>> hello. welcome to the journal here in berlin. our headlines at this hour. millions in aid for victims of pakistan's flooding, but desperation grows. iraq sees the deadliest bombing in weeks as u.s. forces pretend -- prepare to end combat operations. and shining in the world cup. the world bank will release $700 million euros to help the pakistani flood disaster, and

the president is calling for a donor conference to collect money needed to rebuild the country. in the meantime, aid agencies warn millions are at risk for disease as they await assistance. >> the country's military has been flying countless rescue missions. many areas are cut off from the outside world. upon landing, hundreds scramble to get onboard the aircraft, but there is never enough space. most of these desperate people will end up staying behind. aid has arrived, but many complain that it has not been fairly distributed.

>> they are distributed among influential people. the poor get nothing. >> and it is weakest in disaster-hit areas that are left with nothing. aid organizations view the situation with increasing worry. >> not hundreds of thousands but millions are at risk. they are susceptible to infection. >> the u.n. says the international community is responding too slowly, and it has received only a quarter of the money needed for the relief effort. >> i spoke to uoour correspondet and asked what the situation is. we must apologize for the poor

collection. >> 10's of thousands of people in the south are suffering, displaced by the water. a massive flood wave has passed through. an unprecendented effect surrounding the area. people are very anxious, and relief efforts have been set up. >> we keep hearing there are major problems getting help to the victims. are these organizational, logistical, or a lack of resources? >> it is the combination of all. the distribution and access will remain a problem. on one hand, the government has

been overwhelmed by the calamity. on the other hand, the initial response by state machinery have been sloppy and people have been critical. this causes resentment among the hundreds of thousands living in the mountainous areas. also here in the plains of centray and southern pakistan, several thousands are trapped, and relief has been patchy so far. >> thank you very much for that. the german red cross reports donations to aid flood victims are picking up after getting off to a slow start. today, a red cross chartered

airplane took off from berlin to bring aid, carrying mosquito nets and kitchen sets that can be used to construct stable emergenc shelters for 500 families. more coming up later, so stay tuned. in china, floods and landslides continue to take a deadly toll. nearly 300 injured in a northwestern city. more than 0.5 million people have been affected by flooding and tens of thousands evacuated. in iraq, a suicide bomber killed at least 57 recruits and soldiers in bagdhad.

it is the deadliest attack in weeks, with political tensions mounting at the end of combat operations there. the army is preparing to reduce forces to under 50,000 at the beginning of september. the bomber targeted a center in downtown bagdhad. hundreds of recruits were gathered there at the time. the month of august has seen almost daily attacks on security forces and police, but this was most deadly. >> we were standing in the area. the army and officers were registering. and then the bomb went off.

>> the attack is an embarassment to iraqi authorities, 2 weeks before troops are getting ready to leave the country. >> a palestinian man was shot and wounded after barricading himself in tel aviv. the intruder identified himself as palestinian and attempted to take a diplomat hostage. the man was carrying a toy gun. he was taken to the hospital under police escort. hamid karzai has ordered private security companies to leave the country within 4 months, a move to assert independence from

western backers. it does not apply to foreign embassies or non-governmental organizations. two attacks in the north caucasus killed and wounded several people. earlier, a suicide bomber killed a police officer and wounded 3 eop -- people. the trial of the former bosnian serb leader has resumed in the hague following a summer recess. prosecuters say he organized a campaign to destroy muslim and croat communities, includihe

massacre of mor than 8,000 men and boys in 1995. the tribunal indicted him on several charges includniing 5 counts of crimes against humanity. >> 2.2% gdp growth in the next quarter. strong growth pace, concerns exist about weakening. investors are concerned about high dependence on exports. the index met expectations. however, investors were upbeat about current conditions. and on the trading floor

tuesday, today's trading in frankfurt. >> more than 1.5%, almost 1.6% in today's session. it was a combination of factors. the index came in worse than expected but investors looked at the debt from spain and ireland, and actually, that took away a lot of fear. during the afternoon, we got betterthan-pected economic data from the u.s. and solid units. >> let's have a closer look. the index closed 1.5% higher at 62.06.

in new york, retailer earnings backo the market, dow jones up o 10,405. the euro is trading at $1.2878. japan's government is examining economic boosting strategies. the current strength of currency is causing concern about export profitability. economic growth was stagnant in japan in the second quarter. japanese are jittery. on tuesday, the nikkei index dropped to its lowest level in 8 months. general motors is expected to file for a public offering in

the coming days. this comes just over a year after they emerged from bankruptcy. they hope to raise enough money to allow the government to sell some stake in gm. >> gm recalled 240,000 suv's because seatbelt damage could prevent safety. the announcement comes as gm prepares to return to wall street. gm hopes its ipo will go to $20 billion and reduce the u.s. government's majority stake in the biggest automaker. one year ago, gm incurred $10 billio inosse last quarter. since then, a restructuring plan

