German ‘flood wine’ sold to combat fallout of flood disaster

Following the devastating floods in western Germany, many winery owners in the Ahr Valley are facing financial disaster. Now special wine bottles soiled with mud are being sold to stave off ruin.

“I estimate that around 10,000 wine bottles and all my machines are ruined along with half a hectare of my vineyard” 

Benno Gilles, winemaker from Marienthal

They say it is their worst year for wine — and of course, they are right. And yet a special initiative is selling a collection of six mud-covered bottles of wine for €120 ($140). Those bottles bear the seal “authentically muddied” and the funds raised by these “flood wines” will go directly to the 50 winegrowers in the Ahr Valley whose wine cellars were flooded by rising waters. It is a silver lining for people who have lost almost everything because of the disaster…

Death toll in Afghanistan floods tops 100, dozens still missing

The death toll from this week’s flooding in Afghanistan’s eastern province of Nuristan has risen to at least 113, with dozens of people still missing, officials said.

Rescue operations were still under way on Sunday, days after heavy rains overwhelmed Kamdesh district in the remote, Taliban-controlled province, about 200 kilometres (120 miles) northeast of the capital, Kabul, on Wednesday.

While he gave an injury toll of 34, Zarbi noted figures were preliminary and subject to change…