Indian shares ended higher on Friday, after the government announced higher rural spending as well as tax exemptions in its last budget before the general elections due by May. Shares of India's Vedanta Ltd slumped to a two-and-a-half-year low on Friday a

Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei index ended flat on Friday as investors sought fresh trading clues and watched individual corporate earnings reports.

Wirecard on Friday denied allegations of financial irregularities after a second investigative report in three days by the Financial Times sent shares in the German payments company down by 28 percent. Friday's price plunge, which wiped $5.7 billion off t

European shares ended higher on Friday, as upbeat US jobs data in January and fresh optimism about the US-China trade spat offset weak bank earnings, gloomy euro-zone macro data and a rout in Germany's Wirecard after a report of fraud spooked. The STOXX 6

Australian shares ended flat on Friday as gains in miners, on the back of stronger commodities prices and renewed confidence in the outcome of US-China talks, were offset by losses in energy and financial stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 index ended flat at 5,862.

Britain's FTSE 100 closed higher for the fourth straight session on Friday as signs the United States and China could soon settle their protracted trade dispute offset disappointing data from China, while TalkTalk sank after warning rising costs would hit

Almost a third of British companies are considering moving or setting up overseas operations because of Brexit, according to a survey published Friday by business lobby group the Institute of Directors.

Vice Media unveiled plans Friday to cut 10 percent of its staff, or some 250 jobs, in the latest round of job slashing in the once-sizzling digital media sector.

Japanese electronics giant Sony said on Friday that nine-month net profit jumped 63.2 percent on-year, led by its games and music divisions, while tax benefits allowed the firm to raise its annual forecast.

Uzbekistan on Friday granted visa-free entry to citizens of 45 countries to boost tourism, which the government views as vital for economic growth. The countries benefiting from a 30-day visa waiver that went into force on Friday include the majority of E

Exxon Mobil's fourth-quarter profits that topped Wall Street expectations Friday following a rise in oil and gas production and a better performance in refining.

Japan's public pension fund, the biggest of its kind in the world, said Friday it lost more than $135 billion in a record quarterly loss caused by a global stocks rout. The Government Pension Investment Fund said its losses in the October-December period

Design company Alessi, famous for household items with a modernist twist, said Friday it was cutting over a quarter of its workforce in Italy and was looking for an outside investor. Some 80 jobs out of a total of 315 in Italy are to go, the firm said, bl

Several EU members on Friday seized and destroyed suspect beef from a Polish slaughterhouse where allegedly sick cows were butchered, despite assurances by Warsaw that the meat did not pose a health risk.

Factory activity was at its weakest in years across much of the world during January, adding to worries trade tariffs, political uncertainty and cooling demand poses an increasing threat to global growth.

Eurozone inflation dipped as expected last month, falling further from the European Central Bank's target and providing yet another reason for the bank to slow down in removing stimulus. Inflation in the 19 countries sharing the euro slowed to 1.4 percent

US job growth surged in January, with employers hiring the most workers in 11 months, pointing to underlying strength in the economy despite an uncertain outlook that has left the Federal Reserve wary about more interest rate hikes this year. The Labour D

Joe Burns and Travis Head plundered Australia's first centuries of the home summer Friday in a stirring fightback as they ruthlessly exposed Sri Lanka's inexperienced attack in the second Test at Canberra. Australian skipper Tim Paine won the toss at the

Qatar stunned Japan 3-1 to win their first Asian Cup on Friday sparked by a moment of magic from record-breaker Almoez Ali and after nail-biting late drama. Sudan-born striker Ali scored with an acrobatic bicycle kick after just 12 minutes before Abdelazi

West Indies' top-order batting negotiated a testing two-hour period with a combination of luck and skill to reach the lunch interval at 126 for one replying to England's first innings total of 187 on the second day of the second Test of the three-match se

While debate is going on for choosing a new captain after the Pakistan Super League-IV (PSL-IV), former cricketers have opposed removing skipper Sarfraz Ahmed ahead of World Cup event. Sources claimed that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) may choose a new

