KARACHI: Correction at the local bourse continued on Thursday, taking away 64 points from the benchmark KSE-100 Index which closed at 10,454.
The Index started off green and witnessed the intra-day high of 10,579 points. But later off-loading in energy and banking sectors by the investors sucked away earlier gains.
The trade volume was weak and stood at 110 million shares.
PTCL emerged as today’s volume leader at Rs21.48, up by paisas 45.
Meanwhile, KSE-30 Index plunged by 81 points to finish the day at 10,557.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Euro slides as doubts emerge, Aussie recovers
SYDNEY: The euro fell on Monday, resuming its slide toward recent one-year lows, as fiscal worries about the broader euro zone returned and the initial relief from a bailout package for debt-stricken Greece fizzled out.
Growth-linked currencies like the Australian dollar, however, recouped earlier losses made in a knee-jerk reaction to China's move to tighten policy.
The euro fell to as low as $1.3206 in Asian trade, losing 0.8 percent from $1.3313 late on Friday. It had rallied to as high as $1.3359 in early trade in Asia, before losing all those hard-earned gains.
Traders reported stop-loss selling below $1.3220 with the single currency making an outside trading day on the charts, suggesting a bearish trend is in store.
More stops are lined up around $1.32 and it all depends on how Portuguese and Spanish debt spreads trade when Europe opens. If they blow out, the euro could fall further, traders said. It had hit a one-year low of $1.3114 last week.
"The bailout package is turning out to be a 10-tonne weight around the euro," said David Scutt, a forex trader at Arab Bank Australia in Sydney. "It is a classic case of buy the rumor and sell the fact.
The euro also fell on the yen, dropping to 124.19 yen, from 125.06 yen late on Friday. Trade is expected to be light due to holidays in Japan, China and the UK.
The euro is down about 7 percent against the greenback since the start of the year as fears about a default by Greece and concerns it will spread to other southern European countries drove speculators to go short on the single currency.
Latest data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission showed speculators had run up record short positions against the euro in the week to April 27 as uncertainty over the Greek debt crisis mounted.
On Sunday, European finance ministers agreed to a record 110 billion ($147 billion) bailout package for Greece. They approved a three-year package of emergency loans and agreed the first funds would be released in time for Athens to make a big debt repayment to creditors on May 19.
The plan still needs to be approved by German politicians and the tough conditions will be hard for many Greeks to swallow. The loans to Greece are linked to progress in austerity measures promised by Athens, a condition many investors are wary of.
"Shorts are too large to give the currency much downward momentum, but policy is too unpredictable to bet on a sustained euro recovery," JP Morgan said in a note.
The euro's losses saw the dollar index .DXY rise 0.4 percent to 82.22.
The U.S. dollar slipped on the yen, easing to 93.88 yen, from around 93.94 yen late on Friday. The U.S. dollar had fallen to 93.85 yen in early trade, hurt by a bout of selling on the Aussie/yen cross, traders said.
The Australian dollar recovered from an early low of $0.9210, to trade at $0.9245. Sentiment toward commodity-linked currencies was hurt early by China's decision to raise banks' reserve requirements by 50 basis points at the weekend.
Also, weighing on the Aussie initially was the Australian government's plan to levy a super tax on resource companies of 40 percent. Traders said, buying by U.S. entities supported the Aussie, leading to a short squeeze.
Sterling extended losses, falling to $1.5256 from $1.5311 late on Friday, with weekend opinion polls suggesting that no political party had a big enough lead to guarantee an outright parliamentary majority in Britain's May 6 election.
Analysts say a lack of majority in parliament could hinder plans for Britain to get its fiscal house in order and would weigh on the pound in the short term. Near support is seen at around $1.5220, the hourly support on April 29.
Growth-linked currencies like the Australian dollar, however, recouped earlier losses made in a knee-jerk reaction to China's move to tighten policy.
The euro fell to as low as $1.3206 in Asian trade, losing 0.8 percent from $1.3313 late on Friday. It had rallied to as high as $1.3359 in early trade in Asia, before losing all those hard-earned gains.
Traders reported stop-loss selling below $1.3220 with the single currency making an outside trading day on the charts, suggesting a bearish trend is in store.
More stops are lined up around $1.32 and it all depends on how Portuguese and Spanish debt spreads trade when Europe opens. If they blow out, the euro could fall further, traders said. It had hit a one-year low of $1.3114 last week.
