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Print - 2015-02-21
Conversion for foreign currency deposits

Conversion for foreign currency deposits

Conversion for foreign currency deposits, DBC/FCBC, special USD bond & profits thereon (excluding FE-25 deposits) on Friday (February 20, 2015).

Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Exchange rates: buying and selling

Exchange rates: buying and selling

Exchange rates issued by the Treasury Management Division of National Bank of Pakistan on Friday (February 20, 2015).

Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Barclays bid rates and maximum rates for payment of interest

Barclays bid rates and maximum rates for payment of interest

Barclays bid rates, maximum rates for payment of interest by authorised dealers on deposits (other than those brought under FE Circular No: 45 of 1985) and on deposits (brought under FE Circular No: 45 of 1985) - issued by the Foreign Exchange Rates Commi
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
State Bank of Pakistan conversion rates

State Bank of Pakistan conversion rates

Rates applicable for conversion into rupees of Foreign Currency Deposits, Dollar Bearer Certificates, Foreign Currency Bearer Certificates, Special US Dollar bonds and profits thereon by all banks and also for providing forward cover on foreign currency d
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
New York cotton

New York cotton

The fluctuations observed during the day:

Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
New York cotton

New York cotton

The fluctuations observed during the day:

Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
BRIDGE NOTES: Simple but seldom attempted ruse in Bridge

BRIDGE NOTES: Simple but seldom attempted ruse in Bridge

Bridge is a game of logical reasoning. It is up to the player to seize the opportunity of making a play that is based on the inferential clues gathered from the bidding and then acting on it with intelligence. Every hand as its own peculiar feature callin
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Local heroes battle Disney for animated Oscar gold

Local heroes battle Disney for animated Oscar gold

The battle for this year's Oscar for best animated film is shaping up into a David-and-Goliath duel between hand-painted fables from Ireland and Japan, and American blockbusters, including a pair of computer-drawn adventures distributed by Disney. DreamWo
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
'Birdman' director's flight of fancy may reap reward of Oscar

'Birdman' director's flight of fancy may reap reward of Oscar

From the first scene showing actor Michael Keaton levitating in his underwear, it becomes quite clear that "Birdman" will not unfold in a conventional way. A favourite to win the Academy Award for best picture, director Alejandro G. Inarritu's satirical j
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Third time on target for 'Sniper' star Cooper?

Third time on target for 'Sniper' star Cooper?

Bradley Cooper could make it third time lucky at the Oscars this month, after being nominated a rare three consecutive times for Hollywood's highest awards. The 40-year-old is shortlisted for best actor for his role in the controversial blockbuster "Ameri
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Curtain rises on Saudi film fest despite cinema ban

Curtain rises on Saudi film fest despite cinema ban

Saudi Arabia is rolling out the red carpet on Friday for its second film festival in seven years but the deeply conservative country has one major problem - cinemas are banned. More than 60 short films will compete for "Golden Palm Tree" trophies crowning
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
First biotech apple that resists browning

First biotech apple that resists browning

US regulators last Friday approved what would be the first commercialised biotech apple, rejecting efforts by the organic industry and other GMO critics to block the new fruit. The US Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
'Dashcams' catching everything from scammers to disasters

'Dashcams' catching everything from scammers to disasters

The terrifying footage of a plane clipping a bridge in Taiwan and crashing into a river this week highlighted the popularity of "dashcams" that are capturing everything from crime to natural disasters through the windscreen.
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Power your diet with peanuts

Power your diet with peanuts

Roasted, fresh, salted, delicious, crunchy and nutty peanuts are favourite winter snacks for people of all ages. Peanuts are basically legumes but they have all the properties of nuts like almonds, cashew nuts etc. One ounce of peanuts (about 28 unshelled
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
For the love of food

For the love of food

Most of us have fond memories of food from our childhood, from mom's home-made meals to birthday cake. It is the most pleasurable moments of life when you eat with your friends or family you really enjoy your life while doing so. And if you get a chance t
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Swedish children visit virtual hospital before surgery

