Contra: Evolution - PunchBox Studios

by Salisbury52 Great game. Brings back so many good memories. The bad part is that if you are not willing to spend money on all of the extras you will NEVER get anywhere in this game. It is a shame that every developer is going this route and ruining the fun in playing games on your IOS device. In app purchases will be the death of the IOS gaming industry.

by Littlet313 Expect to die a lot and bleed out more money to continue playing. Think of this as Time Crisis at the arcades with quarters but with a more expensive model. It's greedy to charge an app and exploit "continues" to charge more for your customers to complete a game they already paid for. This greed behavior will kill this industry fast.

by iangrantphoto No one should buy this on the principal that its a pay to win game. 99 cents and then have to pay more? Horrible horrible decision. Kills the memory of a fantastic game.

Also the controls are incredibly bad, just going left to right can be incredibly infuriating. It's not like you can blame it on the iPhone either, I've seen plenty of platformers work just fine with smooth controls.

Finally, those cut scenes when you go in the base are like 3/4 the resolution- like when a hd channel has standard def. video to show with bars on the side. What's up with that?

Graphics are a nice improvement from the old nes days. Fun to see the upgrade.

One star for pay to win- I just spent money to buy this, is that not enough???!!!

View the original article here

THE GAME OF LIFE Classic Edition - Electronic Arts

WHERE WILL YOUR CHOICES TAKE YOU? The possibilities are endless in THE GAME OF LIFE! What does your future hold? Enjoy a new spin on the classic board game that’s now enhanced for iPhone 5!

LOOK AT THE REAL-LIFE ACCLAIM FOR THIS GAME…

“????...It’s colorful, smooth, and just like the original.” (148 Apps)

LIFE IS BETTER IN 3D
Navigate your animated tokens through a stunning 3D environment of winding roads and lush landscapes!

LIFE’S A BREEZE
Enjoy the ease and fluidity of innovative touchscreen controls as you set out on your adventure.

LET THE MUSIC PLAY
Listen to and control music from iTunes® while you play.

THE MORE THE MERRIER
Pass ‘N Play with up to 6 friends.

LIFE’S MANY CHOICES
Settle down and get married or stay single and indulge in lavish luxuries and risky investments! Put your own spin on the game as you customize classic characters.

RECORD YOUR MEMORIES
Track your life events with THE GAME OF LIFE journal.

RETIRE IN STYLE
Gain tiles worth big bucks when you land on Life Spaces and collect Share The Wealth Cards for your shot at becoming a millionaire!

Spin the wheel of fate and take a drive along the twisting roads of life on your iPhone!

We’ve made some behind-the scenes enhancements to improve overall gameplay.

View the original article here

Plants vs. Zombies - PopCap

Get ready to soil your plants as a mob of fun-loving zombies is about to invade your home. Use your arsenal of 49 zombie-zapping plants — peashooters, wall-nuts, cherry bombs and more — to mulchify 26 types of zombies before they break down your door.

WINNER OF OVER 30 GAME OF THE YEAR AWARDS*

Plants vs. Zombies™ was spawned from the fertile minds that created Bejeweled®, Peggle®, Zuma® and Bookworm®.

Game Features:

50 FUN-DEAD LEVELS
Conquer all 50 levels of Adventure mode — through day, night, fog, in a swimming pool, on the rooftop and more! Replay levels in the all-new Quick Play arena.

NOT YOUR GARDEN-VARIETY GHOULS
Battle zombie pole-vaulters, snorkelers, bucketheads and more. Each has its own special skills, so you'll need to think fast and plant faster to combat them all.

SMASHING FUN
Try to survive all 9 unique levels as you battle zombies hiding in vases. It's smashing fun!

SMARTER THAN YOUR AVERAGE ZOMBIE
Be careful how you use your limited supply of greens and seeds. Zombies love brains so much they'll jump, run, dance, swim and even eat plants to get into your house.

FIGHT LONGER, GET STRONGER
Earn 49 powerful perennials and collect coins to buy a pet snail, power-ups and more.

GROW WITH YOUR GAME
Earn 44 awesome achievements and show off your zombie-zapping prowess.

COIN PACKS
Need coins for great new stuff? Buy up to 600,000 coins right from the Main Menu.

MORE COOL FEATURES
- Full Retina display support—zombies have never looked prettier.
- Compatible with iOS 4 multi-tasking.
- Loads of performance enhancements and bug fixes.