"The bailout package is turning out to be a 10-tonne weight around the euro," said David Scutt, a forex trader at Arab Bank Australia in Sydney. "It is a classic case of buy the rumor and sell the fact.
The euro also fell on the yen, dropping to 124.19 yen, from 125.06 yen late on Friday. Trade is expected to be light due to holidays in Japan, China and the UK.
The euro is down about 7 percent against the greenback since the start of the year as fears about a default by Greece and concerns it will spread to other southern European countries drove speculators to go short on the single currency.
Latest data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission showed speculators had run up record short positions against the euro in the week to April 27 as uncertainty over the Greek debt crisis mounted.
On Sunday, European finance ministers agreed to a record 110 billion ($147 billion) bailout package for Greece. They approved a three-year package of emergency loans and agreed the first funds would be released in time for Athens to make a big debt repayment to creditors on May 19.
The plan still needs to be approved by German politicians and the tough conditions will be hard for many Greeks to swallow. The loans to Greece are linked to progress in austerity measures promised by Athens, a condition many investors are wary of.
"Shorts are too large to give the currency much downward momentum, but policy is too unpredictable to bet on a sustained euro recovery," JP Morgan said in a note.
The euro's losses saw the dollar index .DXY rise 0.4 percent to 82.22.
The U.S. dollar slipped on the yen, easing to 93.88 yen, from around 93.94 yen late on Friday. The U.S. dollar had fallen to 93.85 yen in early trade, hurt by a bout of selling on the Aussie/yen cross, traders said.
The Australian dollar recovered from an early low of $0.9210, to trade at $0.9245. Sentiment toward commodity-linked currencies was hurt early by China's decision to raise banks' reserve requirements by 50 basis points at the weekend.
Also, weighing on the Aussie initially was the Australian government's plan to levy a super tax on resource companies of 40 percent. Traders said, buying by U.S. entities supported the Aussie, leading to a short squeeze.
Sterling extended losses, falling to $1.5256 from $1.5311 late on Friday, with weekend opinion polls suggesting that no political party had a big enough lead to guarantee an outright parliamentary majority in Britain's May 6 election.
Analysts say a lack of majority in parliament could hinder plans for Britain to get its fiscal house in order and would weigh on the pound in the short term. Near support is seen at around $1.5220, the hourly support on April 29.
Euro slides as doubts emerge, Aussie recovers
SYDNEY: The euro fell on Monday, resuming its slide toward recent one-year lows, as fiscal worries about the broader euro zone returned and the initial relief from a bailout package for debt-stricken Greece fizzled out.
Growth-linked currencies like the Australian dollar, however, recouped earlier losses made in a knee-jerk reaction to China's move to tighten policy.
The euro fell to as low as $1.3206 in Asian trade, losing 0.8 percent from $1.3313 late on Friday. It had rallied to as high as $1.3359 in early trade in Asia, before losing all those hard-earned gains.
Traders reported stop-loss selling below $1.3220 with the single currency making an outside trading day on the charts, suggesting a bearish trend is in store.
More stops are lined up around $1.32 and it all depends on how Portuguese and Spanish debt spreads trade when Europe opens. If they blow out, the euro could fall further, traders said. It had hit a one-year low of $1.3114 last week.
"The bailout package is turning out to be a 10-tonne weight around the euro," said David Scutt, a forex trader at Arab Bank Australia in Sydney. "It is a classic case of buy the rumor and sell the fact.
The euro also fell on the yen, dropping to 124.19 yen, from 125.06 yen late on Friday. Trade is expected to be light due to holidays in Japan, China and the UK.
The euro is down about 7 percent against the greenback since the start of the year as fears about a default by Greece and concerns it will spread to other southern European countries drove speculators to go short on the single currency.
Latest data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission showed speculators had run up record short positions against the euro in the week to April 27 as uncertainty over the Greek debt crisis mounted.
On Sunday, European finance ministers agreed to a record 110 billion ($147 billion) bailout package for Greece. They approved a three-year package of emergency loans and agreed the first funds would be released in time for Athens to make a big debt repayment to creditors on May 19.
The plan still needs to be approved by German politicians and the tough conditions will be hard for many Greeks to swallow. The loans to Greece are linked to progress in austerity measures promised by Athens, a condition many investors are wary of.