Swedish children visit virtual hospital before surgery

Felicia Zander had a brain hemorrhage when she was six and spent more than a year in and out of hospital for x-rays, MRIs and about a dozen operations under general aesthetic. Before each visit a group of animated characters on the hospital's website desc
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
High-tech contact lenses zoom with a wink of an eye

High-tech contact lenses zoom with a wink of an eye

Swiss researchers are developing contact lenses that contain tiny telescopes to boost vision and zoom in and out with the wink of an eye. The new, 1.55 millimeter-thick contact lens contains an extremely thin, reflective telescope, which is activated by w
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
ART FACTS: Spontaneous recollections

ART FACTS: Spontaneous recollections

Colour was the basic structure of the compositions in artworks by Noorjehan Bilgrami. She uses colour rather than line to represent shapes and forms. The framework of her artworks consists of materials, fabrics, colour, space and memories of the past. Her
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Row rumbles over cultural heart of the city

Row rumbles over cultural heart of the city

The Spanish city of Cordoba boasts that different faiths have long co-existed there, but locals are now squabbling over its star tourist attraction: a cathedral that was once a mosque. One of the most famous Islamic monuments in Europe, the grand stone ed
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
KARACHI CHRONICLE: Street barriers and barricades

KARACHI CHRONICLE: Street barriers and barricades

On February 3 the Sindh High Court ordered the Karachi commissioner and law enforcement agencies to remove illegal barriers from the streets and submit a detailed report by February 24. There are three days left before the deadline, but not a pole, iron g
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Political wisdom - deceit or virtue?

Political wisdom - deceit or virtue?

In a general Yahoo opinion survey on Political Wisdom, the best answer was regarded as the one which stated that Political Wisdom was "hypocricy - by not being blunt and taking sides"! Interestingly, during the Islamabad Dharna episode, statements from so
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Daily trading report of PMEX

Daily trading report of PMEX

On Thursday at Pakistan Mercantile Exchange (PMEX) value traded was PKR 3.146 billion. The number of lots traded was 18,544 and PMEX Commodity Index closed at 2,572. Major business was contributed by crude oil amounting to PKR 1.985 billion. This was foll
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
US natural gas slightly higher

US natural gas slightly higher

US natural gas futures settled slightly higher on Thursday, with cold weather forecasts supporting prices despite government data showing mild consumption of gas for heating last week. Front-month gas futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange settled up
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Canadian canola futures rise

Canadian canola futures rise

ICE Canadian canola futures rose on Thursday to a 7-1/2 month high, supported by fund and crusher buying. Funds added to their long position in May and also rolled part of their March long position into May, a trader said. March canola gained $3.60 to $47
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
US FOB Gulf wheat basis offers steady

US FOB Gulf wheat basis offers steady

US FOB Gulf wheat basis offers were steady Thursday after a flurry of export tenders in the last few days with Egypt buying cheap European wheat rather than higher-priced US wheat, traders said. FOB corn and soyabean offers were also steady as futures tic
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
EU wheat futures turn lower after three-week high

EU wheat futures turn lower after three-week high

Euronext wheat futures turned lower on Tuesday, after earlier hitting a three-week high, as sellers took advantage of the run-up in prices and a rally in the US market petered out. Prices remained underpinned by brisk exports, with an import tender by Alg
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Activities at Karachi and Qasim ports

Activities at Karachi and Qasim ports

The Karachi Port handled 120,138 tonnes of cargo comprising 100,636 tonnes of import cargo and 19,502 tonnes of export cargo including 6,261 loaded and empty containers during the last 24 hours ending at 0700 hours on Friday. The total import cargo of 100
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Cotton market: prices firm on sustained demand

Cotton market: prices firm on sustained demand

Sustained buying by mills and spinners, helped the rates to hold present levels on the cotton market on Friday, dealers said. The official spot rate was unchanged at Rs 4,950, dealers said. In the ready session, around 17,000 bales of cotton changed hands
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
No change on grain market

No change on grain market

According to the press release of the Grain Merchant Group, not a single change was seen on the local grain market on Friday.
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
CBOT wheat futures mixed

