The dollar gained on the yen on Tuesday as traders covered their bets against the greenback and began taking profits ahead of year end. Volumes were thin as investors began closing the books on 2007, leading to jittery trading influenced heavily by techni

Interbank buy/sell rates for the taka against the dollar on Wednesday. 68.48/68.50 (previous 68.48/68.61). Call Money Rates: 8.00-17.00 percent (previous 8.00-17.00 percent.

The Australian dollar advanced past 86 US cents on Wednesday, pulling away from three-month lows on rising interest rate differentials over the United States and a recovery in regional stock markets.

Most Asian currencies pared early gains on Wednesday amid persistent concerns about the health of the US economy, even as analysts remained optimistic about their longer-term gains. The Indian rupee retreated to 39.58 per dollar, a 10th of a percent weake

The Swiss franc fell against the dollar and euro on Wednesday after comments from the Swiss National Bank indicating it would keep rates on hold. The dollar and the euro were also supported by fading expectations of rate cuts in the Eurozone and America a

AC Milan's Brazilian star Kaka would struggle to make the first team at Real Madrid despite being named the outstanding footballer of 2007, the Spanish club's president said. "The (Real) team is very complete and it would be difficult to make it better,"

Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik is expected to be fit to play in next month's one-dayers against Zimbabwe after recovering from an ankle injury. Malik was hurt playing soccer in training during the recent tour of India and missed the last two drawn tests in

The hardest part is yet to come for Beijing Olympic organisers, heading into 2008 with all plans in place but potential pitfalls aplenty in the run-up to the August Games. Traffic congestion, closely linked to air quality, food security, media freedom and

Fabio Capello has received his first setback in his bid to revive England's football fortunes after Jamie Carragher said he was unlikely to agree a return to international football.

Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting Wednesday said the Indian team could say what they liked about his bowling line-up but they would still have difficulty against it. India arrived in Australia on Tuesday for the four-Test series with captain Anil K

Skipper Mahela Jayawardene became Sri Lanka's leading century-maker on Wednesday to dampen England's hopes of a series-levelling win in the third and final Test here. Jayawardene was unbeaten on 149 as Sri Lanka, taking advantage of a butter-fingered Engl

Three years on from the December 26 Indian Ocean tsunami, the International Red Cross said Wednesday that 1.2 billion euros (1.7 billion dollars) of aid will have helped almost four million people come the year-end.

Sweden will in 2008 open new embassies in Afghanistan, Sudan and Belarus as it plans to increase its humanitarian and financial aid to those countries, the foreign ministry said Wednesday.

Left-wing populist Jacob Zuma has won the leadership of South Africa's ruling ANC, lining him up for the presidency of the country but creating deep uncertainty about his policies. Because the African National Congress dominates politics, Zuma is almost c

Belgium's caretaker prime minister agreed a deal on Wednesday to give the country a new government six months after an inconclusive general election. While the deal was welcomed after a record 192 days without a government, analysts said it would be diffi

Lee Myung-Bak won South Korea's presidential election by a landslide Wednesday, as voters backed the former Hyundai chief executive to revive the economy and disregarded fraud allegations against him. Lee's two closest rivals conceded defeat to the opposi

Eight people were killed as soldiers, backed by artillery, battled with Muslim rebels in the southern Philippines, military officials said Wednesday. According to the military, two soldiers and six rebels have been killed in the clashes which broke out Tu

The Bush administration has told Congress of plans to sell Morocco 24 Lockheed Martin Corp F-16C/D fighter aircraft, advanced weapons and related gear valued at up to $2.4 billion.

Illinois Senator Barack Obama leads his Democratic White House rivals in Iowa, while Hillary Clinton boasts a solid advantage in New Hampshire, two polls out Wednesday found. Iowa's caucuses and New Hampshire's primary, January 3 and 8 respectively, are t

Russia wants to be a close ally of the United States but Washington does not treat it as an equal, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with Time magazine published Wednesday.

Spain's anti-terrorism court Wednesday convicted 47 members of Basque separatist groups over their links to the armed organisation ETA and sentenced them to prison terms of between two and 20 years each. The rulings were issued following the biggest ever

After a year of acrimony, gridlock, and snarling showdowns over Iraq, Congress and President George W. Bush will cede the spotlight in 2008 to a White House rnt. The longest, most expensive US presidential race on record went into overdrive in 2007, and w

A US surgeon who implanted a nuclear-powered pacemaker into a 20-year-old woman in 1973 says the device is still going strong after 34 years and may have saved money over the long run. But Dr Victor Parsonnet of the Newark Beth Israel Medical Center said

Some of the biggest disasters of 2007: In November, a cyclone kills around 3,300 people and leaves hundreds of thousands homeless and in desperate need of supplies in Bangladesh. A military-led relief effort, aided by a fleet of US helicopters, is

Earth and the Moon were created around 62 million years after the Solar System began to form 4.567 billion years ago, according to a paper released on Wt the origin of the Moon is that it was born after a Mars-sized object smashed into the proto-Earth, ca

Three British-linked detainees in the US prison camp at Guantanamo Bay have been released and are returning to Britain, the Foreign Office and police said Wednesday.