"Shorts are too large to give the currency much downward momentum, but policy is too unpredictable to bet on a sustained euro recovery," JP Morgan said in a note.
The euro's losses saw the dollar index .DXY rise 0.4 percent to 82.22.
The U.S. dollar slipped on the yen, easing to 93.88 yen, from around 93.94 yen late on Friday. The U.S. dollar had fallen to 93.85 yen in early trade, hurt by a bout of selling on the Aussie/yen cross, traders said.
The Australian dollar recovered from an early low of $0.9210, to trade at $0.9245. Sentiment toward commodity-linked currencies was hurt early by China's decision to raise banks' reserve requirements by 50 basis points at the weekend.
Also, weighing on the Aussie initially was the Australian government's plan to levy a super tax on resource companies of 40 percent. Traders said, buying by U.S. entities supported the Aussie, leading to a short squeeze.
Sterling extended losses, falling to $1.5256 from $1.5311 late on Friday, with weekend opinion polls suggesting that no political party had a big enough lead to guarantee an outright parliamentary majority in Britain's May 6 election.
Analysts say a lack of majority in parliament could hinder plans for Britain to get its fiscal house in order and would weigh on the pound in the short term. Near support is seen at around $1.5220, the hourly support on April 29.
Growth-linked currencies like the Australian dollar, however, recouped earlier losses made in a knee-jerk reaction to China's move to tighten policy.
The euro fell to as low as $1.3206 in Asian trade, losing 0.8 percent from $1.3313 late on Friday. It had rallied to as high as $1.3359 in early trade in Asia, before losing all those hard-earned gains.
Traders reported stop-loss selling below $1.3220 with the single currency making an outside trading day on the charts, suggesting a bearish trend is in store.
More stops are lined up around $1.32 and it all depends on how Portuguese and Spanish debt spreads trade when Europe opens. If they blow out, the euro could fall further, traders said. It had hit a one-year low of $1.3114 last week.
"The bailout package is turning out to be a 10-tonne weight around the euro," said David Scutt, a forex trader at Arab Bank Australia in Sydney. "It is a classic case of buy the rumor and sell the fact.
The euro also fell on the yen, dropping to 124.19 yen, from 125.06 yen late on Friday. Trade is expected to be light due to holidays in Japan, China and the UK.
The euro is down about 7 percent against the greenback since the start of the year as fears about a default by Greece and concerns it will spread to other southern European countries drove speculators to go short on the single currency.
Latest data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission showed speculators had run up record short positions against the euro in the week to April 27 as uncertainty over the Greek debt crisis mounted.
On Sunday, European finance ministers agreed to a record 110 billion ($147 billion) bailout package for Greece. They approved a three-year package of emergency loans and agreed the first funds would be released in time for Athens to make a big debt repayment to creditors on May 19.
The plan still needs to be approved by German politicians and the tough conditions will be hard for many Greeks to swallow. The loans to Greece are linked to progress in austerity measures promised by Athens, a condition many investors are wary of.
"Shorts are too large to give the currency much downward momentum, but policy is too unpredictable to bet on a sustained euro recovery," JP Morgan said in a note.
The euro's losses saw the dollar index .DXY rise 0.4 percent to 82.22.
The U.S. dollar slipped on the yen, easing to 93.88 yen, from around 93.94 yen late on Friday. The U.S. dollar had fallen to 93.85 yen in early trade, hurt by a bout of selling on the Aussie/yen cross, traders said.
The Australian dollar recovered from an early low of $0.9210, to trade at $0.9245. Sentiment toward commodity-linked currencies was hurt early by China's decision to raise banks' reserve requirements by 50 basis points at the weekend.
Also, weighing on the Aussie initially was the Australian government's plan to levy a super tax on resource companies of 40 percent. Traders said, buying by U.S. entities supported the Aussie, leading to a short squeeze.
Sterling extended losses, falling to $1.5256 from $1.5311 late on Friday, with weekend opinion polls suggesting that no political party had a big enough lead to guarantee an outright parliamentary majority in Britain's May 6 election.
Analysts say a lack of majority in parliament could hinder plans for Britain to get its fiscal house in order and would weigh on the pound in the short term. Near support is seen at around $1.5220, the hourly support on April 29.
Oil below $86 as traders eye US crude supplies
SINGAPORE: Oil prices dropped below $86 a barrel Tuesday in Asia as traders anticipated another increase in U.S. crude supplies from a government report due later this week.
