I don't hear 'Republicans squawking' about billionaires: Sen. Bernie Sanders | ABC News

Video Report - 'It's a spy's dream': Andrew McCabe on security threats at Mar-a-Lago

Video Report - France’s Macron concludes Algeria visit with new pact

Video Report - #Libya Is Libya on the brink of another civil war? | Inside Story

Video Report - This is how Russia could help Iran implement new nuclear agreement

Video Report - Bilawal Bhutto Zardari: Our priority are the people affected by the floods -

Video Report - #Floods #Pakistan #Swat Floods in Swat: Buildings collapse into river -

Pakistan flooding: Death toll in 'climate catastrophe' tops 1,000

Authorities are racing to evacuate residents as provinces brace for more flooding. Pakistan's top climate official Sherry Rehman tells DW much of the country "resembles a small ocean."

Pakistan's Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman said that Pakistan is experiencing a "serious climate catastrophe" as the death toll from devastating flooding passed 1,000 on Sunday.

"We've had to deploy the navy for the first time to operate in Pakistan because much of it... resembles a small ocean," Rehman told DW.

More than 100 people have died in the past day alone, officials said, with most of the new casualties reported in the southeastern province of Sindh and northwestern province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Rehman noted extreme weather conditions that have hit Pakistan this year as proof of a climate crisis.

"That started literally in early March, late February, when we went straight from winter to spring. Pakistan became one of the hottest places on the planet, crossing 53 degrees [Celsius] in the south. And that triggered... a whole season of forest fires, which we had to battle in areas where we already have low forest cover," Rehman said.

Observers have pointed to corruption and poor infrastructure in Pakistan. But Rehman argues that UN experts on the ground now don't "see it as anything but a climate catastrophe."

"I don't know anyone that could have planned for eight weeks of unrelenting monsoons in cities... taking 700% more water than ever. I don't think that's about planning. But having said that, of course, we need to plan better," she said.

Further torrents expected in Sindh, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa evacuates thousands Officials warned further torrents of water are expected to reach Sindh in the coming days."Right now, [the Indus river] is in high flood," said Sukkur Barrage supervisor Aziz Soomroo. The barrage redirects water from the Indus to a vast system of canals.Years of neglect have meant that the barrage's canals have not been capable of dealing with today's record volumes.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he had never seen anything like it.

"Village after village has been wiped out. Millions of houses have been destroyed. There has been immense destruction," Sharif said during a visit to Sindh.

In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes to relief camps set up in government buildings. The provincial government spokesperson, Kamran Bangash, said that many evacuees have also taken shelter on roadsides. Local Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa officials cited by Pakistani news portal Dawn said that areas of the province had been "cut off" from the rest of the country, and many residents had been attempting to evacuate by foot, some traveling for days.

International support

Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal told the EFE news agency that "some countries have promised aid that is on its way, but we need more assistance for the millions of people affected by the rains."

The US, UK, China and the United Arab Emirates are among the countries that have pledged support.

The prime minister's office said that the first delivery of international assistance occurred at the Noor Khan airbase near Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's capital Rawalpindi, and 15 more planes delivering aid will arrive over the coming days.

Pope Francis asserted his "closeness to the people of Pakistan struck by flooding of disastrous proportions." He called for international solidarity to be "prompt and generous."

Rehman also called for international help. "I would like not to be hectored by Western communities that have gotten rich on the back of burning fossil fuels. We are less than a 1% emitter in the world," she said.

https://www.dw.com/en/pakistan-flooding-death-toll-in-climate-catastrophe-tops-1000/a-62955961

#Pakistan - #PPP - Bilawal wins $1b Saudi investment pledge

Saudi Arabia will invest $1 billion in Pakistan as part of its plan to help revive the country’s economy that has been reeling from one crisis to another since the last few months.

The Saudi investment will give a boost to the government’s desperate measures to bring some semblance of stability in the fragile economy. The announcement from Saudi Arabia came following a telephonic conversation between Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

“The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, issued a directive to invest $1 billion in Pakistan, in confirmation of the kingdom's support of the Pakistani economy and the Pakistani people,” read the statement issued by the Saudi State media on Thursday. The statement said the Saudi foreign minister informed the Kingdom’s decision to Bilawal during a telephone call. “In addition to discussing the strong Saudi-Pakistani relations and ways to boost them, regional and international issues of common interest are also discussed during the call,” the statement added.In a tweet Bilawal confirmed the telephonic conversation with the Saudi foreign minister. Bilawal welcomed the Saudi commitment to invest $1 billion in Pakistan. He also briefed his Saudi counterpart on the damages caused by unprecedented floods. Bilawal thanked Farhan for the Saudi assurance to extend all possible assistance.

