Russian President Vladimir Putin opened a newly constructed part of Tavrida road in the annexed&nbsp;Crimea&nbsp;on Thursday.

Putin took a ride on the new road together with the main technical expert of the constructor company. In one of his comments, Putin suggested that the road should be equipped with more turnoffs for those who come to the seaside.

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The construction of Tavrida road, linking main&nbsp;Crimean cities, was launched in 2017 and its total length is estimated slightly over 250 km.

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During his working visit to Crimea, Vladimir Putin took part in the launch of motor traffic on the finished sections of the Taurida motorway <a href="https://t.co/1M0NDQPHl3">https://t.co/1M0NDQPHl3</a> <a href="https://t.co/umnUjmuui9">pic.twitter.com/umnUjmuui9</a>
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Since the beginning of the novel coronavirus outbreak in March, Vladimir Putin worked in Kremlin or Novo-Ogaryovo, rarely left Moscow.

In July he revealed the World War II memorial near the city of Rzhev, about 200 km from the Russian capital, and visited the&nbsp;Crimean port of Kerch.

Moscow annexed&nbsp;Crimea&nbsp;from Ukraine in 2014, drawing sanctions and sending relations with the West to post-Cold War lows.

Russia has spent heavily to integrate&nbsp;Crimea&nbsp;into its territory, and it has been the focus of espionage and military tensions since its annexation.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that Putin's visit to&nbsp;Crimea&nbsp;was an act of violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Russian President Vladimir Putin opened a newly constructed part of Tavrida road in the annexed Crimea on Thursday. Putin took a ride on the new road together with the main technical expert of the constructor company.

Russian President Vladimir Putin opened a newly constructed part of Tavrida road in the annexed Crimea on Thursday. Putin took a ride on the new road together with the main technical expert of the constructor company. In one of his comments, Putin suggested that the road should be equipped with more turnoffs for those who come to the seaside. The construction of Tavrida road, linking main Crimean cities, was launched in 2017 and its total length is estimated slightly over 250 km. During his working visit to Crimea, Vladimir Putin took part in the launch of motor traffic on the finished sections of the Taurida motorway https://t.co/1M0NDQPHl3 pic.twitter.com/umnUjmuui9 — President of Russia (@KremlinRussia_E) August 27, 2020 × Since the beginning of the novel coronavirus outbreak in March, Vladimir Putin worked in Kremlin or Novo-Ogaryovo, rarely left Moscow. In July he revealed the World War II memorial near the city of Rzhev, about 200 km from the Russian capital, and visited the Crimean port of Kerch. Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, drawing sanctions and sending relations with the West to post-Cold War lows. Russia has spent heavily to integrate Crimea into its territory, and it has been the focus of espionage and military tensions since its annexation. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that Putin's visit to Crimea was an act of violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Putin drives car in annexed Crimea during rare trip outside Moscow

Dead&nbsp;dolphins&nbsp;that washed up in Mauritius near the site of an oil spill have so far been found to have wounds on their bodies but no trace of oil, preliminary autopsy results released on Thursday said.

Environmentalists are urgently seeking an explanation for the mysterious deaths of 27&nbsp;dolphins&nbsp;which washed ashore on Wednesday and Thursday, to determine whether they were killed by the spill.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/18-dead-dolphins-wash-up-on-mauritius-coast-after-oil-spill-by-japanese-ships-323328" hreflang="en">18 dead dolphins wash up on Mauritius coast after oil spill by Japanese ships</a>

Scientists fear the toxic spill could hurt wildlife for many years on islands that depend on tourism.

So far, veteranarians have examined only two of the&nbsp;dolphins. Authorities say autopsies will be performed on the rest.

"The preliminary results show that the animals did not have trace of hydrocarbon in their respiratory system, nor in their skin, throat or stomach," the report said. Both of the&nbsp;dolphins&nbsp;examined so far bore signs of injuries, it said.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/images-show-the-extent-of-ecological-damage-caused-by-oil-spill-off-mauritian-coast-319374">Images show the extent of ecological damage caused by oil spill off Mauritian coast</a>

The Japanese-owned MV Wakashio, a bulk carrier, ran aground on July 25 and began to spill oil about a week later. The ship was scuttled on Monday.

The autopsy on the first two was conducted by the government-run Albion Fisheries Research Centre.

"The autopsy will be carried out on all other&nbsp;dolphins," said Jasvin Sok Appadu from the fisheries ministry.

Local environmental group Eco-Sud called for the full autopsy results to be released publicly. International environmental pressure group Greenpeace called on the government of Mauritius to launch an inquiry to determine whether the deaths were linked to the oil spill.

Dead dolphins that washed up in Mauritius near the site of an oil spill have so far been found to have wounds on their bodies but no trace of oil, preliminary autopsy results released on Thursday said.

Dead dolphins that washed up in Mauritius near the site of an oil spill have so far been found to have wounds on their bodies but no trace of oil, preliminary autopsy results released on Thursday said. Environmentalists are urgently seeking an explanation for the mysterious deaths of 27 dolphins which washed ashore on Wednesday and Thursday, to determine whether they were killed by the spill. Also read: 18 dead dolphins wash up on Mauritius coast after oil spill by Japanese ships Scientists fear the toxic spill could hurt wildlife for many years on islands that depend on tourism. So far, veteranarians have examined only two of the dolphins. Authorities say autopsies will be performed on the rest. "The preliminary results show that the animals did not have trace of hydrocarbon in their respiratory system, nor in their skin, throat or stomach," the report said. Both of the dolphins examined so far bore signs of injuries, it said. Also see: Images show the extent of ecological damage caused by oil spill off Mauritian coast The Japanese-owned MV Wakashio, a bulk carrier, ran aground on July 25 and began to spill oil about a week later. The ship was scuttled on Monday. The autopsy on the first two was conducted by the government-run Albion Fisheries Research Centre. "The autopsy will be carried out on all other dolphins," said Jasvin Sok Appadu from the fisheries ministry. Local environmental group Eco-Sud called for the full autopsy results to be released publicly. International environmental pressure group Greenpeace called on the government of Mauritius to launch an inquiry to determine whether the deaths were linked to the oil spill.