*Original Mac/PC downloadable game.

Discover More Plants vs. Zombies Fun:
Follow us on twitter.com/PlantsvsZombies
Find us on www.facebook.com/PlantsversusZombies

More Apps from PopCap:
BEJEWELED® – Match sparkling gems in the world’s #1 puzzle game.
SOLITAIRE BLITZ™ – Discover a whole new world of Solitaire in this fast-paced treasure hunt!
PEGGLE® – Clear the orange pegs in this epic blend of luck and skill.
BOOKWORM® – Feed your appetite for fun in THE brain-tickling word puzzle game.
CHUZZLE® – Slide and match cute, cuddly — and surprisingly explosive — furballs.
BEJEWELED® BLITZ – Enjoy one minute of endless gem-matching awesomeness.

POPCAP MAKES LIFE FUN
Follow us on twitter.com/PopCap
Find us on facebook.com/PopCap
Visit us at PopCap.com

What's new in Version 1.9.8:

- 200,000 Coins free for every player. Thanks for your support and feedback!

- Crazy Dave now has the ability to send you messages from anywhere. Keep your eyes peeled! They might actually make sense.

- Bug fixes to help everything run smoothly.

View the original article here

AfterLight - Simon Filip

Formerly known as Afterglow, and changed to AfterLight for legal reasons.

AfterLight is the perfect image editing app for quick and straight forward editing. Our simple design, paired with powerful and snappy tools, will give you the look you want in seconds.

Download now and look forward to free content and app enhancements monthly!

˜ 15 Adjustment Tools ˜
Use any of our 15 uniquely made adjustment tools to enhance your images to perfection with ease.

˜ 40 Filters ˜
AfterLight has 27 fully adjustable "Original Filters".
We're proud to show our 13 "Guest Filters" created by various Instagram users. Check the Info section of the app to see all of the creators. There will be more free Guest Filters in the coming updates!

˜ 66 Textures ˜
AfterLight includes a range of real and natural light leaks we created with 35mm film and instant film, to simplistic scratchy film textures.

˜ Cropping & Transforming Tools ˜
Crop your photos with our quick and easy cropping tool with 15 different presets.
Transform your photos with our rotating tool, vertical and horizontal flipping tools, and even straightening!

˜ Frames ˜
We provide a list of 75 different simplistic and adjustable frames, paired perfectly with Instagram.

Tag your photos on Instagram with #Afterlight

Have any questions? Contact us!

afterlight.us
facebook.com/afterlightapp

Here's what's new in Afterlight version 1.8

- We've split the Original Textures into two parts. Dusty Textures and Light Leak Textures.

- You can find 3 brand new textures in the Dusty Textures category.

- We've created 13 new real light leaks with 35mm film. Those can be found at the end of the Light Leak Textures category.

- 2 new original frames have been added.

Follow us on Instagram for the occasional early peak at a new feature! @simonfilip and @keynut

View the original article here

Plague Inc. - Ndemic Creations

Can you infect the world? Plague Inc. is a unique mix of high strategy and terrifyingly realistic simulation.

Your pathogen has just infected 'Patient Zero'. Now you must bring about the end of human history by evolving a deadly, global Plague whilst adapting against everything humanity can do to defend itself.

Brilliantly executed with innovative gameplay and built from the ground up for iPhone & iPad, Plague Inc. evolves the strategy genre and pushes mobile gaming (and you) to new levels. It’s You vs. the world - only the strongest can survive!

??? #1 top game globally with 200 million+ games played ???

Plague Inc. is a global hit with over half a million 5 star ratings and features in newspapers such as The Economist, New York Post, Boston Herald, The Guardian and London Metro!

The developer of Plague Inc. was invited to speak at the CDC in Atlanta about the disease models inside the game!

? “The game creates a compelling world that engages the public on serious public health topics” – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
? “Best Tablet Game of 2012” - New York Daily News
? “Plague Inc. will snag your attention in all the right ways and keep it there” - Touch Arcade
? “No denying Plague Inc.'s high-level of quality” - Modojo
? “Plague Inc. should not be as much fun as it is” – London Metro
? “Will leave you hoping to destroy the world, all in the name of a bit of fun” – Pocket Lint
? “Plague Inc.'s gameplay is infectious” - Slide to Play
? Winner – “Overall Game of the Year” – Pocket Gamer
? “Killing billions has never been so fun” – IGN

???