CBOT wheat futures mixed

US wheat futures were mixed on Thursday, with the CBOT March soft red winter wheat contract closing unchanged while most other offerings declined. Poor demand for US supplies, highlighted by Egypt's decision to buy 240,000 tonnes of French and Romanian wh
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Qatar to introduce pay reform for migrant workers

Qatar to introduce pay reform for migrant workers

Qatar said Thursday it would introduce a major labour law reform to ensure thousands of workers building venues for the 2022 World Cup are paid on time, after complaints by rights groups. The changes by the future hosts of football's biggest tournament, a
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Mexico economy picks up, grows 2.1 percent in 2014

Mexico economy picks up, grows 2.1 percent in 2014

Mexico's economy gained pace at the end of last year on stronger manufacturing and a construction boom, data showed on Friday, but growth was crimped by flagging oil output and the economy flagged in December. Latin America's No 2 economy grew 2.1 percent
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Adidas starts search to replace veteran CEO

Adidas starts search to replace veteran CEO

The board of Adidas has launched a formal search for a successor to Chief Executive Herbert Hainer who has faced criticism as the German sportswear company has lost ground to US rival Nike. Hainer, 60, in the job since 2001 and the longest-serving CEO of
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Palestinian farms break new ground with ostrich and mushrooms

Palestinian farms break new ground with ostrich and mushrooms

The small farm in the southern West Bank seems unremarkable, but for one thing. Instead of the sheep traditional to the area, its livestock are ostriches. Fifty-year-old farmer Abdelrahman Abu Tir, whose name coincidentally translates as "father of the bi
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Britain defends response to HSBC tax scandal

Britain defends response to HSBC tax scandal

British finance minister George Osborne on Friday defended his government's response to the scandal engulfing London-based HSBC bank, saying the matter should be left for tax officials to investigate. Osborne said allegations that London-based HSBC's Swis
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Cameron unveils £859 million warship contract for BAE Systems

Cameron unveils £859 million warship contract for BAE Systems

Prime Minister David Cameron on Friday unveiled an £859 million (1.2 billion euro, $1.3 billion) contract for BAE Systems to build new warships for the British navy, the defence ministry said. "This is a substantial investment in our shipbuilding industry
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Yemen FX reserves stabilise but borrowing balloons in political crisis

Yemen FX reserves stabilise but borrowing balloons in political crisis

Yemen's foreign exchange reserves have stabilised after a steep fall due to its political turmoil, but ballooning government debt issuance indicates the country may be moving closer to a fiscal crunch, central bank data showed on Friday. Shia Muslim Houth
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Retailers urge Obama involvement in US port talks

Retailers urge Obama involvement in US port talks

The US National Retail Federation called for President Barack Obama to get involved directly if West Coast dockworkers and port operators cannot settle their dispute in talks Friday. Negotiations in San Francisco overseen by Labor Secretary Thomas Perez o
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Russian competition watchdog opens case against Google

Russian competition watchdog opens case against Google

Russia's competition watchdog said on Friday it had opened a case against Google Inc over alleged violation of anti-monopoly law, following a complaint from Russia's biggest search site Yandex NV over Google's mobile platform. Yandex said on Wednesday it
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Italy approves key parts of Renzi's new labour rules

Italy approves key parts of Renzi's new labour rules

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi made important progress with his reform agenda on Friday when his cabinet gave final approval to key parts of his overhaul of labour market rules, which will now take immediate effect. After a four hour meeting, cabinet
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
RBS poised to take $6.2 billion hit on value of US bank Citizens

RBS poised to take $6.2 billion hit on value of US bank Citizens

Royal Bank of Scotland is likely to write down the value of its US bank Citizens by about 4 billion pounds ($6.2 billion) next week, industry sources said, potentially wiping out much of the state-backed bank's annual profit. The writedown of goodwill wou
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
US factory activity edges up

US factory activity edges up

The US manufacturing sector expanded in February at its fastest rate since November, after notching its lowest reading in a year in the prior month, an industry report showed on Friday. Financial data firm Markit said its preliminary or "flash" US Manufac
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Eurozone business pick-up fastest in seven months

