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

9 April, 2009

LOCAL NEWS  

POLITICAL

-          Islamabad (Special Reporter) Japan announced aid for internally displaced persons in tribal areas. (Nawa-i-Waqt, p-12)

-          Islamabad (By Mehtab Haider) Pakistan requires additional funding in order to bridge its financing gap within two years and it is to see how much financial assistance the Friends of Democratic Pakistan (FoDP) extend it he upcoming meeting on April 17 at Tokyo, a senior official of the IMF said. (The News, p-18)

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

POLITICAL

-          Tokyo (Reuters) Japan’s ruling coalition parties are in final talks on a stimulus package with $150 billion in fiscal spending, a source briefed on the matter said, as the economy grapples with deep recession triggered by diving exports. (Daily times, p-B5)

-          Seoul (Reuters) Shouting soldiers at a mass rally on Wednesday celebrated North Korea’s defiant launch of a rocket, while Russia’s foreign minister said any new punishment for Pyongyang could be counter-productive. (Daily times, p-A9)

-          Bern, April 8 (AFP) Switzerland is engaged in talks with Japan and Poland about bolstering dual taxation agreements after the easing of its banking secrecy laws, the government said on Wednesday. (Dawn, p-9)

MISC

-          Tokyo (AFP Picture) “The Super Hello Kitty Jewel Doll”, studded with a 1.027ct diamond on its ribbon, 403-piece pink sapphires on its body. (The Nation, p-11)