The West Indies women took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match T20I series when they defeated Pakistan women in the Super Over at the Southend Club on Friday. This was the third tied match between the two sides in eight encounters with the West In

Lyari team overpowered DHA team by 2-1 score in a festival football match organized by Leisure Leagues and Oxfam with an aim to alleviate impacts of inequality here at Sarbazi Ground in Lyari. CEFA team represented Lyari, a humble neighbourhood, while FC

Twelve Russian track and field athletes, including 2012 Olympic high jump champion Ivan Ukhov, have been suspended for doping, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced on Friday. The suspensions range between two to eight-year bans, with 2013 wo

Chinese President Xi Jinping has declared that he "hates" doping, laying out a tough stance against cheating at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. Doping has overshadowed the Games in recent years, with Russia's Olympic committee barred from last year's co

The Australian dollar fell versus the greenback on Friday after a private survey showed factory activity in China shrank by the most in almost three years in January. The Australian dollar, often considered a barometer for global risk appetite, fell 0.4 p

The offshore yuan was headed for its worst daily decline in over five months on Friday after weak economic data out of China damaged risk sentiment and weighed on the Australian dollar. China's gloomy factory readings have brought global growth worries to

The dollar slipped on Friday after the US non-farm payrolls report for January showed very little wage inflation, affirming the Federal Reserve's patient stance on further interest rate increases. The greenback did shoot higher after the release of strong

The dollar fell to two-week lows against the yen on Thursday, pressured by the Federal Reserve's cautious outlook on the US economy, which suggested that the central bank is near the end of its tightening cycle.

The Australian dollar faltered from near a two-month top on Friday after a contraction in factory activity in the country's top trading partner China dented risk appetite, although the currency was still on track to end the week with handy gains. The Auss

Most Asian currencies softened on Friday as bleak China factory readings knocked back investor sentiment, which had been improving on signs of progress in Sino-US trade talks and a shift by the US central bank to a more cautious stance.

Sterling slid on Friday, putting it on track for its biggest weekly loss in seven weeks, after survey data highlighted the degree of uncertainty sweeping British manufacturers as the country heads towards Brexit in less than two months. While foreign exch

Thousands of Iranians packed the mausoleum of the Islamic republic's founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in Tehran on Friday to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the revolution that overthrew a centuries-old dynasty. Ceremonies for the 1979 revolution wer

The International Criminal Court finally freed former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo on Friday after his shock acquittal last month of crimes against humanity. Judges agreed to release the 73-year-old ex-strongman and his aide Charles Ble Goude on c

Two Indian Air Force pilots were killed Friday when their French-built Mirage 2000 aircraft crashed minutes after take-off. The single-engine jet fighter aircraft manufactured by Dassault Aviation was on a test flight after an upgrade carried out by India

Senator Cory Booker announced Friday he is running for US president, joining a widening field of Democrats seeking their party's nomination to take on Donald Trump in 2020. The New Jersey native, who made the announcement in a video, is the second African

The United States and China said their trade war negotiations resulted in major progress as the clock ticks on a March deadline to avert a massive escalation of tariffs that could bruise the global economy. US President Donald Trump hailed "tremendous pro

A British media watchdog on Friday fined a top pro-Brexit campaign and an insurance company headed by its donor for violating data protection rules. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) said the Leave.EU lobby group funded by Arron Banks used the p

Peace negotiations between armed militias and the government of Central African Republic have been suspended, mainly over the issue of amnesty, a governmental source told AFP Friday. The latest round of peace talks sponsored by the African Union had opene

Washington has imposed visa restrictions on Ghana following a row over the deportation of Ghanaians staying illegally in the United States. The move, which goes into effect on February 4, will also affect government employees and politicians. US officials

Britain reacted with fury after a European Council document published on Friday described Gibraltar as a colony. The document, laying out proposals to give British nationals short-stay, visa-free access to the EU's borderless Schengen area after Brexit, c