Autopsy finds wounds but no oil on dolphins washed up near Mauritius spill

Hurricane&nbsp;Laura&nbsp;made landfall early Thursday in southwestern Louisiana as one of the most powerful storms to hit the state, with forecasters warning it could push a massive wall of water 40 miles inland from the sea.

"Extremely dangerous Category 4 Hurricane Laura makes landfall packing winds of 150 miles per hour near Cameron Louisiana," the National Hurricane Center said.

The area in the direct path of&nbsp;Laura&nbsp;is home to about 4 million people, but officials said most had left for safer areas under evacuation orders. Sheriffs, police officers and other authorities said it would be several hours before they could safely venture out to begin search and rescue operations.

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FILE PHOTO: Residents fill sandbags at St. Raymond Church, provided by Mayor LaToya Cantrell and the local government, as Hurricane&nbsp;Laura&nbsp;warnings have been issued for part of Louisiana and Texas, in New Orleans, Louisiana, US/&nbsp;REUTERS

Hurricane-strength winds could blow as far as 200 miles inland to Shreveport, Louisiana, forecasters said.

The oil-refining town of Port Arthur was just west of where&nbsp;Laura&nbsp;made landfall. The city of 54,000 was a ghost town late Wednesday, with just a couple of gas stations and a liquor store open for business.

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The area where&nbsp;Laura&nbsp;made landfall is marshy and particularly vulnerable to the storm surge of ocean water.

"This is one of the strongest storms to impact that section of coastline," said David Roth, a forecaster with the National Weather Service. "We worry about that storm surge going so far inland there because it's basically all marshland north to Interstate 10. There is little to stop the water."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/unsurvivable-storm-surge-hurricane-laura-surges-towards-louisiana-texas-amid-mass-evacuation-323305" hreflang="en">'Unsurvivable storm surge': Hurricane Laura surges towards Louisiana, Texas amid mass evacuation</a>

Just hours before&nbsp;Laura&nbsp;smashed into the coast, Port Arthur resident Eric Daw hustled to fill up his car at one of the few gas stations still open.

He said he had wanted to evacuate earlier but lacked money for gas as he was waiting on a disability payment. Daw was headed to a shelter in San Antonio, a 4-1/2-hour drive, where instead of worrying about the storm he has to contend with COVID-19, echoing concerns of many others.

"They say we are all supposed to socially distance now," he said. "But how am I supposed to socially distance in a shelter?"

'Wall&nbsp;of&nbsp;water'

About 620,000 people were under mandatory evacuation orders in Louisiana and Texas.

The storm surge could penetrate inland from between Freeport, Texas, and the mouth of the Mississippi River, and could raise water levels as high as 20 feet (6 meters) in parts of Cameron Parish, Louisiana, the NHC said.

"To think that there would be a wall of water over two stories high coming on shore is very difficult for most to conceive, but that is what is going to happen," said National Weather Service meteorologist Benjamin Schott at a news conference. Most of Louisiana's Cameron Parish would be under water at some point, Schott added.

Temporary housing was hastily organized outside the surge zone for evacuated residents, and emergency teams were being strategically positioned, state and federal emergency management agencies said.

Laura&nbsp;was also expected to spawn tornadoes on Thursday over Louisiana, far southeastern Texas and southwestern Mississippi and drop 5 to 10 inches (127 to 254 mm) of rain over the region, the NHC said. It said there would likely be widespread flooding from far eastern Texas across Louisiana and Arkansas.

Environmental worries:

Big hurricanes like Harvey and Katrina have previously wreaked havoc on the oil industry sites dotting the Gulf Coast, where nearly half of the United States' oil refining capacity is located. There are concerns&nbsp;Laura&nbsp;may do the same.

When Harvey struck in 2017 there were oil and chemical spills, along with heavy air pollution from petrochemical plants and refineries.

"The storm and the direct damage and human life are the most important things, but pollution can be a double whammy and compound the risk to the community," said Luke Metzger, executive director of Environment Texas.

&nbsp;

Hurricane Laura made landfall early Thursday in southwestern Louisiana as one of the most powerful storms to hit the state, with forecasters warning it could push a massive wall of water 40 miles inland from the sea.

Hurricane Laura made landfall early Thursday in southwestern Louisiana as one of the most powerful storms to hit the state, with forecasters warning it could push a massive wall of water 40 miles inland from the sea. "Extremely dangerous Category 4 Hurricane Laura makes landfall packing winds of 150 miles per hour near Cameron Louisiana," the National Hurricane Center said. The area in the direct path of Laura is home to about 4 million people, but officials said most had left for safer areas under evacuation orders. Sheriffs, police officers and other authorities said it would be several hours before they could safely venture out to begin search and rescue operations. FILE PHOTO: Residents fill sandbags at St. Raymond Church, provided by Mayor LaToya Cantrell and the local government, as Hurricane Laura warnings have been issued for part of Louisiana and Texas, in New Orleans, Louisiana, US/ REUTERS Hurricane-strength winds could blow as far as 200 miles inland to Shreveport, Louisiana, forecasters said. The oil-refining town of Port Arthur was just west of where Laura made landfall. The city of 54,000 was a ghost town late Wednesday, with just a couple of gas stations and a liquor store open for business. The area where Laura made landfall is marshy and particularly vulnerable to the storm surge of ocean water. "This is one of the strongest storms to impact that section of coastline," said David Roth, a forecaster with the National Weather Service. "We worry about that storm surge going so far inland there because it's basically all marshland north to Interstate 10. There is little to stop the water." Also read: 'Unsurvivable storm surge': Hurricane Laura surges towards Louisiana, Texas amid mass evacuation Just hours before Laura smashed into the coast, Port Arthur resident Eric Daw hustled to fill up his car at one of the few gas stations still open. He said he had wanted to evacuate earlier but lacked money for gas as he was waiting on a disability payment. Daw was headed to a shelter in San Antonio, a 4-1/2-hour drive, where instead of worrying about the storm he has to contend with COVID-19, echoing concerns of many others. "They say we are all supposed to socially distance now," he said. "But how am I supposed to socially distance in a shelter?" 'Wall of water' About 620,000 people were under mandatory evacuation orders in Louisiana and Texas. The storm surge could penetrate inland from between Freeport, Texas, and the mouth of the Mississippi River, and could raise water levels as high as 20 feet (6 meters) in parts of Cameron Parish, Louisiana, the NHC said. "To think that there would be a wall of water over two stories high coming on shore is very difficult for most to conceive, but that is what is going to happen," said National Weather Service meteorologist Benjamin Schott at a news conference. Most of Louisiana's Cameron Parish would be under water at some point, Schott added. Temporary housing was hastily organized outside the surge zone for evacuated residents, and emergency teams were being strategically positioned, state and federal emergency management agencies said. Laura was also expected to spawn tornadoes on Thursday over Louisiana, far southeastern Texas and southwestern Mississippi and drop 5 to 10 inches (127 to 254 mm) of rain over the region, the NHC said. It said there would likely be widespread flooding from far eastern Texas across Louisiana and Arkansas. Environmental worries: Big hurricanes like Harvey and Katrina have previously wreaked havoc on the oil industry sites dotting the Gulf Coast, where nearly half of the United States' oil refining capacity is located. There are concerns Laura may do the same. When Harvey struck in 2017 there were oil and chemical spills, along with heavy air pollution from petrochemical plants and refineries. "The storm and the direct damage and human life are the most important things, but pollution can be a double whammy and compound the risk to the community," said Luke Metzger, executive director of Environment Texas.

