Daily exposure to phthalates, a group of chemicals used in everything from plastic containers to makeup, may lead to approximately 100,000 deaths in older Americans annually, a study from New York University warned Tuesday.

The chemicals, which can be found in hundreds of products such as toys, clothing and shampoo, have been known for decades to be "hormone disruptors," affecting a person's endocrine system.

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The toxins can enter the body through such items and are linked to obesity, diabetes and heart disease, said the study published in the journal Environmental Pollution.

The research, which was carried out by New York University's Grossman School of Medicine and includes some 5,000 adults aged 55 to 64, shows that those with higher concentrations of phthalates in their urine were more likely to die of heart disease.

However, higher concentrations did not appear to increase the risk of death by cancer.

"Our findings reveal that increased phthalate exposure is linked to early death, particularly due to heart disease," said study lead author Leonardo Trasande.

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"Until now, we have understood that the chemicals connect to heart disease, and heart disease in turn is a leading cause of death, but we had not yet tied the chemicals themselves to death."

Trasande cautioned, however, that the study does not establish a direct cause and effect relationship between phthalate exposure and death, in part because the specific biological mechanisms of that relationship are unclear.

"Our research suggests that the toll of this chemical on society is much greater than we first thought," Trasande said, adding that it "is undeniably clear that limiting exposure to toxic phthalates can help safeguard Americans' physical and financial wellbeing."

Other studies have already linked phthalates to more than 10,000 deaths per year associated with reduced testosterone levels in adult men.

The study added that the economic loss due to phthalates is between $40 billion and $47 billion -- more than four times what was previously estimated.

Daily exposure to phthalates, a group of chemicals used in everything from plastic containers to makeup, may lead to approximately 100,000 deaths in older Americans annually, a study from New York University warned Tuesday.

Daily exposure to phthalates, a group of chemicals used in everything from plastic containers to makeup, may lead to approximately 100,000 deaths in older Americans annually, a study from New York University warned Tuesday. The chemicals, which can be found in hundreds of products such as toys, clothing and shampoo, have been known for decades to be "hormone disruptors," affecting a person's endocrine system. Also Read | 14 die of alcohol poisoning in Russia The toxins can enter the body through such items and are linked to obesity, diabetes and heart disease, said the study published in the journal Environmental Pollution. The research, which was carried out by New York University's Grossman School of Medicine and includes some 5,000 adults aged 55 to 64, shows that those with higher concentrations of phthalates in their urine were more likely to die of heart disease. However, higher concentrations did not appear to increase the risk of death by cancer. "Our findings reveal that increased phthalate exposure is linked to early death, particularly due to heart disease," said study lead author Leonardo Trasande. Also Read | Merck seeks US FDA's authorisation for COVID-19 pill "Until now, we have understood that the chemicals connect to heart disease, and heart disease in turn is a leading cause of death, but we had not yet tied the chemicals themselves to death." Trasande cautioned, however, that the study does not establish a direct cause and effect relationship between phthalate exposure and death, in part because the specific biological mechanisms of that relationship are unclear. "Our research suggests that the toll of this chemical on society is much greater than we first thought," Trasande said, adding that it "is undeniably clear that limiting exposure to toxic phthalates can help safeguard Americans' physical and financial wellbeing." Other studies have already linked phthalates to more than 10,000 deaths per year associated with reduced testosterone levels in adult men. The study added that the economic loss due to phthalates is between $40 billion and $47 billion -- more than four times what was previously estimated.

Widely used chemical linked to 100,000 US deaths per year: Study

India reported 15,823 fresh cases of COVID-19 and 226 fatalities in the last 24 hours, informed the Union Health Ministry on Wednesday.

Out of 15,823 new cases and 226 deaths reported in India, Kerala reported 7,823 cases and 106 deaths on Tuesday.

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Less than 50,000 daily new cases have been reported for 108 consecutive days now. According to the ministry, India's active load stands at 2,07,653, the lowest in over 7 months (214 days).

The active cases account for less than 1 per cent of the total cases. Currently, it is at 0.61 per cent, the lowest since March 2020.The total recoveries in the country mounted to 3,33,42,901 with 22,844 recoveries reported in the last 24 hours.

Consequently, the recovery rate is 98.06 per cent, the highest since March 2020.

The weekly positivity rate was recorded at 1.46 per cent, which is less than 3 per cent for the last 110 days. The daily positivity rate is 1.19 per cent, which has also remained below 3 per cent for the last 44 days.

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In the last 24 hours, 13,25,399 samples were tested to detect the presence of the COVID-19 virus. So far, 58,63,63,442 samples have been tested.

Meanwhile, in the ongoing nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive, cumulative coverage exceeded 96.43 crores. A total of 50,63,845 vaccine doses were administered in the last 24 hours with which the cumulative vaccination coverage reached 96,43,79,212, as per provisional reports till 7 am today.

The ministry informed that more than 97.79 crore (97,79,37,495) vaccine doses have been provided to States and union territories (UTs) so far by the Centre, free of cost and through direct state procurement category. More than 8.43 crore (8,43,76,070) balance and unutilized COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with the States and UTs to be administered.

"The new phase of universalization of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from 21st June 2021. In the new phase of the universalization of the COVID19 vaccination drive, the Union Government will procure and supply (free of cost) 75 per cent of the vaccines being produced by the vaccine manufacturers in the country to States and UTs," said the ministry.

India reported 15,823 fresh cases of COVID-19 and 226 fatalities in the last 24 hours, informed the Union Health Ministry on Wednesday. Out of 15,823 new cases and 226 deaths reported in India, Kerala reported 7,823 cases and 106 deaths on Tuesday.

India reported 15,823 fresh cases of COVID-19 and 226 fatalities in the last 24 hours, informed the Union Health Ministry on Wednesday. Out of 15,823 new cases and 226 deaths reported in India, Kerala reported 7,823 cases and 106 deaths on Tuesday. Also Read | COVID-19: Maharashtra cinemas, auditoriums to reopen from October 22 Less than 50,000 daily new cases have been reported for 108 consecutive days now. According to the ministry, India's active load stands at 2,07,653, the lowest in over 7 months (214 days). The active cases account for less than 1 per cent of the total cases. Currently, it is at 0.61 per cent, the lowest since March 2020.The total recoveries in the country mounted to 3,33,42,901 with 22,844 recoveries reported in the last 24 hours. Consequently, the recovery rate is 98.06 per cent, the highest since March 2020. The weekly positivity rate was recorded at 1.46 per cent, which is less than 3 per cent for the last 110 days. The daily positivity rate is 1.19 per cent, which has also remained below 3 per cent for the last 44 days. Also Read | Delhi: Over 150-year-old Ramlila will not take place this year In the last 24 hours, 13,25,399 samples were tested to detect the presence of the COVID-19 virus. So far, 58,63,63,442 samples have been tested. Meanwhile, in the ongoing nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive, cumulative coverage exceeded 96.43 crores. A total of 50,63,845 vaccine doses were administered in the last 24 hours with which the cumulative vaccination coverage reached 96,43,79,212, as per provisional reports till 7 am today. The ministry informed that more than 97.79 crore (97,79,37,495) vaccine doses have been provided to States and union territories (UTs) so far by the Centre, free of cost and through direct state procurement category. More than 8.43 crore (8,43,76,070) balance and unutilized COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with the States and UTs to be administered. "The new phase of universalization of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from 21st June 2021. In the new phase of the universalization of the COVID19 vaccination drive, the Union Government will procure and supply (free of cost) 75 per cent of the vaccines being produced by the vaccine manufacturers in the country to States and UTs," said the ministry.

India reports 15,823 fresh COVID-19 cases, 226 fatalities

India has reported a total of 18,132 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, the lowest in over seven months (215 days), the Union Health Ministry informed on Monday.

In the last 24 hours, 193 deaths were recorded in the country due to which the death toll mounted to 4,50,782.

Kerala still has the largest Covid-19 tally with 10,691 cases and 85 deaths. In Kerala, weekly cases dipped by 17.4 per cent from the previous seven days.

The state recorded less than 75,000 cases in the week for the first time since April 11-18.As per the ministry, India's active caseload now stands at 2,27,347, the lowest in 209 days.

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The active cases account for less than 1 per cent of total cases. Currently, it is at 0.67 per cent, the lowest since March 2020. With 21,563 recoveries reported in the last 24 hours, the cumulative recoveries reached 3,32,93,478.

Consequently, India's current recovery rate is at 98 per cent, which is the highest since March 2020.

The weekly positivity rate stood at 1.53 per cent. It remained less than 3 per cent for over three months (108 days) now. A daily positivity rate of 1.75 per cent was recorded, which remained below 3 per cent for the last 42 days.

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A total of 58.36 crore tests have been conducted so far to detect the presence of the virus in the population.

Meanwhile, in the ongoing nationwide COVID-19 vaccination driven, India's cumulative vaccination coverage crossed 95.19 crore. A total of 95,19,84,373 vaccine doses have been administered to eligible beneficiaries since the onset of the vaccination drive in January.

According to the Union Health Ministry, over 96.75 crore (96,75,07,995) vaccine doses have been provided to States and union territories (UTs) so far by the Centre, free of cost, and through direct state procurement category.

Watch | India's drug regulator all set to take call on Bharat Biotech’s pediatric COVID vaccine

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/indias-drug-regulator-all-set-to-take-call-on-bharat-biotechs-pediatric-covid-vaccine-419943/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

More than 8.43 crore (8,43,17,810) balance and unutilized COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with the States and union territories to be administered, the ministry said.

"The new phase of universalization of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from 21st June 2021. In the new phase of the universalization of the COVID19 vaccination drive, the Union Government will procure and supply (free of cost) 75 per cent of the vaccines being produced by the vaccine manufacturers in the country to States and UTs," said the ministry.&nbsp;

India has reported a total of 18,132 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, the lowest in over seven months (215 days), the Union Health Ministry informed on Monday.

India has reported a total of 18,132 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, the lowest in over seven months (215 days), the Union Health Ministry informed on Monday. In the last 24 hours, 193 deaths were recorded in the country due to which the death toll mounted to 4,50,782. Kerala still has the largest Covid-19 tally with 10,691 cases and 85 deaths. In Kerala, weekly cases dipped by 17.4 per cent from the previous seven days. The state recorded less than 75,000 cases in the week for the first time since April 11-18.As per the ministry, India's active caseload now stands at 2,27,347, the lowest in 209 days. Also Read | WHO COVID-19 Update: High infection rate in 0-19 age group in India, globally new cases fall by 9% The active cases account for less than 1 per cent of total cases. Currently, it is at 0.67 per cent, the lowest since March 2020. With 21,563 recoveries reported in the last 24 hours, the cumulative recoveries reached 3,32,93,478. Consequently, India's current recovery rate is at 98 per cent, which is the highest since March 2020. The weekly positivity rate stood at 1.53 per cent. It remained less than 3 per cent for over three months (108 days) now. A daily positivity rate of 1.75 per cent was recorded, which remained below 3 per cent for the last 42 days. Also Read | Global Covid-19 caseload tops 236.7 million A total of 58.36 crore tests have been conducted so far to detect the presence of the virus in the population. Meanwhile, in the ongoing nationwide COVID-19 vaccination driven, India's cumulative vaccination coverage crossed 95.19 crore. A total of 95,19,84,373 vaccine doses have been administered to eligible beneficiaries since the onset of the vaccination drive in January. According to the Union Health Ministry, over 96.75 crore (96,75,07,995) vaccine doses have been provided to States and union territories (UTs) so far by the Centre, free of cost, and through direct state procurement category. Watch | India's drug regulator all set to take call on Bharat Biotech’s pediatric COVID vaccine More than 8.43 crore (8,43,17,810) balance and unutilized COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with the States and union territories to be administered, the ministry said. "The new phase of universalization of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from 21st June 2021. In the new phase of the universalization of the COVID19 vaccination drive, the Union Government will procure and supply (free of cost) 75 per cent of the vaccines being produced by the vaccine manufacturers in the country to States and UTs," said the ministry.

India adds 18,132 new COVID-19 cases, tally lowest in over 7 months

Chief medical adviser to US President Biden, Dr Anthony Fauci said that he “strongly suspects” COVID-19 deaths will go down in the winter.

In an interview with Greta Van Susteren, Fauci was asked if he expected another surge of coronavirus cases due to the delta variant or other variants.&nbsp;

To this, he responded that it would depend on how well the United States can vaccinate the millions of Americans who have not yet gotten a single shot.&nbsp;

In a report by The Hill, Fauci was quoted as saying, “Fortunately, right now, over the last few weeks, we've seen a turnaround in the slope in going down in both cases and hospitalisations. Deaths are still up, but it's really flattening, so it's a lagging indicator."