Features:
? Stunning retina graphics with a highly polished interface (Contagion guaranteed)
? Highly detailed, hyper-realistic world with advanced AI (Outbreak management)
? Comprehensive in-game help and tutorial system (I am Legendarily helpful)
? 12 different disease types with radically different strategies to master (12 Monkeys?)
? Full Save/Load functionality (28 Saves Later!)
? 50+ countries to infect, hundreds of traits to evolve and thousands of world events to adapt to (Pandemic evolved)
? Full game support for scoreboards and achievements

Localised in English, German, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Italian and French. (more coming soon)

P.S. Give yourself a pat on the back if you got all the themed literature references!

Special sale price to celebrate being the 15th most popular iPhone game of 2012!

???

Like Plague Inc. on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/PlagueInc

Follow me on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/NdemicCreations

Plague Inc. Mutation 6 discovered – Speed Runs and the CDC

1. Speed Runs
- How quickly can you kill the world? Speed Run mode challenges you to beat the game as quickly as possible and lets you compare your record against friends
- Time Changes Everything. In order to eradicate the world quickly - you will have to explore radically different strategies to give an edge over the pesky humans
- Be the QuaranTIME champion. Disease specific global leaderboards on GameCenter and Facebook let you show off your strategies to the world and challenge friends

2. CDC content
- In March - the CDC invited me to meet them and talk about the models of infection in Plague Inc.
- There are now official CDC news headlines inside the game as well as an in-game story where the CDC tracks down Patient Zero.

3. Rebalanced the NAZG achievement for all the rabid fans out there :P

4. Governments can now shut down internet / mobile networks in times of panic

5. Lots of new events, news and achievements including a new Necroa Virus origin story

6. Performance improvements for all devices

7. Minor game balance / AI improvements / bug fix

8. BETA: See how many people you can infect with the new "Infect a Friend" button

1.6.1 – Fixed GameCenter related crash

???

Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Russian languages are coming very soon!

I have future updates planned – let me know what you want!

(note: All your progress/unlocks are kept when updating - old saves will not work though)

View the original article here

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City - Rockstar Games

**LIMITED TIME OFFER – 2 DAYS LEFT**

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City on sale now. Expand your Rockstar Games Collection. Offer Ends July 30th.

Welcome back to Vice City. Welcome back to the 1980s.

From the decade of big hair, excess and pastel suits comes a story of one man's rise to the top of the criminal pile. Vice City, a huge urban sprawl ranging from the beach to the swamps and the glitz to the ghetto, was one of the most varied, complete and alive digital cities ever created. Combining open-world gameplay with a character driven narrative, you arrive in a town brimming with delights and degradation and given the opportunity to take it over as you choose.

To celebrate its 10 year anniversary, Rockstar Games brings Grand Theft Auto: Vice City to mobile devices with high-resolution graphics, updated controls and a host of new features including:

• Beautifully updated graphics, character models and lighting effects
• New, precisely tailored firing and targeting options
• Custom controls with a fully customizable layout
• iCloud save game support
• Massive campaign with countless hours of gameplay
• Support for Retina display devices
• Custom iTunes Playlist*

*To listen to your custom playlist, simply create a playlist titled “VICECITY”, launch the game, and select the radio station “Tape Deck”

Universal App:
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is supported on iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, all iPad models and 4th and 5th generation iPod Touch.

For optimal performance, we recommend re-booting your device after downloading and closing other applications when playing Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.

Languages Supported: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Korean, Russian, and Japanese.

Mobile Version developed by War Drum Studios
www.wardrumstudios.com

Find out more:
www.rockstargames.com

See videos:
www.youtube.com/rockstargames

Follow us:
www.faceboook.com/rockstargames
www.twitter.com/rockstargames

Improved stability on the iPod Touch 4th Generation

Assorted Bug Fixes

by Matt DO double G This game is so awesome and Violate I will recommend this for kids

by Kook USA I love the new update it made it almost look like gta 4. And no crashes and no lags for my 4th generation iPod! This is really the best!!

by Siramokepurp Good game but how u put the cheats

View the original article here

Where's My Mickey? - Disney

Join Mickey on a brand new adventure in Disney’s most popular mobile game franchise!

