National

Babar Awan withdraws intra-court appeal in contempt case

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed Barrister Ali Zafar, the counsel for Senator Babar Awan, to withdraw an intra-court appeal seeking a restraining order for a two-member bench that would… (Related News)

Militants attack on Yemen army checkpoint kills 13

In the southern city of Lawdar, where 57 people were killed on Monday in clashes between government forces and fighters from al Qaeda-linked group Ansar al-Sharia, fighting was intensifying, residents… (Related News)

Riots in Saidabad, India, instigate curfew

Riots broke out in Saidabad and Madannapet police station areas of the old city in India, after desecration of a religious building on Sunday. The intensity of riots instigated the police to impose curfew… (Related News)

Suu Kyi to take seat in Myanmar parliament on April 23

The veteran dissident’s National League for Democracy (NLD), which won 43 seats in April 1 by-election, will be the main opposition force in a national parliament dominated by the military and its political… (Related News)

Avalanche traps about 150 Pakistani soldiers-media

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Turk PM says Iran insincere about nuclear talks venue

ANKARA: Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that Iran was insincere in suggesting Damascus or Baghdad instead of Istanbul as possible venues for talks on its disputed nuclear programme… (Related News)

Pakistan wants meaningful dialogue with India: FO

“President Asif Ali Zardari, during his forthcoming visit to India on Sunday will discuss all the issues with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to promote intra-regional peace and prosperity in this… (Related News)

Security Council backs April 10 deadline for Syria

UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council on Thursday gave formal backing to an April 10 deadline that UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan agreed with the Syrian government to end its military offensive on … (Related News)

Abducted Pakistani teen starved to death in Greece: police

ATHENS: A Pakistani youth was starved to death in Greece after being held to ransom by kidnappers for over more than months, the semi-state Athens News Agency reported on Thursday, citing police sources… (Related News)

“Gave Sharif brothers their shine, can take it back anytime”

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A man worth $10 million

Hafiz Saeed, who has now officially become one of the most wanted men in India and United States, was born in 1950 in the city of Sargodha, Pakistan. He hails from a conservative Punjabi family and according… (Related News)

Will not accept US pressure to act against JuD chief: FO

Basit said Pakistan had adopted “a legal and principled position on the issue that it can not proceed against them (Hafiz Saeed and brother-in-law Hafiz Abdul Rehman Makki) without any concrete evidence… (Related News)

UN says Syria ceasfire to be in place by April 12

GENEVA: The United Nations expects a ceasfire between Syrian troops and opposition forces to be in place no later than April 12, a spokesman for the UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan said Thursday, as activists… (Related News)

SC orders the arrest of people involved in ransom kidnapping

The court had also asked the Balochistan government to file a comprehensive report explaining what it had done in the last three years to protect the lives and property of the people and to restore peace… (Related News)

Taliban kill eight Afghan police: official

The attack happened late on Wednesday, said Naqibullah Farahi, spokesman for the provincial administration of Farah, which bordersIran. Earlier a suicide bomb attack had claimed 12 lives in northern Afganistan… (Related News)

Indian girl stumps govt on Gandhi title

NEW DELHI: A 10-year-old Indian girl has stumped the government with a Right to Information request asking when and how independence hero icon Mahatma Gandhi came to be known as the “father of the nation… (Related News)

Drugs find their way into the prison: LHC

LAHORE: During the hearing of Sialkot shootout case, on Wednesday, Justice Mazhar Iqbal Sidhu of Lahore High Court (LHC) took notice of the irregularities of the jail administration and said that with… (Related News)

Ex-student charged with murder in California shooting rampage

OAKLAND: A former nursing student was charged with murder and attempted murder on Wednesday in a shooting rampage that left seven people dead and three others wounded this week at a small, Christian college… (Related News)

Blast in Karachi injures three

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4 dead in militant ambush in southern Philippines

This undated wanted poster released jointly by the Philippine military and the U.S. Embassy in Manila shows terrorist leaders wanted by authorities for murders, extortion and kidnappings with corresponding… (Related News)

Business & Economy

Economic Indicators

US Dollar (Buy/Sell)Rs 85.85 / 85.88
Gold (10gm)42,428.00
Gold (Tola)49,487.19
KSE-100 Close12,361.32

Stress on mobilising domestic resources

ISLAMABAD, May 19: The government should introduce a budget that can trigger economic activity in the country, said Vice President SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry Iftikhar Ali Malik on Saturday… (Related News)

South Korea-Uzbek gas deal

The Uz-Kor Gas Chemical company was formed by the Korea Gas Corporation (KOGAS) giant and the Central Asian state’s Uzbekneftegas oil and gas company in 2008 amid surging Asia interest in the region… (Related News)

Corrosion management

The conference was aimed to provide industry, academia and experts with a platform to address the acute issue of corrosion, that costs about three billion annually and of which’s major share went to… (Related News)

Trade with India

ISLAMABAD, May 19: The Attock Chamber of Com-merce and Industry (ACCI) on Saturday asked Pakistan and India to speed up trade liberalisation efforts. Liberalised trade will help both countries save billions… (Related News)

