Floods hit northern India, 200 villages under water

The latest rain has caused landslides and floods in many parts of India and neighboring Nepal, where at least 90 people have been killed since Thursday, according to the latest government update. More rain is now forecast in the state of Uttar Pradesh - India's most populous - and Uttarakhand in the Himalayas, resulting in new flood warnings. "Nearly two hundred villages have been hit by the flood which has taken at least 21 lives," said Alok Ranjan, chief secretary of Uttar Pradesh. The river Rapti that threads through densely populated parts of the state was running above the danger mark, another official said. India's annual rains have picked up from early August after the worst start in five years for the June-September monsoon season raised fears of widespread drought in the sub-continent, according to Arab News.