Benchmark crude for June delivery was down 26 cents to $85.93 a barrel at midday Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 4 cents to settle at $86.19 on Monday.
Oil touched an 18-month high of $87.15 a barrel Monday, and has jumped about 23 percent since February on investor expectations that a growing U.S. and global economy will boost demand.
But U.S. crude inventories have risen in recent weeks and likely gained another 1.5 million barrels last week, according to a survey by Platts, the energy information arm of McGraw-Hill Cos.
The Energy Department's Energy Information Administration is scheduled to release last week's supply data Wednesday.
Investors are also concerned that higher prices for crude products such as gasoline will eventually undermine economic growth.
“Throughout this move higher, signs that the world economy is recovering have trumped everything else,'' Cameron Hanover said in a report. “The economy has so far ignored signs that higher oil prices are making it that much harder for the recovery to maintain its pace.''
In other Nymex trading in June contracts, heating oil fell 0.46cent to $2.341 a gallon, and gasoline slipped 0.86 cent to $2.427 a gallon. Natural gas was steady at $3.995 per 1,000 cubic feet.
In London, Brent crude was down 36 cents at $88.58 on the ICE futures exchange.
Benchmark crude for June delivery was down 26 cents to $85.93 a barrel at midday Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 4 cents to settle at $86.19 on Monday.
Oil touched an 18-month high of $87.15 a barrel Monday, and has jumped about 23 percent since February on investor expectations that a growing U.S. and global economy will boost demand.
But U.S. crude inventories have risen in recent weeks and likely gained another 1.5 million barrels last week, according to a survey by Platts, the energy information arm of McGraw-Hill Cos.
The Energy Department's Energy Information Administration is scheduled to release last week's supply data Wednesday.
Investors are also concerned that higher prices for crude products such as gasoline will eventually undermine economic growth.
“Throughout this move higher, signs that the world economy is recovering have trumped everything else,'' Cameron Hanover said in a report. “The economy has so far ignored signs that higher oil prices are making it that much harder for the recovery to maintain its pace.''
In other Nymex trading in June contracts, heating oil fell 0.46cent to $2.341 a gallon, and gasoline slipped 0.86 cent to $2.427 a gallon. Natural gas was steady at $3.995 per 1,000 cubic feet.
In London, Brent crude was down 36 cents at $88.58 on the ICE futures exchange.
Akshay ready to romance Priyanka again
MUMBAI: Once and for all Akshay Kumar sets the record straight on his pairing with Priyanka Chopra by saying he's all for the pair coming together again.
“But will she do a film with me? The ball is in her court. I do mostly comedies. I think Priyanka hardly ever acts in comedies, ” reasons Akshay.
Clearing all doubts about his ability/inability to work with Priyanka Chopra Akshay says, “Excuse me, we're all professionals here. And the two of us have done very successful films in the past.
Helen, actress on ‘As the World Turns,’ dies at 91
LOS ANGELES: “Good morning, dear,” the character Nancy Hughes said to her husband from her twin bed as the cameras rolled for the premiere of “As the World Turns” on April 2, 1956.
The world has turned more than 19,700 times since the actress Helen Wagner uttered those first words for what would become one of the most popular and — until CBS takes it off the air in September — the longest-running daytime drama on television.
Wagner, who portrayed the straitlaced Hughes for all of those 54 years, died on Saturday at her home in Mount Kisco, N.Y. She was 91. The cause was cancer, her nephew David Laing said.
Proper and unassuming, Wagner’s Nancy Hughes stood for old-fashioned values — and never wavered. She was admired, and not only by housewives who, like Nancy, were striving to maintain a home while raising children. Well into the ’60s, Wagner received fan letters from young men saying she reminded them of their mothers and grandmothers.
But times change, and gone are the days when thundering chords from an organ underlined the discovery that Nancy’s grandson had been caught stealing change from his father’s trousers.
The citizens of the fictional town of Oakdale, outside Chicago, continued to have their feuds and affairs. But in recent years issues like incest, AIDS, drug and alcohol dependency, euthanasia, teen suicide and Alzheimer’s have laced the scripts.
Wagner’s Nancy lasted precisely because she remained solid; she wouldn’t join the country club because she considered it elitist, and insisted on cleaning her house because she felt uncomfortable being bossy.
