The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is contemplating to provide relief to the taxpayers affected in a reaction to Ashura blast. For the purpose, the FBR is going to approach Sindh government to obtain complete details of the affected businessmen to sort ou

Deputy Speaker Punjab Assembly, Rana Mashood Ahmad Khan on Monday inaugurated Plasmapheresis centre at Jinnah Hospital. Speaking on the occasion, Khan said that Muslim Aid and Pakistan Myasthenia Welfare Organisation's Plasmapheresis project was a milesto

Chief Justice Lahore High Court (LHC) here Monday adjourned to January 19 the proceedings of a suo motu case against the police for not arresting a lady teacher, accused of damaging the eye of a student of a private school. The CJ adjourned the proceeding

CNG stations of Southern Punjab zone have been closed for two days as per schedule announced by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources. On the other hand, gas load shedding for domestic customers is continued uninterruptedly, due to which people

Jammat-e-Islami (JI) Punjab Naib Amir Rao Zafar Iqbal has condemned publication of blasphemous caricatures by a Norwegian newspaper. He also condemned the ban imposed by the Swiss government on the construction of minarets of mosques. Addressing a meeting

The government has planned to establish two medical colleges in Balochistan with the estimated cost of Rs 200 million. According to official sources, one medical college will be established in Khuzdar with cost of Rs 100 million while another college will

There is a need to enhance our agricultural production by utilising all resources to meet the food requirement of our growing population, said University of Agriculture Faisalabad Vice Chancellor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan.

Environmental degradation in the Multan continues to affect livelihoods and health increasing vulnerability of the poor to natural disasters and costing lacs of rupees annually to national kitty. Around 3.5 million people of Multan district are forced to

Dense fog engulfed different parts of southern Punjab including Multan, whereas it has been reduced in central and upper Punjab on Monday. According to Meteorological department, the spell of dense fog will continue in next few days in plain areas of Punj

The elections of the PCS Officers Welfare Association office-bearers for the next term have been completed. According to the details Mian Mohsin Rasheed has been elected as General Secretary after a competition. Other office-bearers have been elected unop

The Sindh Water Resource Development and Management Investment Programme will improve the water productivity (income per drop of water) in the Lower Indus Irrigation and Drainage System (LIIDS), and helpful for water availability in severely water deficie

Provincial Minister for Housing Malik Amjad Khan Afridi Monday visited the residence of former Provincial Minister Ghani-ur-Rehman, here at the Hayatabad area to offer Fateha for the departed soul and to condole with the bereaved family members. He stayed

Petroleum products filling station are accused of fleecing the customers by over charging Rs 1.20 to 1.50 per litre in Multan and other parts of southern Punjab. On the contrary, Pakistan State Oil-controlled filling stations were charging actual prices.

Industrialist Association Peshawar (IAP) has expressed its concern over disconnection of gas supply by SNGPL authorities to scores of industrial units of Peshawar, rendering thousands of labourers as jobless besides inflicting millions of rupees loss on i

Senior leader of Awami National Party (ANP) and Minister for Railways Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour Monday laid floral wreath on the grave of renowned politician Khan Abdul Wali Khan, at Charsadda, on his 93rd birthday. Bilour offered Fateha at Wali Khan's gra

The US Ambassador, Anne Patterson, has made two observations on which there can be no difference of opinion. First and foremost, she pointed out that Pakistan has one of the lowest tax to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratios in the world.

During its deliberations on the price fixing mechanism for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), some members of the National Assembly's Public Accounts Committee singled out one private sector production company, Jamshoro Joint Venture Limited (JJVL), for harsh

The air is still thick with reverberations of the murderous blast in Karachi and the free-for-all loot and plunder that followed it on the tenth of Muharram. Numerous questions are begging satisfactory answers, while a full-blown blame game fills the air.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai's second attempt to form a cabinet has raised concerns of a return to patronage politics with a batch of largely unknown figures who appear to come with useful connections. Analysts said many of the new names submitted Saturd

Frigid temperatures expected in key consumer regions on both sides of the Atlantic in coming weeks should spur heating oil demand and draw down swollen heating oil inventories. Slack demand for distillates - which include heating oil as well as diesel - i