Where's My Mickey? introduces a whole new world of life-like physics-based gameplay with stimulating weather mechanics and humorous animations. Immerse yourself in the ultimate mobile gaming experience as you watch funny episodes while solving challenging puzzles! Tap, swipe, and swirl to help Mickey collect water and complete each story. Every drop counts!

• Original Episodes – Explore 5 unique episodes with surprising and witty scenarios! Watch how each story unfolds and ends as you play through individual level packs!
• Brand New Weather Mechanics – Use wind, clouds and rain to maneuver through 100+ levels filled with fun challenges!
• A Whole New Look – A classic Mickey art-style with a contemporary touch, inspired by Disney Channel’s new series of Mickey Cartoons!
• Collectibles and Bonus Levels – Help Pluto look for hidden collectibles to unlock more bonus puzzles!
• Featuring Mickey and Friends – Discover more hilarious episodes and new friends, beginning with Goofy!

Now a sneak preview of the first episode – “When Life Gives You Lemons”:
On a hot summer day, Mickey decides to open up a lemonade stand. He’s got a bowl, the lemons, and a long line of thirsty customers, yet NO WATER! Help Mickey collect water and “tri-star” each level for ultimate fun! Even the stars are animated!

Try 6 Goofy puzzles for FREE and unlock the remaining episodes for a small additional price!
Visit www.facebook.com/WheresMyWater for more hints, tips and secrets.

Minor bug fixes and optimized performance.

View the original article here

Free Music Download Pro - Mp3 Downloader - ASPS Apps

Fully featured Free Music Downloader. Download free and legal music, videos and audio books to your iPhone, iPod and iPad.

v iPhone 5 Support!
v Skins Support + New iOS 6 Style Skin!

v Browser
- Single tap music downloads
- Listen songs before downloading
- Download all music files from the page at once
- Tap & hold video to download
- Bookmark manager
- Web password manager

v Download Manager
- Download songs while listening them right from the player!
- Fast Downloading
- Multiple downloading at one time
- Pause, resume, or cancel downloading
- Live download progress bar
- Downloads badge
- Auto-rename music files from mp3 file tag

v File manager
- Folders manager
- Move, rename or delete files
- Video Thumbnails
- Sort by name, type, size, date
- Export Videos to Photoroll
- Search by filename
- Backup and restore files to\from DropBox

v Playlists
- iPod-Like music playlists
- Video playlists

v Media player
- Full featured music player
- Full featured video player
- Album covers
- Sleep timer
- Equalizer with BassBooster
- Display lyrics while listening to music
- Lock screen playback controls
- Fine scrubbing
- Background music playback (iPhone 3GS, iOS 4.0 or later)
- Background video playback

v Media library
- Tag Editor
- Lyrics Editor
- Import music from iPod library
- Songs Rating like in iTunes
- iPod style Smart Playlists
- Tabs for Songs, Albums, Artists, Videos

• Skins support + New iOS 6 Style Skin
• Play video in background
• Dropbox Integration (backup and restore files)
• Web Password Manager
• Many bugs fixed

View the original article here

Pimp Your Screen - Apalon

Pimp Your Screen is an award-winning app that helps you customize the look of your device by giving you an exclusive selection of specially designed backgrounds, icon skins, app shelves, neon combos and many other eye candies.

You no longer have to set the image you prefer first and then go back to the Home screen and see how it looks with the icons on it. Pimp Your Screen has an instant preview feature that allows you to quickly preview your new background or app shelf.

Features:

* Retina resolution images for iPhone 4/4S/5, iPod touch 4th/5th gen and the new iPad/iPad 4th gen
* Standard resolution images for iPhone/3G/3GS, iPod touch and iPad/iPad 2/iPad mini
* Icon Skins/App Shelves/Neon Combos
* A million different combinations, variety is the spice of life
* Special holiday and seasonal content updates
* Categorized view
* New and Popular tabs
* Landscape and Portrait images available for iPad
* Share your screens on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or email
* Lock Screen Themes
* Home Screen Themes
* Universal application, install once, use it across all devices

Bring some color and glow into your everyday life and change the look of your device every single day. It's time to Pimp Your Screen!

We add new eye candies daily. Just tap 'New' to see updates.

