The U.N. appeals for $160 million to help flood-hit Pakistan

Tuesday, August 30, 2022

by Rossalyn Warren

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The United Nations issues a flash appeal for $160 million to help Pakistan cope with the floods, Germany and France say they are against a Russia visa ban, and Serena Williams signals she's not quite ready for retirement.

Today's biggest stories

Men carry children on their shoulders and wade along a flooded road, following rains and floods during the monsoon season in Nowshera, Pakistan August 29, 2022. REUTERS/Fayaz Aziz

World

The United Nations has issued a flash appeal on Tuesday for $160 million to help Pakistan cope with catastrophic floods that have killed more than 1,100 people, destroyed infrastructure and crops, and affected 33 million people.

Germany and France have issued a joint warning against a ban on tourist visas for Russians, saying such a step would be counter-productive. The countries argue for close scrutiny of visa applications for security risks, but believe visas should still be issued.

An Israeli court sentenced a Palestinian aid worker convicted of funneling funds to Gaza militant group Hamas to six more years in jail on top of the six years he has already spent in detention. Mohammad El Halabi, head of Gaza operations for aid group World Vision, has denied all the allegations.

Several big Chinese cities have escalated COVID-19 restrictions, renewing economic uncertainty and delaying the start of the school year for some. The fresh measures, scheduled to last just a few days for now, reflect China's insistence on its so-called "dynamic COVID zero" policy.

Guatemalan Foreign Minister Mario Bucaro said on Tuesday that the Central American country will "always support" Taiwan as they are "like-minded countries" united by a "democratic alliance." The meeting came after China conducted its largest-ever military drills around the self-ruled island earlier this month.

Portugal's Health Minister Marta Temido resigned on Tuesday following widespread criticism of her decision to temporarily close emergency obstetric services, forcing risky transfers of pregnant women between hospitals.

Aug 29, 2022; Flushing, NY, USA; Serena Williams (USA) reaches for a forehand against Danka Kovinic on day one of the 2022 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

U.S.

The U.S. Justice Department's search of former President Donald Trump's home this month turned up a "limited" number of documents potentially subject to attorney-client privilege, federal prosecutors have said in a court filing.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor declined to block New York City from enforcing its mandate that all municipal workers be vaccinated against COVID-19, rebuffing a police detective who challenged the public health policy.

Serena Williams signalled she is not quite ready for retirement, advancing to the second round of the U.S. Open on Monday with a scrappy 6-3 6-3 win over Danka Kovinic. Williams indicated her intention to retire in a Vogue article in early August, but never confirmed the U.S. Open as her final event.

The Biden administration plans to ask the U.S. Congress to approve an estimated $1.1 billion arms sale to Taiwan, including 60 anti-ship missiles and 100 air-to-air missiles, amid heightened tensions with China.

Jackson, Mississippi, will go without reliable drinking water indefinitely, after pumps at the main water treatment plant failed, leading to the emergency distribution of bottled water and tanker trucks for 180,000 people. Officials warned anyone with access to tap water should boil it for three minutes.

A Honda SUV e:Prototype electric vehicle (EV) is seen displayed during a media day for the Auto Shanghai show in Shanghai, China April 20, 2021. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo

BUSINESS

Russia's Gazprom will reduce gas deliveries to Engie from Tuesday in a dispute over contracts, the French utility said, deepening winter energy supply concerns. Engie's deliveries from Gazprom have already decreased substantially since the beginning of war in Ukraine in February.

Japan's Honda Motor Co will build a new $4.4 billion lithium-ion battery plant for electric vehicles in the United States with Korean battery supplier LG Energy Solution Ltd. Battery makers are looking to increase production in the U.S. where a shift toward electric vehicles could increase.

British government bonds are on course for their biggest monthly fall since 1994, as surging energy prices create a perfect storm of higher inflation, tighter monetary policy and the prospect of greater government borrowing.

The euro climbed past parity against a softening dollar on Tuesday, ahead of German inflation that will help indicate the likelihood of a super-sized European Central Bank rate hike.

And China's search engine giant Baidu Inc beat quarterly revenue estimates on Tuesday, underpinned by demand for its cloud and artificial intelligence-powered offerings. U.S.-listed shares of the company rose 3.2% in pre-market trade.

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