He further said that how quickly the cases will go down and how thoroughly they go down is going to completely depend on a number of circumstances.&nbsp;

He added that this will be influenced by things like the colder weather, people doing things indoors, how well they go by the CDC guidelines.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/too-soon-to-tell-fauci-talks-about-christmas-gatherings-as-he-warns-americans-to-not-be-complacent-418125">Also read |&nbsp;'Too soon to tell': Fauci talks about Christmas gatherings as he warns Americans to not be complacent</a>

Earlier, Fauci had said that it is too early to say whether Americans should avoid larger family gatherings for Christmas.&nbsp;

In an interview with "Face the Nation," Fauci said that it is too soon to tell whether holiday gatherings should be limited due to the ongoing pandemic. He further added that Americans need to focus on lowering the number of new infections and hospitalisations.

"We've just got to concentrate on continuing to get those numbers down and not try to jump ahead by weeks or months and say what we're going to do at a particular time," Fauci said.

"Let's focus like a laser on continuing to get those cases down. And we can do it by people getting vaccinated and also in the situation where boosters are appropriate to get people boosted," he added. &nbsp;

Chief medical adviser to US President Biden, Dr Anthony Fauci said that he “strongly suspects” COVID-19 deaths will go down in the winter. In an interview with Greta Van Susteren, Fauci was asked if he expected another surge of coronavirus cases due to the delta variant or other variants.

Chief medical adviser to US President Biden, Dr Anthony Fauci said that he “strongly suspects” COVID-19 deaths will go down in the winter. In an interview with Greta Van Susteren, Fauci was asked if he expected another surge of coronavirus cases due to the delta variant or other variants. To this, he responded that it would depend on how well the United States can vaccinate the millions of Americans who have not yet gotten a single shot. In a report by The Hill, Fauci was quoted as saying, “Fortunately, right now, over the last few weeks, we've seen a turnaround in the slope in going down in both cases and hospitalisations. Deaths are still up, but it's really flattening, so it's a lagging indicator." He further said that how quickly the cases will go down and how thoroughly they go down is going to completely depend on a number of circumstances. He added that this will be influenced by things like the colder weather, people doing things indoors, how well they go by the CDC guidelines. Also read | 'Too soon to tell': Fauci talks about Christmas gatherings as he warns Americans to not be complacent Earlier, Fauci had said that it is too early to say whether Americans should avoid larger family gatherings for Christmas. In an interview with "Face the Nation," Fauci said that it is too soon to tell whether holiday gatherings should be limited due to the ongoing pandemic. He further added that Americans need to focus on lowering the number of new infections and hospitalisations. "We've just got to concentrate on continuing to get those numbers down and not try to jump ahead by weeks or months and say what we're going to do at a particular time," Fauci said. "Let's focus like a laser on continuing to get those cases down. And we can do it by people getting vaccinated and also in the situation where boosters are appropriate to get people boosted," he added.

Fauci 'strongly suspects' if COVID-19 deaths will go down in winter

In the last 24 hours, India reported 21,257 fresh COVID-19&nbsp;cases and 271 deaths, the Union Health Ministry said in its latest update on Friday.

 
With the new fatalities, the country's overall death toll has increased to 4,50,127, according to the Ministry.

Also in the same period, a total of 24,963 patients recovered, taking the cumulative tally of recoveries to 3,32,25,2210.

India's recovery rate currently stands at 97.96 per cent, the highest since March 2020.

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The active caseload is presently 2,40,221, which is the lowest in 205 days.

Active cases presently constitute 0.71 per cent of the country's total positive cases.

The weekly positivity rate at 1.64 per cent, remains less than 3 per cent for the last 105 days now, while the daily positivity rate is 1.53 per cent, having remained below 3 per cent for the last 39 days and below 5 per cent for 122 consecutive days now.

The last 24 hours saw a total of 13,85,706 tests being conducted, taking the cumulative total to over 58 crore.

With 50,17,753 vaccine doses administered in the same duration, India's COVID-19 inoculation coverage crossed the 93 crore mark as per provisional reports till 7 a.m. on Friday.

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This has been achieved through 90,68,525 sessions.

Over 94.86 crore vaccine doses have been provided to states/UTs so far through the Centre as well as the direct state procurement category.

However, more than 8.22 cr unutilised vaccine doses are still available with the states/UTs to be administered, the Health Ministry said.

In the last 24 hours, India reported 21,257 fresh COVID-19 cases and 271 deaths, the Union Health Ministry said in its latest update on Friday. With the new fatalities, the country's overall death toll has increased to 4,50,127, according to the Ministry.

In the last 24 hours, India reported 21,257 fresh COVID-19 cases and 271 deaths, the Union Health Ministry said in its latest update on Friday. With the new fatalities, the country's overall death toll has increased to 4,50,127, according to the Ministry. Also in the same period, a total of 24,963 patients recovered, taking the cumulative tally of recoveries to 3,32,25,2210. India's recovery rate currently stands at 97.96 per cent, the highest since March 2020. Also Read | Global Covid-19 caseload tops 236.7 million The active caseload is presently 2,40,221, which is the lowest in 205 days. Active cases presently constitute 0.71 per cent of the country's total positive cases. The weekly positivity rate at 1.64 per cent, remains less than 3 per cent for the last 105 days now, while the daily positivity rate is 1.53 per cent, having remained below 3 per cent for the last 39 days and below 5 per cent for 122 consecutive days now. The last 24 hours saw a total of 13,85,706 tests being conducted, taking the cumulative total to over 58 crore. With 50,17,753 vaccine doses administered in the same duration, India's COVID-19 inoculation coverage crossed the 93 crore mark as per provisional reports till 7 a.m. on Friday. Also Read | India, UK in talks for early resolution on Covid travel rules row This has been achieved through 90,68,525 sessions. Over 94.86 crore vaccine doses have been provided to states/UTs so far through the Centre as well as the direct state procurement category. However, more than 8.22 cr unutilised vaccine doses are still available with the states/UTs to be administered, the Health Ministry said.

India logs 21,257 new Covid cases, 271 deaths

A total of 24,602 patients recovered in the last 24 hours, taking the cumulative tally of recoveries to 3,32,00,258. India`s recovery rate stands at 97.95 per cent - the highest since March 2020.

The active caseload is presently 2,44,198, which is the lowest in 204 days. Active cases presently constitute 0.72 per cent of the country`s total positive cases.

Meanwhile, the fresh deaths have taken the toll to 4,49,856, as per the Health Ministry data.

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The weekly positivity rate, at 1.68 per cent, remains less than 3 per cent for the last 104 days now, while the daily positivity rate is 1.57 per cent, having remained below 3 per cent for last 38 days and below 5 per cent for 121 consecutive days now.

The last 24 hours saw a total of 14,31,819 tests being conducted, taking the cumulative total to over 57.86 crore.

With 43,09,525 vaccine doses administered in the last 24 hours, India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage crossed the 92.63 crore mark as per provisional reports till 7 a.m. on Thursday. This has been achieved through 90,14,182 sessions.

Over 93.94 crore vaccine doses have been provided to states/UTs so far through the Centre as well as the direct state procurement category. However, more than 7.64 cr unutilised vaccine doses are still available with the states/UTs to be administered, the Health Ministry data said

A total of 24,602 patients recovered in the last 24 hours, taking the cumulative tally of recoveries to 3,32,00,258. India`s recovery rate stands at 97.95 per cent - the highest since March 2020.

A total of 24,602 patients recovered in the last 24 hours, taking the cumulative tally of recoveries to 3,32,00,258. India`s recovery rate stands at 97.95 per cent - the highest since March 2020. The active caseload is presently 2,44,198, which is the lowest in 204 days. Active cases presently constitute 0.72 per cent of the country`s total positive cases. Meanwhile, the fresh deaths have taken the toll to 4,49,856, as per the Health Ministry data. Also Read | Thousands of Covid testing kits recalled that delivered false positives The weekly positivity rate, at 1.68 per cent, remains less than 3 per cent for the last 104 days now, while the daily positivity rate is 1.57 per cent, having remained below 3 per cent for last 38 days and below 5 per cent for 121 consecutive days now. The last 24 hours saw a total of 14,31,819 tests being conducted, taking the cumulative total to over 57.86 crore. With 43,09,525 vaccine doses administered in the last 24 hours, India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage crossed the 92.63 crore mark as per provisional reports till 7 a.m. on Thursday. This has been achieved through 90,14,182 sessions. Over 93.94 crore vaccine doses have been provided to states/UTs so far through the Centre as well as the direct state procurement category. However, more than 7.64 cr unutilised vaccine doses are still available with the states/UTs to be administered, the Health Ministry data said

India logs 22,431 new COVID-19 cases, 318 deaths

Russia on Tuesday recorded its highest daily coronavirus death toll as cases linked to the Delta variant spike amid a lacklustre vaccination drive and few anti-virus restrictions.

A government tally reported 895 fatalities over the past 24 hours, a record in Russia since the start of the pandemic.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-reports-highest-covid-death-toll-for-second-consecutive-day-416898">Russia reports highest Covid death toll for second consecutive day</a>&nbsp;

The new figure brings total deaths from <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">COVID-19</a>&nbsp;to 211,696 -&nbsp;the highest in Europe.

Authorities have been accused of playing down the severity of the outbreak.

The surging infections have come without any real pandemic restrictions to limit the spread.

Russia, the world's fifth worst-hit country with more than seven million infections, has seen cases climb as vaccinations stall.

Moscow, the epicentre of Russia's outbreak, has experienced a spike over the past few weeks, with officials warning of rising hospital admissions.

Authorities say that the highly contagious Delta variant now accounts for all of the cases in the Russian capital.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world-tourism-surges-in-july-but-falls-short-of-pre-covid-levels-418165">World tourism surges in July, but falls short of pre-Covid levels</a>

Free jabs have been available since early December, but authorities have struggled to convince a vaccine-sceptic population to get immunised.

Independent polling shows that more than half of Russians do not plan on getting a shot.

As of Tuesday, only 29 per cent of the population had been fully vaccinated, according to the Gogov website, which tallies Covid data from the regions.

Under a broader definition for deaths linked to the coronavirus, statistics agency Rosstat reported in August that Russia had seen more than 350,000 fatalities.

Russia on Tuesday recorded its highest daily coronavirus death toll as cases linked to the Delta variant spike amid a lacklustre vaccination drive and few anti-virus restrictions.

Russia on Tuesday recorded its highest daily coronavirus death toll as cases linked to the Delta variant spike amid a lacklustre vaccination drive and few anti-virus restrictions. A government tally reported 895 fatalities over the past 24 hours, a record in Russia since the start of the pandemic. Also Read | Russia reports highest Covid death toll for second consecutive day The new figure brings total deaths from COVID-19 to 211,696 - the highest in Europe. Authorities have been accused of playing down the severity of the outbreak. The surging infections have come without any real pandemic restrictions to limit the spread. Russia, the world's fifth worst-hit country with more than seven million infections, has seen cases climb as vaccinations stall. Moscow, the epicentre of Russia's outbreak, has experienced a spike over the past few weeks, with officials warning of rising hospital admissions. Authorities say that the highly contagious Delta variant now accounts for all of the cases in the Russian capital. Also Read | World tourism surges in July, but falls short of pre-Covid levels Free jabs have been available since early December, but authorities have struggled to convince a vaccine-sceptic population to get immunised. Independent polling shows that more than half of Russians do not plan on getting a shot. As of Tuesday, only 29 per cent of the population had been fully vaccinated, according to the Gogov website, which tallies Covid data from the regions. Under a broader definition for deaths linked to the coronavirus, statistics agency Rosstat reported in August that Russia had seen more than 350,000 fatalities.

Russia reports record daily coronavirus deaths

India on Tuesday reported 18,346 Covid cases in the last 24 hours - the lowest tally in 209 days, while there were another 263 deaths, taking the death toll to 4,49,260, the Union Health Ministry said.

A total of 29,639 patients recovered in the last 24 hours, taking the cumulative tally of recovered patients to 3,31,50,886. Consequently, India`s recovery rate stands at 97.93 per cent - the highest since March 2020, the Ministry data said.

The active caseload is presently 2,52,902, which is the lowest in 201 days. Active cases presently constitute 0.75 per cent of the country`s total positive cases.

While the weekly positivity rate at 1.66 per cent remains less than 3 per cent for the last 102 days now, the daily positivity rate is 1.61 per cent, having remained below 3 per cent for last 36 days and below 5 per cent for 119 consecutive days now.

According to the Health Ministry data, the testing capacity across the country continues to be expanded, and the last 24 hours saw a total of 11,41,642 tests being conducted, taking the total to 57,53,94,042.

