US almost doubles military aid to Pakistan:
This marks the first time since 2003 that the Afghan war funding surpassed the outlay for Iraq. The Pentagon is seeking $130 billion in war funds for 2010, including $65 billion for Afghanistan and $61 billion for Iraq. For 2009, the Pentagon had request $87 billion for Iraq and $47 billion for Afghanistan.
http://snipurl.com/hn106
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21 Deaths in Afghan suicide attack:
At least 21 civilians have been killed after a suicide bomber on a motorbike attacked a convoy of Nato-led troops near a bazaar in southern Afghanistan, according to a local official.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2009/05/2009581325037177.html
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Afghan war claims four British occupation force soldiers in one day:
Four British soldiers have been killed in one day fighting Taliban militants in the disrupted southern Afghan province of Helmand, the British Ministry of Defense says.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=94047&sectionid=351020403
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Musharraf unlikely to return to Pakistan:
Sheharyar, another aide of the former military ruler, said Musharraf is currently in London [Images] and would be traveling to the US from there. Musharraf would then travel back to Europe, he said.
http://news.rediff.com/interview/2009/may/07/musharraf-unlikely-to-return-to-pak...

Demonizing Pakistan: :
Pakistan may collapse in three months, warns expert:
Predicting that the civilian government in Islamabad [Images] will collapse within the next two, three months, Kilcullen said if this was to be avoided, the Obama administration needed immediately to "empower the Pakistani civilian authorities to control their own national security establishment", and to "beef up and train" Pakistan's police force.
http://news.rediff.com/look/2009/may/07/pakistan-may-collapse-within-three-month...

Red Cross Warns of Crisis in Pakistan:
The International Committee of the Red Cross said that up to half a million people may have been uprooted by the fighting.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/08/world/asia/08pstan.html?_r=1

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"We are ready to make every sacrifice if the government really means business this time," said Gul Omer, a poultry trader, referring to previous, inconclusive military action that was followed by the peace deal.

Gilani said the government would not bow before terrorists and would force them to lay down their arms. Reinforcements have been arriving in Swat as a peace pact collapsed and fighting has intensified since Wednesday.

Authorities agreed in February to a Taliban demand for Islamic sharia law in the valley but the militants refused to disarm, and pushed out of Swat closer to the capital.

Earlier, helicopter gunships and fighters attacked Taliban positions. There were 4,000 to 5,000 militants in the valley while the up to 15,000 members of the security forces were involved, Abbas said.

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, in talks in Washington this week, assured U.S. President Barack Obama of Islamabad's commitment to defeating al Qaeda and its allies.

Pakistan efforts against militants sheltering near the border with Afghanistan are seen as vital to efforts to defeat the insurgency in that country.

Militant violence in areas closer to Islamabad, such as Swat, have raised concern about nuclear-armed Pakistan's stability.