Nepal landslide death toll rises with more rain expected.

Kathmandu: Residents have had to be rushed to safety as water levels continue to surge near Kathmandu, with the death toll from landslides and floods brought on by monsoons this week rising to 53 across Nepal.

Heavy rains have caused widespread
floods and death in Bhaktapur, Nepal.

Three members of a family became the latest fatalities after they were buried alive on Thursday when a landslide struck their makeshift home in a village of Bhaktapur district, officials said.

"Hundreds of security personnel have been deployed in the sites," said chief district officer Narayan Prasad Bhatta.

Read the story from The Age - “Nepal landslide death toll rises with more rain expected.”

‘It's our lifeblood': the Murray-Darling and the fight for Indigenous water rights

When the water levels of the Darling river fall, local elders in Wilcannia, New South Wales, say, the crime rate spikes, particularly juvenile crime.

The dried out Paroo river, part of the Murray-Darling basin,
on the Wilcannia to Tilpa road. When the water levels
 fall, the crime rate spikes, Indigenous elders say. 

It seems like an odd correlation until the elders explain just how important the river is to their everyday lives.

“It’s boring here when the river stops running,” says Michael Kennedy, chairman of the Wilcannia Local Aboriginal Land Council. “It becomes a lifeless place. We can’t find the tranquilities and therapies of the river.”

Read the story by Anne Davies from The Guardian - “‘It's our lifeblood': the Murray-Darling and the fight for Indigenous water rights.”

Paris braced for floods after heavy rain causes Seine River to burst banks

Parisians have been urged to use "extreme caution" after the River Seine burst its banks and water levels rose at least 3.3 metres above the normal level. 

A photo taken on 23 January shows flooded banks of the
river Seine, which has overflown after torrential rain has battered Paris 

Authorities closed several roads near the French's capital's City Hall and cancelled boat cruises as forecasters warned that the water is expected to keep rising in the coming days. 

Expected to reach its peak later this week, fears are mounting that it could surpass the water level recorded in 2016, when the worst flooding seen in Paris for decades led to the closure of several monuments and tourist attractions including the Louvre.

Read Ryan Butcher’s story on the Independent - “Paris braced for floods after heavy rain causes Seine River to burst banks.”

Kakadu water levels are 'extremely low'

Rangers Fred Hunter and Calvin
Murakami survey the Magela floodplain.

Water levels in the World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park are, for this time of year, extremely low.

From October until the end of April, Kakadu is supposed to be inundated with water, breathing life into the spectacular country and diverse animal life.

"I've been here for 22 years and this is definitely the driest season we've had," Calvin Murakami said.

Mr Murakami and his colleague Fred Hunter work as rangers in the park, managing plants and animals.

Read Sally Brooks’ ABC story - “The dry wet for Kakadu National Park.”