- We've unlocked the exclusive content for you: now you can enjoy all the variety in the Categories tab
- Improved sharing: share content on Instagram or open in other apps, faster Facebook and Twitter sharing
- Daily updated content: new Icons Skins, App Shelves, Neon Combos and Home Screens, including special holiday goodies as always
- Performance and stability improvements

Thank you for the comments submitted by email. We appreciate your feedback and are constantly working on making the app better.

View the original article here

Dollar higher as market awaits Japan PM speech

TOKYO: The dollar rose against the yen in Asia on Wednesday as investors await a speech by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on his growth strategy for the economy.

The greenback bought 100.18 yen in Tokyo morning trade from 99.98 yen in New York late Tuesday while the euro also edged up to 130.96 yen from 130.79 yen.

The euro bought $1.3072 against $1.3079 in New York.

Abe is due to deliver a speech later Wednesday that observers hope will provide details on his policy to stoke growth.

"I'm guessing he might give lip service," a senior dealer at a major European bank in Tokyo told Dow Jones Newswires.

Abe's policy of active government spending coupled with the Bank of Japan's aggressive monetary easing has boosted Tokyo stock prices to multi-year highs, but the market has been prone to recent wild swings.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index on the Tokyo Stock Exchange was down 0.23 percent in mid-morning trade Wednesday.

View the original article here

Building collapse in US leaves 12 hurt, two trapped

PHILADELPHIA: A four-story building being demolished collapsed Wednesday on the edge of downtown, injuring 12 people and trapping two others, the fire commissioner said.

Rescue crews were trying to extricate the two people who were trapped, city Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers said. The dozen people who were injured were taken to hospitals with minor injuries, he said.

The collapse involved a building that once housed a first-floor sandwich shop. It collapsed, sending debris onto a Salvation Army corner thrift store next door. The two are adjacent to an adult bookstore and theater that had been taken down earlier.

Rescuers were using buckets and their bare hands to move bricks and rubble to search for survivors.

Witnesses said they heard a loud rumbling sound immediately before the collapse.

Veronica Haynes was on the fifth floor of an apartment building across the street.

"I was standing there looking out my window, watching the men at work on the building, and the next thing I know I heard something go kaboom," she said. "Then you saw the whole side of the wall fall down ... onto the other building."

Roofers Patrick Glynn and Anthony Soli were working atop a nearby building when they heard what sounded like two loud bangs or explosions. They immediately ran down the scaffolding to look for victims, and helped pull out two women and a man.

Glynn said he had been watching workers take down the building next to the Salvation Army building over the past few weeks, and said he suspected a collapse was inevitable because of the methods the workers were using to tear it down.

"For weeks they've been standing on the edge, knocking bricks off," he said. "You could just see it was ready to go at any time. I knew it was going to happen."

Carlton Williams of the city's Department of Licenses and Inspections said there were no existing violations on the building and the demolition company had proper permits for the work they were doing.

Bernie DiTomo was driving past Salvation Army building in his white pickup truck, on his way to an appointment, when the accident happened.

"The next thing you know, I heard a rumble, and a building and a sign fell on my truck," he said.

He said he lay down in the seat of his cab. It was probably over in about 30 seconds, he said. There was a lot of dirt and dust that he breathed in, but he was able to open the door and get out, unhurt. His truck remained nearby, partially covered in debris, as DiTomo watched recovery efforts from across the street.

High school student Jordan McLaughlan said he saw several people on the ground being given oxygen by rescuers after the collapse.

"It was hard to breathe, there was a lot of dust everywhere," McLaughlan said.

The accident happened at 10:45 a.m. Wednesday on the western edge of downtown, between the city's business district and its main train station. (AP)

View the original article here

Asian stocks mixed, ECB predicts ''gradual'' eurozone recovery

HONG KONG: Asian stocks were mixed in early trade Monday after conflicting Chinese manufacturing data, and as European central bank chief Mario Draghi predicted a "very gradual recovery" in the eurozone to start later this year.

Tokyo was down 2.17 percent by the break, continuing volatile trading after rising Friday following several sharp drops.

Hong Kong was up 0.27 percent, Shanghai rose 0.24 percent, Seoul was down 0.14 percent and Sydney was flat, edging up 0.09 percent.

The movements came after data released Saturday showed manufacturing activity in China unexpectedly rebounded in May from the previous month.