With the administration of 72,51,419 vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, vaccination coverage crossed the 91 crore mark, as per provisional reports till 7 a.m. on Tuesday.

India has thus administered more than 70 per cent of its eligible population with the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine.

India on Tuesday reported 18,346 Covid cases in the last 24 hours - the lowest tally in 209 days, while there were another 263 deaths, taking the death toll to 4,49,260, the Union Health Ministry said.

India on Tuesday reported 18,346 Covid cases in the last 24 hours - the lowest tally in 209 days, while there were another 263 deaths, taking the death toll to 4,49,260, the Union Health Ministry said. A total of 29,639 patients recovered in the last 24 hours, taking the cumulative tally of recovered patients to 3,31,50,886. Consequently, India`s recovery rate stands at 97.93 per cent - the highest since March 2020, the Ministry data said. The active caseload is presently 2,52,902, which is the lowest in 201 days. Active cases presently constitute 0.75 per cent of the country`s total positive cases. While the weekly positivity rate at 1.66 per cent remains less than 3 per cent for the last 102 days now, the daily positivity rate is 1.61 per cent, having remained below 3 per cent for last 36 days and below 5 per cent for 119 consecutive days now. According to the Health Ministry data, the testing capacity across the country continues to be expanded, and the last 24 hours saw a total of 11,41,642 tests being conducted, taking the total to 57,53,94,042. With the administration of 72,51,419 vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, vaccination coverage crossed the 91 crore mark, as per provisional reports till 7 a.m. on Tuesday. India has thus administered more than 70 per cent of its eligible population with the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine.

India logs 18,346 fresh Covid cases, 263 deaths

In the past 24 hours, India reported a total of 20,799 fresh COVID-19 cases, as well as 180 deaths, according to the latest report issued by the Union Health Ministry on Monday.

The new fatalities pushed the overall death toll to 4,48,997, the report said.

The recovery of 26,718 patients in the last 24 hours has increased the cumulative tally of recovered patients to 3,31,21,247.

Consequently, India`s recovery rate stands at 97.89 per cent, the highest since March 2020.

Meanwhile, the country`s active caseload is 2,64,458, which is the lowest in 200 days.

Active cases presently constitute 0.78 per cent of the country`s total positive cases.

Also in the last 24 hours, a total of 9,91,676 tests were conducted, pushing the overall number to 57,42,52,400.

While the testing capacity has been enhanced across the country, the weekly positivity rate at 1.63 per cent remained less than 3 per cent for the last 101 days now.

The daily positivity rate was 2.10 per cent after remaining below 3 per cent for the last 35 days and below 5 per cent for 118 consecutive days now.

With the administration of 23,46,176 vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, India`s Covid vaccination coverage has crossed the landmark of 90 crore as per provisional reports till 7 a.m. on Monday.

More than 89.89 crore vaccine doses have been provided to States/UTs so far through Govt of India and through direct state procurement category.

Over 5.67 crore unutilised vaccine doses are still available with the States/UTs to be administered. the Health Ministry report added. 
&nbsp;

In the past 24 hours, India reported a total of 20,799 fresh COVID-19 cases, as well as 180 deaths, according to the latest report issued by the Union Health Ministry on Monday.

In the past 24 hours, India reported a total of 20,799 fresh COVID-19 cases, as well as 180 deaths, according to the latest report issued by the Union Health Ministry on Monday. The new fatalities pushed the overall death toll to 4,48,997, the report said. The recovery of 26,718 patients in the last 24 hours has increased the cumulative tally of recovered patients to 3,31,21,247. Consequently, India`s recovery rate stands at 97.89 per cent, the highest since March 2020. Meanwhile, the country`s active caseload is 2,64,458, which is the lowest in 200 days. Active cases presently constitute 0.78 per cent of the country`s total positive cases. Also in the last 24 hours, a total of 9,91,676 tests were conducted, pushing the overall number to 57,42,52,400. While the testing capacity has been enhanced across the country, the weekly positivity rate at 1.63 per cent remained less than 3 per cent for the last 101 days now. The daily positivity rate was 2.10 per cent after remaining below 3 per cent for the last 35 days and below 5 per cent for 118 consecutive days now. With the administration of 23,46,176 vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, India`s Covid vaccination coverage has crossed the landmark of 90 crore as per provisional reports till 7 a.m. on Monday. More than 89.89 crore vaccine doses have been provided to States/UTs so far through Govt of India and through direct state procurement category. Over 5.67 crore unutilised vaccine doses are still available with the States/UTs to be administered. the Health Ministry report added.

India logs 20,799 fresh Covid cases, 180 deaths

The total number of recoveries from Covid on Saturday outnumbered the fresh cases in the last 24 hours. India reported a total of 24,354 fresh Covid cases, while recovery in the last 24 hours went up to 25,455 across the country.

According to Union Health Ministry's report on Saturday morning, as many as 234 Covid deaths were reported in the same time span, pushing the total death toll to 4,48,573 so far.

Recovery of 25,455 patients in the last 24 hours has increased the cumulative tally of recovered patients to 3,30,68,599. Consequently, India`s recovery rate stands at 97.86 per cent which is at its highest peak since March 2020.

The active caseload is presently 2,73,889, which is the lowest in 197 days. Active cases presently constitute 0.81 per cent of the country's total positive cases.

A total of 14,29,258 Covid tests were conducted. With this, India has so far conducted over 57,19,94,990 tests.

The weekly positivity rate at 1.68 per cent remains less than 3 per cent for the last 99 days now. The daily positivity rate reported to be 1.70 per cent which is below 3 per cent for the last 33 days and below 5 per cent for 116 consecutive days now.

With the administration of 69,33,838 vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, India's Covid vaccination coverage exceeded 89.74 crore as per provisional report till 7 am&nbsp;on Saturday.

Meanwhile, a total of 88,14,50,515 vaccine doses have been provided to States/UTs so far through Govt of India and through direct state procurement category. According to the health ministry data, over 5.28 crore balance and unutilised vaccine doses are still available with the States/UTs to be administered.

The total number of recoveries from Covid on Saturday outnumbered the fresh cases in the last 24 hours. India reported a total of 24,354 fresh Covid cases, while recovery in the last 24 hours went up to 25,455 across the country.

The total number of recoveries from Covid on Saturday outnumbered the fresh cases in the last 24 hours. India reported a total of 24,354 fresh Covid cases, while recovery in the last 24 hours went up to 25,455 across the country. According to Union Health Ministry's report on Saturday morning, as many as 234 Covid deaths were reported in the same time span, pushing the total death toll to 4,48,573 so far. Recovery of 25,455 patients in the last 24 hours has increased the cumulative tally of recovered patients to 3,30,68,599. Consequently, India`s recovery rate stands at 97.86 per cent which is at its highest peak since March 2020. The active caseload is presently 2,73,889, which is the lowest in 197 days. Active cases presently constitute 0.81 per cent of the country's total positive cases. A total of 14,29,258 Covid tests were conducted. With this, India has so far conducted over 57,19,94,990 tests. The weekly positivity rate at 1.68 per cent remains less than 3 per cent for the last 99 days now. The daily positivity rate reported to be 1.70 per cent which is below 3 per cent for the last 33 days and below 5 per cent for 116 consecutive days now. With the administration of 69,33,838 vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, India's Covid vaccination coverage exceeded 89.74 crore as per provisional report till 7 am on Saturday. Meanwhile, a total of 88,14,50,515 vaccine doses have been provided to States/UTs so far through Govt of India and through direct state procurement category. According to the health ministry data, over 5.28 crore balance and unutilised vaccine doses are still available with the States/UTs to be administered.

India logs 24,354 Covid cases and 234 deaths in 24 hours

Eight people were arrested and three others indicted Friday after an investigation into the death of Adam Oakes, a student at Virginia Commonwealth University who died in February from alcohol poisoning at a fraternity party, authorities said.

The eight arrested face charges of unlawful hazing of a student, the police in Richmond, Virginia, said in a statement. Three of them face an additional charge of buying and giving alcohol to a minor.

According to Oakes’ family, the young man’s death, which drew national attention and renewed questions about hazing in Greek organisations across the country, occurred at an off-campus party Feb. 26 at the Delta Chi fraternity house, where he was given a bottle of Jack Daniel’s whiskey and told to drink it.

Oakes, 19, was found dead the next morning by Richmond police, authorities said.

Courtney White, Oakes’ cousin, said Saturday that although the family was feeling “a little bit of relief” because the case was moving forward, it was still painful to know that nothing, including the charges, was “going to bring him back.”

“A lot of people are saying that these boys are just boys,” White said. “But the fact is that Adam was just a boy, too, and they took full advantage of him. And had any one of them stepped up and actually acted like a man and called for help, Adam would still be here.”

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The family said on Facebook that they were “grateful for some measure of justice these charges and arrests may produce, as well as the protection from hazing they may give young, impressionable college students.”

“The past 7 months have been agonizing for our family,” they wrote. “This is the first time these young men have been held accountable for their historically toxic and destructive traditions, manipulation of the VCU disciplinary systems, and for Adam’s death.”

Oakes’ family said that all of those arrested were current or former students at VCU.

The police named those arrested as Benjamin Corado, Quinn Kuby, Riley McDaniel, Alessandro Medina-Villanueva, Jason Mulgrew, Christian Rohrbach, Colin Tran and Enayat Sheikhzad. They range in age from 19 to 22.

Fraternity organizations have been under intense scrutiny in recent years, following high-profile cases that have drawn the ire of anti-hazing activists and victims’ loved ones who say that the culture of Greek life is dangerous and shrouded in secrecy.

Eight people were arrested and three others indicted Friday after an investigation into the death of Adam Oakes, a student at Virginia Commonwealth University who died in February from alcohol poisoning at a fraternity party, authorities said.

Eight people were arrested and three others indicted Friday after an investigation into the death of Adam Oakes, a student at Virginia Commonwealth University who died in February from alcohol poisoning at a fraternity party, authorities said. The eight arrested face charges of unlawful hazing of a student, the police in Richmond, Virginia, said in a statement. Three of them face an additional charge of buying and giving alcohol to a minor. According to Oakes’ family, the young man’s death, which drew national attention and renewed questions about hazing in Greek organisations across the country, occurred at an off-campus party Feb. 26 at the Delta Chi fraternity house, where he was given a bottle of Jack Daniel’s whiskey and told to drink it. Oakes, 19, was found dead the next morning by Richmond police, authorities said. Courtney White, Oakes’ cousin, said Saturday that although the family was feeling “a little bit of relief” because the case was moving forward, it was still painful to know that nothing, including the charges, was “going to bring him back.” “A lot of people are saying that these boys are just boys,” White said. “But the fact is that Adam was just a boy, too, and they took full advantage of him. And had any one of them stepped up and actually acted like a man and called for help, Adam would still be here.” Also read | Lavrov says Mali asked private Russian military company for help The family said on Facebook that they were “grateful for some measure of justice these charges and arrests may produce, as well as the protection from hazing they may give young, impressionable college students.” “The past 7 months have been agonizing for our family,” they wrote. “This is the first time these young men have been held accountable for their historically toxic and destructive traditions, manipulation of the VCU disciplinary systems, and for Adam’s death.” Oakes’ family said that all of those arrested were current or former students at VCU. The police named those arrested as Benjamin Corado, Quinn Kuby, Riley McDaniel, Alessandro Medina-Villanueva, Jason Mulgrew, Christian Rohrbach, Colin Tran and Enayat Sheikhzad. They range in age from 19 to 22. Fraternity organizations have been under intense scrutiny in recent years, following high-profile cases that have drawn the ire of anti-hazing activists and victims’ loved ones who say that the culture of Greek life is dangerous and shrouded in secrecy.