Last December, however, CBS announced that after 54 years “As the World Turns,” at one time No. 1 in the daytime ratings, would broadcast its last episode in September. Wagner made her final appearance on April 5.
In 2004, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
Helen Losee Wagner was born on Sept. 3, 1918, in Lubbock, Tex., one of two daughters of Charles and Janette Tinker Wagner. She studied music and drama at Monmouth College in Illinois.
Before signing a 13-week contract for “As the World Turns” in 1956, Wagner had been a singer and stage actress, sometimes working as a church soloist to pay the rent. She had roles in “Sunny River,” “Oklahoma!” and “The Bad Seed” on Broadway.
In 1954 she married Robert Willey, an actor and theater producer. He died last year.
Times Square bomb plot suspect arrested
NEW YORK: A Pakistani man believed to be the driver of a sport utility vehicle used as a car bomb in a failed terror attack on Times Square was taken into custody early Tuesday by federal and local police officials while trying to leave the country, a law enforcement official said.
The suspect, Faisal Shahzad, was identified by customs agents at John F. Kennedy International Airport and was stopped before boarding an Emirates airlines flight to Dubai, according to officials who spoke to a US-based news agency early Tuesday on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the investigation. Shahzad had recently returned from a five-month trip to Pakistan, where he had a wife.
He was being held in New York and couldn't be contacted. He has a Shelton, Connecticut, address; a phone number listed there wasn't in service.
Law enforcement officials say Shahzad bought the SUV, a 1993 Nissan Pathfinder, from a Connecticut man about three weeks ago and paid cash. The officials spoke to the news agency on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the case.
Police said the bomb could have produced "a significant fireball" and sprayed shrapnel with enough force to kill pedestrians and knock out windows. The SUV was parked on a street lined with restaurants and Broadway theaters, including one showing "The Lion King," and full of people out on a Saturday night.
The vehicle identification number had been removed from the Pathfinder's dashboard, but it was stamped on the engine, and investigators used it to find the owner of record. The discovery was paramount to the investigation.
"The discovery of the VIN on the engine block was pivotal in that it led to the identifying the registered owner," said Paul Browne, chief New York Police Department spokesman. "It continues to pay dividends."
The U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan will handle the case. An early morning call to the office was not immediately returned. It wasn't clear if additional suspects were being sought.
Officials say the SUV's registered owner, whose name has not been released, was not considered a suspect in the bomb scare.
Investigators tracked the license plate found on the rear of the SUV to a used auto parts shop in Stratford, Connecticut, where they discovered the plate was connected to a different vehicle. They also spoke to the owner of an auto sales shop in nearby Bridgeport because a sticker on the Pathfinder indicated the SUV had been sold by his dealership.
As the buyer came into focus, investigators backed off other leads. They had initially wanted to speak with a man apparently in his 40s who was videotaped shedding his shirt near the Pathfinder, but they backed away as the buyer became clear. The man had not been considered a suspect, and officials said it's possible he was just a bystander.
In Washington on Monday, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Saturday's attempted bombing was a terrorist act.
The motive remained unclear. The Pakistani Taliban appeared to claim responsibility for the bomb in three videos that surfaced after the weekend scare, monitoring groups said. New York officials said police have no evidence to support the claims. It was unclear if the suspect in custody had any relationship to the group.
The SUV was parked near offices of Viacom Inc., which owns Comedy Central. The network recently aired an episode of the animated show "South Park" that the militant group Revolution Muslim had complained insulted the Prophet Muhammad by depicting him in a bear costume.
The SUV was captured on video crossing an intersection at 6:28 p.m. Saturday. A vendor pointed out the Pathfinder to an officer about two minutes later. Times Square, clogged with tourists on a warm evening, was shut down for 10 hours. A bomb squad dismantled the explosive device, and no one was hurt.
The explosive device had cheap-looking alarm clocks connected to a 16-ounce (454-gram) can filled with fireworks, which were apparently intended to detonate the gas cans and set the propane afire in a chain reaction, said Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly.
A metal rifle cabinet placed in the cargo area was packed with fertilizer, but NYPD bomb experts believe it was not a type volatile enough to explode like the ammonium nitrate grade fertilizer used in previous terrorist bombings.
The exact amount of fertilizer was unknown. Police estimated the cabinet weighed 200 to 250 pounds (90 to 113 kilograms) when they pulled it from the vehicle.