'Extremely dangerous' Hurricane Laura makes landfall in Louisiana

After previously encouraging people without COVID-19 symptoms to get tested if they have been exposed to someone diagnosed with the virus, US health authorities have abruptly reversed their position without a clear explanation.

The changes in guidance were quietly made to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website on Monday&nbsp;shocking doctors and politicians and prompting accusations the guidance was politically motivated.

Admiral Brett Giroir, the assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), said the goal was "appropriate testing," not more testing for its own sake, and that there was no political pressure from the administration behind the decision.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/women-may-mount-stronger-covid-19-immune-response-323294" hreflang="en">Women may mount stronger COVID-19 immune response</a>

President Donald Trump has repeatedly said that the US should do less testing, and blamed testing for making it appear as though the country is doing poorly against the pandemic.

This is not true: though the US is testing at a high level, that is because its outbreak is worse than any other country in the world, with more than 5.8 million confirmed cases and almost 180,000 deaths.

The CDC's site previously said: "Testing is recommended for all close contacts of persons with SARS-CoV-2 infection.&nbsp;

"Because of the potential for&nbsp;asymptomatic&nbsp;and pre-symptomatic transmission, it is important that contacts of individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection be quickly identified and tested."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chemical-present-in-insect-spray-can-kill-coronavirus-study-323280" hreflang="en">Chemical present in insect spray can kill coronavirus: Study</a>

The site now says: "If you have been in close contact (within 6 feet) of a person with a COVID-19 infection for at least 15 minutes but do not have symptoms, you do not necessarily need a test unless you are a vulnerable individual or your health care provider or State or local public health officials recommend you take one."

Anthony Fauci, the top US&nbsp;government infectious disease expert,&nbsp;said&nbsp;"I am concerned about the interpretation of these recommendations and worried it will give people the incorrect assumption that&nbsp;asymptomatic&nbsp;spread is not of great concern. In fact, it is."

After previously encouraging people without COVID-19 symptoms to get tested if they have been exposed to someone diagnosed with the virus, US health authorities have abruptly reversed their position without a clear explanation.

After previously encouraging people without COVID-19 symptoms to get tested if they have been exposed to someone diagnosed with the virus, US health authorities have abruptly reversed their position without a clear explanation. The changes in guidance were quietly made to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website on Monday shocking doctors and politicians and prompting accusations the guidance was politically motivated. Admiral Brett Giroir, the assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), said the goal was "appropriate testing," not more testing for its own sake, and that there was no political pressure from the administration behind the decision. Also read: Women may mount stronger COVID-19 immune response President Donald Trump has repeatedly said that the US should do less testing, and blamed testing for making it appear as though the country is doing poorly against the pandemic. This is not true: though the US is testing at a high level, that is because its outbreak is worse than any other country in the world, with more than 5.8 million confirmed cases and almost 180,000 deaths. The CDC's site previously said: "Testing is recommended for all close contacts of persons with SARS-CoV-2 infection. "Because of the potential for asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic transmission, it is important that contacts of individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection be quickly identified and tested." Also read: Chemical present in insect spray can kill coronavirus: Study The site now says: "If you have been in close contact (within 6 feet) of a person with a COVID-19 infection for at least 15 minutes but do not have symptoms, you do not necessarily need a test unless you are a vulnerable individual or your health care provider or State or local public health officials recommend you take one." Anthony Fauci, the top US government infectious disease expert, said "I am concerned about the interpretation of these recommendations and worried it will give people the incorrect assumption that asymptomatic spread is not of great concern. In fact, it is."

Now, US says testing not needed for asymptomatic people after exposure to COVID-19

August 27 in history: Discovery of first ever commercial oil well, maiden flight of the first jet aircraft and more

In a groundbreaking first, British researchers have identified 50 new planets using artificial intelligence.

A research team led by David Armstrong at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom&nbsp;created a&nbsp;machine learning&nbsp;algorithm and trained it using data on confirmed planets and false-positives from&nbsp;NASA's retired Kepler mission.&nbsp;

The scientists&nbsp;then used the algorithm on a dataset of still unconfirmed planetary candidates from Kepler, resulting in fifty new confirmed planets and the first to be validated by machine learning.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/growing-dent-on-earths-magnetic-field-can-damage-satellites-and-navigation-321602" hreflang="en">Growing dent on Earth’s magnetic field can damage satellites and navigation</a>

Their results were reported in a new study published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, where they also perform the first large scale comparison of such planet validation techniques.

Previous machine learning techniques have ranked candidates, but never determined the probability that a candidate was a true planet by themselves, a required step for planet validation.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/car-sized-asteroid-becomes-closest-ever-seen-passing-earth-nasa-321591" hreflang="en">Car-sized asteroid becomes closest ever seen passing Earth: NASA</a>

These 50 exoplanets,&nbsp;range from worlds as large as Neptune to smaller than the Earth, with orbits as long as 200 days to as little as a single day. By confirming that these fifty planets are real, astronomers can now prioritise these for further observations with dedicated telescopes.