8 arrested in fraternity pledge’s alcohol-poisoning death, says police

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is in grief after his mother Charlotte Johnson Wahl, who was a professional painter, passed away at St Mary's Hospital in west London on Monday. &nbsp;

The 79-year-old had been suffering from Parkinson's disease. A notice of her death in 'The Times' newspaper said that she died "suddenly and peacefully". &nbsp;

The PM once described his mother as the "supreme authority" in the family. &nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;Societies that oppress women remain unstable

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The prime minister’s father Stanley Johnson and his mother had four children, Boris, journalist Rachel, former parliamentarian Jo Johnson and environmentalist Leo, before their divorce in 1979.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In 1988, she married American professor Nicholas Wahl, and lived in New York. After Wahl died, she returned to London in 1996. &nbsp;

She was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at the age of 40, but continued painting, steadying herself with a walking frame as she worked. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-delays-full-post-brexit-border-checks-from-eu-citing-covid-19-impacts-413083" hreflang="en">UK delays full post-Brexit border checks from EU, citing COVID-19 impacts</a>

In an interview in 2008, in reference to her Parkinson's, Wahl said, "I try to paint every day if I possibly can, though I have to go to the hospital a lot. I still manage to paint, though my arm will suddenly do a movement, which is completely unintentional and that almost brings me to tears." &nbsp;

Along with several other leaders, opposition Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer sent condolences to Boris Johnson on social media. &nbsp;

"I'm very sorry to learn of the Prime Minister's loss. My condolences to him and his family," Starmer wrote. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is in grief after his mother Charlotte Johnson Wahl, who was a professional painter, passed away at St Mary's Hospital in west London on Monday.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is in grief after his mother Charlotte Johnson Wahl, who was a professional painter, passed away at St Mary's Hospital in west London on Monday. The 79-year-old had been suffering from Parkinson's disease. A notice of her death in 'The Times' newspaper said that she died "suddenly and peacefully". The PM once described his mother as the "supreme authority" in the family. Watch: Societies that oppress women remain unstable × The prime minister’s father Stanley Johnson and his mother had four children, Boris, journalist Rachel, former parliamentarian Jo Johnson and environmentalist Leo, before their divorce in 1979. In 1988, she married American professor Nicholas Wahl, and lived in New York. After Wahl died, she returned to London in 1996. She was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at the age of 40, but continued painting, steadying herself with a walking frame as she worked. Also Read: UK delays full post-Brexit border checks from EU, citing COVID-19 impacts In an interview in 2008, in reference to her Parkinson's, Wahl said, "I try to paint every day if I possibly can, though I have to go to the hospital a lot. I still manage to paint, though my arm will suddenly do a movement, which is completely unintentional and that almost brings me to tears." Along with several other leaders, opposition Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer sent condolences to Boris Johnson on social media. "I'm very sorry to learn of the Prime Minister's loss. My condolences to him and his family," Starmer wrote. (With inputs from agencies)

UK PM Boris Johnson mourns mother Charlotte Johnson Wahl's death  

The Taliban co-founder and now deputy prime minister of Afghanistan released an audio statement on Monday saying he was alive and well after news of his supposed demise went viral on social media.

Abdul Ghani Baradar, who was last week named as the number two to Mullah Mohammed Hassan Akhund, blamed "fake propaganda" for the death rumours in an audio message posted by the Taliban.

Social media has been in a frenzy over the speculation -- particularly in India, where rumours swirled that he had been mortally wounded in a shootout between rival Taliban factions at the presidential palace. 
 
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"There had been news in the media about my death. Over the past few nights, I have been away on trips. Wherever I am at the moment, we are all fine, all my brothers and friends," Baradar said in the clip.

"Media always publish fake propaganda. Therefore, bravely reject all those lies, and I 100 per cent confirm to you there is no issue and we have no problem." 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/i-guarantee-trump-claims-china-russia-reverse-engineering-us-weapons-left-behind-in-afghanistan-412771">Also read | ‘I guarantee’: Trump claims China, Russia reverse-engineering US weapons left behind in Afghanistan</a>

Taliban spokesperson from Qatar office Suhail Shaheen also tweeted denying the reports of the Taliban co-founder's death.

It was not possible to authenticate the message, but it was posted on official Taliban sites, -- including that of the spokesman of the political office of the new government.

The Taliban's supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, was also rumoured to have died for several years before the group's spokesman said he was "present in Kandahar" two weeks after they took power.

The chatter in Pakistan and Afghanistan had suggested he had contracted Covid or been killed in a bombing.

The Taliban co-founder and now deputy prime minister of Afghanistan released an audio statement on Monday saying he was alive and well after news of his supposed demise went viral on social media.

The Taliban co-founder and now deputy prime minister of Afghanistan released an audio statement on Monday saying he was alive and well after news of his supposed demise went viral on social media. Abdul Ghani Baradar, who was last week named as the number two to Mullah Mohammed Hassan Akhund, blamed "fake propaganda" for the death rumours in an audio message posted by the Taliban. Social media has been in a frenzy over the speculation -- particularly in India, where rumours swirled that he had been mortally wounded in a shootout between rival Taliban factions at the presidential palace. Also read | Amid cash crunch, fleeing Afghans sell possessions at Kabul's busy bazaars "There had been news in the media about my death. Over the past few nights, I have been away on trips. Wherever I am at the moment, we are all fine, all my brothers and friends," Baradar said in the clip. "Media always publish fake propaganda. Therefore, bravely reject all those lies, and I 100 per cent confirm to you there is no issue and we have no problem." Also read | ‘I guarantee’: Trump claims China, Russia reverse-engineering US weapons left behind in Afghanistan Taliban spokesperson from Qatar office Suhail Shaheen also tweeted denying the reports of the Taliban co-founder's death. It was not possible to authenticate the message, but it was posted on official Taliban sites, -- including that of the spokesman of the political office of the new government. The Taliban's supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, was also rumoured to have died for several years before the group's spokesman said he was "present in Kandahar" two weeks after they took power. The chatter in Pakistan and Afghanistan had suggested he had contracted Covid or been killed in a bombing.

Taliban co-founder Abdul Ghani Baradar releases audio statement amid rumours of death

Zolani Matebese and Thabisile Sethaba, co-founders world's first funeral app 'Sendoff', has now enabled individuals to easily plan, book and manage a funeral from their phone.

'Sendoff'- Here's the world's first funeral app

The official global death toll from COVID-19 has passed 4.5 million, however, the true figure may be more than three times higher, at 15 million lives lost.

The huge disparity between recorded deaths and the real scale of the pandemic can be attributed to the undercounting caused by some of the most populous countries and regions, including China, India and Russia, as well as much of Latin America and Africa, researchers said.

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden has announced sweeping mandates to ''turn the tide'' in the battle against coronavirus pandemic.

Lambasting the people who refuse to receive a vaccine Biden said in a harsh tone that ''your refusal cost us.''

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turn-the-tide-biden-announces-new-vaccine-mandates-in-covid-19-battle-411974">Also read |&nbsp;'Turn the tide': Biden announces new vaccine mandates in COVID-19 battle</a>

In his new plan vaccine mandate, Biden asked all federal employees and 17 million healthcare workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Striving to restore public confidence in his handling of the pandemic, Biden said ''we can and we will turn the tide of COVID-19.''

''It’ll take a lot of hard work and it’s going to take some time. Many of us are frustrated with the nearly 80 million Americans who are still not vaccinated even though the vaccine is safe, effective and free,'' he added.

Businesses with more than 100 employees will need to have their workers vaccinated or tested weekly as a rule that the US Department of Labour will issue.

Covering about two-thirds or 100 million workers in the US, the vaccination speed will blunt the rapid spread of the virus in the country.

The official global death toll from COVID-19 has passed 4.5 million, however, the true figure may be more than three times higher, at 15 million lives lost. The huge disparity between recorded deaths and the real scale of the pandemic can be attributed to the undercounting caused by some of the most populous countries and regions, including China, India and Russia, as well as much of Latin America and Africa, researchers said.

The official global death toll from COVID-19 has passed 4.5 million, however, the true figure may be more than three times higher, at 15 million lives lost. The huge disparity between recorded deaths and the real scale of the pandemic can be attributed to the undercounting caused by some of the most populous countries and regions, including China, India and Russia, as well as much of Latin America and Africa, researchers said. Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden has announced sweeping mandates to ''turn the tide'' in the battle against coronavirus pandemic. Lambasting the people who refuse to receive a vaccine Biden said in a harsh tone that ''your refusal cost us.'' Also read | 'Turn the tide': Biden announces new vaccine mandates in COVID-19 battle In his new plan vaccine mandate, Biden asked all federal employees and 17 million healthcare workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Striving to restore public confidence in his handling of the pandemic, Biden said ''we can and we will turn the tide of COVID-19.'' ''It’ll take a lot of hard work and it’s going to take some time. Many of us are frustrated with the nearly 80 million Americans who are still not vaccinated even though the vaccine is safe, effective and free,'' he added. Businesses with more than 100 employees will need to have their workers vaccinated or tested weekly as a rule that the US Department of Labour will issue. Covering about two-thirds or 100 million workers in the US, the vaccination speed will blunt the rapid spread of the virus in the country.

True global COVID-19 death toll ‘may be more than 15 million’

After getting a shot from one of three batches of Moderna vaccines identified as contaminated, a third man has died in Japan. Authorities say no causal link has yet been found. &nbsp;

After having his second shot on August 11, the 49-year-old man died the following day. The only known health issue of the man was an allergy to buckwheat, said the health ministry on Monday. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Watch | Gravitas: Booster shot: Do we really need one?

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According to the ministry, it is yet to establish if the latest fatality was linked to the vaccine as it had said in the previous two deaths. &nbsp;

The three batches, which were manufactured under contract by Moderna in Spain, were found to have fragments of stainless steel. It had forced the recall of 1.63 million doses of the Moderna vaccine on August 26. &nbsp;

The shot, which the man had, came from the same batches. The company is yet to comment on the most recent fatality.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/italys-life-expectancy-drops-amid-covid-19-battle-411304" hreflang="en">Italy's life expectancy drops amid COVID-19 battle</a>

Last week, it issued a joint statement with local distributor Takeda Pharmaceutical, saying, “The rare presence of stainless steel particles in the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine does not pose an undue risk to patient safety and it does not adversely affect the benefit/risk profile of the product.” &nbsp;

Last month, two men, who were in their 30s with no underlying health conditions, had died within days of getting their second dose of the Moderna vaccine.&nbsp;

After getting a shot from one of three batches of Moderna vaccines identified as contaminated, a third man has died in Japan. Authorities say no causal link has yet been found.

After getting a shot from one of three batches of Moderna vaccines identified as contaminated, a third man has died in Japan. Authorities say no causal link has yet been found. After having his second shot on August 11, the 49-year-old man died the following day. The only known health issue of the man was an allergy to buckwheat, said the health ministry on Monday. Watch | Gravitas: Booster shot: Do we really need one? × According to the ministry, it is yet to establish if the latest fatality was linked to the vaccine as it had said in the previous two deaths. The three batches, which were manufactured under contract by Moderna in Spain, were found to have fragments of stainless steel. It had forced the recall of 1.63 million doses of the Moderna vaccine on August 26. The shot, which the man had, came from the same batches. The company is yet to comment on the most recent fatality. Also Read: Italy's life expectancy drops amid COVID-19 battle Last week, it issued a joint statement with local distributor Takeda Pharmaceutical, saying, “The rare presence of stainless steel particles in the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine does not pose an undue risk to patient safety and it does not adversely affect the benefit/risk profile of the product.” Last month, two men, who were in their 30s with no underlying health conditions, had died within days of getting their second dose of the Moderna vaccine.

Moderna’s contaminated Covid vaccine may have led to third death in Japan

The US death toll from Hurricane Ida rose towards 60. This comes a week after one of the most powerful storms ever to hit the US mainland made landfall in Louisiana.

Two more evacuated nursing home residents were confirmed to have died in the southern state.

In north-eastern states, many people started the Labor Day holiday weekend digging through debris left by floods and tornadoes on Wednesday and Thursday which killed at least 50 people.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-mp-proposes-ban-on-marriages-for-working-couples-410838">Also read | Bangladesh MP proposes ban on marriages for working couples</a>

In New York, operators promised to restore some commuter lines before the start of the workweek.

In Louisiana, the confirmed storm-related death toll rose to nine.&nbsp;

However, there were more than 1 million without electricity, many were forced into long lines at gas stations to find fuel for generators.&nbsp;

Providers have said most but not all Louisiana residents affected will have power again by the middle of next week.

The US death toll from Hurricane Ida rose towards 60. This comes a week after one of the most powerful storms ever to hit the US mainland made landfall in Louisiana.

The US death toll from Hurricane Ida rose towards 60. This comes a week after one of the most powerful storms ever to hit the US mainland made landfall in Louisiana. Two more evacuated nursing home residents were confirmed to have died in the southern state. In north-eastern states, many people started the Labor Day holiday weekend digging through debris left by floods and tornadoes on Wednesday and Thursday which killed at least 50 people. Also read | Bangladesh MP proposes ban on marriages for working couples In New York, operators promised to restore some commuter lines before the start of the workweek. In Louisiana, the confirmed storm-related death toll rose to nine. However, there were more than 1 million without electricity, many were forced into long lines at gas stations to find fuel for generators. Providers have said most but not all Louisiana residents affected will have power again by the middle of next week.

Hurricane Ida death toll nears 60

New Zealand recorded its first Covid-related death in six months Saturday, but health authorities said there were signs the outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant was coming under control.

A woman in her 90s, who had underlying health conditions and could not receive a ventilator or intensive care support, died in an Auckland hospital on Friday night.

