It is 00:30 universal time. I'm Bob Galkan reporting the news in Washington.
Pakistan has canceled all official celebrations planned for its independence day Saturday because of deadly floods. Heavy rains have affected about 14 million people across the country. Officials estimate that flooding has killed 1600 people. They say more than 700,000 houses have been damaged or destroyed. President Asif Ali Zardari will spend Saturday visiting flooded areas. He was widely criticized earlier for traveling to Europe during the disaster. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon plans to fly to Pakistan to visit flooded areas and show support for the international community. However, details of the visit have yet to be made public.
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