A roundup of today's other world news in brief
New appeal for Pakistan
UNITED NATIONS– The United Nations yesterday asked member states for $2 billion (€1.5 billion) to help Pakistan recover from the massive floods that have displaced millions of people, making it the largest natural disaster appeal in UN history.
The appeal includes an earlier call for $460 million.The money is intended to cover the needs of up to 14 million people for the next 12 months, the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs said. “We must also do our part,” UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos said. “We simply cannot stand by and watch the immense suffering in a disaster of this scale.” – (Reuters)
Civil union for German minister
BERLIN– German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, the country's first openly gay minister, and his partner formalised their union at a civil ceremony in his hometown of Bonn, Westerwelle's Free Democrat party said yesterday.
Westerwelle (48) and businessman Michael Mronz (43) entered the registered partnership at a civil ceremony led by Bonn mayor Juergen Nimptsch. Germany gives same-sex couples who register their partnerships the same rights and responsibilities as married heterosexual couples. – (Reuters)