She is the 27th person to die with Covid-19 in New Zealand and the first recorded since February 16 this year.

Authorities said the woman was a household contact of a person who had already tested positive for the virus in Auckland, New Zealand's largest city with a population of around 1.7 million.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/cuba-starts-vaccinating-children-in-order-to-re-open-schools-amid-covid-surge-410580">Also read |&nbsp;Cuba starts vaccinating children in order to re-open schools amid Covid surge</a>

New Zealand has been battling a coronavirus outbreak since the first locally transmitted case in six months was detected in mid-August, thrusting the country of five million into lockdown.

Since then, 782 cases have been recorded, primarily in Auckland, which remains at its highest level of restrictions while the rest of the country has eased back restrictions.

The death was "a deeply sad reminder of why the measures we are undertaking right now are so important," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.

"Our older New Zealanders and those with underlying health issues are by far the most at risk from the virus, and one of the reasons lockdowns are such an important tool to stop its spread."

Only 20 new positive cases were reported Saturday, down from a peak in the latest outbreak of 84 last weekend.

Caroline McEnlay, the director of public health, has described the declining numbers over the past week as "encouraging" and said, "we are being successful in breaking the chain of transmission."&nbsp;

New Zealand recorded its first Covid-related death in six months Saturday, but health authorities said there were signs the outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant was coming under control.

New Zealand recorded its first Covid-related death in six months Saturday, but health authorities said there were signs the outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant was coming under control. A woman in her 90s, who had underlying health conditions and could not receive a ventilator or intensive care support, died in an Auckland hospital on Friday night. She is the 27th person to die with Covid-19 in New Zealand and the first recorded since February 16 this year. Authorities said the woman was a household contact of a person who had already tested positive for the virus in Auckland, New Zealand's largest city with a population of around 1.7 million. Also read | Cuba starts vaccinating children in order to re-open schools amid Covid surge New Zealand has been battling a coronavirus outbreak since the first locally transmitted case in six months was detected in mid-August, thrusting the country of five million into lockdown. Since then, 782 cases have been recorded, primarily in Auckland, which remains at its highest level of restrictions while the rest of the country has eased back restrictions. The death was "a deeply sad reminder of why the measures we are undertaking right now are so important," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. "Our older New Zealanders and those with underlying health issues are by far the most at risk from the virus, and one of the reasons lockdowns are such an important tool to stop its spread." Only 20 new positive cases were reported Saturday, down from a peak in the latest outbreak of 84 last weekend. Caroline McEnlay, the director of public health, has described the declining numbers over the past week as "encouraging" and said, "we are being successful in breaking the chain of transmission."

New Zealand: Covid outbreak claims first death in six months

If the UK government’s vast security operation is to be believed, official social media blackouts and a ban on retweets are most likely to happen in the aftermath of 95-year-old&nbsp;Queen Elizabeth II's death to manage the situation. &nbsp;

Codenamed Operation London Bridge, these plans were first revealed in a Guardian Long Read in 2017. The details have now been revealed in full by Politico. It gives insights about the scale of the arrangements for the funeral and government anxieties about whether the UK has the resources to execute them. &nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab meets Pakistan PM Khan and Pak FM

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Playing a prominent role, the social media strategy includes plans to change the royal family’s website to a black holding page with a short statement confirming the Queen’s death. The gov.uk website and all governmental social media pages will also display a black banner.

All non-urgent content will not be published. Retweets will also be banned unless cleared by the government’s head of communications. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/us-companies-lash-out-at-texas-law-changes-410651" hreflang="en">US companies lash out at Texas law changes</a>

According to the documents, the Queen’s coffin is to be taken on a procession from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster, where it will lie on a raised box known as a catafalque, which will be open to the public for 23 hours a day for three days. Tickets with a time slot will be issued for VIPs. &nbsp;

It also says the state funeral will be held 10 days after her death and heralded as a “day of national mourning”. It will not be an official bank holiday though. &nbsp;&nbsp;

If the UK government’s vast security operation is to be believed, official social media blackouts and a ban on retweets are most likely to happen in the aftermath of 95-year-old Queen Elizabeth II's death to manage the situation.

If the UK government’s vast security operation is to be believed, official social media blackouts and a ban on retweets are most likely to happen in the aftermath of 95-year-old Queen Elizabeth II's death to manage the situation. Codenamed Operation London Bridge, these plans were first revealed in a Guardian Long Read in 2017. The details have now been revealed in full by Politico. It gives insights about the scale of the arrangements for the funeral and government anxieties about whether the UK has the resources to execute them. Watch: British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab meets Pakistan PM Khan and Pak FM × Playing a prominent role, the social media strategy includes plans to change the royal family’s website to a black holding page with a short statement confirming the Queen’s death. The gov.uk website and all governmental social media pages will also display a black banner. All non-urgent content will not be published. Retweets will also be banned unless cleared by the government’s head of communications. Also Read: US companies lash out at Texas law changes According to the documents, the Queen’s coffin is to be taken on a procession from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster, where it will lie on a raised box known as a catafalque, which will be open to the public for 23 hours a day for three days. Tickets with a time slot will be issued for VIPs. It also says the state funeral will be held 10 days after her death and heralded as a “day of national mourning”. It will not be an official bank holiday though.

Queen Elizabeth II's death to follow social media blackouts, retweets' ban: Report

With next year's presidential election in mind, Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro said he sees only three alternatives for his future: prison, death or victory. &nbsp;

In the polls, the right-wing populist leader is still trailing left-wing former President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro told evangelical leaders, "I have three alternatives for my future: being arrested, killed or victory." &nbsp;&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;Macron says France, Britain to propose 'safe zone' in Kabul

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The former military officer also said, there was no chance of prison as "no man on Earth will threaten me". The remarks come as there is fierce tensions between the president and the judiciary and election authorities.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Earlier, in a meeting with supporters outside the president's official residence, Bolsonaro said that everyone should buy a rifle. &nbsp; &nbsp;

Bolsonaro, who has tried to change the laws to allow more Brazilians to bear arms for self-defence, said gun opponents should stop bothering gun buyers. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-guard-kabul-airport-as-nato-troops-leave-afghanistan-409149" hreflang="en">Taliban guard Kabul airport as NATO troops leave Afghanistan</a>

During his election campaign, Jair Bolsonaro promised to relax Brazil's gun laws. The idea was that citizens could use their own weapons to combat the country's rampant crime and violence. &nbsp;

Since being elected president, he has issued a number of decrees to carry out his promise. &nbsp;

In Brazil, it is now much easier to buy and carry firearms. &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

With next year's presidential election in mind, Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro said he sees only three alternatives for his future: prison, death or victory. In the polls, the right-wing populist leader is still trailing left-wing former President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva.

With next year's presidential election in mind, Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro said he sees only three alternatives for his future: prison, death or victory. In the polls, the right-wing populist leader is still trailing left-wing former President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro told evangelical leaders, "I have three alternatives for my future: being arrested, killed or victory." Watch: Macron says France, Britain to propose 'safe zone' in Kabul × The former military officer also said, there was no chance of prison as "no man on Earth will threaten me". The remarks come as there is fierce tensions between the president and the judiciary and election authorities. Earlier, in a meeting with supporters outside the president's official residence, Bolsonaro said that everyone should buy a rifle. Bolsonaro, who has tried to change the laws to allow more Brazilians to bear arms for self-defence, said gun opponents should stop bothering gun buyers. Also Read: Taliban guard Kabul airport as NATO troops leave Afghanistan During his election campaign, Jair Bolsonaro promised to relax Brazil's gun laws. The idea was that citizens could use their own weapons to combat the country's rampant crime and violence. Since being elected president, he has issued a number of decrees to carry out his promise. In Brazil, it is now much easier to buy and carry firearms. (With inputs from agencies)

For future, Bolsonaro sees only three alternatives, prison, death or victory

The preliminary death toll from the major earthquake that struck southwestern Haiti last weekend surged to 1,941 on Tuesday as the search for survivors resumed after a tropical storm passed and quake-hit Haitians clamored for food, shelter and medical aid. 
 
Hospitals struggled to tend to all those injured, the official tally of which rose to 9,915, with many people still missing or under the rubble, the Civil Protection Service said on Tuesday afternoon. 
 
"There weren't enough doctors and now she's dead," said Lanette Nuel, sitting listlessly next to her daughter's corpse outside the main hospital of Les Cayes, one of the towns worst hit by both the tremor and the storm's heavy rains and winds. 
 
The 26-year-old deceased woman, herself a mother of two, had been crushed by debris during the magnitude 7.2 quake. Now, she lay under a white sheet on the floor. 
 
"We came in yesterday afternoon, she died this morning. I can't do anything," her mother said. 
 
The quake on Saturday brought down tens of thousands of buildings in the poorest country in the Americas, which is still recovering from a temblor 11 years ago that killed over 200,000 people. 
 
Relief efforts were already complicated due to a weak state and difficult road access from the capital to the south due to gang control of key points. Flash flooding and landslides in the wake of Tropical Storm Grace, which by Thursday afternoon had continued on past Jamaica, further complicated matters. 
 
"Countless Haitian families who have lost everything due to the earthquake are now living literally with their feet in the water due to the flooding," said Bruno Maes, the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) representative in Haiti. 
 
"Right now, about half a million Haitian children have limited or no access to shelter, safe water, healthcare and nutrition." 
 
The United Nations said it had allocated $8 million in emergency funds to provide essential healthcare, clean water, emergency shelter and sanitation for all affected people. 
 
"We will continue to scale up our response to the hardest-hit areas," UN&nbsp;Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement. 
 
The hospital in Les Cayes, about 150 km (90 miles) west of the capital Port-au-Prince, was even more overwhelmed on Tuesday than before as patients who had been camping outside moved indoors overnight to escape the tropical storm. 
 
Director Peterson Gede said medics were doing the best they could, but it was not enough. 
 
"We couldn't handle all the patients," he said. "And we have been receiving supplies, but it's not enough." 
 
At a tent city in Les Cayes containing many children and babies, over a hundred people scrambled to repair makeshift coverings made of wooden poles and tarps that were destroyed by Grace overnight. Some took cover under plastic sheets. 
 
Mathieu Jameson, deputy head of the committee formed by the tent city residents, said hundreds of people there were in urgent need of food shelter and medical care. 
 
"We don't have a doctor. We don't have food. Every morning more people are arriving. We have no bathroom, no place to sleep. We need food, we need more umbrellas," said Jameson, adding the tent city was still waiting for government aid.

The preliminary death toll from the major earthquake that struck southwestern Haiti last weekend surged to 1,941 on Tuesday as the search for survivors resumed after a tropical storm passed and quake-hit Haitians clamored for food, shelter and medical aid.

The preliminary death toll from the major earthquake that struck southwestern Haiti last weekend surged to 1,941 on Tuesday as the search for survivors resumed after a tropical storm passed and quake-hit Haitians clamored for food, shelter and medical aid. Hospitals struggled to tend to all those injured, the official tally of which rose to 9,915, with many people still missing or under the rubble, the Civil Protection Service said on Tuesday afternoon. "There weren't enough doctors and now she's dead," said Lanette Nuel, sitting listlessly next to her daughter's corpse outside the main hospital of Les Cayes, one of the towns worst hit by both the tremor and the storm's heavy rains and winds. The 26-year-old deceased woman, herself a mother of two, had been crushed by debris during the magnitude 7.2 quake. Now, she lay under a white sheet on the floor. "We came in yesterday afternoon, she died this morning. I can't do anything," her mother said. The quake on Saturday brought down tens of thousands of buildings in the poorest country in the Americas, which is still recovering from a temblor 11 years ago that killed over 200,000 people. Relief efforts were already complicated due to a weak state and difficult road access from the capital to the south due to gang control of key points. Flash flooding and landslides in the wake of Tropical Storm Grace, which by Thursday afternoon had continued on past Jamaica, further complicated matters. "Countless Haitian families who have lost everything due to the earthquake are now living literally with their feet in the water due to the flooding," said Bruno Maes, the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) representative in Haiti. "Right now, about half a million Haitian children have limited or no access to shelter, safe water, healthcare and nutrition." The United Nations said it had allocated $8 million in emergency funds to provide essential healthcare, clean water, emergency shelter and sanitation for all affected people. "We will continue to scale up our response to the hardest-hit areas," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement. The hospital in Les Cayes, about 150 km (90 miles) west of the capital Port-au-Prince, was even more overwhelmed on Tuesday than before as patients who had been camping outside moved indoors overnight to escape the tropical storm. Director Peterson Gede said medics were doing the best they could, but it was not enough. "We couldn't handle all the patients," he said. "And we have been receiving supplies, but it's not enough." At a tent city in Les Cayes containing many children and babies, over a hundred people scrambled to repair makeshift coverings made of wooden poles and tarps that were destroyed by Grace overnight. Some took cover under plastic sheets. Mathieu Jameson, deputy head of the committee formed by the tent city residents, said hundreds of people there were in urgent need of food shelter and medical care. "We don't have a doctor. We don't have food. Every morning more people are arriving. We have no bathroom, no place to sleep. We need food, we need more umbrellas," said Jameson, adding the tent city was still waiting for government aid.