Eurozone business pick-up fastest in seven months

The eurozone's private sector is expanding at its fastest pace in seven months, surveys indicated on Friday, although companies continue to cut prices, suggesting low inflation remains a challenge for policymakers. But the jump in business activity, led m
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Goldcorp, SNC-Lavalin slumps push TSX lower

Goldcorp, SNC-Lavalin slumps push TSX lower

Canada's main stock index fell on Thursday, hurt by sharp selloffs in Goldcorp Inc and SNC-Lavalin Group Inc Goldcorp, the world's biggest gold producer by market value, posted a hefty loss as it took a $2.3 billion impairment charge on a new mine in Arge
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Tokyo stocks higher

Tokyo stocks higher

Tokyo stocks finished 0.37 percent higher on Friday, extending gains after hitting a 15-year high in the previous session, as investors await crucial talks on Greece's debt later in the day. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange ended
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Friday's midday trade: stocks fall, Nasdaq to break winning streak

Friday's midday trade: stocks fall, Nasdaq to break winning streak

US stocks fell on Friday, with the Nasdaq set to break a seven-session streak of gains, amid ongoing uncertainty over negotiations for a debt deal in Greece. In a positive sign, the new prime minister of Greece said he was certain that euro zone finance m
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Nasdaq gains for seventh day; Dow, S&P slip

Nasdaq gains for seventh day; Dow, S&P slip

The Nasdaq rose for a seventh straight session on Thursday as Priceline shares jumped, while the Dow and S&P 500 eased following declines in energy shares and a disappointing outlook from Wal-Mart. Uncertainty over prospects of a debt deal with Greece add
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Sri Lankan stocks hit one-week high

Sri Lankan stocks hit one-week high

Sri Lankan stocks edged up on Friday to hit one-week highs, led by large-cap shares such as Nestle Lanka Plc despite foreign investors exiting some risky assets. The main stock index gained 0.12 percent, or 8.74 points, to 7,314.91, its highest close sinc
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Treasuries fall on rate-hike uncertainties

Treasuries fall on rate-hike uncertainties

US Treasury debt prices fell on Thursday after better-than-expected weekly jobless figures shifted sentiment in favor of a start to Fed interest-rate increases sooner than later. The declines reversed gains made Wednesday following the release of minutes
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Treasuries fall on rate-hike uncertainties

Treasuries fall on rate-hike uncertainties

US Treasury debt prices fell on Thursday after better-than-expected weekly jobless figures shifted sentiment in favor of a start to Fed interest-rate increases sooner than later. The declines reversed gains made Wednesday following the release of minutes
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Greek bond yields fall on optimism for debt deal

Greek bond yields fall on optimism for debt deal

Greek bond yields pushed lower on Friday on hopes euro zone finance ministers will eventually reach agreement on a loan extension that will help Greece avoid bankruptcy. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Friday he was certain euro zone finance m
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Greek bond yields fall on optimism for debt deal

Greek bond yields fall on optimism for debt deal

Greek bond yields pushed lower on Friday on hopes euro zone finance ministers will eventually reach agreement on a loan extension that will help Greece avoid bankruptcy. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Friday he was certain euro zone finance m
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
South African stocks rise

South African stocks rise

South African stocks edged higher for a second straight session on Friday, led by coal producer Exxaro which flagged full-year losses more benign than analysts had forecast. Exxaro, which also has interests in iron ore and base metals, said it would swing
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Indian shares snap seven day winning streak

Indian shares snap seven day winning streak

Indian shares fell on Friday to snap a seven-day winning streak, weighed down by a 3.2 percent decline in Reliance Industries and as sentiment for bluechips was hit after foreign investors sold index derivatives. The benchmark BSE index fell 0.78 percent
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
European shares hover near multi-year highs

European shares hover near multi-year highs

European stock markets hovered near multi-year highs on Friday, as euro zone finance ministers prepared another attempt at reaching a deal on Greece. Shares in Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk rose around 5 percent after positive trial results for one of its
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Portugal to offer 10-year bonds