has started showing results, with gm showing the first profit in 6 years. the ipo will help raise capital needed to revive units, such as opel. opel's boss tried to attract new buyers with a lifetime guarantee on new vehicles. more bad news for a company struggling to turn over a new leaf. >> gay rights in germany. we have the details. >> germany's court isss a ruling giving homosexual couples in civil parternships the same rights when it comes to inheritance tax. gay lesbian groups hail the decision as a significant step

towards equality. >> homosexual couplse are allowed civil unions in germany, but unlike marriages, the union ends in death. germany has come up with a new way to remedy the problem which much be applied retroactively. >> the court has said gays and lesbians are equal citizens. we hav been saying that since the 90's. it is nice to have the court affirm this, especially since our politicians have not been able to fix it. >> income tax equality is being pushed for, as well. >> my partners have been opposed to equality, but we think it is in our agreement, and support

it. >> the coalition will have to move quickly. a new regulation must be in place by the end of the year. >> a crash on rail tracks in southern germany. the truck had fled on to the tracks and was hit by the train. two cars derailed. the ice was traveling at around 130 kilometres per hour at the time of the impact. soccer news. the german national team -- quitting to play with real madrid. the transfer fee has not been revealed but is estimated at $15 million euros. >> 21-year-old soccer player

catapulted into the soccer elite that is real madrid. 13 goals in 71 games. as a key player during the world cup, he came to the attention of top international clubs. he settled for a hefty transfer sum. >> athletically speaking, we were on the same page and thought it would make sense to stay on for a year or two, but we were not able to agree on the financial detailes. >> he is just the 8th german to be selected. but some experts are predicting this step may be premature and wonder if he is up to the

challenge. >> back

>> welcome back. only a small fraction of pakistanis have received any help. that is according to the u.n. hundreds of villages cut off, bridges washed away. one reason for no aid is the absence of helicopters to ferry food to staging areas where it can be moved by boat. children are especially at risk right now. 3.5 -- >> some of the worst hit victims of the floods --

millions of pakistani children now at risk of contracting deadly water-borne diseases. the floods have destroyed their homes and their future. >> it all happened so quickly. we couldn't save anything. water surged into the house. now it is 5 meters high. we don't know where to go. some save themselves by climbing on to roofs. but if more water comes, all of us will die. >> the rain has stoped for the moment. but residents fear it is only a brief lull. millions are still waiting for aid, but it's unlikely to come soon. floods have washed away much of the infrastructure.

a refugee camp set up by the army. but no sanitation is here, and no rescue workers, either. i am looking to see how we can manage with what little we have. >> that's something people here know all too well. cut off from official aid, many rely on themselves, but it is not enough. >> we're asking for help. thetr government, the world, anyone whoc an help us. water, something to eat, clothes a new home, cattle. we need everything. >> the only hope here is that the worst is over.

after another day of rain, there are fears of new floods. there's not much pakistanis can do other than to wait and hope they can survive this disaster. >> many flood victims are pinning hopes on the military as the only instritution capable of helping them. survivors are growing impatient over the lack of food and relief goods, and criticizing the government for mismanagement. the magnitude of the disaster would test any government, but they have contrasted sharply with help from the military. >> this is a sound many are desperate to here, the military

helicopter bringing aid. they would welcome support from neighboring countries. but regional relations are far from simple. immediate neighbors are iran, afghanistan, china, and india. any support is highly unlikely. they would theoretically be the best way in for help. the area is a taliban stronghold. for months, the military has been mounting a major offensive. they could be put at risk by a pullout of troops and resources. the u.s. responded by sending in more of its own helicopters.

then there is kashmir. since the partition of the subcontinent, a source of tension. the region is plagued by unrest, and pakistan isk unwilling to reduce troop presence here. the task is immense. the infrastructure in many regions is gone, and stockpiles of food have been flooded out. hundreds of thousands; of bags f wheat have been ruined. only the military is equipped on a large scale.

>> they can only help if funding is there to finance work. the aid organization has hands tied in terms of dispatching aid quickly. that seems to have changed somewhat now, and the shipment of supplies was flown over tuesday. >> blankets, tents, and mosquito nets. that's all the family needs for a roof over their heads. a red cross representative was in the region in 2007 after an earlier disaster. she says people need help to help themselves. >> these packages allow people

to survive over the first two weeks. the first delivery will provide for 500 families, a fraction of those in need. the global headquarters in geneva sends out lists of ruired items, and each national outfit does what it can. the red cross has been working mainly in northwest pakistan for several years. they were able to get on the ground. >> we brought food to villages on mules. on top of that, we set up mobile health points relatively past -- fast. we were able to provide first

aid and assistance to the injured. >> a fair start. the readiness has intensified. >> when the red cross and red crescent are working together, then people can trust their donations and goods get to where they are needed. >> transporting a hospital to the region would cost 750,000 euros, and initially donations were not sufficient. but it has beme feasible. >> i'm megan lee. thank you for joining us here on dw-tv. stay tuned.

ow! of course. thank you. i'd call her honeydew goodbody, not lisa. the very fact that she is called lisa proves that she exists.