2015 than originally planned, the New York Times reported on Saturday. The decision ensures a direct role for American troops in fighting in Afgha
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
6.2 quake hits central Japan, flattens houses

6.2 quake hits central Japan, flattens houses

A strong 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck central Japan late Saturday, the US Geological Survey said, flattening houses, as media reported 15 people were briefly trapped under collapsed buildings. The quake struck at 10:08 pm local time (1308 GMT) at a dep
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Tens of thousands march against abortion in Spain

Tens of thousands march against abortion in Spain

Tens of thousands of Spaniards rallied in Madrid on Saturday threatening to punish the government in elections next year unless it revives a plan to restrict women's access to abortion. Waving white flags with the slogan "Every life counts", demonstrators
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
China building South China Sea island big enough for airstrip

China building South China Sea island big enough for airstrip

Satellite images show China is building an island on a reef in the disputed Spratly Islands large enough to accommodate what could be its first offshore airstrip in the South China Sea, a leading defense publication said on Friday. The construction has st
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Icelandic interior minister quits

Icelandic interior minister quits

Iceland's minister of the interior quit on Friday after her assistant was convicted last week of illegally leaking information about an asylum seeker to media a year ago. Gisli Freyr Valdorsson had admitted to leaking information about Nigerian Tony Omos,
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
UN calls for credible Myanmar polls, minority protection

UN calls for credible Myanmar polls, minority protection

The United Nations called on Myanmar on Friday to continue reforms to ensure credible elections next year and to step up efforts to protect ethic and religious minorities. A resolution passed the UN General Assembly committee dealing with human rights wel
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Philippines blacklists nine Hong Kong journalists for heckling Aquino

Philippines blacklists nine Hong Kong journalists for heckling Aquino

The Philippines has barred entry to nine Hong Kong television and radio journalists, saying they heckled President Benigno Aquino during a meeting of the Apec grouping last year and presented a threat to public safety. The National Intelligence Co-ordinat
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Fears of army influence as interim: Burkina Prime Minister picks team

Fears of army influence as interim: Burkina Prime Minister picks team

Burkina Faso army strongman and new Prime Minister Isaac Zida was set Saturday to name his ministerial team, amid fears of continued military dominance despite a phased return to democratic rule. Lieutenant Colonel Zida, in charge of Burkina Faso since th
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Saudi Arabia tackles MERS virus, still hunting source

Saudi Arabia tackles MERS virus, still hunting source

Saudi Arabia has not yet traced the source of a mysterious camel virus, leaving many questions about a disease that has killed 346 people in the Kingdom. The lack of scientific evidence about how camels contract the virus, which causes an often fatal illn
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Biden, Erdogan seek to ease narrow differences on Syria

Biden, Erdogan seek to ease narrow differences on Syria

US Vice President Joe Biden on Saturday met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul in a bid to ease strains over the Syria crisis and persuade Turkey to step up its support for the coalition against Islamic State (IS) jihadists. The trip to Is
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
US-led strikes have killed 910 people in Syria

US-led strikes have killed 910 people in Syria

Air strikes by US-led forces in Syria have killed 910 people, including 52 civilians, since the start of the campaign against Islamic State and other fighters two months ago, a group monitoring the conflict said on Saturday. The majority of the deaths, 78
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia plan regional rubber exchange

Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia plan regional rubber exchange

Top Asian rubber producers Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia are planning a regional exchange that will allow physical trading of the commodity, an official with the Malaysian ministry said on Friday. The exchange, targeted to be set up within 18 months, i
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Top platinum miners join forces to tap investors

Top platinum miners join forces to tap investors

The world's top platinum producers are teaming up to try to increase the metal's standing as an investment asset and not just a primary material, the group's representative told AFP Wednesday. With platinum prices hovering near five year lows and mines hi
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Asian rubber producers agree to manage exports to fight oversupply

Asian rubber producers agree to manage exports to fight oversupply

Top Asian rubber producers have agreed to "manage" exports to international markets to curb excess supply, although analysts said the step would have little impact on battered prices without a robust pickup in demand. Benchmark rubber prices have fallen a
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Traders, chocolate makers cut cocoa net short position to 2013 low

Traders, chocolate makers cut cocoa net short position to 2013 low

Cocoa traders and chocolate makers have cut their net short position nearly in half in the past seven weeks, bringing it to the lowest since July 2013, data showed on Friday, suggesting they are unwinding hedges. This move comes as the benchmark cocoa fut
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
US farmers set to get huge government payouts despite bumper harvest

US farmers set to get huge government payouts despite bumper harvest

US farmers are about to reap a bumper harvest not just in corn and soyabeans but also in new subsidies that could soar to $10 billion, blowing a hole in the government's promise that its new five-year farm bill would save taxpayers money.
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Mali trims cotton forecast

Mali trims cotton forecast

Poor rainfall in some areas and flooding in others have forced Mali to lower its raw cotton production forecast to 547,700 tonnes for the 2014/15 season, the government-owned Malian Company for the Development of Textile (CMDT) said on Thursday. The count
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
US cotton farmers rush to government support as prices sink

US cotton farmers rush to government support as prices sink

Cotton farmers have rushed to a government loan support program for the first time in five years, according to US Department of Agriculture data, the latest sign that governments are helping to shoulder the burden of a huge price rout. The USDA has so far
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Cotton futures jump as low prices renew buyers' appetites

Cotton futures jump as low prices renew buyers' appetites

Cotton futures jumped from depressed levels on Friday as short-covering and bargain-hunting inspired buying, though prices still finished with a 5 percent weekly decline. The most-active March cotton contract on ICE Futures US rose 0.66 cent, or 1.1 perce
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
Iraq needs wheat planting boost to salvage next harvest: UN

Iraq needs wheat planting boost to salvage next harvest: UN

To address Iraq's deepening food insecurity international donors need to not only feed displaced people but also help farmers salvage next year's wheat harvest, a senior United Nations official told Reuters. The prospect is not starvation tomorrow but rat
Published 23 Nov, 2014 12:00am
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