October 21, 2005	Friday	Ramzan 16, 1426

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Free access under EU’s GSP plus sought: Post-quake scenario KARACHI, Oct 20: Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan on Thursday said that the matter relating to GSP plus had already been taken up with the European Union (EU) on the grounds...		FAO team due today to assess farm losses LAHORE, Oct 20: A five-member team of experts of the UN’s Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is to undertake a tour of the earthquake affected areas of Azad Kashmir to...
Consumption of pulses, spices declines KARACHI, Oct 20: The impact of earthquake was seriously felt in commodity markets in Karachi where it was observed that Karachiites were not holding ‘Iftar’ parties which significantly dropped the consumption...		Demand for steel set to pick up: Reconstruction KARACHI, Oct 20: Pakistan Steel is expecting a jump in consumption of steel and its products as reconstruction activities are gathering pace in the earthquake devastated areas....
Engro, Hubco, FFBL announce results KARACHI, Oct 20: In the quarterly results announcement season that is almost a half way through, three companies with significant investor interest announced their financial results on Thursday....		PM wants hurdles to investment removed: Four bodies set up ISLAMABAD, Oct 20: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Thursday constituted four committees that would submit recommendations to the Board of Investment (BoI) within one month for attracting both domestic and international investment in specific areas....
Index loses 315 points on panic-selling in blue chips KARACHI, Oct 20: Stocks on Thursday failed to sustain the overnight run-up as bears fought back and again dominated the trading after having indulged in panic selling on bank and oil counters....		Bearish trend on cotton market KARACHI, Oct 20: Cotton prices on Thursday eased further as ginners continued to liquidate long positions followed by reports of larger arrivals of phutti into the ginneries....
Khalid Firoz resigns as KCCI chief KARACHI, Oct 20: Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Khalid Firoz on Thursday resigned from his office with immediate effect. Senior Vice-President Abdul Majeed Memon will act as president till the election of the new president....		Oil prices sink LONDON, Oct 20: World oil prices plunged on Thursday to three-month lows on relief that Hurricane Wilma was forecast to miss battered energy infrastructures, dealers said....
Limited access to credit hits SME growth ISLAMABAD, Oct 20: Small and medium enterprises’ limited access to credit not only hampers their growth but also discourages them from taking risk. The Asian Development Bank’s Pakistan Resident Mission observed...		Consuming countries asked to cut taxes: Stabilizing oil prices RIYADH, Oct 20: While Saudi Arabia embarks on a series of projects, at an estimated cost of $50 billion, to increase its crude oil production to 12.5...
Asean to develop economic ties with Pakistan BEIJING, Oct 20: Pakistan gets fair opportunities to take part in economic activities undertaken by the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). Asean has a sectoral dialogue relation with Pakistan...		319 firms registered in Sept ISLAMABAD, Oct 20: The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan registered 319 companies in September 2005, as compared to 236 companies registered in the same month last year, indicating an increase of 35 per cent....
Karachi Port operations KARACHI, Oct 20: Three ships carrying containers and crude oil are expected to arrive at the outer anchorage on Friday, according to KPT sources. Berthing activity at the wharves was maintained...		WTO envoy’s tenure extended ISLAMABAD, Oct 20: The government has extended by one year the tenure of Dr Manzoor Ahmad as Pakistan’s ambassador and permanent representative for the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva....
IEA action PARIS, Oct 20: The International Energy Agency said on Thursday it would be prepared to take further action to address possible oil shortages, including those caused by hurricane damage in the Gulf of Mexico....		Foreign ownership NEW DELHI, Oct 20: India’s cabinet on Thursday gave formal approval to raise the limit on foreign company ownership of telecoms companies to 74 per cent from 49 per cent, a senior minister said....
Gold up in Europe LONDON, Oct 20: Gold prices inched up in Europe on Thursday, hovering way below last week’s near 18-year peak, but could face further liquidation by funds as softening crude oil prices lowered inflation worries....		Asian stocks mixed HONG KONG, Oct 20: Asian stocks closed mixed on Thursday in volatile trade marked by unexpected gains on Wall Street overnight which came on the heels of reassuring Federal Reserve comments on the US economy....
European shares trim gains LONDON, Oct 20: European shares pared early gains by the close of trading on Thursday, but ended higher on upbeat results from foods group Nestle, while Nokia disappointed and topped blue-chip fallers....		Palm oil ends lower KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 20: Malaysian crude palm oil futures fell on Thursday after cargo surveyors estimated that growth in palm oil exports between Oct. 1 and 20 was slower than in the first 15 days of the month....