Portugal to offer 10-year bonds

Portugal will offer up to 1.25 billion euros in 10-year debt next Wednesday in its second bond auction this month, the state debt agency IGCP said on Friday as yields on the benchmark bond were near record lows in the secondary market. The indicative offe
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Portugal to offer 10-year bonds

Portugal to offer 10-year bonds

Portugal will offer up to 1.25 billion euros in 10-year debt next Wednesday in its second bond auction this month, the state debt agency IGCP said on Friday as yields on the benchmark bond were near record lows in the secondary market. The indicative offe
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Australian shares end lower for a second day

Australian shares end lower for a second day

Australian shares dropped 0.4 percent on Friday weighed down by financial, energy and resources counters and as corporate earnings continued to disappoint investors. The S&P/ASX 200 index fell 22.7 points to 5,881.5 at the close of trade, still in sight o
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Energy shares help FTSE to end higher; Greece in focus

Energy shares help FTSE to end higher; Greece in focus

Britain's top share index climbed nearer to a 15-year high on Friday, with energy shares tracking crude oil prices upward and insurer Standard Life gaining on the back of encouraging earnings. However, investors remained cautious over Greece. European Uni
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Crown hits eight-month low as Denmark raises capital controls option

Crown hits eight-month low as Denmark raises capital controls option

The Danish crown fell to its lowest in over eight months against the euro on Friday, after a government adviser said the country would be prepared to introduce capital controls to defend its currency peg, traders said. Hans Jorgen Whitta-Jacobsen, the hea
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Dollar stays firm in Asia

Dollar stays firm in Asia

The dollar held firm on Friday after upbeat US jobless claims data made views swing back in favour of an earlier rate hike by the Federal Reserve, while the euro stayed under pressure ahead of a crunch meeting on Greece's bailout programme. The dollar ind
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Euro falls in London on Greek debt worries

Euro falls in London on Greek debt worries

The euro fell to a one-week low against the dollar on Friday on concerns that a crucial meeting on Greece's request for a six-month loan extension could end without easing the country's funding crisis. Reports suggesting that Greece and its euro zone cred
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Early trade in New York: Euro falls before Greek talks

Early trade in New York: Euro falls before Greek talks

The euro fell against the US dollar for a third consecutive session on Friday as traders remained cautious before a meeting later in the day on Greece's request for a six-month loan extension. The euro traded 0.62 percent lower against the dollar at $1.12
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Dollar rises against majors in New York

Dollar rises against majors in New York

The US dollar edged higher against major currencies on Thursday after traders discounted Wednesday's cautious minutes from the latest Federal Reserve policy meeting, while optimism for a Greece debt deal limited the euro's losses. The dollar rebounded aga
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Canadian dollar weakens

Canadian dollar weakens

The Canadian dollar slipped against its US counterpart on Thursday, its second straight decline on renewed weakness in crude oil prices, as the Bank of Canada said cheap oil could push domestic inflation into negative territory. The currency recovered som
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Asian forex Rupiah at two-month low, peso rises

Asian forex Rupiah at two-month low, peso rises

The Indonesian rupiah hit a two-month low on Friday as the dollar held firm after solid US jobs data, while the peso rose to two-week high when foreign investors piled into Philippines' shares. Financial markets in most Asian countries, including China an
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Sri Lankan rupee steady

Sri Lankan rupee steady

The Sri Lankan rupee ended steady in dull trade on Friday as the central bank defended it via moral suasion, a day after the monetary authority allowed a 10 cent fall in the spot amid tepid dollar demand from importers, dealers said. Finance Minister Ravi
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Trade-weighted sterling near six-year high

Trade-weighted sterling near six-year high

The trade-weighted sterling index stood near a six-year high on Friday, lifted by its gains against the euro, which slumped to its lowest in seven years on worries about Greek debt. UK retail sales for December fell short of expectations, weighing slightl
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
New Zealand dollar has Aussie parity in sight

New Zealand dollar has Aussie parity in sight

The New Zealand dollar was on track for a solid weekly gains on Friday as an attractive interest rate advantage lifted it to all time highs against its Antipodean neighbour, and tantalisingly close to parity. The Australian dollar sank as deep NZ$1.0290 a
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Chelsea apologise to man racially abused, Mourinho ashamed

