Over 2.8 million people across 9 African countries have been deeply affected by catastrophic rainfalls over the last few weeks.  Dozens of people have been killed across central and eastern Africa after heavy rains triggered landslides and caused rivers to burst their banks. Kenya has most casualties: 130 people have died there and 250 across the region. On the other side of the Congo river at least 50,000 people were affected by the downpours, prompting the Congo-Brazzaville government to declare a state of emergency. Heavy rains and landslides have also killed dozens across the wider east African region during weeks of downpours, with 29 buried by landslides in Kenya and 10 people drowned in a river in Tanzania, officials have said. In Uganda it's also really bad with many villages flushed away. While there can still be some rain falling in January and February, the next rainy season is March to May. In Kenya typically the short rains occur in late October early November, but this amount of water is highly unusual and a consequence of Climate Change. in 2016 and 2017 the "long rains" of March - May failed entirely and the whole region suffered a massive drought. Weather experts from the UK Environment Agency said: “The rains this season have been enhanced by a phenomenon called the Indian Ocean Dipole which, when positive, can cause a rise in water temperatures in the Indian Ocean of up to 2C. This leads to higher evaporation rates off the East African coastline and this water then falls inland.” A relief worker from CARE International said: "Many of the people affected by this flooding are also the same that were affected by the terrible droughts earlier this year that left over 3 million people in food insecurity". It's important we do remember how real the changes of weather patters are. Scientists even say that extreme weather events will be the new normal if warming continues at its present rate. Floods: tips to remember (Source : The UK Environment Agency) 15cm (6in) of fast-flowing water can knock over an adult and about 60cm (2ft) of water can move a car Avoid walking or driving through flood water Move your family upstairs or to a high place with a means of escape Do not touch sources of electricity when standing in flood water Put plugs in sinks and baths Weigh belongings down with a sandbag or a heavy object Flood water can contain sewage, chemicals and animal waste so wash your hands thoroughly if you touch it. By Lara  

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have announced their royal baby as Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. He is now placed seventh in line to the throne and unlike his cousins' names, he doesn't have an official royal name. Historically, Archie was a contraction of the name 'Archibald' which means 'truly brave', but today Archie is a fully governed name. Archibald isn't the most common name today in the UK. In Scotland, Archie is the 3rd most popular name and is still 18th most popular name for boys in England and Wales and 147th most popular in the world.      

Many things surround the Swedish teenager but one thing is for certain, she is polarising. Donald Trump compared the climate activist to the actor Kelly. When she spoke to the United Nations she told them that they had ruined her dreams and her childhood. Also, when she noticed Donald Trump walk into the room she certainly did not look in the slightest bit happy. While she was sharing her speech, Donald Trump was seen checking his watch, lying back in his seat and yawning just because he does not believe in climate change and thinks it is a load of rubbish that the scientists made up. Not many agree with him.

Two brothers have been arrested in India, accused of fraud. Shivinder Singh and Malvinder Singh and former owners of a pharmacy giant, Ranbaxy, and current owners of a popular hospital chain. The Singh brothers were arrested by the economic offences wing of the Delhi police on Thursday evening. They have been charged with cheating, criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of trust. They do not agree with this, however. Their companies went down financially and couldn't pay their loans. The two brothers are expected to appear in court on Friday to defend their cases. The investigations have now been carried out and the brothers will stay in Tihar jail till 31st October and then will come out in judicial custody.

 Why should we stop flying?  What's the fastest way to cut your greenhouse gas emissions?STOP FLYING! Currently, airplanes are also the worst transport when compared to other forms of transport in terms of the impact of greenhouse gases. Short flights are more harmful to the climate per mile than longer flights. This is because they have more empty seats. Flying takes a LOT of energy. Unfortunately, this means more Carbon Dioxide goes into the atmosphere. This is very BAD for the environment. Green house gases stop heat from escaping. This means Earth gets hotter and more species get wiped out.