The captioned letters in your esteemed daily reveals an eye-catching scam of 200 billion rupees. Malpractice, over a decade back, when importers paid unwittingly, unwarranted, illegal charges has assumed the proportion of a scam, making importers consciou

I would like to draw attention this mater as people importing polyester yarn, under HS code 5402.3300 and 5403.4700 of both flat (FDY) and texurized (DTY) yarn, are not paying anti-dumping duties and make the government lose Rs 100,000 on each container a

Secretary Ministry of Environment Kamran Lashari on Monday said that the government would have to immediately shift its focus on alternate fuels including ethanol for safer environment and consumer-friendly fuels as hike in CNG prices had reduced the gap

US gold futures hit a five-week high on Monday, gaining 1.5 percent as a dollar drop and strong commodity imports in China spurred investor buying in bullion. Gold for February delivery up $16.10, or 1.4 percent, at $1,155 an ounce at 9:24 am EST (1424 GM

Soyabean futures on the Chicago Board of Trade fell to a two-week low after midday Monday, pressured by prospects for large South American crops and the start of harvest in parts of Brazil, traders said. As of 12:27 pm CST (1827 GMT), CBOT March soybeans

US copper futures began the week with solid gains early on Monday, as a weaker dollar and stronger-than-expected Chinese import data drove the bullish sentiment and lifted prices of the metal back up near last week's 16-month peak. Benchmark copper for Ma

Summaries of the ICE Futures US cocoa, coffee and sugar markets early on Monday. March arabica contract fell 1.25 cents to $1.4410 per lb at 11:09 am EST (1609 GMT). Session range from $1.4255 to $1.4695. Arabica retraced Friday's gains, falling from a th

Gold prices rose 2 percent in Europe on Monday to a five-week high of $1,161.50, benefiting from weakness in the dollar as traders bet on US interest rates staying low in the immediate future. Spot gold was bid at $1,153.30 an ounce at 1629 GMT, against $

Gold prices jumped to their highest in more than a month on Monday, on fund buying driven by stronger-than-expected Chinese import data, firm oil prices and a drop in the US dollar against other currencies. Platinum, mainly used in auto catalysts, rose to

Monday's Rotterdam vegetable oil prices at 1700 GMT.

Monday's Rotterdam vegetable oil prices at 1700 GMT.

Oil prices fell on Monday, after early rising to a fresh 15-month high, as the promise of milder weather in the United States took some steam out of the market. Weather forecasters said on Monday that the worst of the cold spell, which swept across the Un

Copper climbed over 3 percent on Monday as the dollar fell and unexpectedly strong Chinese import data brightened the outlook for metals demand and strengthened fund buying. Benchmark copper for three-month delivery on the London Metal Exchange ended at $

Shanghai base metals rallied more than 2 percent on Monday and London futures also surged on stronger-than-expected Chinese import data released on Sunday. China's unwrought copper imports jumped by more than a quarter in December, reaching 369,368 tonnes

March white sugar ended $9.20 lower at $717.00 a tonne in London on Monday. Market retreating from last week's record peak for the front month of $748.00, weighed by index fund selling of ICE raws linked to annual rebalancing. May cocoa on Liffe ended 8 p

Britain's leading share index ended flat on Monday with strength in energy issues countered a sell-off in miners, weak financial issues and uncertain progress on Wall Street. At the close, the FTSE 100 index was up 3.83 points, or 0.1 percent, at 5,538.07

Cotton futures finished higher on Monday on trade and investor buying as the market staged a modest rebound and direction will come from a government crop report due out tomorrow, analysts said. The key March cotton contract increased 1.80 cents to close

Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Monday.