Chelsea apologise to man racially abused, Mourinho ashamed

Chelsea apologised on Friday to the man who was racially abused by their fans before a Champions League match and team manager Jose Mourinho spoke of his shame over the incident. Supporters of the Premier League club were caught on camera preventing a bla
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Donald hopes South Africa can silence India fans

Donald hopes South Africa can silence India fans

South Africa bowling coach Allan Donald says his team's biggest challenge in Sunday's World Cup blockbuster against India will be to adjust to the intimidating aura of the Melbourne Cricket Ground. More than 80,000 people, mostly India supporters, are exp
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Boycott rips into feeble England - again

Boycott rips into feeble England - again

England are not as good as they think they are and have a lot of hard work to do to even qualify for the World Cup quarter-finals, former opening batsman Geoffrey Boycott said on Friday. Eoin Morgan's side suffered a humiliating eight-wicket defeat by New
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
SNGPL Faisalabad in All Pakistan Football semis

SNGPL Faisalabad in All Pakistan Football semis

Football team of Sui Northern Gas Pipe Lines (SNGPL) reached in the semi Final after defeating Punjab Police team by 2-1 goals in the quarter final match of 7th All Pakistan Football Tournament being held at Samundri Faisalabad, according to press release
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Morgan not embarrassed by New Zealand rout

Morgan not embarrassed by New Zealand rout

Under-fire England captain Eoin Morgan said his side were "disappointed" rather than "embarrassed" by New Zealand during an eight-wicket World Cup thumping in Wellington on Friday. New Zealand cemented their status as one of the favourites for a maiden Wo
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Nadal battles into Rio quarters

Nadal battles into Rio quarters

Clay king and world number three Rafael Nadal thwarted a determined challenge Thursday from fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta to reach the quarter-finals of the ATP Rio Open. Top seed Nadal, determined to kick-start his season on clay as he targets a 10
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
World Cup waiting game in storm-hit Brisbane

World Cup waiting game in storm-hit Brisbane

Organisers will delay as long as possible a decision on whether or not Saturday's World Cup match between Australia and Bangladesh at storm-battered Brisbane will go-ahead once the devastation from Tropical Cyclone Marcia has been assessed. Marcia, a cate
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Pakistan, West Indies in fight for survival

Pakistan, West Indies in fight for survival

The 44-day World Cup is barely a week old and Pakistan and the West Indies are already viewing their second match as crucial to morale and potentially to their survival. Both suffered first game defeats and both are embroiled in off-field controversy, wit
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Southee, McCullum star as New Zealand rout England

Southee, McCullum star as New Zealand rout England

Paceman Tim Southee recorded the best one-day figures by a New Zealander while Brendon McCullum hit the fastest World Cup half-century to lead their team to an eight-wicket rout of hapless England on Friday. Southee took seven for 33 in nine overs as Engl
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Germany, France demand crumbling Ukraine ceasefire be 'fully respected'

Germany, France demand crumbling Ukraine ceasefire be 'fully respected'

Germany and France demanded Friday that a crumbling Ukraine truce be "fully respected" even as pro-Russian rebels celebrated a battlefield victory in a strategic town and exchanged artillery fire elsewhere with government troops. "The ceasefire has been v
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Rousseff refuses Indonesia ambassador credentials

Rousseff refuses Indonesia ambassador credentials

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff on Friday refused to accept the credentials of the Indonesian ambassador to demonstrate her anger at last month's execution of a Brazilian citizen for drug smuggling. "We think it is important that there is an evolution
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Suicide attack targets Somali officials, kills 10 people

Suicide attack targets Somali officials, kills 10 people

Islamist rebels detonated a car bomb near a hotel in the Somali capital on Friday and then set off another bomb inside where politicians had gathered, killing at least 10 people including a lawmaker and lightly wounding two ministers. Al Shabaab, which cl
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
World's oldest leader Mugabe triumphant ahead of 'obscene' birthday bash