Haiti quake death toll surges to nearly 2,000, survivors clamour for aid

A day after the&nbsp;powerful&nbsp;7.2-magnitude&nbsp;earthquake ravaged Haiti, the&nbsp;death toll&nbsp;soared to&nbsp;1,297 on Sunday.&nbsp;The quake had razed&nbsp;thousands of structures in the country.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The&nbsp;rescue efforts are now being undertaken by the personnel in the country.&nbsp;A&nbsp;tropical storm is also heading towards&nbsp;Haiti to make matters worse.&nbsp;

At least 5,700 people have also got injured in the Caribbean nation.&nbsp;Thousands more have been&nbsp;displaced due to the destruction. Several homes have either been&nbsp;destroyed or damaged.&nbsp;

In numerous&nbsp;areas,&nbsp;survivors have been forced to live&nbsp;out in the open.&nbsp;On Sunday, people could also be seen&nbsp;lining up to buy whatever little was available at a local street market.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The&nbsp;coming of Tropical Depression Grace, which may&nbsp;reach Haiti on Monday night, has left several residents worried.&nbsp;The&nbsp;tropical storm was although demoted&nbsp;to a depression on&nbsp;Sunday by&nbsp;the US National Hurricane Centre.&nbsp;It may&nbsp;bring heavy rain, flooding and landslides.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;earthquake struck at a crucial time when the&nbsp;country was&nbsp;already grappling with the coronavirus pandemic, a presidential assassination and a wave of gang violence.&nbsp;

On Sunday,&nbsp;Pope Francis expressed his closeness to the people of Haiti. He also prayed for the victims and wished encouragement for survivors. In order to&nbsp;help the people of Haiti&nbsp;in these difficult times,&nbsp;the pope called for the solidarity of the international community.&nbsp;&nbsp;

US President Joe Biden&nbsp;authorised&nbsp;an immediate response and named USAID Administrator Samantha Power to oversee the US effort to help Haiti.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

A day after the powerful 7.2-magnitude earthquake ravaged Haiti, the death toll soared to 1,297 on Sunday. The quake had razed thousands of structures in the country.

A day after the powerful 7.2-magnitude earthquake ravaged Haiti, the death toll soared to 1,297 on Sunday. The quake had razed thousands of structures in the country. The rescue efforts are now being undertaken by the personnel in the country. A tropical storm is also heading towards Haiti to make matters worse. At least 5,700 people have also got injured in the Caribbean nation. Thousands more have been displaced due to the destruction. Several homes have either been destroyed or damaged. In numerous areas, survivors have been forced to live out in the open. On Sunday, people could also be seen lining up to buy whatever little was available at a local street market. The coming of Tropical Depression Grace, which may reach Haiti on Monday night, has left several residents worried. The tropical storm was although demoted to a depression on Sunday by the US National Hurricane Centre. It may bring heavy rain, flooding and landslides. The earthquake struck at a crucial time when the country was already grappling with the coronavirus pandemic, a presidential assassination and a wave of gang violence. On Sunday, Pope Francis expressed his closeness to the people of Haiti. He also prayed for the victims and wished encouragement for survivors. In order to help the people of Haiti in these difficult times, the pope called for the solidarity of the international community. US President Joe Biden authorised an immediate response and named USAID Administrator Samantha Power to oversee the US effort to help Haiti. (With inputs from agencies)

Quake death toll surges to 1,297 in Haiti as rescue efforts continue 

Japan braces for further downpours as rescuers sort through landslide and flood damage following record rainfall that killed at least six people,&nbsp;

In the Southwest, residents are returning to check on their mud-covered homes after dozens of rivers overflowed, forcing nearly two million to seek refuge.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/it-was-so-so-scary-rain-sparks-floods-landslides-in-japan-405571">'It was so, so scary': Rain sparks floods, landslides in Japan</a>

Recent rainfall levels have been termed "unprecedented" by the Japan Meteorological Agency.

Scientists warn that in Japan and elsewhere, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/climate-change">climate change</a> increases the chance of heavy rains owing to a warmer atmosphere that holds more water.

The town of Ureshino, located in Saga prefecture, experienced about one metre (three feet) of rain during just four days. In the entire year 2020, the same town had 3.3 meters of rain, and in the year 2019, it had 2.3 metres.

There were fewer showers on Sunday in the hardest-hit region, with weather alerts downgraded&nbsp;from the top level, but more rain was predicted to fall late Sunday night.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/torrential-rains-lash-wide-areas-of-japan-three-feared-dead-after-landslide-405605">Torrential rains lash wide areas of Japan, three feared dead after landslide</a>

"It is still possible that extreme, severe rain will continue in many areas across the nation," Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said at an emergency cabinet meeting.

"Because it has been raining so much, ground soil in many areas is becoming looser, and large-scale disasters could happen at any time," he said, advising residents to exercise caution and stay in shelters.

Landslide warnings have been issued in 372 municipalities across Japan after 44 were detected, a quarter of them in Nagasaki,&nbsp;the land ministry said.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/millions-urged-to-seek-shelter-as-floods-and-landslides-hit-japan-405681/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Last month, heavy rains triggered a devastating wave of landslides in the central resort town of Atami, killing 23 people. Four more are unaccounted for.

There were more than 200 fatalities from floods and landslides in western Japan during the annual rainy season of 2018.

(With inputs from agencies)

Japan braces for further downpours as rescuers sort through landslide and flood damage following record rainfall that killed at least six people, In the Southwest, residents are returning to check on their mud-covered homes after dozens of rivers overflowed, forcing nearly two million to seek refuge.

Japan braces for further downpours as rescuers sort through landslide and flood damage following record rainfall that killed at least six people, In the Southwest, residents are returning to check on their mud-covered homes after dozens of rivers overflowed, forcing nearly two million to seek refuge. Also read | 'It was so, so scary': Rain sparks floods, landslides in Japan Recent rainfall levels have been termed "unprecedented" by the Japan Meteorological Agency. Scientists warn that in Japan and elsewhere, climate change increases the chance of heavy rains owing to a warmer atmosphere that holds more water. The town of Ureshino, located in Saga prefecture, experienced about one metre (three feet) of rain during just four days. In the entire year 2020, the same town had 3.3 meters of rain, and in the year 2019, it had 2.3 metres. There were fewer showers on Sunday in the hardest-hit region, with weather alerts downgraded from the top level, but more rain was predicted to fall late Sunday night. Also read | Torrential rains lash wide areas of Japan, three feared dead after landslide "It is still possible that extreme, severe rain will continue in many areas across the nation," Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said at an emergency cabinet meeting. "Because it has been raining so much, ground soil in many areas is becoming looser, and large-scale disasters could happen at any time," he said, advising residents to exercise caution and stay in shelters. Landslide warnings have been issued in 372 municipalities across Japan after 44 were detected, a quarter of them in Nagasaki, the land ministry said. Last month, heavy rains triggered a devastating wave of landslides in the central resort town of Atami, killing 23 people. Four more are unaccounted for. There were more than 200 fatalities from floods and landslides in western Japan during the annual rainy season of 2018. (With inputs from agencies)

Japan floods: Scientists warn climate change may cause erratic rain patterns worldwide

The&nbsp;death&nbsp;toll&nbsp;from&nbsp;Turkey's&nbsp;flash&nbsp;floods&nbsp;soared to&nbsp;27&nbsp;on Friday as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan prepared to inspect one of the hardest-hit regions and lend his moral support.

The devastation across&nbsp;Turkey's northern Black Sea regions came just as the disaster-hit country was winning control over hundreds of wildfires that killed eight people and destroyed swathes of forest along its scenic southern coast.

Turkey&nbsp;suffered another bout of flooding in the northeastern province of Rize that killed six people last month.

Scientists believe such natural disasters are becoming more intense and frequent because of global warming caused by harmful emissions.

Turkey's emergence as a frontline country in the battle against climate change also poses a challenge to Erdogan two years before the next scheduled general election.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-worked-closely-with-partners-as-unsc-condemns-turkey-on-varosha-issue-400297">Also read |&nbsp;India worked closely with partners as UNSC condemns Turkey on Varosha issue</a>

The powerful Turkish leader was roundly condemned on social media for tossing out bags of tea to locals while visiting one of the fire-ravaged regions when the wildfires were first spreading at the end of July.

Polls show that the climate is a top priority for up to seven million members of Generation Z whose votes Erdogan will need to extend his rule into a third decade in the 2023 vote.

Erdogan so far has said little about the&nbsp;floods.

"I offer my condolences to the loved ones of our 17 fellow citizens who lost their lives," he said when the&nbsp;toll&nbsp;was still 17 on Thursday night.

Media reports said Erdogan would chair a crisis response meeting attended by top ministers in one of the worst-hit parts of the inundated city of Kastamonu later Friday.

Building anger

But the anger appeared to be building in Black Sea towns and cities over what some said was a lack of proper warning from local officials about the dangers of the incoming storms.

"They told us to move our cars but they didn't tell us to save ourselves or our children," Kastamonu province resident Arzu Yucel told the private DHA news agency.

"If they had, I would have taken them and left in five minutes. They didn't even tell us that the river was overflowing," the elderly woman said.

Turkey's rugged Black Sea coast is dotted with villages built along valleys that frequently experience heavy flooding in the summer months.

Some longtime residents of the region said this year's flooding was the worst they could recall.

"I am 75 years old and have never seen anything like this," Batin province resident Adem Senol told the Anadolu state news agency.

"The water rose higher than the level of our windows, it broke down our door, even a wall," he said. "It was a powerful stream, enough to sweep away houses."

Emergency services said waters briefly rose in some parts as high as four metres (13 feet) before subsiding and spreading across a region stretching more than 150 miles (240 kilometres) wide.

Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli has warned that the area was facing "a&nbsp;disaster that we had not seen in 50 or 100 years".

Images on television and social media showed stranded villagers being plucked off rooftops by helicopter, and bridges collapsing under the force of the rushing water below.

The Anadolu state news agency said rescuers were focusing on a four-floor apartment building that partially crumbled and another one next to it that completely collapsed.

Concern was also increasing over how high the&nbsp;death&nbsp;toll&nbsp;could climb.

Some locals told Turkish media Friday that they still had no news from their closest family and friends.

Weather services predicted rains to continue to lash the affected area for the remainder of the week.

The death toll from Turkey's flash floods soared to 27 on Friday as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan prepared to inspect one of the hardest-hit regions and lend his moral support.

The death toll from Turkey's flash floods soared to 27 on Friday as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan prepared to inspect one of the hardest-hit regions and lend his moral support. The devastation across Turkey's northern Black Sea regions came just as the disaster-hit country was winning control over hundreds of wildfires that killed eight people and destroyed swathes of forest along its scenic southern coast. Turkey suffered another bout of flooding in the northeastern province of Rize that killed six people last month. Scientists believe such natural disasters are becoming more intense and frequent because of global warming caused by harmful emissions. Turkey's emergence as a frontline country in the battle against climate change also poses a challenge to Erdogan two years before the next scheduled general election. Also read | India worked closely with partners as UNSC condemns Turkey on Varosha issue The powerful Turkish leader was roundly condemned on social media for tossing out bags of tea to locals while visiting one of the fire-ravaged regions when the wildfires were first spreading at the end of July. Polls show that the climate is a top priority for up to seven million members of Generation Z whose votes Erdogan will need to extend his rule into a third decade in the 2023 vote. Erdogan so far has said little about the floods. "I offer my condolences to the loved ones of our 17 fellow citizens who lost their lives," he said when the toll was still 17 on Thursday night. Media reports said Erdogan would chair a crisis response meeting attended by top ministers in one of the worst-hit parts of the inundated city of Kastamonu later Friday. Building anger But the anger appeared to be building in Black Sea towns and cities over what some said was a lack of proper warning from local officials about the dangers of the incoming storms. "They told us to move our cars but they didn't tell us to save ourselves or our children," Kastamonu province resident Arzu Yucel told the private DHA news agency. "If they had, I would have taken them and left in five minutes. They didn't even tell us that the river was overflowing," the elderly woman said. Turkey's rugged Black Sea coast is dotted with villages built along valleys that frequently experience heavy flooding in the summer months. Some longtime residents of the region said this year's flooding was the worst they could recall. "I am 75 years old and have never seen anything like this," Batin province resident Adem Senol told the Anadolu state news agency. "The water rose higher than the level of our windows, it broke down our door, even a wall," he said. "It was a powerful stream, enough to sweep away houses." Emergency services said waters briefly rose in some parts as high as four metres (13 feet) before subsiding and spreading across a region stretching more than 150 miles (240 kilometres) wide. Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli has warned that the area was facing "a disaster that we had not seen in 50 or 100 years". Images on television and social media showed stranded villagers being plucked off rooftops by helicopter, and bridges collapsing under the force of the rushing water below. The Anadolu state news agency said rescuers were focusing on a four-floor apartment building that partially crumbled and another one next to it that completely collapsed. Concern was also increasing over how high the death toll could climb. Some locals told Turkish media Friday that they still had no news from their closest family and friends. Weather services predicted rains to continue to lash the affected area for the remainder of the week.

