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

7 April, 2009

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

POLITICAL

-          Tokyo (AFP) Japan on Monday voiced strong support for US President Barack Obama’s call to eventually rid the world of nuclear weapons. (Daily times, p-A9)

-          Seoul (Agencies) North Korea’s rocket may have fallen into the sea, but military experts cautioned Monday against calling it a complete failure, noting that it traveled twice as far as any missile the country has launched. (The Frontier Post, p-5)

-          Beijing (The Guardian News Service) North Korea sent tension soaring across Asia when it launched a long-range rocket capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. (Dawn, p-14)

-          Article (By Micheal Tomasky) North Korea will abandon its nuclear ambitions, if at all, when the US and other six-party member nations put a deal on the table that all sides can accept. (Daily Times, p-A8)

-          Seoul/United Nations (Agencies) The United Nations failed to agree on a response to North Korea’s long-range rocket launch despite pressure from Washington and its allies for action, while regional powers weighed the extent of the new security threat. (Daily Times, p-A9; Jang, p-3)

-          Tokyo (AFP) A retailer of nuclear fallout shelters in Japan said Monday that sales soared in the lead-up to North Korea’s rocket launch as jittery residents took their safety into their own hands. (Daily Times, p-A9)

-          Tehran (AFP) Iran said on Monday that North Korea was justified in carrying out its controversial weekend rocket launch and denied there were any links between the two countries missile programme. (Pakistan Observer, p-8)

-          Tokyo (AFP) Japan on Monday announced plans for a fresh stimulus package worth at least $100 billion to boost the world’s second biggest economy as Asian stocks rose further on global outlook hopes. (Daily times, p-B5; The Frontier Post, p-8)