Fatty tissue has been found in the lungs of overweight and obese people for the first time. Australian researchers analysed lung samples from 52 people and found the amount of fat increased in line with body mass index. They said their findings could explain why being overweight or obese increased asthma risk. Lung experts said it would be interesting to see if the effect could be reversed by weight loss. They found that it would only be possible if they lost 19kg in 2 days; around the loss of Tenzing Norgay in his voyage on mout Everest.

Have you recently been to a park to find a Labradoodle running up to you? Well these adorable creatures are one man's life regret. The first ever Labradoodle was bred in the 1980's by a man named Wally Conron, but he now wishes they never set foot on earth. This is due to some serious health issues that the dogs have been found with. Wally Conron says they are his ''life's regret'' and he does not know why people still breed them today. This is because many people have begun experimenting with cross-over breeds which can lead to long term health issues. Apparently they are either 'crazy' or 'plagued by health problems.' Aproxamately 30,000 people in 2015 voted labradoodles to be their favourite dog with 1000 votes on greyhound in second place. Wally, who is Australian, created the labradoodle in the late 1980's. The first Labradoodle was bred in Hawii for a blind lady whose husband was allergic to long-haired dogs. After several years of problems Wally finally came up with the idea of a dog with the working ability of a labradoor  and the coat of a poodle. Many labradoor owners say they are calm and loveable creatures but Wally has the idea that they are a bit crazy. Do you agree with this? Do you have a  labradoodle at home? How does it behave?  

In a  speech on Monday, Greta Thunberg, Swedish climate activist, told governments that “you are still not mature enough to tell it like it is. You are failing us. But the young people are starting to understand your betrayal".Greta accused past genaration's of"stealing her dreams and childhood". She wants world leaders to help her in her quest to save our planet. Some people dislike Miss Thunberg's work on climate change. For example; Two leading French MPs for the conservative Les Republicains party called the Swedish teenager a "guru of the apocalypse. Others, like myself, believe Greta is an inspirational figure and support her work in raising awareness of the challenges facing our planet. Greta appeals for us all in her statement "Don't listen to me, listen to the scientists because they have the knowledge and we have the action. Together we can make a difference"!

The Amazon rainforest which is home to one in 10 species on Earth is on fire.  Last week, 9,000 wildfires were raging all over Brazil then spreading into Boliva, Paruaguay and Peru.  The blazes are deliberately set to clear land for cattle ranching, farming, and logging. They’re now burning in massive numbers, an 80 percent increase over this time last year. For the thousands of reptiles, mammals, amphibians and all bird species that live in the Amazon rainforest, the wildfires’ impact will come in two phases: one immediate and one long-term. “In the Amazon, nothing is adapted to fire,” says William Magnusson, a researcher specializing in biodiversity monitoring at the National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA) in Manaus, Brazil. With this information we can infer that pretty  much everything will burn. Australia is different, for instance, where eucalyptus would die out without regular fires, he says. A  number of man-made fires have spread across the Amazon in recent years, destroying the ecosystem. The rainforest is not built for fire.

Knife crime is a serious issue in London which resulted in almost 40 000 injuries in 2018. Policeman are increasingly being stabbed on the job and murder and manslaughter is on the rise. Two hundred and eighty murders were committed as a result of knife crime in 2017.  Minors are seemingly able to purchase knives from local shops despite government regulations. A 16 year old actress sent by the BBC watchdog, was able to buy a kitchen knife despite the fact that it is illegal to sell a knife to someone under 18 years of age. Amazon also broke its own delivery rules by handing over four knives to the same girl hired by the BBC programme. Both retailers have said they will investigate further to determine failures in procedures. In a further instance set up by the BBC watchdog, a second teenager went to five different branches of each of the following shops; Wilko  Asda  TKMaxx Tesco and Argos, to attempt to purchase a knife. In Tesco, the UK's biggest supermarket, the 16 year old was sold a knife in three of the five branches that she visited whilst she was able to purchase one knife in one Argos shop.  Police Commissioners are calling for knife crime to be treated as a disease as it is a serious public health issue that is causing fatalities weekly.