From the News, Nation, Dawn, Pakistan Observer, Daily Times, Frontier Post, Nawa-i-Waqt (Urdu) and Jang (Urdu) newspapers                                                                            

13 April, 2009

LOCAL NEWS   

POLITICAL

-          Islamabad (APP) President Asif Ali Zardari has very schedule here for hi s next week visit, an informed source said Sunday, President Zardari during his April 15-17 stay will attend an important meeting of Friends of Democratic Pakistan and a donor’s conference, besides presiding over Business Conference and holding talks with key Japanese cabinet ministers. (Pakistan Observer, p-1; The News, p-9; Daily Times, p-A2)   

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

POLITICAL

-          Tokyo (AFP) Japans government is finalizing plans to provide Pakistan with up to $1 billion in economic aid over the next two years, the Nikkei Business daily reported. (Pakistan Observer, p-1)

-          Tokyo (NNI) In a meeting with visiting U.S. Sen. John McCain, Democratic Party of Japan leader Ichiro Ozawa expressed opposition to President Barrack Obama’s decision to send more troops to Afghanistan to fight terrorism, DPJ Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama said. (The Frontier Post, p-11)

ECONOMIC 

-     Tokyo (AFP) The Bank of Japan will likely cut its forecasts for the economy in a half-yearly outlook report at the end of April, minutes showed some broad members saying at a policy meeting last month, under-scoring its concern about the nations deepening recession. (Pakistan Observer, p-1; The Frontier Post, p-8)