Death toll in Turkey's flash floods soars to 27

Authorities confirmed Monday that more than 300 people died in recent floods in central China, three times the number previously reported.

According to the province administration of Henan, 302 people died and 50 are still missing.

The majority of the casualties were in Zhengzhou, the province capital, where 292 people died and 47 were missing.

Officials announced during a press conference in Zhengzhou that ten other people perished in three other cities.

In Xinxiang city, seven people were killed, with three more still missing, while two people were killed in Pingdingshan and one in Luohe.

Hou Hong, the mayor of Zhengzhou, claimed 39 people had been found dead in basement car parks, and six more had drowned in the cross-city tunnel, bringing the total number of persons killed in the tube to six. 
 
<img alt="China-floods" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="6e4192b6-85d9-465c-be9a-76941b06428a" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%282%29_138.jpg" /> 
 
(AFP Photo)

In late July, record-breaking rainstorms wreaked havoc on Henan Province in central China, overflowing reservoirs, spilling riverbanks, and wreaking havoc on public transportation and roadways in key towns.

In only three days, more than 600mm of rain poured in Zhengzhou, about an average year's worth. 
 
Watch | Gravitas: Heaviest rain in 1,000 years leads to devastation

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-china-floods-heaviest-rain-in-1000-years-leads-to-devastation-399561/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Authorities said that about 625,000 acres of crops were destroyed and have estimated losses at more than 90 billion yuan ($14 billion). About 1.5 million people were evacuated because of the rains and flooding.

The central government has set up an investigation team to evaluate the disaster response, summarize the lessons from it and hold accountable anyone guilty of dereliction of duty, Chinese media said.

(With inputs from agencies)

Authorities confirmed Monday that more than 300 people died in recent floods in central China, three times the number previously reported. According to the province administration of Henan, 302 people died and 50 are still missing.

Authorities confirmed Monday that more than 300 people died in recent floods in central China, three times the number previously reported. According to the province administration of Henan, 302 people died and 50 are still missing. The majority of the casualties were in Zhengzhou, the province capital, where 292 people died and 47 were missing. Officials announced during a press conference in Zhengzhou that ten other people perished in three other cities. In Xinxiang city, seven people were killed, with three more still missing, while two people were killed in Pingdingshan and one in Luohe. Hou Hong, the mayor of Zhengzhou, claimed 39 people had been found dead in basement car parks, and six more had drowned in the cross-city tunnel, bringing the total number of persons killed in the tube to six. (AFP Photo) In late July, record-breaking rainstorms wreaked havoc on Henan Province in central China, overflowing reservoirs, spilling riverbanks, and wreaking havoc on public transportation and roadways in key towns. In only three days, more than 600mm of rain poured in Zhengzhou, about an average year's worth. Watch | Gravitas: Heaviest rain in 1,000 years leads to devastation Authorities said that about 625,000 acres of crops were destroyed and have estimated losses at more than 90 billion yuan ($14 billion). About 1.5 million people were evacuated because of the rains and flooding. The central government has set up an investigation team to evaluate the disaster response, summarize the lessons from it and hold accountable anyone guilty of dereliction of duty, Chinese media said. (With inputs from agencies)

Corpses afloat in car parks, tunnel: China floods death toll rises to 302

Indian photojournalist Danish Siddiqui was not merely killed in a crossfire but "brutally executed" by the Taliban after they verified his identification, an expert has claimed.

Siddiqui, a Reuters photo journalist, was murdered while documenting confrontations between Afghan security forces and the Taliban in Kandahar's Spin Boldak region.&nbsp;

Siddiqui travelled to the Spin Boldak region with an Afghan National Army team to cover combat between Afghan forces and the Taliban over control of the lucrative Pakistani border crossing, Micheal Rubin, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, wrote.

A Taliban attack split the unit when they came within a third of a mile of the customs post, with the commander and a few men separated from Siddiqui, who remained with three other Afghan troops, Rubin wrote in Washington Examiner.

Siddiqui was struck by shrapnel during the assault, so he and his crew went to a nearby mosque for first help.

However, when word got out that a journalist was inside the mosque, the Taliban attacked.

According to Rubin, local research indicates that the Taliban assaulted the mosque solely because of Siddiqui's presence there.&nbsp;

"Siddiqui was alive when the Taliban captured him. The Taliban verified Siddiqui's identity and then executed him, as well as those with him. The commander and the remainder of his team died as they tried to rescue him," he wrote. 
 
<img alt="Danish Siddiqui " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b369a856-aa00-40d9-9456-24a9279a7578" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/danish.JPG" />

"While a widely circulated public photograph shows Siddiqui's face recognisable, I reviewed other photographs and a video of Siddiqui's body provided to me by a source in the Indian government that show the Taliban beat Siddiqui around the head and then riddled his body with bullets," 
 
On July 13, he last posted a Twitter thread with photos reporting what he was seeing there.&nbsp;

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The attack continued as Afghan Special Forces retreated after successfully carrying out the extraction. Caught in the middle of this ambush were several Afghans who were trapped while one of them was this boy. <a href="https://t.co/rBm60wSUSV">pic.twitter.com/rBm60wSUSV</a>
— Danish Siddiqui (@dansiddiqui) <a href="https://twitter.com/dansiddiqui/status/1415014068092653569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2021</a></blockquote>
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In 2018, Siddiqui and another Reuters journalist won the Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of the Rohingya crisis.

He covered the Afghanistan war, the Hong Kong riots, and other key events in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe extensively.&nbsp;

A sea of mourners arrived to pay their last respects at the Jamia Millia Islamia graveyard, where Siddiqui was laid to rest.

On July 18, his body landed at Delhi airport and was later transported to his home in Jamia Nagar, where a large crowd had assembled, including his family and friends.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Indian photojournalist Danish Siddiqui was not merely killed in a crossfire but "brutally executed" by the Taliban after they verified his identification, an expert has claimed.

Indian photojournalist Danish Siddiqui was not merely killed in a crossfire but "brutally executed" by the Taliban after they verified his identification, an expert has claimed. Siddiqui, a Reuters photo journalist, was murdered while documenting confrontations between Afghan security forces and the Taliban in Kandahar's Spin Boldak region. Siddiqui travelled to the Spin Boldak region with an Afghan National Army team to cover combat between Afghan forces and the Taliban over control of the lucrative Pakistani border crossing, Micheal Rubin, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, wrote. A Taliban attack split the unit when they came within a third of a mile of the customs post, with the commander and a few men separated from Siddiqui, who remained with three other Afghan troops, Rubin wrote in Washington Examiner. Siddiqui was struck by shrapnel during the assault, so he and his crew went to a nearby mosque for first help. However, when word got out that a journalist was inside the mosque, the Taliban attacked. According to Rubin, local research indicates that the Taliban assaulted the mosque solely because of Siddiqui's presence there. "Siddiqui was alive when the Taliban captured him. The Taliban verified Siddiqui's identity and then executed him, as well as those with him. The commander and the remainder of his team died as they tried to rescue him," he wrote. "While a widely circulated public photograph shows Siddiqui's face recognisable, I reviewed other photographs and a video of Siddiqui's body provided to me by a source in the Indian government that show the Taliban beat Siddiqui around the head and then riddled his body with bullets," On July 13, he last posted a Twitter thread with photos reporting what he was seeing there. The attack continued as Afghan Special Forces retreated after successfully carrying out the extraction. Caught in the middle of this ambush were several Afghans who were trapped while one of them was this boy. pic.twitter.com/rBm60wSUSV — Danish Siddiqui (@dansiddiqui) July 13, 2021 × In 2018, Siddiqui and another Reuters journalist won the Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of the Rohingya crisis. He covered the Afghanistan war, the Hong Kong riots, and other key events in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe extensively. A sea of mourners arrived to pay their last respects at the Jamia Millia Islamia graveyard, where Siddiqui was laid to rest. On July 18, his body landed at Delhi airport and was later transported to his home in Jamia Nagar, where a large crowd had assembled, including his family and friends. (With inputs from agencies)

'Taliban verified Danish Siddiqui's identity, then killed him': Expert

It's a mad world. And strange things happen everywhere. Facts are sometimes truly whackier than fiction. A man declared dead by no less than 3 doctors 'woke up' just before his autopsy.

The incident, mentioned in a report by ScienceAlert, took place in Spain.&nbsp;

The day was January 7, 2018. Gonzalo Montoya Jimenez, a prisoner serving prison sentence in a Spanish prison was found unresponsive. The prisoner was attended by two doctors who were on duty that day in the prison. Jimenez was declared dead by both of them.

Just to be sure, apparently, a forensic doctor was called in and the prisoner was declared dead the third time.

Usual bureaucratic procedures kicked in, Jimenez was put in a body bag and kept in cold storage of the mortuary. His body was marked with scalpel marks to carry out the autopsy.

It was in the mortuary that physicians realised something was terrbly wrong. They heard sound of snoring.

Coming from inside the body bag!

By this time, Jimenez had spent time in the cold storage and inside the body bag. But he was miraculously not dead.

He was then shifted to a hospital where he was said to be in stable condition.

Hospital authorities told the media that this could have been a case of Catalepsy, in which human body enters a seizure or trans-like stage and loses consciousness and sensation.

It's unimaginable what would have happened had Jimenez not woke up in time!

It's a mad world. And strange things happen everywhere. Facts are sometimes truly whackier than fiction. A man declared dead by no less than 3 doctors 'woke up' just before his autopsy.

It's a mad world. And strange things happen everywhere. Facts are sometimes truly whackier than fiction. A man declared dead by no less than 3 doctors 'woke up' just before his autopsy. The incident, mentioned in a report by ScienceAlert, took place in Spain. The day was January 7, 2018. Gonzalo Montoya Jimenez, a prisoner serving prison sentence in a Spanish prison was found unresponsive. The prisoner was attended by two doctors who were on duty that day in the prison. Jimenez was declared dead by both of them. Just to be sure, apparently, a forensic doctor was called in and the prisoner was declared dead the third time. Usual bureaucratic procedures kicked in, Jimenez was put in a body bag and kept in cold storage of the mortuary. His body was marked with scalpel marks to carry out the autopsy. It was in the mortuary that physicians realised something was terrbly wrong. They heard sound of snoring. Coming from inside the body bag! By this time, Jimenez had spent time in the cold storage and inside the body bag. But he was miraculously not dead. He was then shifted to a hospital where he was said to be in stable condition. Hospital authorities told the media that this could have been a case of Catalepsy, in which human body enters a seizure or trans-like stage and loses consciousness and sensation. It's unimaginable what would have happened had Jimenez not woke up in time!

Man declared dead by 3 doctors 'wakes up' just before autopsy

Sierra&nbsp;Leonean lawmakers voted to abolish the death penalty Friday, becoming the latest African country to move towards banning capital punishment.&nbsp;

A majority of MPs voted in favour of an amendment abolishing the death penalty, according to an AFP journalist who was present in the chamber.&nbsp;

Capital punishment will be replaced with life imprisonment or a minimum 30-year jail term for crimes such as murder or mutiny.

No execution has taken place in the country since 1998, and death sentences have often been commuted.

But&nbsp;Sierra&nbsp;Leone, which is still recovering after decades of civil war, has frequently come under fire from rights groups for keeping capital punishment on the books.

In May, Deputy Justice Minister Umaru Napoleon Koroma announced that the government would move to ban the death penalty to "uphold the fundamental human rights of&nbsp;Sierra&nbsp;Leoneans".&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/one-by-one-african-countries-dismantle-colonial-era-death-penalty-laws-400227">Also read |&nbsp;One by one, African countries dismantle colonial-era death penalty laws</a>

During a lively debate in the 146-legislature on Friday,&nbsp;Mathew Nyumah, the parliamentary leader of the ruling&nbsp;Sierra&nbsp;Leone&nbsp;People's Party, urged MPs to vote for abolition.&nbsp;

"Please understand this is something we are sacrificing to meet international best practice," he said.&nbsp;

President Julius Maada Bio must still sign off on the abolition voted by parliament before it becomes law.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The president thanked citizens MPs and rights groups in a statement on social media after the vote, saying they had "steadfastly stood with us to make history".