The purchasing managers' index (PMI) grew to 50.8 in May, from 50.6 the month before, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, pointing to a stabilisation in the world's second largest economy.

However, according to figures from British bank HSBC Monday, manufacturing activity fell to an eight-month low in May. It said the PMI fell to 49.2 in May, down from 50.4 in April.

A reading above 50 indicates expansion while anything below that points to contraction.

Markets were also eyeing a financial conference in Shanghai, where Draghi said the ECB expected a recovery in the debt crisis-hit eurozone to start later in the year.

View the original article here

CNG stations to remain closed in Sindh for 24 hours

KARACHI: The Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) stations would be closed across Sindh for the next 24 hours as part of Gas Load Management Plan, Geo News reported.

The gas outlets would shut down for business from 8:00 Am Friday till 8:00 AM Saturday.

View the original article here

Oil prices recover in Asia

SINGAPORE: Oil prices recovered in Asian trade Thursday following a drop triggered by fresh economic data that highlighted global growth concerns, analysts said.

New York's main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in July added eight cents to $93.21 a barrel in the afternoon and Brent North Sea crude for July delivery increased 29 cents to $102.72.

Both contracts closed almost $2 lower on Wednesday after the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, which groups industrial economies, trimmed its forecast for 2013 world economic growth to 3.1 percent from 3.4 percent.

"Prices have ticked up a little bit. What we are seeing is normal trading in a market where everyone is trying to manage their risks," Shailaja Nair, associate editorial director for Asia at energy market information provider Platts, told.

View the original article here

Cherished ''Start'' button returning to Windows software

SAN FRANCISCO: Microsoft on Thursday unveiled an update to its latest Windows operating system that included a return of a "Start" button that had been missed by longtime users of the computer software.

The tweaked version of the operating system, nicknamed Windows Blue, will be previewed on June 26 and will be a free update for users as Windows 8.1, according to the Redmond, Washington-based technology titan.

"It's Windows 8 even better," Windows program management team corporate vice president Antoine Leblond said in a blog post.

"Windows 8.1 will deliver improvements and enhancements in key areas like personalization, search, the built-in apps, Windows Store experience, and cloud connectivity."

Microsoft returned a well-known Windows logo to the lower left corners of computer screens in what was seen as a resurrection of a banished "Start" button missed by users.

"Not only will Windows 8.1 respond to customer feedback, but it will add new features and functionality that advance the touch experience and mobile computing's potential," Leblond said.

Windows upgrades include Bing-powered searches that expand Internet queries to include searching apps and files on computers along with data stored in Microsoft's online SkyDrive service.

The update comes amid a lukewarm reception for Windows 8, an operating system released last year to help the software giant transition from personal computers to tablets and other mobile devices.

Microsoft's Brandon LeBlanc said a public preview of Windows 8.1 will be available starting on June 26, timed with the Microsoft developer conference in San Francisco.

Microsoft said recently it had sold than 100 million licenses for Windows 8 but that the update was planned after listening to customers.

Some analysts say Microsoft was forced to act because of slow adoption of Windows 8, which made some radical changes to the design of the desktop.

With Windows 8, Microsoft was trying to create a system that could be used on mobile touch screen devices while also serving the users of traditional PCs.

Microsoft launched Windows 8 last October, revamping its flagship system in an effort to make inroads in the fast-growing mobile segment. At the same time, it launched its Surface tablet computer. (AFP)

View the original article here

Asian markets mostly lower after US data

HONG KONG: Asian markets were mostly lower on Tuesday following a weak set of data out of the United States that added to recent concerns about the global economy.

The losses came despite a positive lead from Wall Street, which saw the downbeat US figures as a counterweight to talk that the Federal Reserve will start reeling in its monetary easing.

Tokyo was 0.35 percent lower by the break, Hong Kong fell 0.26 percent, Sydney was down 0.19 percent, Seoul lost 0.19 percent.

In Shanghai shares fell again, losing 0.30 percent, after HSBC released the results of a survey showing manufacturing activity in the world's number two economy shrank in May.

In Washington the Institute for Supply Management's purchasing managers index (PMI) on US manufacturing slumped into negative territory in May, for the first time since November.

Also, the Commerce Department said construction spending in April rose 0.4 percent, less than half of the increase expected.

The news put pressure on the dollar, which had earlier in the day fallen back below the 100 yen level.

