Tuesday, June 09, 2009 WASHINGTON: The White House has expressed confidence in getting Congressional approval for a $100 billion Afghanistan and Iraq wars spending bill also containing funds to assist Pakistan meet its “critical needs” in economic, humanitarian and security areas. Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters Monday afternoon that the White House is working to get the congressional endorsement for the funding bill within four weeks before President Barack Obama attends G-8 Summit on July 8-10.Besides, seeking around one billion in economic and security assistance for Pakistan, President Obama last week asked Congress for additional $200 million in humanitarian assistance to help Islamabad deal with humanitarian crisis following displacement of more than 3 million people from Malakand conflict region. “I think the administration believes that we can work with Congress to ensure the necessary and important funding is there for our missions in Afghanistan and Iraq; that money and funding will be there for the important and critical needs of what is being done in Pakistan as well as the commitments that were made internationally relating to the IMF,” Gibbs said. When endorsed by Congress, the U.S. humanitarian aid for Pakistani internally displaced persons will stand at around $330 million. Both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate have already passed their respective versions of the bill, which would make available more than $500 million in economic development and $400 million in security assistance for Islamabad under the new Pakistan Counterinsurgency Capability Fund. In addition, the administration will also get about a billion dollars for U.S. diplomatic missions and building embassy and consulates in Pakistan.
Friday, August 14, 2009 MUMBAI: A 26-year-old woman died Thursday of H1N1 swine flu in the southern city of Bangalore, raising India's death toll from the virus to 20, authorities said.The death was the first reported in India's information technology capital, the Press Trust of India reported.Meanwhile in Pune, the worst-affected in India, two more victims of the virus died Thursday, raising the death toll in that western city near Mumbai to 12, the report said. The victims were an 11-month-old boy and a 75-year-old old woman.US media reported movie halls, schools and colleges were ordered closed Thursday for three days to a week in Mumbai, the commercial and financial capital of the country, as fear of the pandemic spread.Prajakata Lavangare, a spokeswoman for the government of Maharashtra state of which Mumbai is the capital, said similar orders were issued in Pune, which is also located in the state.The woman who died in Bangalore was identified only as Roopa, a teacher in
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