NY cotton ends higher

New York, May 19: Cotton futures closed higher on speculative short-covering in a rebound from ending at a two and a quarter year low in the previous session, with analysts saying the euro zone debt crisis… (Related News)

Home prices fall in major Chinese cities

China has implemented several measures aimed at limiting runaway property prices for more than a year, including bans on buying second homes, hiking minimum down-payments and introducing property taxes… (Related News)

Commodity prices slide on eurozone woes

LONDON, May 19: Most commodities struggled this week, with many striking multi-month lows, as investors eyed the strong dollar and the eurozone debt crisis that is plaguing Greece and threatening Spain… (Related News)

Tata Steel net profit dives

MUMBAI, May 19: India’s Tata Steel, the world’s seventh-largest steelmaker, has said that quarterly net profit plunged 90 per cent from a year earlier, hit by high input costs and falling demand in… (Related News)

Listless trading on cotton market

The Karachi Cotton Association spot rates remained unchanged from Friday. The following deals were reported on the ready counter: 200 bales from Lodhran at Rs5,350, 200 bales from Uch Sharif at Rs5,550… (Related News)

Iran keeps world guessing about impact of sanctions

Washington and its allies insist the embargo is beginning to produce results. It has helped, they say, in mellowing somewhat the Iranian stand on the nuclear issue — the apple of discord — between… (Related News)

S. African trade trend shifting to emerging markets

CAPE TOWN, May 19: South African exports to Europe and other developed countries remain below their 2008 peaks while trade with emerging economies has boomed, trade minister Rob Davies… (Related News)

India considering wheat exports to Iran

NEW DELHI, May 19: India is considering wheat exports to Iran, a government source said on Friday, as New Delhi hopes to boost exports to Iran to help settle part of its oil imports bill through a bilateral… (Related News)

FED may be phased out by 2014

Talking to media after attending the Degree Awarding Ceremony 2012 of Iqra University at Jinnah Convention Centre as chief guest, the minister said in the past 10 years Rs160 billion had been spent on… (Related News)

SECP to make online registration

ISLAMABAD, May 19: The SECP announced on Saturday that it would only be registering companies on-line, and those firms which have shifted from physical filing to online cannot revert back to physical … (Related News)

Iraq’s oil exports fall

LONDON, May 19: Iraq’s oil exports from its southern ports have slipped by 170,000 barrels per day so far in May, according to shipping data tracked by Reuters, although Iraq remains hopeful of sustaining… (Related News)

EBRD approves 1bn euro investment

LONDON, May 19: The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development on Saturday approved investment of 1.0 billion euros for expansion into north Africa and the Middle East under its first British president… (Related News)

G8 leaders lay stress on growth, stability

CAMP DAVID (Maryland) May 19: G8 host President Barack Obama declared the group “absolutely committed” to growth and fiscal reforms on Saturday as leaders of the world’s major economies tried to… (Related News)

Cracks in EU push up dollar

KARACHI, May 19: After cracks in the eurozone over Greek crisis, the US dollar became highly attractive, pressing the local currency to shed further weight amid high demand for dollar in the local market… (Related News)

Canada annual inflation rises

The agency noted that gasoline prices have been rising in recent months, pushing up to their highest level since July 2008. But the year-over-year increase in April was the smallest since September 2010… (Related News)

Chinese firms slam US duties

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Sports

Border still shut as NATO seeks Pakistan resolution

Pakistani truck drivers watch as traffic queues at the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan at Torkham on May 20, 2012. There was no sign on May 20 of Pakistan opening its border crossing to NATO trucks… (Related News)

Renowned TV and film artist Ibrahim Nafees passes away

Ibrahim Nafees, performed in more than 300 stage and theater plays. He also played key roles in more than 250 films and TV plays. Nafees was among the few actors in Pakistan who was trained in drama acting… (Related News)

Don’t create situation against democracy: Malik

Rehman Malik said that he was severely criticised when he pointed out the rising extremism in Swat, Malakand and southern Punjab and now Shahbaz Sharif has also warned about the rise of extremism in southern… (Related News)

Technology

Afghan occupation illegal under international law: Mullah Omar

In a statement released, Omar also said the decision is as a reflection of the French people’s opinion. ”The declaration of the new president of France, Francois Hollande, that all its troops will… (Related News)

US rejects high Pakistan fees for supply routes: official

CHICAGO: US-Pakistani talks on reopening vital supply routes for Nato forces in Afghanistan have faltered over Islamabad’s “unacceptable” demand to charge steep fees for trucks crossing the border… (Related News)

Researcher apologizes for study of gay therapy

Dr. Robert L. Spitzer, formerly of Columbia University, now says he no longer believes his work showed that.   For the study, Spitzer had interviewed 200 people who’d claimed some degree of change… (Related News)

Electric car network gets first test in Israel

In this Sunday, Feb. 7, 2010 file photo an electric car is seen during a demonstration of the California-based company Better Place in Tel Aviv, Israel. Israeli entrepreneur Shai Agassi has developed … (Related News)

Nation being misguided on Thar coal: Dr A Q Khan

KARACHI:  Renowned nuclear scientist, Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan said that the nation is being misguided about power generation through Thar Coal as fake claims being made that 50,000 mage watts energy could… (Related News)