Shanghai and Hong Kong led a regional stocks rally on Monday as investors welcomed Beijing's green light for a new futures market as well as a short-selling experiment in China. The markets were also given a lift by data released the day before that showe

US stocks were treading water on Monday after a week of gains as investors waited for the start of an earnings season that will show whether profits and outlooks will be strong enough to extend stocks' advance. Aluminium producer Alcoa Inc rose 1.3 percen

Kuwait's stock exchange building was closed and evacuated on Monday after receiving a bomb threat which later turned out to be bogus, a security official said. Defence forces and bombs-sniffing dogs searched the building and staff were not allowed to appr

Europe's main credit default swaps index reached its tightest levels in 20 months on Monday on rising demand for cash bonds and stocks, while 2010's first high-yield bonds and asset-backed securities came to market. "The big story is the spread tightening

Europe's main credit default swaps index reached its tightest levels in 20 months on Monday on rising demand for cash bonds and stocks, while 2010's first high-yield bonds and asset-backed securities came to market. "The big story is the spread tightening

Sterling rose on Monday, boosted against the dollar after a weak reading of US employment kept the US currency under broad selling pressure. The pound was supported versus the dollar, but gains were capped and sterling was unable to push higher against th

The Indian rupee rose to its highest in more than 15 months on Monday as demand was triggered by the dollar's fall on weak US payrolls data and expectations of steady rates in the United States. The partially convertible rupee ended at 45.34/35 per dollar

The United States sold three-month Treasury bills at a high rate of 0.04 percent on Monday, showing demand remains strong for short-dated government debt as a safe-haven investment. US interest rate futures also remained near their highest since November

The dollar fell broadly on Monday in the wake of weak US jobs data and comments from a Federal Reserve official that US interest rates are likely to stay low for quite some time. The dollar was also dented by improved investor appetite for risk after stro

US remote-controlled spy drones used over Afghanistan and Iraq are producing so much video intelligence that analysts are finding it more and more difficult to keep up with it, The New York Times reported late Sunday. The newspaper said the Air Force dron

China's military successfully tested a system for intercepting missiles in mid-flight on Monday, state media reported. Few details were given about the test, with the official Xinhua News Agency saying only that "ground-based midcourse missile interceptio

Taiwan plans to buy eight second-hand Perry-class frigates from the United States despite improved ties with once-bitter foe China, a local newspaper reported Monday. The island hopes to arm them with a version of the advanced Aegis Combat System, which u

Snow fell in parts of Spain for the first time in half a century Monday as a wave of Arctic cold that has killed scores of people and caused billions of euros in damage to Europe's economy swept southwards. As villages in parts of north-east Germany remai

The prime ministers of Turkey and Lebanon on Monday lashed out at Israeli violations of Lebanese airspace and air strikes in Gaza, warning they were undermining prospects for peace in the region. "Attacks on Lebanon is terrorism itself... We have to stand

North Korea called Monday for talks on a treaty to formally end the Korean War, saying it wants better ties with the United States and an end to sanctions before pushing ahead with nuclear disarmament. The foreign ministry statement was the first time the

Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak urged the Gaza Strip's Hamas rulers on Monday to rein in militant groups behind a surge in attacks on Israel, coupling his appeal with a veiled threat of Israeli action.

Leaders of India and Bangladesh met in New Delhi on Monday with talks focused on strengthening the previously difficult ties between the two south Asian neighbours, an Indian official said. Cross-border relations have improved in recent years and Banglade

Malaysia on Monday defended its refusal to allow non-Muslims to use the word "Allah", as a dispute over the issue saw a ninth church attacked in a spate of fire-bombings and vandalism. The Sidang Injil Borneo Church in the central state of Negri Sembilan

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown tried to stamp his authority on his ruling Labour Party on Monday after surviving a plot to depose him less than five months before an election that he is expected to lose. Despite trailing the opposition Conservatives

The emergence of rising powers such as China means that the European Union must create a new foreign policy capable of influencing them, the EU's new foreign policy supremo, Catherine Ashton, told the European Parliament on Monday. Ashton is set to steer

Franz-Hermann Bruener, the founding head of the European Union's anti-corruption agency OLAF has died at the age of 64 after a long illness, officials inBrussels said Monday. Bruener had forged OLAFinto a "credible, efficient and respected actor in fighti

Thousands of officials have fled China over the past 30 years with some 50 billion dollars in public funds, state media said Monday, as the government scrambles to stem the tide of corruption. As many as 4,000 officials have disappeared, using criminal ga

Wet weather continues to favour Brazil's bumper soybean crop, the bulk of which is still a couple months away from being ready for harvest, weather forecaster Somar said on Monday. Mato Grosso and the rest of the center-west got healthy rainfall over the

Mybank Ltd has declared the following profit rates on PLS deposits for the period of six months ended 31st December 2009.