"The algorithm we have developed lets us take fifty candidates across the threshold for planet validation, upgrading them to real planets. We hope to apply this technique to large samples of candidates from current and future missions like TESS and PLATO,"&nbsp;Armstrong said.

"In terms of planet validation, no-one has used a machine learning technique before. Machine learning has been used for ranking planetary candidates but never in a probabilistic framework, which is what you need to truly validate a planet. Rather than saying which candidates are more likely to be planets, we can now say what the precise statistical likelihood is. Where there is less than a 1 per cent&nbsp;chance of a candidate being a false positive, it is considered a validated planet," added Armstrong.

"Probabilistic approaches to statistical machine learning are especially suited for an exciting problem like this in astrophysics that requires incorporation of prior knowledge,&nbsp;from experts like Dr Armstrong&nbsp;and quantification of uncertainty in predictions. A prime example when the additional computational complexity of probabilistic methods pays off significantly," Dr Theo Damoulas from the University of Warwick Department of Computer Science, and Deputy Director, Data Centric Engineering and Turing Fellow at The Alan Turing Institute, said.

Once built and trained the algorithm is faster than existing techniques and can be completely automated, making it ideal for analysing the potentially thousands of planetary candidates observed in current surveys like TESS.

The researchers argue that it should be one of the tools to be collectively used to validate planets in future.

"Almost 30 per cent of the known planets to date have been validated using just one method, and that`s not ideal. Developing new methods for validation is desirable for that reason alone. But machine learning also lets us do it very quickly and prioritise candidates much faster. We still have to spend time training the algorithm, but once that is done it becomes much easier to apply it to future candidates," Dr Armstrong said.

"You can also incorporate new discoveries to progressively improve it. A survey like TESS is predicted to have tens of thousands of planetary candidates and it is ideal to be able to analyse them all consistently. Fast, automated systems like this that can take us all the way to validated planets in fewer steps let us do that efficiently," added Dr Armstrong.

In a groundbreaking first, British researchers have identified 50 new planets using artificial intelligence. A research team led by David Armstrong at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom created a machine learning algorithm and trained it using data on confirmed planets and false-positives from NASA's retired Kepler mission.

In a groundbreaking first, British researchers have identified 50 new planets using artificial intelligence. A research team led by David Armstrong at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom created a machine learning algorithm and trained it using data on confirmed planets and false-positives from NASA's retired Kepler mission. The scientists then used the algorithm on a dataset of still unconfirmed planetary candidates from Kepler, resulting in fifty new confirmed planets and the first to be validated by machine learning. Also read: Growing dent on Earth’s magnetic field can damage satellites and navigation Their results were reported in a new study published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, where they also perform the first large scale comparison of such planet validation techniques. Previous machine learning techniques have ranked candidates, but never determined the probability that a candidate was a true planet by themselves, a required step for planet validation. Also read: Car-sized asteroid becomes closest ever seen passing Earth: NASA These 50 exoplanets, range from worlds as large as Neptune to smaller than the Earth, with orbits as long as 200 days to as little as a single day. By confirming that these fifty planets are real, astronomers can now prioritise these for further observations with dedicated telescopes. "The algorithm we have developed lets us take fifty candidates across the threshold for planet validation, upgrading them to real planets. We hope to apply this technique to large samples of candidates from current and future missions like TESS and PLATO," Armstrong said. "In terms of planet validation, no-one has used a machine learning technique before. Machine learning has been used for ranking planetary candidates but never in a probabilistic framework, which is what you need to truly validate a planet. Rather than saying which candidates are more likely to be planets, we can now say what the precise statistical likelihood is. Where there is less than a 1 per cent chance of a candidate being a false positive, it is considered a validated planet," added Armstrong. "Probabilistic approaches to statistical machine learning are especially suited for an exciting problem like this in astrophysics that requires incorporation of prior knowledge, from experts like Dr Armstrong and quantification of uncertainty in predictions. A prime example when the additional computational complexity of probabilistic methods pays off significantly," Dr Theo Damoulas from the University of Warwick Department of Computer Science, and Deputy Director, Data Centric Engineering and Turing Fellow at The Alan Turing Institute, said. Once built and trained the algorithm is faster than existing techniques and can be completely automated, making it ideal for analysing the potentially thousands of planetary candidates observed in current surveys like TESS. The researchers argue that it should be one of the tools to be collectively used to validate planets in future. "Almost 30 per cent of the known planets to date have been validated using just one method, and that`s not ideal. Developing new methods for validation is desirable for that reason alone. But machine learning also lets us do it very quickly and prioritise candidates much faster. We still have to spend time training the algorithm, but once that is done it becomes much easier to apply it to future candidates," Dr Armstrong said. "You can also incorporate new discoveries to progressively improve it. A survey like TESS is predicted to have tens of thousands of planetary candidates and it is ideal to be able to analyse them all consistently. Fast, automated systems like this that can take us all the way to validated planets in fewer steps let us do that efficiently," added Dr Armstrong.

Artificial Intelligence identifies 50 new planets from NASA data

Eighteen melon-headed whales washed up on the shores of Mauritius on Wednesday, the country's fisheries minister said, dismissing any link to a devastating oil spill earlier this month.

The dolphins, some of which were still alive when they were found and later died, were stranded on the south-eastern beaches of Grand Sable, and some of them had injuries.

Fisheries minister Sudheer Maudhoo told a press conference that all 18 of the whales, a member of the&nbsp;dolphin&nbsp;family, had died, but that there was "no trace of hydrocarbons on them or in their respiratory system".

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/images-show-the-extent-of-ecological-damage-caused-by-oil-spill-off-mauritian-coast-319374">Images show the extent of ecological damage caused by oil spill off Mauritian coast</a>

An autopsy of the animals was being carried out on Wednesday evening. According&nbsp;Preetam Daumoo, a local government official said&nbsp;that he, like many residents who found the bodies, feared the stranding was a result of the island's recent oil spill.

Earlier this month a Japanese-owned bulk carrier ran aground on a coral reef around 10 kilometres&nbsp;from Grand Sable, spilling over 1,000 tonnes of fuel into the pristine waters.

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The broken stem of the vessel was sunk in the open ocean on Monday.&nbsp;However, experts said it was too soon to say what had caused the deaths of the animals.