SC moves against PCO judges
ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court (SC) decided to continue case proceedings against the PCO judges for contempt of court, reported Tuesday,May 04, 2010 .
The SC dismissed the intra-court appeals of the judges who took oath on Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) by declaring them non-maintainable.
The SC bench headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk delivered the verdict on appeals of the PCO judges.
These PCO judges who were issued the notices regarding contempt of court, include former Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar and former Chief Justice of Lahore High Court (LHC) Iftikhar Hussain Chaudhry.
These judges, instead of apologizing, filed intra-court appeals; on this, the court reserved its verdict yesterday. Today the court made it public, declaring the appeals as not fit to be pursued.
The court directed the PCO judges to submit their response by May 7.
The court issued notice that the contempt case proceedings against these PCO judges will start from May 10.
The SC dismissed the intra-court appeals of the judges who took oath on Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) by declaring them non-maintainable.
The SC bench headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk delivered the verdict on appeals of the PCO judges.
These PCO judges who were issued the notices regarding contempt of court, include former Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar and former Chief Justice of Lahore High Court (LHC) Iftikhar Hussain Chaudhry.
These judges, instead of apologizing, filed intra-court appeals; on this, the court reserved its verdict yesterday. Today the court made it public, declaring the appeals as not fit to be pursued.
The court directed the PCO judges to submit their response by May 7.
The court issued notice that the contempt case proceedings against these PCO judges will start from May 10.
US renews US-Syria sanctions
NEW YORK: US President Barack Obama has renewed sanctions against Syria, saying it supported terrorist groups and was pursuing weapons of mass destruction.
In a statement, he said Syria "continues to pose an extraordinary threat" to US security and policy.
In a message to Congress to renew the sanctions for a further year, Mr Obama said the Syrian government had made "some progress" in checking the infiltration of foreign militants into Iraq.
But he said its "continuing support for terrorist organisations and pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and missile programmes, continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States," Mr Obama said.
Former President George W Bush imposed the sanctions in 2004.
In a statement, he said Syria "continues to pose an extraordinary threat" to US security and policy.
In a message to Congress to renew the sanctions for a further year, Mr Obama said the Syrian government had made "some progress" in checking the infiltration of foreign militants into Iraq.
But he said its "continuing support for terrorist organisations and pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and missile programmes, continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States," Mr Obama said.
Former President George W Bush imposed the sanctions in 2004.
Punjab, KP CNG stations closed for 24 hours
LAHORE: The CNG pumping stations have been closed for 24 hours in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtoonkhaw, reported Tuesday, May 04, 2010.
Under government program ‘Save Energy’, all CNG stations have been closed at 6am this morning for 24 hours.
It was said that this government step aimed at giving more saved CNG to the gas-run power stations.
The CNG stations were closed last week as well, which caused hardships for the owners of CNG-propelled vehicles. To save them the anguish, people kept refilling till late last night.
The disturbed people voiced concerns over this step aimed at saving energy.
People say the power load shedding could not be put to an end despite the implementation on the step taken up to end load shedding and save energy; instead, the problem of load shedding intensified, instead.
Elegance is the norm at the Costume Institute gala
LOS ANGELES: It could have gone any way last night, considering the theme of the Costume Institute exhibition: “American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity.” There could have been neo-jazz babies, flappers, debutantes, feminists, disco queens, Hollywood sirens, Nouvelle Society matrons and Playboy bunnies.
And that’s just a few archetypes off the top of a stack. But most of the women attending the gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, among the 725 guests, dressed elegantly, more so than in recent years, and they did their best to heed Anna Wintour’s e-mail messages to be on time.
At 6:30 p.m., Ms. Wintour, the editor in chief of Vogue, was waiting at the top of the red-carpeted grand staircase, a tiny figure in a gold Chanel dress and jacket. If the gala’s other leaders, Oprah Winfrey and Patrick Robinson, the executive vice president of design for Gap, had ascended the front steps, they still had a climb before they reached Ms. Wintour and the receiving line.
Asked if she felt any pressure to wear clothes by American designers, Ms. Wintour smiled and said, “Well, if you see the exhibition, they’re all wearing French clothes.” Ms. Winfrey wore a design of Oscar de la Renta, who had invited Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Barbara Walters, among others, to sit at his table.
