Japan seems reluctant to boost its gold holdings as a way of diversifying its massive external reserves, but Tokyo may have to reconsider its stance in the future, with its reserves heavily overweight in US Treasuries.

Economic recovery is on track in the worlds biggest industrialised countries but is slowing somewhat in the United States and the eurozone, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development said Friday.

A decades-old dream of building Asia's first trans-national highway will move a step closer this month as 24 of 32 countries committed to it will sign an agreement for a road from Japan to western Russia, the United Nations said Friday.

Bundesbank President Ernst Welteke came under fresh attacks on Friday from lawmakers in Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's ruling coalition over his luxury hotel bill scandal and for resisting government calls to resign.

China's industrial output rose 17.7 percent year-on-year in the first quarter, official data showed Friday, indicating the economy was continuing to grow at a fast pace.

Japan's economy got a double dose of good news on Friday with an upbeat assessment by the central bank and figures showing new investment, but the kidnapping of three Japanese in Iraq worried financial markets.

Opec's 10 members bound by oil supply limits showed no sign of tightening compliance in March and appear set to remain well in excess of new limits in April, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Friday.

Political instability in ex-communist countries joining the European Union on May 1 may undermine the bloc's already half-hearted drive at economic reform and closer co-operation, diplomats and analysts say.

Iraq's refineries are undergoing a nation-wide turnaround programme to raise output by a quarter as oil product imports help meet demand, the official in charge of the overhaul said on Friday.

Chinese oil demand growth continues to surpass expectations, inflaming world crude prices now close to 13-year highs, the International Energy Agency said on Friday.

Taiwan convenience store king, President Chain Store Corp, will open a chain of stores selling cosmetics and pharmaceutical products in booming southern China to tap its increasingly wealthy consumers.

French industrial output rose 0.8 percent in February, driven mainly by a rebound in production of consumer goods after a drop in January that raised doubts about recovery prospects in the eurozone's second-largest economy.

The land of a thousand lakes wants to sell you some of its water.

The Hungarian unit of mobile phone giant Vodafone expects to grab a fifth of the market by the end of the year - an increase of 20 percent in one year - Chief Executive Attila Vitai said on Friday.

The Hungarian unit of mobile phone giant Vodafone expects to grab a fifth of the market by the end of the year - an increase of 20 percent in one year - Chief Executive Attila Vitai said on Friday.

India's annual wholesale price inflation rose in the year to the week ended March 27 on the back of higher food and electricity prices.

The Japanese are gradually reducing the amount of cash they keep in their savings accounts in a show of confidence about investing in financial markets, but it may also be sign of trouble for Japan's economic recovery.

Hungary's trade deficit narrowed in the first two months of the year but the improvement was smaller than expected and did not trigger further rises of the forint. The trade deficit dropped to 594 million euros in the January and February from 666 million

Japan's current account surplus probably rose in February from a year earlier as strong exports boosted the trade surplus and increasing overseas travel narrowed the services deficit, a Reuters poll showed on Friday.

The New York Mercantile Exchange, the world's largest energy trading bourse, said on Thursday buyout firm Parthenon Capital offered to purchase up to 60 percent of the exchange in an offer valued at up to $980 million.

Micron Technology Inc, the world's second-largest maker of computer memory chips, said on Friday it was upbeat on its 2004 prospects, thanks to firming memory chip prices and a broad recovery in the industry.

South Korea is likely to enjoy brisk export growth at least until the end of the year, but a recovery in domestic consumption still appears some months away, Finance Minister Lee Hun-jai said on Friday.

Every morning Palestinian businessman Zahi Khoury studies a map of Israel's West Bank barrier on his wall, despairing at how his Coca Cola products will reach customers. "It's a catastrophe," he says.

Canon Inc, Japan's largest maker of office equipment, said on Friday it would invest about 10 billion yen ($93.99 million) to nearly double its annual production of ink-jet printers in 2005 compared with last year.