Mybank Ltd has declared the following profit rates on PLS deposits for the period of six months ended 31st December 2009.

Bangladesh's state grains buyer has issued a new international tender to purchase 100,000 tonnes of wheat, European traders said on Monday. Any origin world-wide will be accepted from the 2009 crop year. The tender deadline is February 9 and bids must rem

The Russian Sugar Producers Union, the industry lobby, expects the country's sugar refining to rise to 5.6-5.8 million tonnes in the calendar year of 2010, up from 5.05 million tonnes in 2009, the lobby said on Monday. It expects sugar refining from impor

Hard red winter wheat basis bids were steady on Monday with scattered farmer selling noted. Mill demand was mostly short-term and wheat offers were light. Protein premiums for railcar wheat to and through Kansas City were unchanged in a quiet market. Rail

The Karachi Port handled 221,001 tonnes of liquid import cargo including 145,901 tonnes of import 75,100 tonnes of export cargo and 5,200 loaded and empty containers during last 48 hours ended at 0700 hours on Monday. The total import cargo of 145,901 ton

Heavy rain in Kenya has boosted tea production after months of drought, with the last two months of 2009 seeing a 5.6 percent increase over the same period in the previous year, the biggest producer said on Monday. Kenya exports more black tea than any ot

Virat Kohli cracked a brisk century to power India to an easy six-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the last triangular one-day series match here on Monday. Kohli made an unbeaten 102 for his second one-day hundred as India surpassed Bangladesh's 247-6 wi

Opener Shahriar Nafees has been recalled to a 14-member Bangladesh squad for a two-Test series against India this month after prematurely retiring last year to play in the renegade Indian Cricket League. Shahriar, 23, played the last of his 15 Test matche

Japan's Takashi Uchiyama shocked Juan Carlos Salgado of Mexico in a technical knockout victory to become the new World Boxing Association (WBA) super featherweight champion on Monday. The knockout came two minutes 48 seconds into the 12th round after Uchi

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Monday announced the results of District Cricket Associations Kalat, Noshki, Killa Abdullah Chaman and Sibi held recently under the supervision of Election Commissioner PCB. A spokesman of PCB said that Haji Alam Khan, Muhamma

Only Cristiano Ronaldo's world record transfer prevented Manchester United making an annual loss of more than 30 million pounds, figures released by the English Premier League champions showed Monday. United declared a pre-tax profit of 48.2 million pound

One is on a high after a match-turning catch, the other trying to forget a howler that could cost him his spot in the team. The wicketkeepers highlighted during second Test at the SCG how influential the men with gloves can be when Australia beat Pakistan

Pakistan's selection crisis reached a new level of farce when wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal declared his pride would not allow him to play as a specialist batsman in third cricket Test against Australia, and it emerged besieged gloveman would have a vote in d

Indian hockey plunged into fresh crisis on Monday as its leading players resumed a strike, just weeks before the country hosts the World Cup. A truce reached over the weekend after a marathon meeting between the players and officials of governing body Hoc

The Sindh Minister for Sports Dr Syed Muhammad Ali Shah has criticised the PCB for damaging the image of Pakistan in international sports and taking least interest in the development of sports infrastructure within the country. This he said while talking

Pakistan Women National football team will open their mission in international soccer circuit when they take on India on 31st January at Dhaka's Bangabandhu National Stadium during 11th South Asian Games 2010. The Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka would host the

The Asian Football Council (AFC) has threatened tough sanctions against any club that pulls out of the Asian Champions League in mid-competition this year. UAE side Sharjah withdrew after four matches last year to concentrate on avoiding relegation from t

Former South Africa coach Eric Simons will work as a bowling consultant for India, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said on Monday. "Eric Simons has been appointed bowling consultant... for the test series against Bangladesh and the test a

Commonwealth Games chiefs hit back Monday at what they said were "ill-informed" comments regarding security arrangements for the 2010 edition in Delhi in October. Last weekend Lloyd Bromfield, a security consultant who has worked at the Sydney, Athens and

With film star Shaan making handy 42, Lahore Whites overwhelmed Qureshi-XI by 10 runs at Race Course Park Ground, Lahore. Lahore made 252-8 in 25 overs with Irfan Rana 93, Shaan 42; Rauf Wyne 24, Dastagir Butt 20, Ghaffar Kazmi 20 and Ashiq Qureshi 15 rem

The Australian dollar rose to new highs against a range of currencies on Monday, lifted by a bruised US dollar, and upbeat data at home and in top export market China. The Aussie rose to a six-week high of $0.9318 and hit a 26-month high on the euro at 0.

