NPR 2010-08-16

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon calls the flooding in Pakistan the worst natural disaster he's ever seen. The UN chief spent the day flying over the hardest-hit areas. As many as 20 million people are affected 1. From the city of Multan in the southern Punjab, NPR's Julie McCarthy reports.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon pronounced the scenes of watery 2 devastation 3 'heart-wrenching' and like nothing he's ever seen. His comments reflected the concern about the unfolding disaster in Pakistan already battling Taliban militants 4 for the weak, unpopular government and an anemic economy propped 5 up by international aid. The flood that originated in the mountainous northwest two and a half weeks ago has roared southward, laying waste to wide swaths of the country's most productive farmland. The World Food Program says eight million people have been affected in the Punjab alone. Only 20 percent of the UN's global appeal has been pledged. Ban urged the world's donors 6 to step up assistance. Rains are still falling, he says, and could continue for weeks. Julie McCarthy, NPR News, Multan in the southern Punjab.

The US commander in Afghanistan says he sees areas of progress in the war against the insurgents 7. Army General David Petraeus says the goal now is to extend that progress.

"There is understandable concern and, [in] some cases, frustration 8, and therefore we've got to really put our shoulders to the wheel and show during the course of this year that progress can be achieved."

Petraeus told NBC's "Meet The Press" it's unclear whether he'll meet President Obama's target date of beginning a troop withdrawal 9 from Afghanistan next July. He said he'll give his best professional military advice and leave the politics to the president.

There were several bombings and shootings in Iraq today. At least seven people were killed. Three of the deaths occurred when gunmen opened fire on worshipers as they were leaving a mosque 10 in a town south of Baghdad.

A truck lost control and plowed 11 into a crowd at an off-road race in Southern California desert last night. Authorities say eight people died, a dozen more were injured. Shirley Jahad has more from member station KPCC.

The pickup 12 truck had just gone over a jump in the race, sailed into the air, then rolled over and landed upside down on top of some of the spectators. Bystanders rushed through the dusty scene and flipped 13 the truck back upright to try and rescue people pinned underneath 14. The off-road race called the California 200 had just started. Off-duty police and firemen who happened to be attending helped out in the chaotic 15 scene. It took official rescuers more than half an hour to reach the remote area of the Mojave Desert. Ten emergency aircraft landed and carried the injured to hospitals. Tens of thousands of people reportedly lined the track for the event, some standing 16 within ten feet with no guard rails around. Investigators 17 were working at the scene overnight. For NPR News, I'm Shirley Jahad in Los Angeles.

And you're listening to NPR News from Washington.

The First Family is en route to the White House after a brief trip to the Florida Panhandle. The vacation was partly to drum up business for the region's tourism industry after the BP oil spill. Today, the president and his family take a tour of St. Andrews Bay aboard a former Navy launch converted into a sightseeing boat.

Three children were injured in a bomb attack in Northern Ireland last night. Catholic dissidents are believed to be responsible for the attack. Larry Miller 18 reports from London this is the latest violence by those opposed to the power-sharing peace agreement.

The bomb exploded outside an elementary school in the town of Lurgan in Northern Ireland's County Armagh. No warning was given. Afterwards, police investigating suspicious packages in the same area came under attack by crowds throwing stones and gasoline bombs. Condemning 19 the attacks, John O'Dowd, a Catholic Sinn Fein member of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

"People are now completely fed up with the actions of these organizations, and they want to be left to live in peace."

There've been a number of bomb attacks this month by dissidents, including a 200-pound explosive that detonated outside a police station. For NPR News, I'm Larry Miller in London.

Prompted by a bomb threat, French police have evacuated 20 the Catholic shrine 21 of Lourdes just before the midday Mass today, requiring some 30,000 pilgrims to leave.

The new prime minister of Japan broke with tradition today and did not visit a shrine that honors Japan's kamikaze pilots. Naoto Kan instead spoke 22 at a memorial service for the war dead in Tokyo. He apologized for World War II, saying Japan caused great damage and suffering to many nations, especially the people of Asia.