The German government denied on Friday a report in Der Spiegel magazine that Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder was planning to sack Finance Minister Hans Eichel and replace him with bank executive Ingrid Matthaeus-Maier.

US Treasury prices fell on Thursday after a surprising decline in the number of Americans applying for first-time jobless benefits shook an already battered market.

US Treasury prices fell on Thursday after a surprising decline in the number of Americans applying for first-time jobless benefits shook an already battered market.

Japanese government bond (JGB) prices rose on Friday, reacting to a fall in the stock market after news that three Japanese civilians had been taken hostage in Iraq, but analysts said the outlook was unclear.

Japanese government bond (JGB) prices rose on Friday, reacting to a fall in the stock market after news that three Japanese civilians had been taken hostage in Iraq, but analysts said the outlook was unclear.

Blue-chip stocks fell on Thursday as fierce fighting and a spate of kidnappings in Iraq pushed investors to take a cautious stance and sell stocks before the three-day holiday weekend.

Thai stocks ended slightly lower on Friday amid fears of attacks in Thailand's restive south, but TPI Polene bucked the losing trend after posting solid first quarter results.

Malaysian stocks ended lower on Friday led by losses in top lender Maybank while shares of smaller firms attracted buying interest.

Taiwan stocks fell 0.79 percent on Friday as concerns about a weekend protest over the disputed presidential election prompted investors to cash out of financial and transportation shares.

South Korean shares closed just over one percent lower on Friday, as the worsening security situation in Iraq unnerved investors and sent large-cap stocks such as Samsung Electronics Co Ltd sharply lower.

Japanese shares fell on Friday, retreating from a 32-month high as kidnappings in Iraq raised fears about global security and uncertainty about possible political implications, prompting selling across the board.

South Korean government bond prices moved slightly up by mid-morning on Friday, as investors looked to safe-haven assets amid a wave of violence and kidnappings in Iraq and ahead of a finance ministry treasury bond buyback next week.

South Korean government bond prices moved slightly up by mid-morning on Friday, as investors looked to safe-haven assets amid a wave of violence and kidnappings in Iraq and ahead of a finance ministry treasury bond buyback next week.

China's shares closed down on Friday, extending a correction that began two days ago after blue chips gave up more of their recent gains, traders said.

Turkish markets recovered partially on Friday after four days of losses fuelled by worries about the outcome of referendums on a Cyprus peace plan and Turkish prospects for European Union membership.

A change in China's constitution enshrining the right to own property could breathe life into a flagging banking industry in the coming years by spurring mortgages and securities linked to them.

Russia's main stock market hit an all-time high on Friday, propelled by hopes prosecutors would be lenient towards key YUKOS owner Mikhail Khodorkovsky, currently in jail facing tax and fraud charges.

The Taiwan dollar ended off a near three-year high on Friday as it joined the South Korean won in tracking the losses of the Japanese yen after the kidnapping of three Japanese civilians in Iraq.

The yuan ended one notch weaker versus the dollar at 8.2770 on Friday, but remained near the stronger end of its managed trading range.

The yen steadied against the dollar on Friday following early losses prompted by worries that the kidnapping of three Japanese civilians in Iraq could damage support for the government of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

The dollar rose broadly on Thursday ahead of the long Easter holiday weekend, helped by more evidence of a firming US labour market, traders said.

Currency, bond and stock markets in India's business hub of Bombay are closed for Good Friday.

Currency, bond and stock markets in India's business hub of Bombay are closed for Good Friday.

The South Korean won ended lower on Friday, coming under pressure from a weaker yen and suspected government intervention.

The Canadian dollar fell against the greenback on Thursday as a surprising second consecutive month of domestic job losses all but solidified expectations for an interest rate cut next week.

Fewer and fewer currency strategists see the euro rising to the euro zone pain barrier of $1.30 in the year ahead, according to a Reuters poll, and many have trimmed forecasts for euro strength in coming months.