President Hamid Karzai on Wednesday asked God to forgive Afghan Taliban killed in the fighting in their homeland, but called on international forces to hit the insurgents at their training bases outside the country.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will press emerging economic giants India and China for their support for a new global climate change deal when he travels there next month, he said Wednesday.

Russia's counter-intelligence services unmasked 93 spies in 2007, said the director of the Federal Security Service (FSB), Nikolai Patrushev, Russian news agencies reported. "This year we have put an end to the activities of 22 controllers and 71 agents o

Around two million Muslims massed in the holy Saudi city of Mina on Wednesday for the stoning of the devil, one of the high points, but also one of the most risky, of the annual Hajj.

The US House of Representatives was expected to vote Wednesday on a Senate-approved budget bill for 2008 that includes 70 billion dollars for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Time magazine named President Vladimir Putin its person of the year. The award, which is not considered an honour so much as a recognition of the most powerful forces shaping the world, was awarded for Putin's role in reshaping a country that Time's Manag

A Paris court on Wednesday handed down one-year jail sentences to five former French detainees of the US prison camp at Guantanamo after convicting them on terrorism charges. A sixth man was acquitted.

The US Army on Wednesday upgraded a base in Japan into a key Asian operational hub, despite protests by local leaders who oppose a greater influx of US troops. Camp Zama on Tokyo's outskirts was named a forward headquarters of the I Corps, which is under

Turkey took a fresh step towards EU membership Wednesday with the opening of new policy talks, despite resistance from France and other members.

Iraq said on Wednesday it believed Turkey was unlikely to extend a military operation against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq but criticised Ankara for what it branded an attack on its sovereignty.

Emergency vehicles raced to the White House Wednesday as a fire gushed thick black smoke from windows of an office building near the West Wing, which houses US President George W. Bush's office.

The rupee lost ground against the dollar on Wednesday, as overseas investors pared their holdings in the Indian unit, though losses were capped by exporters who sold dollar holdings, dealers said. The partially convertible rupee ended at 39.59/60 per doll

Sterling fell to a three-month low versus the dollar on Wednesday as news that the Bank of England was unanimous on December's rate cut firmed expectations that more easing will come sooner than previously thought.

The dollar held firm near a seven-week high against the euro on Wednesday as traders covered short positions in the US currency before they close their books at the end of the year. The dollar continued to draw support from unexpectedly strong US retail s

US stocks fell on Wednesday after Standard & Poor's downgraded its rating outlook on several bond insurers, suggesting further potential turmoil in the financial sector. The stock market erased its morning gains after S&P cut its outlook for both AMBAC Fi

European credit spreads inched tighter on Wednesday, with the potential impact of a $9.4 billion writedown by Morgan Stanley mitigated by its raising of $5 billion in fresh capital from China. By 1520 GMT, the iTraxx Crossover index, made up of 50 mostly

European credit spreads inched tighter on Wednesday, with the potential impact of a $9.4 billion writedown by Morgan Stanley mitigated by its raising of $5 billion in fresh capital from China. By 1520 GMT, the iTraxx Crossover index, made up of 50 mostly

China's main stock index rose 2.2 percent on Wednesday, rebounding from near key chart support, after an official's remarks were interpreted to mean Beijing did not plan to sell off large shareholdings in listed companies.

Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Wednesday.

Britain's top share index ended flat on Wednesday as a persisting credit seizure offset news of solid demand for a $20 billion Federal Reserve auction aimed at easing the liquidity strain. Credit fears were exacerbated in late trade by credit rating agenc

India tests surface-to-air missile in a series of tests of the short-range, defensive weapon, defence officials said. The missile blasted off from the Chandipur-on-Sea testing site in Orissa state on India's eastern coast in successful back-to-back aftern

The Afghan president says his country is improving - schools and hospitals are being built and the economy is stronger, but problems remain with insurgents. "The construction of new schools and hospitals ... are the characteristics of our social policy,"

Russia offered on Wednesday to help Libya in its pursuit of nuclear energy and announced a visit to the former pariah state this weekend by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, a report said. "We are ready to help Libya realise its enduring right to attain civ

Israel said on Wednesday it was examining a plan to construct a new Jewish settlement in occupied east Jerusalem, weeks after sparking world criticism for expanding another neighbourhood in the city.