The New Zealand dollar gained on Monday as the US currency fell on a surprisingly weak US employment report. Kiwi around $0.7394/97, compared with $0.7308/13 in late trade on Friday. It hit a seven-week high of $0.7433 last week. US dollar lower broadly a

The Swiss franc fell from a 10-month peak hit against the euro on Monday after Swiss National Bank head Philipp Hildebrand said the bank would take action to hinder an excessive appreciation of the Swiss currency. "The SNB will continue to prevent any exc

The Malaysian ringgit and Philippine peso hit their highest levels in almost 16 months on Monday as the dollar faltered and Chinese data raised hopes of yuan gains, while Indonesia's central bank intervened to slow the rise in the rupiah. Asian stocks hit

The US dollar dropped on Monday, suffering its biggest fall in six weeks in the wake of disappointing US jobs data, while the Australian dollar soared on the back of strong export numbers from China. The euro charged as high as $1.4533, from $1.4414 late

The yuan hit a three-month high in benchmark offshore one-year non-deliverable forwards (NDFs) on Monday after China's strong trade data for December, showing the economy was in a full recovery and adding fresh pressure on Beijing to allow the Chinese cur

Shares in Hong Kong and China rose on Monday, with the financial sector outperforming, buoyed by news of stock index futures being approved among other reforms and strong Chinese trade data. But in China, the benchmark index was sharply off its intraday h

Venezuela's global bonds firmed by nearly 1 percent on Monday, on the first business trading day following the Friday night announcement of the country's first devaluation of its currency since 2005. Returns for globally traded bonds rose 0.94 percent, ac

Venezuela's global bonds firmed by nearly 1 percent on Monday, on the first business trading day following the Friday night announcement of the country's first devaluation of its currency since 2005. Returns for globally traded bonds rose 0.94 percent, ac

Canada-listed coal miner SouthGobi Energy Resources Ltd, plans to raise up to HK$3.6 billion (US $465 million) from a Hong Kong initial public offering, according to a term sheet. The company, owned by Canada-based Ivanhoe Mines, would sell 27 million new

Canada-listed coal miner SouthGobi Energy Resources Ltd, plans to raise up to HK$3.6 billion (US $465 million) from a Hong Kong initial public offering, according to a term sheet. The company, owned by Canada-based Ivanhoe Mines, would sell 27 million new

Indian shares erased early gains of more than 1 percent and eased on Monday, extending losses for a third session, with energy major Reliance Industries dropping after it raised $763 million from a treasury share sale. Outsourcer Infosys Technologies buck

South Korean treasury bonds jumped on Monday as foreign investors' net purchase of debt futures hit a 4-month high on growing hopes of a delay in rate hikes and a successful bond auction. The nation's vice finance minister on Monday stressed its vow to ma

Spain's Santander said on Monday it plans to buy back 2.5 billion euros ($3.58 billion) in subordinated bonds with the aim of strengthening its balance sheet. The deadline for bondholders to accept the offer is January 19 and payment will be made on Janua

South Korean treasury bonds jumped on Monday as foreign investors' net purchase of debt futures hit a 4-month high on growing hopes of a delay in rate hikes and a successful bond auction. The nation's vice finance minister on Monday stressed its vow to ma

Spain's Santander said on Monday it plans to buy back 2.5 billion euros ($3.58 billion) in subordinated bonds with the aim of strengthening its balance sheet. The deadline for bondholders to accept the offer is January 19 and payment will be made on Janua

The Thai government plans to sell savings bonds worth about 50-80 billion baht ($1.5-2.4 billion) towards the end of the first quarter, Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij said on Monday. The government has announced plans to sell 170 billion baht of savin

The Thai government plans to sell savings bonds worth about 50-80 billion baht ($1.5-2.4 billion) towards the end of the first quarter, Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij said on Monday. The government has announced plans to sell 170 billion baht of savin