He has been Indian cricket team's bugbear for quite some time now, but Steve Bucknor says that he is "pretty happy" with his performance.

Injury-hit Pakistan suffered another blow when key medium pacer Umar Gul was ruled out for the series-deciding third Test against India because of back trouble, selectors said Friday.

India are uncertain who will open the innings in the deciding third Test against Pakistan next week with Aakash Chopra likely to be dropped due to the return from a back injury of captain Saurav Ganguly.

Wicket-keeper Geraint Jones will win his first cap for England in the fourth Test against West Indies, which gets underway here on Saturday after the selectors lost patience with Chris Read.

Indian vice-captain Rahul Dravid wants to have a one-to-one discussion with Pakistan coach and former batting great Javed Miandad once the Test series comes to an end.

India's first major cricket tour of Pakistan in almost 15 years has followed such a near-perfect script that fans are losing interest in it.

Bacteria lurking in soil and muddy water have killed 15 out of 31 victims in Singapore this year, twice the normal toll, the Straits Times newspaper reported on Friday.

Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri might want to glance in the direction of her husband if she's looking for someone to blame for her party's below-par performance in this week's parliamentary elections.

Indian children living in villages who are exposed to dangerously high levels of pesticides have poor memories and impaired analytical and motor skills, environmental group Greenpeace warned Friday.

A top US forensic expert and veteran of high-profile cases such as the O.J. Simpson murder trial said he discovered on Friday new clues to the mysterious assassination attempt on Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian.

Former US President Bill Clinton testified behind closed doors to the national commission investigating the September 11, 2001, attacks on Thursday, the panel said.

Kazakhstan will keep its contingent of some 30 servicemen in Iraq as long as there are no serious casualties, a government source said on Friday.

South Korea's Constitutional Court held a hearing on Friday on President Roh Moo-hyun's impeachment, still the dominant theme in next week's election despite renewed debate about Seoul's plan to send troops to Iraq.

Turkey said on Friday the international community will have no option but to recognise breakaway northern Cyprus and lift the embargo on it if Turkish Cypriots approve a UN peace plan and Greek Cypriots reject it.

Some 3,000 Palestinians took to the streets of the Palestinian territories Friday in a show of solidarity with the intensifying anti-US insurgency in Iraq.

Facing his toughest political test, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi told an anguished Japan on Friday he had no plans to pull troops from Iraq despite a threat by kidnappers there to kill three Japanese civilians.

President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has won re-election in a landslide, according to official results released on Friday, becoming the first Algerian leader to return to power in a democratic vote in 42 years.

Iran's influential former president, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, on Friday hailed the Shia Muslim militia of firebrand cleric Moqtada al-Sadr as "heroic" for rising up against the US occupation in Iraq.

Palestinian President Yasser Arafat personally intervened on Friday to seek the release of two Palestinians kidnapped by insurgents in Iraq, his office said.

Pictures of body bags and groups of US soldiers praying around dead comrades are creeping into American media coverage of Iraq, highlighting the growing unease at events.

North Korea said on Friday the stand-off over its atomic ambitions was on the brink of nuclear war as US Vice President Dick Cheney headed to the region for talks with key Asian allies.

Tamil Tiger rebels moved in Friday against a renegade, killing at least 10 people and sending thousands of civilians fleeing for safety, in the first clashes since Sri Lanka entered a cease-fire in February 2002, military sources said.

Nepali police arrested hundreds of people on Friday, including political leaders, as thousands chanting anti-monarchy slogans defied a ban on rallies and took to the streets in protest against the king.

Russia on Friday called on US-led forces to halt their offensive against Iraqi insurgents and refrain from the "disproportionate" use of force in the war-torn nation.

Democratic challenger John Kerry on Friday said the ideology and arrogance of the Bush administration had created gridlock in Iraq that made it "a lot tougher" for the United States to succeed there.