Coal prices are likely to remain strong in 2008, close to this year's average levels, because there are many supply uncertainties and despite the emergence of the United States as a major exporter.

London white sugar and cocoa futures hit fresh 4-1/2-month highs on speculative and fund buying on Wednesday, while robustas sold off late in sympathy with New York, erasing earlier gains to six-week highs. Dealers talked of fresh infusions of speculative

Oil prices rallied on Wednesday as a slump in US crude oil stockpiles to their lowest level in nearly three years rekindled worries of a winter supply crunch. US crude settled up $1.16 at $91.24 a barrel. London Brent rose $1.36 to $91.48.

Asian nations, many at risk from climate change, must invest more in urban and indoor farming to help feed the hundreds of millions of people in their growing cities, the World Meteorological Organisation said on Wednesday.

Wednesday's Rotterdam vegetable oil prices at 1700 GMT.

Wednesday's Rotterdam vegetable oil prices at 1700 GMT.

US spring wheat seedings for harvest in 2008 are unlikely to rise much if at all, setting the stage for a rerun of this year's tight stocks situation for the high-quality wheat.

Copper was capped in ranges on Wednesday as liquidity dried up ahead of the end-year holidays and as worries about future demand dampened sentiment. "Base metals will continue to drift for the time being because they are friendless," Wiktor Bielski, analy

Platinum traded near record highs on Wednesday, with consumers and speculators buying on concerns over a likely market deficit next year and falling inventories. Platinum's strength lent support to gold as it hovered above $800 an ounce after a rally to i

US cocoa climbed to a five-month high for the second straight day in early trade on Wednesday, as funds jumped into the market, while arabica was little changed, trader said. "Funds are buying the outright action while the selling is coming from the arbit

Raw sugar futures edged higher in early business on Wednesday, with the benchmark March contract bouncing on either side of a key technical level, which could either push or stall the early advance, brokers said. The ICE Futures electronic March sugar con

Wheat futures on the Chicago Board of Trade were 2 percent higher by midsession on Wednesday as the market refocused on tight global supplies of old-crop wheat, with firms viewing Tuesday's setback as a buying opportunity, traders said.

Chicago Board of Trade corn futures were firm on Wednesday, rebounding after one-week lows hit overnight and buoyed by the strength in wheat, traders said. March was up 1-1/2 cent at $4.33-1/2 a bushel; deferreds were up 1-3/4 to 4-1/4 cents by 10:35 am C

Soyabean futures at the Chicago Board of Trade were called to open 3 to 5 cents pen a light rebound after Tuesday's profit-taking setback, traders said. An expected higher open of 10 to 15 cents in CBOT wheat was viewed supportive.

US copper futures closed sharply higher on Wednesday, as bargain buyers took advantage of a recent sell-off that saw the benchmark March contract slide more than 11 percent since the start of the month, traders and analysts said.

US platinum futures inched up early on Wednesday, after hitting a record high in the previous session, helped by robust investment demand and supply tightness amid uncertainty about when Russia will issue export licenses.

Punjab government will establish Industrial Advisory Boards to co-ordinate between industry in the province and federal government policy making in order to strengthen national industrial base and economic activity in the country.

People of Multan are experiencing four to eight hours load-shedding these days as the country is currently facing a record shortage of power which has forced the government to go for countrywide load-shedding, officials said here on Wednesday.

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Nisar Memon has said the government will adopt a string of measures to ensure that free, fair and transparent elections will be held and no political party will be allowed to use the state machinery in the

Amar Lal has been appointed Special Assistant to the Prime Minister with the status of a Federal Minister. The appointment of Amar Lal has been made by the Prime Minister which will be effective from December 13, said a notification from the Cabinet Secre

The Haj sermon of the Mufti Azam Al-Shaikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah at Arafat is true refection of sentiments of the Muslim Ummah, Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting Nisar A. Memon said on Tuesday.

If all goes well, general elections are going to be held on January 8,2008 as scheduled. President Pervez Musharraf has once again quite categorically stated that polls are going to be held on schedule in a free, fair, transparent, orderly and peaceful ma

Addressing the nation over Radio and TV networks the same night after emergency was lifted,PCO repealed and the 1973 Constitution restored after some more amendments were incorporated in it.

