Comex gold and silver fell on Thursday as investors reduced precious metals positions and switched to the dollar after the euro retreated from Wednesday's record high.
The UN General Assembly convened a special meeting on Friday on the crisis in Haiti, where two weeks of deadly clashes have marked a growing rebellion against President Jean Bertrand Aristide.
Gold was stuck in a $1 an ounce range in Asia on Friday, struggling to stay above $410 as dealers became frustrated by the metal's failure to touch a new high and reconsidered their precious metals positions.
Nasa on Friday postponed to March 2005 at the earliest the resumption of space shuttle launches stopped since the Columbia accident in February of 2003 which claimed the lives of seven astronauts.
The Bush administration acknowledged on Friday that its ambitious plan to transfer sovereignty directly to a democratically elected government in Iraq was unlikely to succeed, after Iraqis insisted on elections untainted by US influence.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) on Friday called on Israel to stop "and reverse" the building of a controversial separation barrier in the West Bank.
China, the world's top soya buyer, has delayed accepting applications for genetically modified organisms (GMO) soyabean shipments arriving after April 20, a Ministry of Agriculture official said on Friday.
Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan on Friday offered hope to Americans troubled by job losses that he saw stronger hiring ahead, but coupled it with a warning that the nation's job skills must be improved.
Russian grain traders increased feed barley exports through Ukrainian Sea ports to 37,770 tonnes in the first 10 days of February, analysts said on Friday.
The top US diplomat in Havana said on Friday Cuba's government was fabricating a threat of invasion by the United States to instill fear in Cubans and retain political control.
CSCE raw sugar finished lower on Thursday with some fund players taking profits, some light trade selling, and others playing the spread on the March and May contracts, traders said.
Risking a nationalist backlash, the United States criticised Iran's parliamentary elections on Friday as unfair because hard-liners had banned reformist candidates.
Australia is finding buoyant demand for malting and feed barley in Asia and the Middle East and sold a cargo to Japan on Thursday, the country's main barley exporter said on Friday.
Risking a nationalist backlash, the United States criticised Iran's parliamentary elections on Friday as unfair because hard-liners had banned reformist candidates.
Chicago Board of Trade soyabeans ended higher on Thursday, after surging to the highest level since June 1997, on a lower crop estimate for No 2 global soya producer Brazil and speculative buying, traders said.
Ballot counting began late on Friday in Iran's disputed parliamentary election, with hard-liners set to overturn a reformist majority but hoping for a solid voter turnout to make their victory credible.
Ballot counting began late on Friday in Iran's disputed parliamentary election, with hard-liners set to overturn a reformist majority but hoping for a solid voter turnout to make their victory credible.
Oil prices edged back on Friday from four-week highs above $36 a barrel, but were supported as a build in US crude stocks did little to ease concerns about supplies, traders said.
Malaysian crude palm oil (CPO) futures broke the 1,950-ringgit-a-tonne psychological barrier on Friday and dealers said the market was poised for new five-year highs of 2,000 ringgit.
The European Union's sugar management committee has fixed the advance payment for this season's sugar production levy, which indirectly pays for export subsidies, member state officials said on Friday.
London sugar futures ended higher on Friday after an afternoon trading session that was severely marred by technical hitches at the Liffe exchange, dealers said.
NYCE cotton futures ended mixed Friday after a largely expected USDA export sales report failed to spark a rally in fiber prices and traders turned to liquidate March cotton ahead of its first notice day, dealers said.
London cocoa prices closed mixed on Friday after being in negative territory for most of the session and still under pressure as funds and speculators went shorter, dealers said.
Gold fell to its lowest in two weeks in Europe on Friday afternoon as the dollar surged against major currencies, luring investors away from bullion, while further noise about potential central bank gold sales added to bearish sentiment.
Base metals rose on the London Metal Exchange (LME) on Thursday, with copper recovering from falls on Wednesday for its highest close in the current bull run, traders said.
COMEX gold felt pressure from a backtracking euro early Friday, getting fleeting support after a surprising jump in the US January Consumer Price Index suggested inflation may have bottomed.
Chicago Board of Trade corn futures were firmed on Friday on technical buying and firm US cash values, after a midmorning break on news of bird flu in Texas, brokers said.
French growth picked up in the final quarter of 2003, with a rise in imports and investment breathing life into the economy at the end of a weak year which saw growth at its lowest rate for a decade.
India is planning for a potential legal fight against a US move this week to limit shrimp imports from six nations including India, officials said on Friday.
