Zardari rolls up sleeves to end political conflicts

Challenges to be handled thru dialogue, negotiation: President

ISLAMABAD: PPP Co-Chairman and President Asif Ali Zardari said that the challenges of coalition politics will be handled with a sense of maturity through dialogue and negotiations. While paying tribute Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto on his 83 birth anniversary, President Zardari said “Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto has taught us how to resolve complex political issues through dialogue” he said in a message on the 83rd birth anniversary of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Wednesday adding, “through dialogue we will also find a solution to the political challenges faced by the coalition.”

t was through dialogue that Shaheed Bhutto recovered the territory lost in the 1971 war, brought back ninety thousand prisoners of war and prevented the war trials of our military officers to protect the name and honor of the country, he said.

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Wall St dips as consumer shares weigh

US stocks late-morning
NEW YORK: Stocks fell on Tuesday on worries that rising food costs will sap supermarket profits, hurting consumer stocks and denting growing optimism about the economic outlook. Shares of Supervalu Inc nearly 7 per cent after Morgan Stanley told investors to cut holdings in the stock, saying rising food costs will crimp margins. Safeway Inc and Whole Foods Market also slid. Soybean and corn prices traded near two-year highs Tuesday.

"We’re light on consumer staples. One of our concerns is commodity prices are going to bite into profits,” said Thomas Villalta, portfolio manager for Jones Villalta Asset Management in Austin, Texas. Materials were the biggest losers, with the S&P materials index  falling 1.1 per cent, as metals prices dropped after recent gains.

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Posted in: cent,consumer,end,fell,food,Morgan Stanley,prices,profits,rise,rising,traded,Wall St

Dubai up most in 2-months; Egypt drops

Gulf stocks mkt

DUBAI: Dubai shares advanced the most in more than two months, leading gains in Gulf markets, as oil climbed to the highest year-end price since 2007. Egypt’s benchmark retreated as a bomb killed 21 people yesterday. Dubai Investments, which owns stakes in more than 40 companies, soared the most since Sept. 19. Drake & Scull International, the Dubai-based engineering contractor, rose for a fifth day

1,668.27 at the 2 pm close in the emirate. The measure lost 9.6 per cent in 2010. Abu Dhabi’s ADX General Index increased 0.8 per cent.

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Foreign portfolio up at $2.9bn

KSE during CY10: foreigners hold 32pc of free float

Offshorers invest $522 million

Ahmed Siddique

KARACHI: Total Investment value of foreign portfolio significantly hiked by 53.2 per cent or $1.02 billion to $2.93 billion at the end of year 2010 against $1.92 billion witnessed on year-end 2009.

Rise in portfolio investment in CY10 driven by fresh investment of $522 million and value of equity appreciation of around $490 million. In terms of rupee, special convertible rupee account (SCRA) showed closing market value of shares and securities at Rs 252 billion against Rs161 billion observed on same period last year, thus reflecting 56.4 per cent jump in portfolio value during the period.
As per “The Financial Daily” analyst, foreign investors own $2.93 billion which is 32 per cent of the free float market capitalization on above date. The main reasons for surge in foreign holding value were significant hike in equity market as it surged by 28.1 per cent or 2,636 points to close at 12,022-level at the end of December 31, 2010 comparing with the index stood at 9,387 points at the end of the year 2009.

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It’s time to end hostility, Krishna tells Pakistan

NEW DELHI: Indian Minister for External Affairs S M Krishna said on Sunday that Pakistan’s posture of “compulsive hostility” will not help a serious and sustained dialogue between the two countries. In an interview, Krishna said New Delhi would “walked the extra mile in reaching out” to its neighbours “We earnestly hope that our neighbour would see the merit in constructive engagement and discard the posture of compulsive hostility”, he said.

The External Affairs Minister said, “Our only expectation from Pakistan is to dismantle the terror infrastructure that operates from the territories under its control. A serious and sustained dialogue can thrive only in a peaceful and terror free climate.” Krishna said that terrorism, whether state-sponsored or not, has no place in today’s world and needs to be rooted out through concerted efforts of each and everyone. -Agencies

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Posted in: Affairs,dialogue,end,External,external affairs,Krishna,Minister,Pakistan,terror,that