The vote in&nbsp;Sierra&nbsp;Leone&nbsp;comes as the use of capital punishment has been falling across the African continent, and more countries have been outlawing the practice.

Falling executions

Sierra&nbsp;Leone's 1991 constitution allows the use of the death penalty for aggravated robbery, murder, treason and mutiny.

However, the last executions in the country were carried out in 1998, when 24 military officers were put to death after a coup attempt the year before.

The diamond-rich but poor former British colony was ravaged by a 1991-2002 civil war that claimed 120,000 lives.&nbsp;

A truth and reconciliation commission set up in 2005 to investigate the brutal conflict recommended abolishing the death penalty, calling it "an affront to civilised society".

But the authorities in the nation of 7.5 million people resisted immediately abolishing capital punishment, and courts condemned 84 people to death between 2016 and 2020, according to the UN.

With the parliament vote,&nbsp;Sierra&nbsp;Leone&nbsp;is set to become the latest African country to abolish the death penalty.&nbsp;

Malawi banned capital punishment in April, for example, and Chad scrapped the practice last year. &nbsp;

According to Amnesty International, 108 countries had completely abolished the death penalty by the end of 2020, while 144 had abolished it in law or in practice.&nbsp;

Both executions and death penalties also fell across sub-Saharan Africa last year, the rights group said.&nbsp;

Recorded death sentences fell by six percent, from&nbsp;325&nbsp;in 2019 to&nbsp;305 last year, while executions were down 36 percent, falling from 25 in 2019 to 16 in 2020.&nbsp;

Sierra Leonean lawmakers voted to abolish the death penalty Friday, becoming the latest African country to move towards banning capital punishment. A majority of MPs voted in favour of an amendment abolishing the death penalty, according to an AFP journalist who was present in the chamber.

Sierra Leonean lawmakers voted to abolish the death penalty Friday, becoming the latest African country to move towards banning capital punishment. A majority of MPs voted in favour of an amendment abolishing the death penalty, according to an AFP journalist who was present in the chamber. Capital punishment will be replaced with life imprisonment or a minimum 30-year jail term for crimes such as murder or mutiny. No execution has taken place in the country since 1998, and death sentences have often been commuted. But Sierra Leone, which is still recovering after decades of civil war, has frequently come under fire from rights groups for keeping capital punishment on the books. In May, Deputy Justice Minister Umaru Napoleon Koroma announced that the government would move to ban the death penalty to "uphold the fundamental human rights of Sierra Leoneans". Also read | One by one, African countries dismantle colonial-era death penalty laws During a lively debate in the 146-legislature on Friday, Mathew Nyumah, the parliamentary leader of the ruling Sierra Leone People's Party, urged MPs to vote for abolition. "Please understand this is something we are sacrificing to meet international best practice," he said. President Julius Maada Bio must still sign off on the abolition voted by parliament before it becomes law. The president thanked citizens MPs and rights groups in a statement on social media after the vote, saying they had "steadfastly stood with us to make history". The vote in Sierra Leone comes as the use of capital punishment has been falling across the African continent, and more countries have been outlawing the practice. Falling executions Sierra Leone's 1991 constitution allows the use of the death penalty for aggravated robbery, murder, treason and mutiny. However, the last executions in the country were carried out in 1998, when 24 military officers were put to death after a coup attempt the year before. The diamond-rich but poor former British colony was ravaged by a 1991-2002 civil war that claimed 120,000 lives. A truth and reconciliation commission set up in 2005 to investigate the brutal conflict recommended abolishing the death penalty, calling it "an affront to civilised society". But the authorities in the nation of 7.5 million people resisted immediately abolishing capital punishment, and courts condemned 84 people to death between 2016 and 2020, according to the UN. With the parliament vote, Sierra Leone is set to become the latest African country to abolish the death penalty. Malawi banned capital punishment in April, for example, and Chad scrapped the practice last year. According to Amnesty International, 108 countries had completely abolished the death penalty by the end of 2020, while 144 had abolished it in law or in practice. Both executions and death penalties also fell across sub-Saharan Africa last year, the rights group said. Recorded death sentences fell by six percent, from 325 in 2019 to 305 last year, while executions were down 36 percent, falling from 25 in 2019 to 16 in 2020.

Sierra Leone lawmakers vote to abolish death penalty

Ecuador on Friday raised to 27 the number of inmates killed in prison riots in two jails this week that forced the government to declare a state of emergency.

President Guillermo Lasso had issued the order "to mobilise all necessary human and economic resources to re-establish order" in Ecuador's prisons after violence erupted on Wednesday at jails in Guayas, in southwestern Ecuador, and Cotopaxi, in the centre of the country.

The SNAI prisons management body tweeted Friday that "19 inmates are reported dead, one of them by hanging" in the Cotopaxi prison.&nbsp;

Eight inmates were reported killed at the Guayas prison.

Authorities initially reported 22 deaths in the riots, which also saw 57 others wounded, among them eight police officers, one of whom was raped.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ecuador-declares-emergency-after-22-killed-in-prison-riots-399886">Also read |&nbsp;Ecuador declares emergency after 22 killed in prison riots</a>

Cotopaxi Governor Oswaldo Coronel explained at a press conference the previously uncounted bodies had been recovered on Thursday night and were therefore not included in the first toll.

The SNAI also said 86 escaped Cotopaxi inmates had been recaptured, without specifying how many had escaped.

The two jails had previously experienced violent riots in February, when clashes between rival gangs vying for control of the country's main prisons left 79 inmates dead in a single day.

Ecuador's prison system has about 60 facilities designed for 29,000 inmates but is burdened by overcrowding and staffing shortages.

Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Ecuador has used alternative sentences for minor offences as a means of easing its prison population, which reduced overcrowding from 42 percent to 30 percent.

Ecuador's human rights ombudsman says there were 103 killings in Ecuador's prisons in 2020.

Ecuador on Friday raised to 27 the number of inmates killed in prison riots in two jails this week that forced the government to declare a state of emergency. President Guillermo Lasso had issued the order "to mobilise all necessary human and economic resources to re-establish order" in Ecuador's prisons after violence erupted on Wednesday at jails in Guayas, in southwestern Ecuador, and Cotopaxi, in the centre of the country.

Ecuador on Friday raised to 27 the number of inmates killed in prison riots in two jails this week that forced the government to declare a state of emergency. President Guillermo Lasso had issued the order "to mobilise all necessary human and economic resources to re-establish order" in Ecuador's prisons after violence erupted on Wednesday at jails in Guayas, in southwestern Ecuador, and Cotopaxi, in the centre of the country. The SNAI prisons management body tweeted Friday that "19 inmates are reported dead, one of them by hanging" in the Cotopaxi prison. Eight inmates were reported killed at the Guayas prison. Authorities initially reported 22 deaths in the riots, which also saw 57 others wounded, among them eight police officers, one of whom was raped. Also read | Ecuador declares emergency after 22 killed in prison riots Cotopaxi Governor Oswaldo Coronel explained at a press conference the previously uncounted bodies had been recovered on Thursday night and were therefore not included in the first toll. The SNAI also said 86 escaped Cotopaxi inmates had been recaptured, without specifying how many had escaped. The two jails had previously experienced violent riots in February, when clashes between rival gangs vying for control of the country's main prisons left 79 inmates dead in a single day. Ecuador's prison system has about 60 facilities designed for 29,000 inmates but is burdened by overcrowding and staffing shortages. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Ecuador has used alternative sentences for minor offences as a means of easing its prison population, which reduced overcrowding from 42 percent to 30 percent. Ecuador's human rights ombudsman says there were 103 killings in Ecuador's prisons in 2020.

Ecuador prison riot death toll rises to 27

The&nbsp;death&nbsp;toll&nbsp;from recent&nbsp;riots&nbsp;in&nbsp;South&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;has risen to&nbsp;276, and police are investigating 168 cases for murder, a cabinet&nbsp;minister&nbsp;said on Wednesday.

The unrest started as protests over former president Jacob Zuma's jailing two weeks ago in his home province of KwaZulu-Natal. But it quickly escalated into arson and looting, and spread to Gauteng province where the biggest city Johannesburg is located.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mozambique-militants-beheading-children-as-young-as-11-save-the-children-370902">Also read |&nbsp;Mozambique militants beheading children as young as 11: Save the Children&nbsp;</a>

The scale of the destruction and loss of life, which was fuelled by poverty and inequality that persist almost three decades after the end of apartheid in 1994, is still becoming clear. The&nbsp;death&nbsp;toll&nbsp;had stood at 215 on Monday.

Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, acting&nbsp;minister&nbsp;in the presidency, told a news conference there were now 234&nbsp;deaths linked to the unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and 42 in Gauteng.

Authorities have managed to bring the violence under control. But the economic cost is estimated at 20 billion rand ($1.37 billion) in KwaZulu-Natal alone, as 161 shopping malls, 11 warehouses and eight factories were extensively damaged. The extent of the damage in Gauteng is still being collated.

The death toll from recent riots in South Africa has risen to 276, and police are investigating 168 cases for murder, a cabinet minister said on Wednesday. The unrest started as protests over former president Jacob Zuma's jailing two weeks ago in his home province of KwaZulu-Natal.

The death toll from recent riots in South Africa has risen to 276, and police are investigating 168 cases for murder, a cabinet minister said on Wednesday. The unrest started as protests over former president Jacob Zuma's jailing two weeks ago in his home province of KwaZulu-Natal. But it quickly escalated into arson and looting, and spread to Gauteng province where the biggest city Johannesburg is located. Also read | Mozambique militants beheading children as young as 11: Save the Children The scale of the destruction and loss of life, which was fuelled by poverty and inequality that persist almost three decades after the end of apartheid in 1994, is still becoming clear. The death toll had stood at 215 on Monday. Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, acting minister in the presidency, told a news conference there were now 234 deaths linked to the unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and 42 in Gauteng. Authorities have managed to bring the violence under control. But the economic cost is estimated at 20 billion rand ($1.37 billion) in KwaZulu-Natal alone, as 161 shopping malls, 11 warehouses and eight factories were extensively damaged. The extent of the damage in Gauteng is still being collated.

Death toll in South Africa riots rises to 276, minister says

A 12-year-old kid undergoing treatment for H5N1 Avian Influenza died at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi today, marking the first bird flu death in the country this year.

As a precaution, the whole staff of AIIMS, New Delhi, has been kept in isolation.

Officials from AIIMS told the news agency ANI, "After the diagnosis, the 12-year-old child being treated in the hospital's D5 ward was discovered to be infected with H5N1 (Avian flu). Leukaemia and pneumonia were both were present in the youngster. He was sent to the AIIMS ICU in Delhi for treatment."

Influenza that affects birds is known as bird flu.

This illness can, on rare occasions, spread to people.

Several Indian states saw a sudden Pandemic of avian influenza earlier this year, owing to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Doctors say this is the first time avian flu has been transmitted to a human.

Bird flu is more deadly than Covid-19, with a 60 per cent fatality rate compared to Covid's 3% mortality rate.

According to WHO, the last human incidence of bird flu in the world occurred in Laos in October 2020.

In June of this year, China reported the first human case of avian flu.

(With inputs from agencies)

A 12-year-old kid undergoing treatment for H5N1 Avian Influenza died at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi today, marking the first bird flu death in the country this year.

A 12-year-old kid undergoing treatment for H5N1 Avian Influenza died at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi today, marking the first bird flu death in the country this year. As a precaution, the whole staff of AIIMS, New Delhi, has been kept in isolation. Officials from AIIMS told the news agency ANI, "After the diagnosis, the 12-year-old child being treated in the hospital's D5 ward was discovered to be infected with H5N1 (Avian flu). Leukaemia and pneumonia were both were present in the youngster. He was sent to the AIIMS ICU in Delhi for treatment." Influenza that affects birds is known as bird flu. This illness can, on rare occasions, spread to people. Several Indian states saw a sudden Pandemic of avian influenza earlier this year, owing to the Coronavirus pandemic. Doctors say this is the first time avian flu has been transmitted to a human. Bird flu is more deadly than Covid-19, with a 60 per cent fatality rate compared to Covid's 3% mortality rate. According to WHO, the last human incidence of bird flu in the world occurred in Laos in October 2020. In June of this year, China reported the first human case of avian flu. (With inputs from agencies)

First bird flu death in India this year reported at AIIMS New Delhi

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