Only $3.2 per flood affected person by Arshad Sharif The worst flood in Pakistan’s history has received a tepid response from the international community. “As of August 9, 2010, according to the UN’s financial tracking system, less than $45 million has been committed, plus $91million pledged, which breaks down to $3.20 committed per flood affected person,” said British NGO Oxfam in a press release. The scale of aid and relief committed by international donors to Pakistan, is at least four times less than that committed after the October 2005 earthquake in Pakistan – the number of people affected by the … Continue reading $3.2 per flood affected person

by Dawn.com KARACHI: Pakistan cricket star Shahid Afridi on Thursday launched a campaign to help assist millions afflicted by devastating floods in his country’s worst-ever humanitarian disaster. The 30-year-old all-rounder visited Nowshehra, one of the hardest-hit parts of the northwest, to take part in a flood-relief campaign and distribute funds he raised recently in the United Arab Emirates. “I feel it is my duty to help my countrymen in time of need,” Afridi told AFP. “I raised a good amount in Dubai recently and this campaign will go on even in England early next month.” An estimated 14 million people … Continue reading Afridi launches campaign for flood victims

by Amna Khalique Over a 100 people have died in Gilgit-Baltistan due to the floods that have ravaged the country. For over 12 days now, Gilgit and the surrounding districts have been cut off from the rest of the country as the roads leading to the valley are closed due to landslides. The five main bridges that link to the region have been swept away by the fierce torrents, leaving the locals and visitors in complete isolation. According to Ms Nurulain, an ex-adviser for education, women’s development and social welfare, who is currently in the area, all roads to Gilgit … Continue reading Stranded

by Nadeem F. Paracha It was quite a sight watching a number of workers belonging to the country’s electronic media protesting against the ‘attack on the freedom of expression’ by the alleged workers of the PPP. The protest rally that I went to was held by angry activists of the PPP at the Karachi Press Club, in the wake of the attack and harassment experienced by the staff, cable operators and hawkers associated with the TV and print instruments of the Jang Group. The attacks and agitation against the media group began the day after the group’s TV channel began … Continue reading Raging bull

COMMENT: Such a long journey —Dr Mohammad Taqi Do we have the answers to why we are in such a sorry state? Can we at least ask the relevant questions, and in a timely manner? I must meekly submit that not all of us do “I wiss you health, I wiss you wealth, I wiss you gold in store; I wiss you heaven on earth, What can I wiss you more?” The above was the toast proposed at a little girl’s birthday by Mr Dinshawji, a character in Rohinton Mistry’s novel, Such a Long Journey, that was later adapted into … Continue reading Such a long journey

PENSIEVE: Death of an optimist —Farrukh Khan Pitafi The argument that the scope of devastation could not be foreseen is absurd. So is the lame excuse that when great powers cannot fight natural disasters, how can we. It is our country and we should have done enough to set our home in order Temporal anomalies, eddies of time, never cease to amuse me in terms of literary speculation. If we were to ever develop temporal technologies I am sure my country could benefit from it by altering important existential issues created at its very birth. For instance, the Quaid could … Continue reading Death of an optimist

bbc.co.uk John Holmes: “This disaster is one of the most challenging that any country has faced in recent years” The UN has launched an appeal for $459m (£290m) to help victims of Pakistan’s flood disaster, which has affected at least 14 million people. UN humanitarian chief John Holmes said the money would be for immediate relief over the next three months. The disaster was “one of the most challenging that any country has faced in recent years”, he said in New York. Continue reading the main story Pakistan’s Monsoon Floods ‘Hardline’ groups fill aid vacuum Zardari criticism’s political game In … Continue reading UN launches $459m Pakistan flood appeal

From SweetPoison.com and Youtube.com Aspartame Side Effects There are over 92 different health side effects associated with aspartame consumption. It seems surreal, but true. How can one chemical create such chaos? Aspartame dissolves into solution and can therefore travel throughout the body and deposit within any tissue. The body digests aspartame unlike saccharin, which does not break down within humans. The multitude of aspartame side effects are indicative to your genetic individuality and physical weaknesses. It is important to put two and two together, nonetheless, and identify which side effects aspartame is creating within you. Aspartame Side Effects The components … Continue reading Are you being slowly poisoned by Aspartame?