It is not clear where and when the latest investment would be made. Saudi Arabia is one of the key countries that Pakistan has been seeking financial support from. Riyadh has agreed to roll over a $3 billion loan later this year. The latest pledge from Saudi Arabia came on the heels of Qatar announcing $3 billion investment in Pakistan.

Islamabad is desperately looking for financial assistance from friendly countries to shore up its depleting foreign reserves. The expected release of $1.2 billion next instalment from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will certainly avert any possibility of default.But Pakistan needs assistance from other countries and international financial institutions to keep its economy afloat. With the ongoing devastation caused by floods in Sindh, Baluchistan and parts of Punjab, the country’s economic woes will certainly be compounded.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2373118/bilawal-wins-1b-saudi-investment-pledge

#Pakistan #PPP - Bilawal hits out at Imran for holding public rallies despite flood devastation

There will be time for doing politics but at the moment it is time to assist the flood victims, says the foreign minister.

Lashing out at former prime minister Imran Khan for holding political gatherings despite devastation due to unprecedented floods in the country, Foreign Minister and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that the PTI chief is busy in "political point-scoring".

In an interview with BBC on Saturday, Bilawal said that there will be time for doing other activities including politics but at the moment it is time to assist the flood victims. "Our rivals whether in the government or in the opposition, always lacked interest in such matters."

He said that the rain-related floods have wreaked havoc in Pakistan and the devastations are spread from one corner of the country to the other.

"Rain-related floods have ruined peoples’ shelters, crops and everything. Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit and Sindh provinces have been hit very badly. The Sindh province has undergone the worst of all-time high catastrophe," he said. The foreign minister said that every district of Sindh has been badly affected and the Sindh government has marked them as the worst calamity-hit zones. Bilawal said the rain-related floods have so far rendered above 80,000 homeless in district Larkana alone. The PPP chairman was of the view that amid this escalating catastrophe, the resources are very limited to cater to the needs of those affected. "There is an immediate need for tents, raw and cooked foods and medicine to help the affectees." He said that the rains that started in June continued till the end of August, and still the relief and rescue process is on the go. He said that a large-scale migration has already set in as the people are shifting from flood-affected areas to safer dry areas. "The government will provide all necessities such as tents and food and arrangements have been made at schools, colleges and government buildings for their temporary shelters."

Bilawal said that the next process will be the rehabilitation of the affected areas, the houses of the victims and the infrastructure of flood-hit areas will have to be rebuilt.

Counting on the high numbers of casualties and damages, the PPP leader feared an increase in human casualties.

Talking about the politics of the opposition, Bilawal said that it is sad that amid this huge devastation politicking is being intensely done. He said that wherever there is a flood or an earthquake in the world, the whole country unites and helps the victims. He said what could be said if the opposition wants to keep busy in political point scoring.

"It is our priority to lessen the agonies of the flood victims. Wherever the victims can get relief, including the federal and provincial governments, let us deliver that relief," he added.

The foreign minister said that this time it rained so heavily that he had to postpone his visit to the European Union because it was the call of the duty to stay among those affected.

Bilawal pointed out that the current opposition was in the government in 2020, but it did not support the flood victims of Sindh province.

"Imran Khan’s own province [K-P] has been affected but sadly he is busy in political point scoring. He is holding political gatherings," he added.

Bilawal said that there is no government in the world, which is capable of dealing with a natural calamity on this huge scale, but they spare nothing and try their best to make redressal. "It is our top priority to provide tents to the victims for temporary shelters." He said that the Sindh government had 90,000 tents available which do not suffice the needs, adding that at least one million tents are required. He said that the government and society are working together to provide food and assistance to the affectees. The PPP chairman said that during the 2020 floods, the victims did not get anything, but today the victims are expected to receive assistance through the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP).

He admired the secure system of the BISP, through which people are being helped out.

He said that before the BISP, there was no victim assistance system available in the country, through which we would have helped people in difficult times.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2373455/bilawal-hits-out-at-imran-for-holding-public-rallies-despite-flood-devastation