The European Union revealed its deep divisions over biotech policy on Wednesday as environment experts representing the bloc's 15 governments failed to agree on allowing imports of a genetically modified (GM) maize.
US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick said Friday he wanted members of the World Trade Organisation to reach a framework agreement on trade liberalisation talks by the end of July.
The Punjab National Bank is to open a branch in Kabul by June, making it the first Indian bank to open an office in Afghanistan, a PNB spokesman said Friday. The move has been endorsed by the Reserve Bank of India, the central bank, the PNB spokesman told
Russia's energy minister on Friday called on the Opec oil cartel to raise production to stop international prices overheating and damaging the global economic growth, including in Russia itself.
US Treasury Under Secretary for International Affairs John Taylor said on Thursday a two-day donor conference to fund reconstruction in Afghanistan will take place in Berlin from March 31.
A sharp rise in energy costs pushed US consumer prices up at their fastest pace in nearly a year last month, but underlying price pressures remained muted, a government report showed on Friday.
Japanese government maintained its upbeat view of the economy in February, saying on Friday the recovery was continuing thanks to rising exports and production, though the strength of the yen needed watching.
Hewlett-Packard Co on Thursday reported quarterly profit that rose 30 percent as the computer and printer maker grew revenues twice as fast as rival Dell Inc in desktop and notebook PCs for the second consecutive quarter.
Hewlett-Packard Co on Thursday reported quarterly profit that rose 30 percent as the computer and printer maker grew revenues twice as fast as rival Dell Inc in desktop and notebook PCs for the second consecutive quarter.
Top US poultry buyer Russia has imposed a temporary ban on poultry and poultry product imports from another US state, Texas, for fear of spreading bird flu, the Agriculture Ministry said on Friday.
Two domestic cats in Thailand have died of the same bird flu that has killed at least 22 people in Asia, a veterinarian said on Friday, a day after Canada announced its first case of a different strain of the virus.
Fiat on Friday sold its 1.6 percent direct stake in Italy's number two power company Edison in a roughly 100 million euros ($127.1 million) deal, the latest sale of non-core assets in a turnaround plan.
Fiat on Friday sold its 1.6 percent direct stake in Italy's number two power company Edison in a roughly 100 million euros ($127.1 million) deal, the latest sale of non-core assets in a turnaround plan.
Austrian Airlines beat all forecasts on Friday with a 53.5-percent jump in 2003 operating profit, citing a market recovery, a sales campaign, costs cuts and favourable currencies.
Austrian Airlines beat all forecasts on Friday with a 53.5-percent jump in 2003 operating profit, citing a market recovery, a sales campaign, costs cuts and favourable currencies.
South Africa appears to have taken the privatisation of state-owned assets off the agenda in favour of increasing black participation in the mainstream economy, but this does not mark a shift in policy.
The world's biggest cosmetics group L'Oreal posted a 13.5 percent rise in 2003 profit on Friday, its 19th consecutive year of double-digit growth, helped by product launches and strength in emerging markets.
The world's biggest cosmetics group L'Oreal posted a 13.5 percent rise in 2003 profit on Friday, its 19th consecutive year of double-digit growth, helped by product launches and strength in emerging markets.
South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries Co Ltd said Friday it has secured a 420 million dollar order from Mitsui Co Ltd to build a power plant in Saudi Arabia.
Japan's Mitsubishi is in talks to sell its stake in Malaysian state-controlled auto maker Proton back to the government as Proton steps up its search for a new foreign partner to help it battle falling sales.
The US Treasuries crawled into the black on Thursday after data showed regional manufacturing did not flourish as much as expected in early February, which offset upbeat comments from a Federal Reserve official.
The US Treasuries crawled into the black on Thursday after data showed regional manufacturing did not flourish as much as expected in early February, which offset upbeat comments from a Federal Reserve official.
Taiwan stocks closed a touch lower on Friday, retreating from a 40-month high as profit-taking on financial shares like heavyweight Cathay Financial offset gains in technology shares.
Hong Kong stocks ended slightly lower in thin trade on Friday as blue chip financial and property stocks ran out of steam and investors took to the sidelines ahead of corporate earnings reports next week.
Thai stocks fell in sluggish trade on Friday with sentiment hit by an outbreak of bird flu in domestic cats and by fears new investment rules will reduce market trade.
Banking shares helped the Jakarta stock index to a fresh high on Friday, with the government's successful sale of minority stakes in four private banks giving the sector momentum.
Malaysian shares finished higher for the eighth consecutive day on Friday, helped by foreign buying on select banking stocks like AMMB Holdings and RHB Capital.