World's oldest leader Mugabe triumphant ahead of 'obscene' birthday bash

The world's oldest leader, Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe, turns 91 on Saturday with much to celebrate - even as critics condemn as "obscene" his lavish birthday party plans in a country he is accused of plunging into poverty. "I'm very happy to be th
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Iran has stopped questionable nuclear centrifuge testing

Iran has stopped questionable nuclear centrifuge testing

Iran has refrained from expanding tests of more efficient models of a machine used to refine uranium under a nuclear agreement with six world powers, a UN report shows, allaying concerns it might be violating the accord. Tehran's development of advanced c
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Japan arrests Red Army member on return from US

Japan arrests Red Army member on return from US

A member of Japan's ultra-leftist Red Army guerrilla group, which attacked embassies and hijacked planes in the 1970s and 1980s, was arrested Friday when he arrived back in Japan, police said. Tsutomu Shirosaki, 67, returned home after serving a prison te
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
US and Cuba companies strike phone service deal

US and Cuba companies strike phone service deal

IDT Corporation, the largest US-based provider of international long distance calling, has reached an agreement with Cuba's ETECSA telecom company to provide phone service between the two countries as they normalise relations. The Cuban company, Empresa d
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
US names envoy to Colombia peace talks

US names envoy to Colombia peace talks

The United States on Friday named a special envoy to the Colombia peace talks in a bid to help nudge along negotiations to end one of the world's longest running conflicts. Talks between the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels and
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Migrants desperate to get out of Libya

Migrants desperate to get out of Libya

Fears a fresh wave of migrants could be poised to leave Libya for Europe mounted Friday as tales from those who have reached Italy revealed how terrifying conditions have become in the conflict-torn north African state. Asylum-seekers who have made it to
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
US fines Takata for stonewalling airbag probe

US fines Takata for stonewalling airbag probe

US regulators Friday fined Japanese auto parts manufacturer Takata $14,000 a day, accusing it of stonewalling the investigation into the company's defective airbags. Takata failed to fully respond to regulator requests to explain some 2.4 million pages of
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Ethnic Koreans rally in Japan for education subsidies

Ethnic Koreans rally in Japan for education subsidies

Hundreds of ethnic Korean students rallied in Tokyo Friday calling for the return of Japanese state subsidies for schools funded by a pro-Pyongyang group. The group were protesting a 2013 move when Japan stopped payments to 10 Korean high schools, with Ed
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Stolen SIM card keys could be powerful spy tool

Stolen SIM card keys could be powerful spy tool

It would be another powerful tool in the arsenal of US and British spy services: the encryption keys for a large share of the SIM cards used for mobile phones. A report by the investigative news website The Intercept, citing leaked documents from former N
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Cotton falls on technical selling after hitting five-month high

Cotton falls on technical selling after hitting five-month high

ICE cotton hit a five-month high on Thursday but ended the day down for the first time in five sessions after hitting technical resistance and encountering little demand at higher prices. The most-active May cotton contract on ICE Futures US fell 0.63 cen
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Copper falls, nickel bounces

Copper falls, nickel bounces

Copper prices fell on Friday, under pressured from a drop in the euro against the dollar, with trading volumes reduced by the absence of consumers in China where the market is closed for the Lunar New Year holiday. Three-month copper on the London Metal E
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Oil seesaws, heating oil spikes as freeze hits US refineries

Oil seesaws, heating oil spikes as freeze hits US refineries

Oil seesawed on Friday while the price of heating oil jumped more than 6 percent as severe winter cold crimped output at three US refineries, raising worries about higher crude supplies and a possible squeeze on refined products. "It's sell crude, buy pro
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Tokyo rubber rises

Tokyo rubber rises

Benchmark Tokyo rubber futures climbed on Friday, eking out a small weekly gain and marking a third week of rises, helped by Thailand's plan to start a second round of buying. The Tokyo Commodity Exchange (TOCOM) rubber contract for July delivery finished
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am
Soyabeans set five-week high

Soyabeans set five-week high

US soyabean futures jumped to a five-week high on Thursday after the Agriculture Department projected farmers will plant fewer acres than traders expected in response to falling prices. Corn futures also advanced, while wheat finished flat to lower. The U
Published 21 Feb, 2015 12:00am