In recent years, the themes of the Costume Institute exhibits have included “Anglomania,” superheroes and models. That at least provided some direction for how to dress for the party, where this year the top table price was $250,000 and Lady Gaga sang after the dinner. But this year’s exhibition, organized by the curator Andrew Bolton, looked at styles between 1890 and the 1940s, relying on exceptional pieces from the Brooklyn Museum’s collection like Worth gowns, gray walking suits and bicycling outfits.
It’s a serene view of American style, set against murals, and it was almost shocking to see how tiny the figures were, with tiny waists and tiny feet.
Naturally, everyone had her own idea of what defined American style.
“I think it’s confidence,” said Vera Wang, in a long white dress, as she talked to members of the Newhouse family and then Wendy Murdoch, who wore a fitted green silk dress with a long black train. Its designer, Prabal Gurung, was new to her. She said that Ms. Wintour had recommended him.
A few feet away, and trying to avoid the train of Mrs. Murdoch’s dress, were Nicole Richie, in a silvery Marc Jacobs dress, and Margherita Missoni, in a long black dress that sort of left her bare on the sides. “It’s my idea of grunge,” Ms. Missoni said. “I want to bring back the ’90s.” Ms. Ritchie said she wanted to dress up more these days. “I actually wear long dresses a lot,” she said.
Across the Petrie Sculpture Court, where cocktails were held, Lauren Santo Domingo was channeling the ’90s as well. “Tom Ford,” she said, mentioning a designer whose name seemed to be on a number of people’s lips. Ms. Santo Domingo’s long beige beaded dress was actually a Proenza Schouler. She was standing with Chloë Sevigny, who had on a bright turquoise Proenza dress with a short belled skirt.
“I couldn’t pull off your dress,” Ms. Sevigny said to Ms. Santo Domingo, “and you couldn’t pull off mine.” They seemed agreed about that.
Christopher Bailey, the Burberry designer, had his idea about American style: “It’s easy, functional, comfortable with an earthy sexiness. I still think of Lauren Hutton as the epitome of that style.”
Franca Sozzani, the editor of Italian Vogue, had on a beige silk satin Valentino dress (“From way, way back,” she said, waving her hand), and she stood surveying the jam-packed, train-tripping room with Donatella Versace.
“To me, American fashion is Charlie James,” Ms. Sozzani said.
Ah, Charlie. Someone was summoning him, too. Dr. Lisa Airan, the Manhattan dermatologist, had wanted to wear a real James dress to the party, but her friend, the designer Gilles Mendel, had told her that wasn’t such a great idea. So she went to the Met library, did some research, and asked Mr. Mendel to make her dress in the James spirit.
And that’s just a few archetypes off the top of a stack. But most of the women attending the gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, among the 725 guests, dressed elegantly, more so than in recent years, and they did their best to heed Anna Wintour’s e-mail messages to be on time.
At 6:30 p.m., Ms. Wintour, the editor in chief of Vogue, was waiting at the top of the red-carpeted grand staircase, a tiny figure in a gold Chanel dress and jacket. If the gala’s other leaders, Oprah Winfrey and Patrick Robinson, the executive vice president of design for Gap, had ascended the front steps, they still had a climb before they reached Ms. Wintour and the receiving line.
Asked if she felt any pressure to wear clothes by American designers, Ms. Wintour smiled and said, “Well, if you see the exhibition, they’re all wearing French clothes.” Ms. Winfrey wore a design of Oscar de la Renta, who had invited Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Barbara Walters, among others, to sit at his table.
In recent years, the themes of the Costume Institute exhibits have included “Anglomania,” superheroes and models. That at least provided some direction for how to dress for the party, where this year the top table price was $250,000 and Lady Gaga sang after the dinner. But this year’s exhibition, organized by the curator Andrew Bolton, looked at styles between 1890 and the 1940s, relying on exceptional pieces from the Brooklyn Museum’s collection like Worth gowns, gray walking suits and bicycling outfits.
It’s a serene view of American style, set against murals, and it was almost shocking to see how tiny the figures were, with tiny waists and tiny feet.
Naturally, everyone had her own idea of what defined American style.
“I think it’s confidence,” said Vera Wang, in a long white dress, as she talked to members of the Newhouse family and then Wendy Murdoch, who wore a fitted green silk dress with a long black train. Its designer, Prabal Gurung, was new to her. She said that Ms. Wintour had recommended him.