In the weeks leading up to Democratic Republic of Congo's controversial election, those leaving power quietly passed two decrees guaranteeing themselves money and benefits that would ensure their financial security for decades to come. Ministers in the ou

The United States said Friday it would exit a landmark Cold War nuclear missile treaty due to purported violations by Russia, which has warned of a new arms race in Europe. Washington says a new Russian medium-range missile system breaches the Intermediat

Aluminium prices dropped on Friday, pressured by concern over excess supply after the top producer said it would resume some output, while some base metals were weighed down by weak Chinese factory data. Other metals climbed, however, with zinc hitting it

US sanctions will sharply limit oil transactions between Venezuela and other countries and are similar to but slightly less extensive than those imposed on Iran last year, experts said on Friday after looking at details posted by the Treasury Department.

Oil prices rose about 3 percent on Friday, rising on upbeat US jobs data and signs that US sanctions on Venezuelan exports have helped tighten supply, then extending gains after weekly data showed US drillers cut the number of oil rigs. Brent crude oil fu

ICE cotton futures settled nearly unchanged on Thursday, as the market awaited progress in the trade talks between top exporter the United States and China, the biggest consumer of the natural fiber. The most active cotton contract on ICE Futures US - the

The world sugar market is on course for a shortfall of 1.36 million tonnes (raw value), analyst Green Pool said on Friday in its first forecast for the 2019/20 season. It also trimmed its projection for the global surplus in 2018/19 to 2.64 million tonnes

Benchmark Tokyo rubber futures rose on Friday, tracking gains in Shanghai futures, on falling output and market expectation for stronger demand after the Chinese New Year holiday. Tokyo Commodity Exchange (TOCOM) futures, which set the tone for rubber pri

Arabica coffee futures on ICE fell on Friday on a weaker currency in top grower Brazil and the front-month contract posted a weekly loss for the first time in seven weeks, while raw sugar slipped. March arabica coffee settled down 2.2 cents, or 2.1 percen

Gold prices were steady on Thursday, having earlier hit their highest in nine months, after the US Federal Reserve kept interest rates steady and said it would be patient on further hikes, keeping bullion on track for a fourth straight monthly gain. Spot

Gold fell on Friday as investors sought riskier assets amid optimism the United States and China may reach a trade deal, although a pause in US interest rate hikes kept bullion on track for a second weekly increase. Spot gold fell 0.3 percent to $1,316.95

Gold steadied on Friday after hitting a nine-month peak in the previous session, as the market awaited US jobs data for indications on the strength of the world's biggest economy. A more dovish US Federal Reserve outlook and a weaker dollar had lifted gol

Brazil's 2018/19 soyabean crop view was slashed to 112.2 million tonnes on Friday by broker and consultancy INTL FCStone, the smallest estimate so far by independent forecasters, as drier-than-normal weather and extreme heat take a toll on Brazil's crop.

Gold slipped in early New York trade on Friday, weighed down by robust US jobs data, but remained on course for a second week of gains buoyed by the US Federal Reserve's signal that it would pause its interest rate hikes. Spot gold dipped 0.2 percent to $

Finance Minister Asad Umar received the Malaysian edotco Group delegation for a meeting here on Friday. The delegation which also included two members of the Malaysian Telecom Company was led by Datuk Azzat Kamaludin, Chairman of the edotco group, says a

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday asked the provincial governments to submit recommendations to stabilize and promote country's agriculture sector by taking advantage of technological cooperation from China and other friendly states. Chairing a high lev

MCC Port Qasim Karachi has collected Customs duty of Rs 105 billion during the period of July-January of current fiscal year against Rs 83 billion collection in the corresponding period of 2017-18, registering a growth of 26 percent on year-on-year basis.

Pakistan has so far designated 19 wetlands across the country as Ramsar sites for being a signatory to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance while the government is taking all possible measures to conserve the wetlands to mitigate

Securities and Exchange Policy Board Friday directed Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) to expedite process of implementation of measures to reduce over-regulations as well as fee charged by the commission substantially.