Owen Griffiths of the Mauritius Marine Conservation Society said&nbsp;"it is probably a very unfortunate coincidence", referring to a similar stranding in 2005 when 70 melon-headed whales stranded in the same area.

"Likely they followed a school of fish into the lagoon, got confused, could not find their way out to sea again and tried to head out to sea directly over the coral reef instead of finding the pass. In their panic and stress they collided with corals, became exhausted and died," he said.

"At this stage we have no idea of cause of death. An autopsy with stomach content analysis and lung examination, to look for oil traces, needs to be done."

Greenpeace called in a statement for an "urgent investigation" into the cause of the strandings.

Authorities and experts from Japan and Britain are still investigating the true extent of the ecological damage to an island whose economy depends heavily on tourism.

Initial reports suggest no major damage to the ocean floor or coral reef, however the remaining wreck is still grinding against the reef where it ran aground.

"If this situation continues, it could cause stress to the corals and could kill them," said Noriaki Sakaguchi, an ecosystems expert with Japan International Cooperation Agency.&nbsp;

The team of Japanese experts said Tuesday that the spilled oil has also reached the soft soil of mangrove forests along the coastline.

While there is no evidence of mangrove death yet, the oil could kill plants in the protected area in coming months, the team warned.&nbsp;

Eighteen melon-headed whales washed up on the shores of Mauritius on Wednesday, the country's fisheries minister said, dismissing any link to a devastating oil spill earlier this month.

Eighteen melon-headed whales washed up on the shores of Mauritius on Wednesday, the country's fisheries minister said, dismissing any link to a devastating oil spill earlier this month. The dolphins, some of which were still alive when they were found and later died, were stranded on the south-eastern beaches of Grand Sable, and some of them had injuries. Fisheries minister Sudheer Maudhoo told a press conference that all 18 of the whales, a member of the dolphin family, had died, but that there was "no trace of hydrocarbons on them or in their respiratory system". Also see: Images show the extent of ecological damage caused by oil spill off Mauritian coast An autopsy of the animals was being carried out on Wednesday evening. According Preetam Daumoo, a local government official said that he, like many residents who found the bodies, feared the stranding was a result of the island's recent oil spill. Earlier this month a Japanese-owned bulk carrier ran aground on a coral reef around 10 kilometres from Grand Sable, spilling over 1,000 tonnes of fuel into the pristine waters. The broken stem of the vessel was sunk in the open ocean on Monday. However, experts said it was too soon to say what had caused the deaths of the animals. Owen Griffiths of the Mauritius Marine Conservation Society said "it is probably a very unfortunate coincidence", referring to a similar stranding in 2005 when 70 melon-headed whales stranded in the same area. "Likely they followed a school of fish into the lagoon, got confused, could not find their way out to sea again and tried to head out to sea directly over the coral reef instead of finding the pass. In their panic and stress they collided with corals, became exhausted and died," he said. "At this stage we have no idea of cause of death. An autopsy with stomach content analysis and lung examination, to look for oil traces, needs to be done." Greenpeace called in a statement for an "urgent investigation" into the cause of the strandings. Authorities and experts from Japan and Britain are still investigating the true extent of the ecological damage to an island whose economy depends heavily on tourism. Initial reports suggest no major damage to the ocean floor or coral reef, however the remaining wreck is still grinding against the reef where it ran aground. "If this situation continues, it could cause stress to the corals and could kill them," said Noriaki Sakaguchi, an ecosystems expert with Japan International Cooperation Agency. The team of Japanese experts said Tuesday that the spilled oil has also reached the soft soil of mangrove forests along the coastline. While there is no evidence of mangrove death yet, the oil could kill plants in the protected area in coming months, the team warned.

18 dead dolphins wash up on Mauritius coast after oil spill by Japanese ships

The Australian government has proposed a law&nbsp;&nbsp;that would give the federal government powers to cancel any agreements local authorities and public institutions make or have made with foreign governments.

While experts believe that the&nbsp;move aimed primarily at&nbsp;curbing infiltration by China. Australian Prime Minister said&nbsp;"These laws are about&nbsp;Australia's national sovereign interests."&nbsp;

The new legislation comes as Canberra seeks to curtail Beijing's influence in&nbsp;Australia&nbsp;amid concerns over issues including trade and security, but Morrison denied the new law was designed with China specifically in mind.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/the-intended-australia-and-china-decoupling-311882">The intended Australia and China decoupling</a>

Under the new law, the country's foreign minister would be able to cancel any agreements made by state and territory governments, local councils or public universities with foreign administrations if they "adversely affect&nbsp;Australia's foreign relations" or are "inconsistent with&nbsp;Australian foreign policy".

The legislation will also be retrospective, and Morrison said&nbsp;Australia&nbsp;is aware of 130 agreements that government entities have struck with 30 different countries.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australia-warns-citizens-against-arbitrary-detention-risk-in-china-311511">Australia warns citizens against 'arbitrary detention' risk in China</a>

One of these deals includes&nbsp;Australia's second most populous state signing up to China's Belt and Road Initiative in 2018, a decision Morrison criticised at time.

Relations between&nbsp;Australia&nbsp;and its largest trading partner have become increasingly strained, with&nbsp;Australia&nbsp;angering China by calling for an international investigation into the origins of the coronavirus and blocking a recent agricultural deal.

China has targeted&nbsp;Australian exports of wine, barley and beef, and told its students and tourists to avoid travelling to&nbsp;Australia, citing racial discrimination.

China buys more than one-third of&nbsp;Australia's total exports, and sends more than a million tourists and students there each year.

On Wednesday, one of China's most senior diplomats in&nbsp;Australia&nbsp;said there was a "shadow" over the bilateral relationship.

The new legislation excludes commercial corporations and state-owned enterprises, although&nbsp;Australia&nbsp;has already given regulators and the treasurer additional powers to reject foreign takeovers of private companies.

The Australian government has proposed a law that would give the federal government powers to cancel any agreements local authorities and public institutions make or have made with foreign governments.

