In the West African nation of Gabon, after an extremely close presidential election that favored sitting president Ali Bongo, forces loyal to the president raided the headquarters of opposition candidate Jean Ping on Sept. 1, killing at least five people. President Bongo said that the purpose of the raid was to arrest vandals who were involved in setting fire to the parliament building the night before.

The results of the election were disputed, in particular the tally in President...

Heavy rains caused a flash flood in Macedonia’s capital, Skopje, on Aug. 6-7, killing at least 21 people. During the storm, more than 3 inches of water fell on the city, leading water levels of the Vardar River, which goes through the city center, to rise more than 5 feet. Also, there were wind gusts of up to 49 miles per hour. The flooding destroyed roads, houses and power lines.

The US Department of State warns travelers that the level of kidnapping, crime and violence in Honduras is high. Honduras has one of the highest murder rates in the world. The US Embassy in Tegucigalpa has recorded three murders of US citizens since January 2016. 

Honduran law enforcement frequently report highway assaults and carjackings by criminals posing as Honduran police throughout Honduras, including in remote areas of the Choluteca, Olancho, Colón and Copán departments.