Monsoon Flooding In India, Nepal and Bangladesh

Flooding from monsoons in South Asia has led to over 1,200 deaths and directly impacted over 40 million people, according to the U.N. The Red Cross has said the flooding from this rainy season is the worst it has been in 40 years. Evacuation, potential water-borne disease outbreaks and a weak federal emergency response remain among the most prominent concerns for those in affected areas. This week, flooding risk is expected to continue heightening for northeast and South India.

Kenyan Election

Last Friday, the Kenyan Supreme Court declared the Aug. 8 election of President Uhuru Kenyatta invalid and ordered a re-election. It was announced that Kenyatta had won against Raila Odinga, with a reported difference of 10 percentage points. Odinga took the results to court, citing major inconsistencies between the electronic results posted by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission and recording results from tallying centers. He also alleged that a senior IT expert at IEBC was murdered 10 days before the election, allowing for the hacking of the official results.

Colombia’s Gulf Clan

The Gulf Clan is a powerful drug gang in Colombia with about 2000 members. The gang includes many of Colombia’s former paramilitary leaders who have facilitated the expansion of drug trafficking in the country. In recent months, the country’s officials have arrested more than 1500 gang members. Now, the gang leader himself is turning himself in. As of Sept. 6, the Gulf Clan’s leader, Otoniel, has notified the Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos that he would turn himself in.

Pine-eating beetles

The southern pine beetle, an invasive species notorious for rapidly destroying pine forests, is expected to move northward in coming years. New research from Colombia University states that by 2020, these insects will extend past Delaware. The cold temperatures that were able to ward off the pests will be ineffective because of climate change leading to warmer summers. These infestations could cost millions of dollars in losses to the timber industry.

California Wildfires

Thousands of firefighters have been working against a series of over 23 wildfires burning across California. One of these blazes, the Helena Fire in Trinity County, has consumed over 11,000 acres as of Sept. 3. The Associated Press reports that more than 700 homes have been evacuated due to the events. California Gov. Jerry Brown also issued a state of emergency for Los Angeles on Sunday.