Living in Afghanistan, the world's unrivalled producer of heroin, Faqirullah has no problem finding drugs to feed his habit. What concerns him is getting the cash to buy them. No matter how difficult, the 27-year-old says he has to find the equivalent of

In drama and intrigue, the story is straight out of a film script - she a fabulously rich girl, he an IT engineer, and both dare to marry despite her family's arch-resistance. Changing cars to throw off their pursuers, the two travelled hundreds of miles

Shipping plays a very vital and significant role in today's global economy. The transportation through sea routes is considered the most economical and cheapest mode of transport which gave rise to ship building and movement of trade by using available wa

If President Pervez Musharraf and the PML-Q, better known as the King's Party, hoped to use economic performance under their rule to win votes in the upcoming elections, they had better think of something else. For food inflation is hurting ordinary peopl

While the total cost of National Trade Corridor (NTC) highway has been calculated at $5.36 billion, the Asian Development Bank has announced that the maximum financing amount of only around $900 million will be available under the Multitranche Financing F

Caretaker Sindh Chief Minister former justice Abdul Qadir Halepota has said the development schemes would not be allowed to become victim of red tapism. Not only that public welfare schemes should be completed within the stipulated period but quality shou

Although it is too early to predict about the political landscape in NWFP, yet the forthcoming polls may result in a coalition government in the province.

Tough contest is expected between ANP President Asfandyar Wali Khan and Muhammad Usman Khan Tarakai on NA-12 Swabi-I after the boycott of Jamaat-e-Islami from the upcoming polls.

The Citizens Group on Electoral Process (Cgep), a group of eminent Pakistanis that has been monitoring electoral process since December 2006 has observed that on all counts the coming general elections fail on pre-election fairness.

With the approval of City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal, the City Government Karachi has allocated 73 places in Karachi for holding of public meetings by political parties in connection with Election-2008. District Government Karachi Tuesday notified the publi

For the National Assembly seat NA-213 Nawabshah-I, 22 candidates filed their nomination papers, out of which nomination papers of three candidates Abdul Rehman, Muhammad Aslam Khenchi and Tariq Masood Arain were rejected and 19 were accepted on December 3

If one ruling party rally with awkward speeches, empty audience chairs and distracted crowds in a dustbowl is anything to go by, President Pervez Musharraf's days in power may be numbered.

Two people were killed and five others were injured when a bomb planted went off in election campaigning meeting of PML-Q in Bekar town of Dera Bugti district on Wednesday, Dera Bugti police told APP.

Caretaker Federal Information and Broadcasting Minister Senator Nisar A. Memon has said that the caretaker government is duty bound to facilitate the holding of free, fair and impartial elections and all necessary measures are being taken to achieve the o

Caretaker Finance Minister Dr Salmaan Shah said on Wednesday that Pakistan was no more an aid-dependent country as "it has been made capable enough" to execute gigantic development projects on its own, without the help of international financial instituti

The Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (Smeda) and the Commerce and Investment Department Punjab, would make integrated efforts to create new common facility centres for uplifting of SMEs in Punjab.

People seem busy in finding a competent, expert butcher for slaughtering sacrificial animals, which often turns out to be a difficult task. Some people prefer sacrificing the animals themselves, following the footsteps of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to gain a

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report of Nespak on 'Remodelling of Canal Bank Road Lahore from Dharampura Underpass to Canal View Bridge at Thokar Niaz Baig' has a lot of contradictions with the original facts and figures.

The Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufact-urers and Exporters Association, North Zone, has elected Meyer and Company in Sialkot Chief Executive Mir Muhammad Farooq Meyer its zonal chairman for 2007-2008 at its annual general meeting.

Provincial Human Rights and Population Welfare Minister Maqbool Elahi Malik has said that population welfare is in the interest of the nation and teachers should apprise the masses about its significance.

The federal, provincial and local and district governments as well as the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) remain unresponsive to pleas by a group of LPG marketing companies, representing 70 percent of the market share, to prevent profiteering and

Punjab Provincial Minister for Agriculture Khurshid Zaman Qureshi has said that in order to achieve maximum yield potentials the all components of education, research and agriculture extension should join hands together involving all stakeholders particul

The LPG retail prices will fall sharply once business resumes after the Eid holidays, said LPG Association of Pakistan spokesman Fasih Ahmed. The association is a grouping of all LPG marketing companies operating in the country.

Punjab Minister for Housing, Urban Development and Public Health Engineering Mian Shafqat Ali has said that 5,70,000 houses are needed every year but only 300,000 houses are being constructed in the country.

In occupied Kashmir, a court has quashed the detention of six persons who were detained under fake charges by Indian police in Kot Balwal and Udhampur jails. The court passed the release orders after hearing arguments of the defence counsels and prosecuto

Customers take little interest in visiting various animal markets of twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad owing to high prices of sacrificial animals. A small number of people daily visits these temporarily set up markets, hoping prices may fall in the

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is providing a grant of $2 million for the formulation and implementation of policies to combat land degradation and vulnerability likely to climate change for the targeted developing member countries.