View the original article here

Asian equity markets jump on US stimulus hopes

Hong Kong: Asian stocks gained Friday, with Tokyo clawing back some ground after plunging in the previous session as tepid US data eased concerns that the Federal Reserve could begin tapering its aggressive stimulus program.

Tokyo climbed 1.64 percent after the Japanese government released a barrage of economic data just before the market opened, including a stronger-than-expected on-month rise of 1.7 percent in April factory output.

The benchmark Nikkei index on Thursday lost 5.15 percent as jittery investors dumped shares on the back of a stronger yen and mounting concerns over global growth.

In other markets, Hong Kong rose 0.39 percent, Seoul gained 0.56 percent while Sydney and Shanghai traded flat.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.14 percent at 15,324.53 on Thursday as weaker-than-expected economic news fueled hopes the Federal Reserve will continue to keep its foot on the stimulus pedal.

New claims for unemployment insurance benefits unexpectedly rose in the US last week, by 10,000, and pending home sales edged up 0.3 percent in April, when 1.5 percent was forecast.

The US government's revised estimate of first-quarter economic growth came in barely changed at 2.4 percent. Analysts had expected that it would hold unchanged at 2.5 percent.

In currency markets, the dollar firmed to ¥101.01 in early Asian trade from ¥100.74 in New York late Thursday.

The euro bought $1.3040 and ¥131.85 against $1.3043 and ¥131.39.

Oil was down in Asia, with New York's main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in July dropping eight cents to $93.53 a barrel and Brent North Sea crude for July delivery shedding seven cents to $102.12.

Gold was at $1,419.80 at 0220 GMT from $1,399.52 late Thursday. (AFP)

View the original article here

Karachi Stock Exchange finishes lower on profit booking

KARACHI: The Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) finished lower on Wednesday, as traders booked profits in an overbought market Geo News reproted.

The benchmark 100-Index closed 0.82 percent, or 182.09 points, lower at 22,092.42 as profit-taking was seen in some large-cap scrips.

The Pakistan Oil and Gas Development Co Ltd fell 3.92 percent at 244 rupees, while D.G. Khan Cement was down 0.97 percent at 80.30 rupees.

View the original article here

Dollar weakens in Asian trade

TOKYO: The dollar weakened in Asian trade Thursday with few trading cues as firms adjust their month-end forex positions, dealers said, while concerns about global growth hung over markets.

The greenback had dropped below the 101-yen level in early Tokyo trade as the Nikkei 225 plunged more than three percent -- yen trade and the benchmark stock index are closely interlinked as the value of the Japanese currency directly affects the competitiveness of the country's exporters.

But by midday, the dollar crept back to 101.07 yen against 101.13 yen in New York late Wednesday.

"No news are behind the move, just flows," a senior dealer at a major Japanese bank told Dow Jones Newswires.

"The correlation between movements in the Nikkei and the dollar/yen appear to be gradually weakening. I think support at the 100-yen level remains strong."

Japanese firms are major currency sellers and buyers as part of running their overseas operations with euro trade also affected by such deals on Thursday, dealers said.

The European single currency gained to $1.2960 from $1.2942 in US trade, while it strengthened against the Japanese unit to 131.01 yen from 130.87 yen.

View the original article here

Dollar slips in Asian trade after US rally

TOKYO: The dollar lost ground in early Asian trade on Wednesday after flying on fresh data that showed US consumer confidence and home prices were on the rise.

The figures are the latest evidence that the world's biggest economy could be mounting a recovery, paving the way for the US Federal Reserve to roll back its huge bond-buying programme known as quantitative easing.

Dollar trade has been influenced by differing views over comments from Fed chairman Ben Bernanke last week, although dealers generally viewed the central bank chief as saying the Fed needed to see a few months' more data before it would tighten policy.

In Tokyo morning trade, the dollar bought 102.14 yen, slipping from 102.32 yen in New York late Tuesday.

"The dollar is becoming the main driver of the (dollar/yen) pair and focus will increasingly be on the Fed's stance toward its bond buying and indicators like US jobs data," Kengo Suzuki, forex strategist at Mizuho Securities, told Dow Jones Newswires.

The greenback jumped Tuesday following the release of the S&P/Case-Shiller report on March US housing prices, showing they were up 10.9 percent in over March 2012, the largest year-on-year increase since April 2006.

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