The Australian government has proposed a law that would give the federal government powers to cancel any agreements local authorities and public institutions make or have made with foreign governments. While experts believe that the move aimed primarily at curbing infiltration by China. Australian Prime Minister said "These laws are about Australia's national sovereign interests." The new legislation comes as Canberra seeks to curtail Beijing's influence in Australia amid concerns over issues including trade and security, but Morrison denied the new law was designed with China specifically in mind. Also read: The intended Australia and China decoupling Under the new law, the country's foreign minister would be able to cancel any agreements made by state and territory governments, local councils or public universities with foreign administrations if they "adversely affect Australia's foreign relations" or are "inconsistent with Australian foreign policy". The legislation will also be retrospective, and Morrison said Australia is aware of 130 agreements that government entities have struck with 30 different countries. Also read: Australia warns citizens against 'arbitrary detention' risk in China One of these deals includes Australia's second most populous state signing up to China's Belt and Road Initiative in 2018, a decision Morrison criticised at time. Relations between Australia and its largest trading partner have become increasingly strained, with Australia angering China by calling for an international investigation into the origins of the coronavirus and blocking a recent agricultural deal. China has targeted Australian exports of wine, barley and beef, and told its students and tourists to avoid travelling to Australia, citing racial discrimination. China buys more than one-third of Australia's total exports, and sends more than a million tourists and students there each year. On Wednesday, one of China's most senior diplomats in Australia said there was a "shadow" over the bilateral relationship. The new legislation excludes commercial corporations and state-owned enterprises, although Australia has already given regulators and the treasurer additional powers to reject foreign takeovers of private companies.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison seeking veto powers over China deals

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan wants to increase his influence over Muslim countries to become its leader.

To fulfil his ambition, he is folllowing the footsteps of China by adapting its technique of expansionism.

Like China, Erdogan&nbsp;is supporting countries such as Pakistan which propagate terrorism. He is converting churches into mosques to appease Muslims living all over the world.&nbsp;

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/after-hagia-sophia-turkeys-historic-chora-church-to-be-converted-into-mosque-322191">After Hagia Sophia, Turkey's historic Chora church to be converted into mosque</a>

Turkey is provoking its neighbours by claiming disputed terroritories. And it is due to him that Europe is looking at a military conflict.

NATO allies Turkey and Greece are facing off in one of their fiercest rows in months over a wealth of energy deposits in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

It is far from the first time tensions have flared between the two uneasy neighbours. While Athens is ready for&nbsp;"significant de-escalation", Erdogan is not halting his&nbsp;"provocative actions".

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-erdogan-is-following-chinas-playbook-of-expansionism-323297/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Both the countries vehemently disagree over claims to hydrocarbon resources in the area based on conflicting views on the extent of their continental shelves in waters dotted with mostly Greek islands.

"If there is anyone who wants to pay its price, they are welcome to confront us. If not then they should go away so we can handle our own business," Erdogan said on Wednesday.

Turkey and Greece have several unresolved issues ranging from terrority to gas reserves which seems to be proving the last working straw.&nbsp;

However, it was Erogan who triggered the situation by fishing in troubled waters and announced Turkey's exploration in eastern&nbsp;Mediterranean region which is a contested terroritory. His unilateral decison has put his country on a collosive course with Greece in particular and Europe in general.

The discovery of major gas deposits in waters surrounding Crete and Cyprus has triggered a scramble for energy riches and revived old rivalries between the two countries.

According to an American survey conducted by Levant basin in 2010, the disputed region has 1.7 billion barrels of recoverable oil and 3.5 trillion cubic meters of recoverable gas. These reserves are enough to feed the world for 19 days.

These territories were spilt in 1923, the Treaty of Lausanne was signed. However, the&nbsp;peace treaty had ended World War I.

It recognized the boundaries of the modern state of Turkey. Now, Erdogan is no longer willing to accept its terms.

He claims that Turkey was disadvantaged by how the borders were drawn. So, he&nbsp;launched an explosive fight for a greater share of the Mediterranean.

EU powerhouse Germany is spearheading efforts to avoid an outright military conflict that could imperil Europe's future access to newly-discovered energy reserves.

Greece's maritime claims are backed by the entire European Union, but the bloc has so far held back from heavily sanctioning&nbsp;Turkey, fearing possible retaliation from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Maas shuttled between Athens and Ankara on Tuesday in a bid to get the sides to temper the rhetoric and re-enter direct talks.

After both visits were over, Maas conceded that the dispute had entered a "very critical" phase.

Nevertheless, "no one wants to solve this issue in a militaristic way," Maas said through a translator, "and there is a willingness on both sides for dialogue."

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Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan wants to increase his influence over Muslim countries to become its leader. To fulfil his ambition, he is folllowing the footsteps of China by adapting its technique of expansionism.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan wants to increase his influence over Muslim countries to become its leader. To fulfil his ambition, he is folllowing the footsteps of China by adapting its technique of expansionism. Like China, Erdogan is supporting countries such as Pakistan which propagate terrorism. He is converting churches into mosques to appease Muslims living all over the world. Also see: After Hagia Sophia, Turkey's historic Chora church to be converted into mosque Turkey is provoking its neighbours by claiming disputed terroritories. And it is due to him that Europe is looking at a military conflict. NATO allies Turkey and Greece are facing off in one of their fiercest rows in months over a wealth of energy deposits in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. It is far from the first time tensions have flared between the two uneasy neighbours. While Athens is ready for "significant de-escalation", Erdogan is not halting his "provocative actions". Both the countries vehemently disagree over claims to hydrocarbon resources in the area based on conflicting views on the extent of their continental shelves in waters dotted with mostly Greek islands. "If there is anyone who wants to pay its price, they are welcome to confront us. If not then they should go away so we can handle our own business," Erdogan said on Wednesday. Turkey and Greece have several unresolved issues ranging from terrority to gas reserves which seems to be proving the last working straw. However, it was Erogan who triggered the situation by fishing in troubled waters and announced Turkey's exploration in eastern Mediterranean region which is a contested terroritory. His unilateral decison has put his country on a collosive course with Greece in particular and Europe in general. The discovery of major gas deposits in waters surrounding Crete and Cyprus has triggered a scramble for energy riches and revived old rivalries between the two countries. According to an American survey conducted by Levant basin in 2010, the disputed region has 1.7 billion barrels of recoverable oil and 3.5 trillion cubic meters of recoverable gas. These reserves are enough to feed the world for 19 days. These territories were spilt in 1923, the Treaty of Lausanne was signed. However, the peace treaty had ended World War I. It recognized the boundaries of the modern state of Turkey. Now, Erdogan is no longer willing to accept its terms. He claims that Turkey was disadvantaged by how the borders were drawn. So, he launched an explosive fight for a greater share of the Mediterranean. EU powerhouse Germany is spearheading efforts to avoid an outright military conflict that could imperil Europe's future access to newly-discovered energy reserves. Greece's maritime claims are backed by the entire European Union, but the bloc has so far held back from heavily sanctioning Turkey, fearing possible retaliation from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Maas shuttled between Athens and Ankara on Tuesday in a bid to get the sides to temper the rhetoric and re-enter direct talks. After both visits were over, Maas conceded that the dispute had entered a "very critical" phase. Nevertheless, "no one wants to solve this issue in a militaristic way," Maas said through a translator, "and there is a willingness on both sides for dialogue."