A few feet away, and trying to avoid the train of Mrs. Murdoch’s dress, were Nicole Richie, in a silvery Marc Jacobs dress, and Margherita Missoni, in a long black dress that sort of left her bare on the sides. “It’s my idea of grunge,” Ms. Missoni said. “I want to bring back the ’90s.” Ms. Ritchie said she wanted to dress up more these days. “I actually wear long dresses a lot,” she said.
Across the Petrie Sculpture Court, where cocktails were held, Lauren Santo Domingo was channeling the ’90s as well. “Tom Ford,” she said, mentioning a designer whose name seemed to be on a number of people’s lips. Ms. Santo Domingo’s long beige beaded dress was actually a Proenza Schouler. She was standing with Chloë Sevigny, who had on a bright turquoise Proenza dress with a short belled skirt.
“I couldn’t pull off your dress,” Ms. Sevigny said to Ms. Santo Domingo, “and you couldn’t pull off mine.” They seemed agreed about that.
Christopher Bailey, the Burberry designer, had his idea about American style: “It’s easy, functional, comfortable with an earthy sexiness. I still think of Lauren Hutton as the epitome of that style.”
Franca Sozzani, the editor of Italian Vogue, had on a beige silk satin Valentino dress (“From way, way back,” she said, waving her hand), and she stood surveying the jam-packed, train-tripping room with Donatella Versace.
“To me, American fashion is Charlie James,” Ms. Sozzani said.
Ah, Charlie. Someone was summoning him, too. Dr. Lisa Airan, the Manhattan dermatologist, had wanted to wear a real James dress to the party, but her friend, the designer Gilles Mendel, had told her that wasn’t such a great idea. So she went to the Met library, did some research, and asked Mr. Mendel to make her dress in the James spirit.
Popcorn bursting with nutrients: dieticians
LONDON: There's no doubt broccoli, watercress and acai berries are overflowing with healthy vitamins and minerals, but what about the foods we actually want to eat? As a new study reveals that the once-demonised egg should be regarded as a 'superfood' (it's packed with vital antioxidants and nutrients).
The humble cinema snack could prevent cancer and help dieters.
'Most people don't know that popcorn is a wholegrain shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer, and just a 30g serving - that's half a small box of popcorn in the cinema - is equivalent to one daily portion of brown rice or wholewheat pasta,' says Catherine Collins, chief dietician at St George's hospital in London.
Popcorn also contains three times more fibre by weight than sunflower seeds, keeping you feeling fuller for longer, as well as balancing your blood sugar levels (so no mood swings or cravings for sweet snacks) and helping to lower 'bad' LDL cholesterol. It even has a dose of B vitamins to boost your energy levels.
A study presented last August to the American Chemical Society suggests the real health benefits could lie more in its 'surprisingly large' polyphenol content, antioxidants thought to mop up free radicals, the potentially damaging chemicals that cause diseases such as cancer and heart disease.
Just be careful of doing more harm than good by adding excess salt or sugar to your homemade version.
The humble cinema snack could prevent cancer and help dieters.
'Most people don't know that popcorn is a wholegrain shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer, and just a 30g serving - that's half a small box of popcorn in the cinema - is equivalent to one daily portion of brown rice or wholewheat pasta,' says Catherine Collins, chief dietician at St George's hospital in London.
Popcorn also contains three times more fibre by weight than sunflower seeds, keeping you feeling fuller for longer, as well as balancing your blood sugar levels (so no mood swings or cravings for sweet snacks) and helping to lower 'bad' LDL cholesterol. It even has a dose of B vitamins to boost your energy levels.
A study presented last August to the American Chemical Society suggests the real health benefits could lie more in its 'surprisingly large' polyphenol content, antioxidants thought to mop up free radicals, the potentially damaging chemicals that cause diseases such as cancer and heart disease.
Just be careful of doing more harm than good by adding excess salt or sugar to your homemade version.
New world record for a New Zealander
AUCKLAND: A New Zealander set a new world record by breaking 15 glass-made doors in one minute with his head hits, Geo news reported.Martin Robean broke apart 15 doors – made of glass, in one minute with his head and luckily received no scratch nor a wound during attempt.According to Guinness Book of World Record (GBWR), the previous record, which he broke, was of breaking 11 glass-made doors in one minute.
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