A well-knitted face-lifting plan costing over Rs 800 million has been approved for Pasrur tehsil. Under the plan, several development projects pertaining to public welfare would be completed in the area.

Justice Muhammad Moosa K Laghari of Sindh High Court on Friday issued notice to Afaq Ahmed, Chairman Mohajir Quami Movement Haqiqi (MQM-H) for May 3, 2004 in lawsuit against industrialist.

President All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), Maulana Abbas Ansari has appealed to the Kashmiris not to participate in the Lok Sabha elections in occupied Kashmir.

With improvement in Indo-Pak relations, the Indian Border Security Force at the Wagah border has done away with its old practice of displaying aggressive postures at the Pakistani rangers during the daily sunset parade.

Torture and human rights abuses by Indian Security Forces (ISF) in occupied Kashmir, was a routine which created hatred against India, said a Channel 4 documentary on Friday.

Five persons were killed on a minor brawl in a village of Malakand Agency, according to the police.

Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) is actively engaged in a multi-disciplinary programme, which aims at self-reliance in national development and defence.

The two-day spring meetings of International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB) will be held on April 24 and 25, in Washington DC.

I have opened an investors' account with the CDC. Since I have a large quality of shares, of almost 50 different companies, I gave my broker, the shares of a few companies, at a time. He took considerable time to get the shares lodged with the CDC. Furthe

Pakistan is passing through a critical period of its history. General Musharraf has succeeded so far, in establishing absolute control over the land of the pure with the support of world's sole superpower, which remains very excited and pleased with him.

Riding a polished Harley- Davidson motorcycle through downtown Cape Town, fiery South African politician Patricia de Lille hits the campaign trail.

"Iraq is in turmoil and the Americans have vowed to destroy the entire Mahdi army I believe."

The negotiations under the auspices of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations, came to a conclusion in Marrakech, Morocco, in April, 1994.

Quite encouraging in itself, though, may be the news report revealing the police haul of a number of poppy growers near Shikarpur (Sindh) and destruction of a poppy field, it is apt to leave many intrigued on one count or the other.

The American Special Envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad's speech to a think tank in Washington the other day has created a mini-furor.

The position of the inflows/outflows at Tarbela, Mangla and Chashma along with the reservoirs levels and the barrages at 6.00 am on Friday.

The Punjab Provincial Co-operative Bank Limited (PPCBL) is extending loans to small farmers up to Rs 150,000 for development of dairy products and livestock.

The District Government is committed to resolve all problems of the teachers and has formed a committee under EDO Rawalpindi, which will submit a report within 15 days, said Raja Tariq Mehboob Kiani, District Nazim Rawalpindi, here on Friday.

Provincial Minister for Local Government and Rural Development Muhammad Basharat Raja has reiterated the resolve of the provincial government to provide all possible facilities to masses and resolve all problems on priority.

Justice Pervez Ahmed of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday retired from his service.

Business & Industry Promotion Association of Pakistan (BIPAP) and PBIR are jointly organising "First National Business & Industry Award" ceremony and "National Products Promotion" (NPP) show here on April 20.

Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarian (Punjab) will hold its Executive Meeting at Chistian on Sunday (April 11).

The Executive Body of Bahawalpur Tax Bar Association (BTBA) has resolved that the following members will work as office-bearers of the bar for the year 2004-2005: Chaudhry Mohammad Muslim (President), Mian Mohammad Afzal (Vice President), Chaudhry Mohamma

Governor of Punjab Lieutenant General Khalid Maqbool (Retd) inaugurating the 960th Urs ceremony of Hazrat Data Ganj Baksh laid chaddar at mazar of sufi saint, on Friday.

A judge of the Delhi High Court C. K. Mohajan on Friday called on Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court (LHC) Justice Iftikhar Hussain Chaudhry, and discussed matters of mutual interest.