How Turkish President Erdogan is following China's playbook of expansionism

Athens is ready for a "significant de-escalation" in the Eastern Mediterranean provided Turkey halts its "provocative actions", Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Wednesday.

Mitsotakis made the comments during a phone call with US President Donald Trump, as the row between the two neighbours over gas and maritime borders ratcheted up another notch.

Earlier,&nbsp;Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu had said&nbsp;Turkey was ready for talks with Greece&nbsp;without any preconditions.

"We are in favour of negotiations for fair sharing but nobody should lay down preconditions. This cannot happen with preconditions laid down by Greece."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mediterranean-row-turkey-says-ready-for-talks-with-greece-without-preconditions-323121">Mediterranean row: Turkey says ready for talks with Greece without 'preconditions'</a>

Greece and its EU allies held war games in the Mediterranean Wednesday while Turkey conducted drills with the US navy nearby, as the row between the two neighbours over gas and maritime borders ratcheted up another notch.

The convergence of a growing number of warships on an energy-rich but disputed patch of sea between Cyprus and Crete came as NATO and a host of European officials called for cooler heads to prevail.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-says-conducted-mediterranean-exercise-with-us-323260" hreflang="en">Turkey says conducted Mediterranean exercise with US</a>

Tensions ratched up another notch when Turkey sent the Oruc Reis research vessel accompanied by warships to disputed waters on August 10.

EU powerhouse Germany is spearheading efforts to avoid an outright military conflict that could imperil Europe's future access to newly-discovered energy reserves.

Greece's maritime claims are backed by the entire European Union, but the bloc has so far held back from heavily sanctioning&nbsp;Turkey, fearing possible retaliation from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Maas shuttled between Athens and Ankara on Tuesday in a bid to get the sides to temper the rhetoric and re-enter direct talks.

After both visits were over, Maas conceded that the dispute had entered a "very critical" phase.

Cavusoglu praised the German mediation effort but said Ankara made a good faith gesture by announcing a pause to its exploration activity last month.

He argued that&nbsp;Turkey&nbsp;felt it had to resume its work when Greece signed an agreement with Egypt to set up an exclusive economic zone on August 6, violating a general sense of goodwill.

On Sunday,&nbsp;Turkey&nbsp;announced a decision to extend its exploratory ship Oruc Reis's mission by an extra four days to Thursday, which prompted an immediate Greek response to carry out naval exercises nearby.&nbsp;

Athens is ready for a "significant de-escalation" in the Eastern Mediterranean provided Turkey halts its "provocative actions", Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Wednesday.

Athens is ready for a "significant de-escalation" in the Eastern Mediterranean provided Turkey halts its "provocative actions", Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Wednesday. Mitsotakis made the comments during a phone call with US President Donald Trump, as the row between the two neighbours over gas and maritime borders ratcheted up another notch. Earlier, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu had said Turkey was ready for talks with Greece without any preconditions. "We are in favour of negotiations for fair sharing but nobody should lay down preconditions. This cannot happen with preconditions laid down by Greece." Also read: Mediterranean row: Turkey says ready for talks with Greece without 'preconditions' Greece and its EU allies held war games in the Mediterranean Wednesday while Turkey conducted drills with the US navy nearby, as the row between the two neighbours over gas and maritime borders ratcheted up another notch. The convergence of a growing number of warships on an energy-rich but disputed patch of sea between Cyprus and Crete came as NATO and a host of European officials called for cooler heads to prevail. Also read: Turkey says conducted Mediterranean exercise with US Tensions ratched up another notch when Turkey sent the Oruc Reis research vessel accompanied by warships to disputed waters on August 10. EU powerhouse Germany is spearheading efforts to avoid an outright military conflict that could imperil Europe's future access to newly-discovered energy reserves. Greece's maritime claims are backed by the entire European Union, but the bloc has so far held back from heavily sanctioning Turkey, fearing possible retaliation from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Maas shuttled between Athens and Ankara on Tuesday in a bid to get the sides to temper the rhetoric and re-enter direct talks. After both visits were over, Maas conceded that the dispute had entered a "very critical" phase. Cavusoglu praised the German mediation effort but said Ankara made a good faith gesture by announcing a pause to its exploration activity last month. He argued that Turkey felt it had to resume its work when Greece signed an agreement with Egypt to set up an exclusive economic zone on August 6, violating a general sense of goodwill. On Sunday, Turkey announced a decision to extend its exploratory ship Oruc Reis's mission by an extra four days to Thursday, which prompted an immediate Greek response to carry out naval exercises nearby.

Greek Prime Minister offers 'de-escalation' if Turkey eases off in Eastern Mediterranean

The Middle East's 21 billionaires have amassed $63 million every day since March, a combined bounty double the amount needed to repair the damage caused by the Beirut port blast, Oxfam said Thursday.

The region's 21 richest men "saw their wealth increase by nearly $10 billion since the start of the COVID-19 crisis," the report stated.

Oxfam said its figures were the result of a comparison between their net wealth as listed by Forbes on March 18 and on August 16.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/satellite-images-capture-beirut-before-vs-after-devastating-blast-318562">Satellite images capture Beirut before vs after devastating blast</a>

It said the resulting amount represented twice the emergency funds provided to the region by the International Monetary Fund to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

It also amounts to double what is needed to repair the material damage done to property in Beirut by a huge, deadly August 4 blast at the port, according to accountancy firm PwC.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/explosion-decimates-beiruts-port-disrupting-the-struggling-countrys-lifeline-318312">Explosion decimates Beirut's port, disrupting the struggling country's lifeline</a>

"For too long profit has been prioritised at the expense of the public good and safety," said Nabil Abdo, Oxfam's senior policy advisor in the Middle East and North Africa.

