US envoy says billions needed for Pakistan

A top US envoy said Thursday that "many billions" of dollars will be needed to rebuild Pakistan after the worst flooding in living memory has left one-fifth of the country inundated with water and devastated the economy.

Richard Holbrooke, the US special representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan, said the United States was the first and largest contributor, and he challenged other countries, especially Pakistan's close ally China, to "step up to the plate." (AP)