China shares ended at their highest in more than 19 months on Friday as investors, already riding a three-month rally, bought into shipping plays such as Tianjin Port, brokers said.
Philippines stocks rose on Friday, led by strong gains in dominant phone firm PLDT after it reported record profits in 2003 and saw further growth in 2004 on the back of its strong mobile phone firms.
South Korean shares ended lower on Friday, as investors digested gains after the market rose to near 22-month highs this week, but Woori Financial Group and other banking shares firmed on a brighter outlook for 2004.
Japanese stocks edged lower on Friday as Shinsei Bank tumbled on profit-taking a day after its strong market debut, and chip-related issues weakened on disappointing US data.
Singapore shares closed little changed on Friday in cautious trade ahead of quarterly results from two heavyweight domestic banks, with trading interest centred on some China-related firms.
Stocks inched lower on Friday, recovering from earlier losses, as investors sifted through earnings scorecards and a report showing a jump in consumer prices in January that raised some fears of inflation.
The European corporate bond market generally drifted lower in value on Friday, although a new issue for German insurer Allianz drew strong demand and was trading significantly higher than launch pricing.
The European corporate bond market generally drifted lower in value on Friday, although a new issue for German insurer Allianz drew strong demand and was trading significantly higher than launch pricing.
Oil stocks such as Shell, powered by lofty crude prices, helped keep Britain's blue chip index near 19-month highs on Friday, as investors piled back into the recently under-performing sector.
The Hong Kong dollar edged lower and the discount on local dollar forwards narrowed on Friday as players adjusted positions, taking a cue from gains by the US unit against the yen and the euro.
The Swiss franc tread water against the dollar and euro in early Friday trading after Swiss data indicated on Thursday the economy is slowly recovering from a double-dip recession with no sign of inflation pressures.
The dollar weakened against the euro on Thursday despite a fairly healthy batch of economic data, hit by profit-taking after the US currency's rally on Wednesday.
The dollar rose to one-month highs against the yen for the third consecutive day on Friday as more traders bought back the US currency that they had sold during a steady two-year downtrend.
The Australian dollar circled the 79 US cents level during Friday's local session as the market consolidated after several days of volatile price action.
The Philippine peso hit a record low against the dollar on Friday, succumbing to political worries and heavy import demand, while other Asian currencies also fell as the US dollar resumed its uptrend.
The Indian rupee ended steady on Friday, but sentiment was upbeat on hopes that foreign investment inflows into an economy that expanded nearly nine percent in the fiscal third quarter would improve.
Sterling fell more than one percent against the resurgent dollar on Friday and slid against the euro as investors who had sold the dollar for months were forced to buy it on the break of key technical levels.
The dollar powered to six-week highs against the yen and hit two-week peaks versus the euro on Friday as investors bought back the US currency after months of dumping it across the board.
A Russian tanker carrying waste water has sunk in the Caspian Sea with 12 crew on board, only six of whom have been rescued, the local emergencies ministry said Friday as quoted by news agencies.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said it aimed to vaccinate 63 million children in West Africa in a new campaign against the crippling polio virus, in spite of opposition from Muslim leaders in Nigeria.
At least 26 Bangladeshi journalists have been attacked or threatened since the murder last month of a reporter in the south-western port city of Khulna, international press watchdog Reporters Without Borders said (RSF) said Friday.
Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra expects Myanmar will release pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi before October when a major Asia-Europe meeting takes place, his spokesman said Friday.
The United States is putting pressure on the Group of 8 industrialised nations to beef up travel security and adopt a new safety initiative at their June summit to help thwart terrorist attacks, G8 diplomats said.
A Turkish court Friday lifted an arrest warrant for nationalist party leader Cem Uzan, a member of a business family at war with the government, after he flew by helicopter to the court to answer charges of insulting Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, U
A total of 390 people died in 60 serious road accidents in China during the just ended 40-day Spring Festival or Lunar New Year peak travel period in China, state media said Friday.
China executed a Communist Party official on Friday for his role in the cover-up of a 2001 tin mine disaster that killed at least 81 people in the south-western region of Guangxi, state television reported.
Georgian police detained the son-in-law of ousted President Eduard Shevardnadze as he prepared to fly abroad on Friday, the boldest move yet in an anti-corruption drive by the ex-Soviet state's new leadership.
Latvia's president named Indulis Emsis prime minister on Friday, handing the compromise candidate the task of forming a new right-wing majority coalition and keeping preparations on track to join the EU in May.
Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders completed a second day of talks here Friday on reunifying their island, with their positions on a UN blueprint still seemingly miles apart.