"The result of this could not be starker in the aftermath of the catastrophic explosion in Beirut, which has further exposed the fragility of the economy and will only exacerbate existing inequalities," he said.

The Beirut port explosion, one of the largest such blasts in recent history, killed more than 180 people, injured more than 6,000 and destroyed property within a radius of several miles.

The blast, the exact causes of which remained to be determined, has been widely blamed on the greed and incompetence of Lebanon's ruling class.

The Middle East's 21 billionaires have amassed $63 million every day since March, a combined bounty double the amount needed to repair the damage caused by the Beirut port blast, Oxfam said Thursday.

The Middle East's 21 billionaires have amassed $63 million every day since March, a combined bounty double the amount needed to repair the damage caused by the Beirut port blast, Oxfam said Thursday. The region's 21 richest men "saw their wealth increase by nearly $10 billion since the start of the COVID-19 crisis," the report stated. Oxfam said its figures were the result of a comparison between their net wealth as listed by Forbes on March 18 and on August 16. Also see: Satellite images capture Beirut before vs after devastating blast It said the resulting amount represented twice the emergency funds provided to the region by the International Monetary Fund to combat the coronavirus pandemic. It also amounts to double what is needed to repair the material damage done to property in Beirut by a huge, deadly August 4 blast at the port, according to accountancy firm PwC. Also see: Explosion decimates Beirut's port, disrupting the struggling country's lifeline "For too long profit has been prioritised at the expense of the public good and safety," said Nabil Abdo, Oxfam's senior policy advisor in the Middle East and North Africa. "The result of this could not be starker in the aftermath of the catastrophic explosion in Beirut, which has further exposed the fragility of the economy and will only exacerbate existing inequalities," he said. The Beirut port explosion, one of the largest such blasts in recent history, killed more than 180 people, injured more than 6,000 and destroyed property within a radius of several miles. The blast, the exact causes of which remained to be determined, has been widely blamed on the greed and incompetence of Lebanon's ruling class.

Middle East billionaires earned double cost of Beirut repairs in weeks: Report

Flash floods that broke out in several provinces of the country in the last 24 hours killed over 110 people and left 150 wounded.

The death toll of victims due to the flood in the Parwan province stands at 85 and 110 wounded, according to local officials, reported Tolo News on Thursday.

The&nbsp;rescue teams have not yet resumed work to recover bodies of flood victims in Charikar, said the relatives of victims.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/heavy-monsoon-rains-trigger-flash-floods-in-afghanistan-and-pakistan-323241">Heavy monsoon rains trigger flash floods in Afghanistan and Pakistan</a>

"We are still waiting to recover our bodies, but the operation still not started. I have been waiting here since 5 am," said a relative of the victim.

As per officials, most victims of the Afghan floods are women and children. As per Parwan local officials, the flooding had occurred around Wednesday at around 3 am. In the Kohband district of north-eastern Kapisa province, at least 10 people were killed and 10 were wounded on Wednesday night said a spokesperson of the Kapisa police.

He further informed that floods in Hes-e-Awal-e-Kohistan, Hes-e-Dowom-e-Kohistan, Nijrab district, and the capital of Kapisa province Mahmud-i-Raqi destroyed acres of land and gardens.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/monsoon-floods-pakistani-terrorists-in-syria-troubles-for-imran-khan-increase-323271" hreflang="en">Monsoon floods, Pakistani terrorists in Syria: Troubles for Khan increase</a>

At least three people were killed in the flash floods on Wednesday at the Panjshir province, said a spokesperson to the provincial governor. Floods in Jalrez, Chak, Daimirdad, and Sayedabad districts of central Maidan Wardak province have displaced close to 264 families, as per provincial officials.

The officials further added that seven people have been killed, five have been wounded and three children are reported to be missing. Eight people have been killed while 14 people have been wounded in the Surobi district of Kabul, said the head of the Kabul Health department.

Tolo News further reported that floods were reported in Nuristan in the east and Logar province, in Central Afghanistan, in the last 24 hours. However, no information is available pertaining to damage and casualty.

Flash floods that broke out in several provinces of the country in the last 24 hours killed over 110 people and left 150 wounded. The death toll of victims due to the flood in the Parwan province stands at 85 and 110 wounded, according to local officials, reported Tolo News on Thursday.

Flash floods that broke out in several provinces of the country in the last 24 hours killed over 110 people and left 150 wounded. The death toll of victims due to the flood in the Parwan province stands at 85 and 110 wounded, according to local officials, reported Tolo News on Thursday. The rescue teams have not yet resumed work to recover bodies of flood victims in Charikar, said the relatives of victims. Also see: Heavy monsoon rains trigger flash floods in Afghanistan and Pakistan "We are still waiting to recover our bodies, but the operation still not started. I have been waiting here since 5 am," said a relative of the victim. As per officials, most victims of the Afghan floods are women and children. As per Parwan local officials, the flooding had occurred around Wednesday at around 3 am. In the Kohband district of north-eastern Kapisa province, at least 10 people were killed and 10 were wounded on Wednesday night said a spokesperson of the Kapisa police. He further informed that floods in Hes-e-Awal-e-Kohistan, Hes-e-Dowom-e-Kohistan, Nijrab district, and the capital of Kapisa province Mahmud-i-Raqi destroyed acres of land and gardens. Also read: Monsoon floods, Pakistani terrorists in Syria: Troubles for Khan increase At least three people were killed in the flash floods on Wednesday at the Panjshir province, said a spokesperson to the provincial governor. Floods in Jalrez, Chak, Daimirdad, and Sayedabad districts of central Maidan Wardak province have displaced close to 264 families, as per provincial officials. The officials further added that seven people have been killed, five have been wounded and three children are reported to be missing. Eight people have been killed while 14 people have been wounded in the Surobi district of Kabul, said the head of the Kabul Health department. Tolo News further reported that floods were reported in Nuristan in the east and Logar province, in Central Afghanistan, in the last 24 hours. However, no information is available pertaining to damage and casualty.

Death toll due to flash floods in Afghanistan rises to 110

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