Punjab University Centre for South Asian Studies (CSAS) has organized a seminar on 'Indo-Pakistan Peace and Kashmir' in its committee room. Former Legal Advisor Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan Ross Masud was the keynote speaker while CSAS Director

Bidders' session for under Tax Accelerating Growth and Reform (TAGR) project of World Bank on strengthening FBR's capacity in information technology and fiscal research & tax policy was held at FBR Auditorium. It was an open house session for all bidders.

Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has jacked up the price of indigenous liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) 11.8kg domestic cylinder by Rs 65 for the month of February 2019. A notification issued by the OGRA said new price of a 11.8kg domestic cylinder wo

Stressing the need for importance of knowledge sharing, Luis Camacho, Stewardship Lead for Asia/Africa Bayer Pakistan has urged the growers to equip themselves with necessary knowledge and skills to improve their productivity aimed at growing their busine

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government exempted the tribal districts from all kind of provincial taxes. The decision was taken in first ever cabinet meeting in the district Khyber. It was decided that taxes in vogue in the erstwhile FATA will remain intact and

Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed Friday launched a month-long special drive 'Clean, Green and Courteous Railways.'While addressing the launching ceremony at Rawalpindi Railways Station, the minister said that he will himself oversee the campaign to e

Over one million saplings would be planted in spring under Parks & Horticulture Authorities (PHAs) in the Punjab during next two months. This was decided in a meeting headed by Minister for Housing & Urban Development, Mian Mahmood ur Rasheed which was at

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) is all set to appoint new legal advisor at a time when deadline for filing review petitions in important cases, including Grand Hyatt Hotel/One Constitution Avenue, information technology university, land acquisitio

Punjab government has sought Federal government's help / approval for resolution of outstanding issues of its 5,000 MW electricity projects. These issues related to power plants including RLNG based power plants of 2300 MW, small hydropower projects havin

The government needs to amend Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules immediately and make them business friendly as these rules are creating serious hurdles in starting of any new project. This was stated by Khawaja Mohammad Asif, former fed

Punjab University Examinations Department has issued the schedule for submission of admission forms and fee for BA/BSc Part-I & Part-II annual examination 2019 for the candidates having compartment in any subject(s) in BA/BSc Part-I & Part-II supplementar

Chairman Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Lahore Prof Ch. Muhammad Ismail has asked the sectional heads to further improve their service-delivery and achievement of departmental targets with regard to matric and intermediate examinations shou

Pakistan FMCG Importers Association (PFIA) welcoming the proposal of bringing commercial importers back under the final tax regime, has urged the government to bring the import and customs duties further down so as to discourage the smuggling which is als

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah will launch Sindh Business Registration Portal (SBRP) on February 20. Chief Secretary Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah said this in a meeting that was held with Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Textile Industries

President of Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF), Mian Zahid Hussain has said that financial assistance from friendly countries like Saudi Arabia, China and UAE has eased the pressure of foreign reserves and reduced economic uncertainty.

Sindh Governor Imran Ismail said that incumbent federal government wants to promote literary activities and being the representative of federation, Governor House is open to all literary events. "Government will extend cooperation in this regard," he said

Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) has announced 16th Biennial Provincial Conventions across the country. PIMA 6th Biennial Provincial Conventions in Sukkur will be held on March 22-23, Peshawar on March 23-24, Multan from March 30 to 31, Muzaffa

"I say too much exposure, too many attacks on members of the opposition who have no power any more or daily denigration of the leadership of opposition parties can lead to viewer or public fatigue with the ruling party...."

The fourth industrial revolution is knocking at our doors which has prompted the need to reprioritize our future strategies in addition to synchronizing our production, management and governance systems to harvest its fruits, said Faisalabad Chamber of Co

President Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Punjab Qamar Zaman Kaira said Friday the PPP would resist wrapping up of subsidies and privatization of state owned entities. "PPP has already rejected capital policies and it would resist to present government polic

A dedicated cargo train will be launched very soon to facilitate the exports in addition to establishing an international air cargo terminal at Faisalabad, said Provincial Minister for Industries, Commerce and Investment Mian Mohammad Aslam Iqbal.

The Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab (TDCP) will hold Pakistan biggest motor sports event, 14th Cholistan Desert Rally 2019, from February 14 to 17. While addressing a press briefing, Punjab Tourism Minister Raja Yasir Humayun Sarfraz said that t

Shell Pakistan re-launched three retail fuel sites, located in the Liberty, Garden Town and Iqbal Town areas of Lahore. These company-owned retail fuel sites will ensure that the consumers refueling their vehicles will be provided top of the line services

The Punjab Finance Department has said that FD has released third quarter of funds in respective Special Drawing Accounts (SDA) and it is under process as and when the reference is received from respective administrative department. "There is nothing pend

The Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar Friday said the government has taken difficult decisions to move the economy on the right direction and positive results have been achieved. "Problems are temporary; national economy is improving and people wi

Welcoming the government's timely judicious decision of allowing tourists from 175 countries to visit Pakistan with visa on arrival, SAARC CCI Senior Vice President (SVP) Iftikhar Ali Malik has said still government needs to take more concrete steps for m

During the month of January, the Model Customs Collectorate (MCC) Appraisement Lahore has collected Rs 3028 million against Rs 2340 million during January, 2018, thus registering growth of 29%. Overall, the Collectorate collected Rs 6885 million during Ja

Businessmen Panel of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry has apprehended that increase in key policy rate by 25 basis points to 10.25 percent effective from 1st February 2019 touching six-year high will bring the economy to a standsti

The State Bank of Pakistan and all banks will remain closed on 5th February, 2019 (Tuesday) on the occasion of "Kashmir Solidarity Day" as declared by the Government of Pakistan.

Mainly cold and dry weather is expected in the most parts of the country in the next 24 hours, the Met Office said on Friday. Fog is likely in south Punjab and upper Sindh during morning/night. "Continental air is prevailing over most parts of the country

Sindh Chief Secretary Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah on Friday ordered the concerned authorities to ensure that all development schemes under ADP (Annual Development Programme) are completed by June 30, 2019. Presiding over an important meeting, he asked the admini

Sindh Finance Department team is examining existing rules to suggest necessary legislation for the World Bank-supported Medium Term Fiscal Framework (MTFF) and Fiscal Responsibility and Debt Management (FRDM).

Sindh High Court (SHC) Friday ordered the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to look into the petition of Federal Minister for Water Resources, Faisal Vawda against Mayor Karachi Waseem Akhtar for alleged misappropriation of public funds. A division ben

The gas supply to compressed natural gas (CNG) filling stations across Sindh will remain suspended on February 4, 6 and 8, said Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) spokesperson. The spokesperson said that the gas supply to Industrial sector would remain suspe

Firing of unknown men on Friday claimed the lives of five people in Pangur district. Unknown people in the west Balochistan's district of Panjgur opened fire which resulted in the loss of five lives. Police shifted the dead bodies to a nearby hospital and

Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday disposed of the petition of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani against Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) over initiating the cases against him. SHC's bench headed by Justice Naimatullah Phulphoto disposed of the pet

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Friday blamed the federal government for not acting upon the 18th Amendment. "There are attempts to snatch institutions established by the Sindh government. But, we will protect 18th Amendmen

Pakistan pulses import went up to $287.829 million in July-Dec 2018-19, lower 7 percent down, official figures say. Increase in pulses import now comes to the tune of $17.926 million in July-Dec 2018-19 from $269.903 million in July-Dec 2017-18, Pakistan

The oil sales declined by 16 percent on year-on-year basis in January 2019. Pakistan Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) started 2019 with declining sales numbers where Ex-FO sales continued to portray downward trend in its monthly numbers for last few months,

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Quetta Abdul Razzaq Cheema on Friday ordered an inquiry into the Rs50 million ransom money paid for the recovery of Civil Hospital neurosurgeon Dr Sheikh Ibrahim Khalil who was abducted from Quetta.