At least nine people have died and 150 more are missing in northern India after part of a Himalayan glacier broke off, sending a flood of water and debris into two hydroelectric dams.
A portion of Nanda Devi glacier broke off in the Tapovan area of Uttarakhand state on Sunday, with the subsequent flooding damaging the Rishiganga and Dhauliganga hydropower projects, officials said.
At least 150 people working at the two power plants are now missing and feared dead, a state official said.
Local police said eight bodies had already been recovered.
Image:Several teams of rescuers were rushed to the affected area, officials said. Pic: AP
Image:The neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh, India's most
populous, put its riverside areas on high alert. Pic: AP
Eyewitness Sanjay Singh Rana, who lives on the upper reaches of the river, told Reuters news agency: "It came very fast, there was no time to alert anyone. I felt that even we would be swept away."
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Officials said the breaking glacier released water trapped behind it as well as sending mud and other debris surging down the mountain and into other bodies of water.
Some houses were also damaged in the flooding and an evacuation of homes on the banks of the Alaknanda river was issued immediately.
Image:Army soldiers have already been deployed and helicopters were doing an aerial observation of the area. Pic: AP
Several teams of rescuers were rushed to the affected area, officials said.
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"India stands with Uttarakhand and the nation prays for everyone's safety there", Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter.
Image:There is a string of hydroelectric power plants along the Alaknanda River and its tributaries. Pic: AP
In 2013, more than 1,000 people were killed in Uttarakhand after heavy rain triggered landslides and floods, washing away thousands of houses and roads.
At least 150 people are feared dead in northern India after part of a Himalayan glacier broke off, sending a flood of water and debris into two hydroelectric dams.
A portion of Nanda Devi glacier broke off in the Tapovan area of Uttarakhand state on Sunday, with the subsequent flooding damaging the Rishiganga and Dhauliganga hydropower projects, officials said.
At least 150 people working at the two power plants are now missing and feared dead, a state official said.
Local police said eight bodies had already been recovered.
Image:Several teams of rescuers were rushed to the affected area, officials said. Pic: AP
Image:The neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh, India's most
populous, put its riverside areas on high alert. Pic: AP
Eyewitness Sanjay Singh Rana, who lives on the upper reaches of the river, told Reuters news agency: "It came very fast, there was no time to alert anyone. I felt that even we would be swept away."
Advertisement
Officials said the breaking glacier released water trapped behind it as well as sending mud and other debris surging down the mountain and into other bodies of water.
Some houses were also damaged in the flooding and an evacuation of homes on the banks of the Alaknanda river was issued immediately.
Image:Army soldiers have already been deployed and helicopters were doing an aerial observation of the area. Pic: AP
Several teams of rescuers were rushed to the affected area, officials said.
More from UK
"India stands with Uttarakhand and the nation prays for everyone's safety there", Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter.
Image:There is a string of hydroelectric power plants along the Alaknanda River and its tributaries. Pic: AP
In 2013, more than 1,000 people were killed in Uttarakhand after heavy rain triggered landslides and floods, washing away thousands of houses and roads.
Myanmar has seen its largest protests in more than a decade, as tens of thousands of people rallied against the military coup and demanded the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
"We don't want military dictatorship. We want democracy," the crowds chanted in the main city, Yangon. Rallies were held in more than a dozen other cities.
Internet access has now been restored after a day-long blackout.
The army has not yet commented on the growing opposition to Monday's coup.
The military seized power after claiming, without evidence, that the November election was fraudulent. The rulers declared a year-long state of emergency and have been hunkered down in the capital, Nay Pyi Daw.
Ms Suu Kyi and senior leaders of her National League for Democracy Party (NLD), including President Win Myint, have been put under house arrest.
In Yangon, people wore red shirts and held red balloons, the colour of Ms Suu Kyi's party, while cars and buses slowed to sound their horns in support. Many flashed the three-finger salute, a symbol of defiance against authoritarianism in the region.
The internet shutdown imposed by the military failed to curb the protesters. "Respect our vote," read one banner, in reference to the NLD's landslide win in November.
AFP
Sunday's protests in Yangon were the biggest since the so-called Saffron Revolution in 2007, when thousands of the country's monks rose up against the military regime.
Crowds marched towards the Sule Pagoda in the city centre while police vehicles and officers in riot gear were stationed near Yangon University. There were no immediate reports of violence.
"First, we don't want to go back to military rule. We don't want to live in fear. Secondly, we want Mother Su to be freed from being under detention unjustly," a protester told the BBC. "And third, we want to root out the system where soldiers take civilian administrative positions."
Another demonstrator said: "This protest is not the end. We'll group... [everyday] until we're free from the dictatorship."
Smaller protests were also held in Nay Pyi Daw and Mandalay, the country's second-largest city. In Mawlamine, there were reports of shots being fired but no-one was hurt.
Openly angry, quietly afraid
By Nyein Chan, BBC Burmese, Yangon
People from all different backgrounds, not just students and activists, have joined the protests in Yangon. They shouted anti-military slogans and sang famous revolutionary songs from the 1988 student uprising against the military regime.
The atmosphere was charged and protesters were defiant. They are angry but also quietly afraid.
They know that the military is capable of using violence to suppress dissent but they feel like they have no choice.
When a group of protesters met a row of soldiers they chanted at them: "You're trained to be professional soldiers, do not kill civilians."
Internet returns
The monitoring group NetBlocks Internet Observatory said connectivity rose to about 50% by 14:00 local time (07:30 GMT) but access to social media, including Facebook and Twitter, remained blocked.
The shutdown was criticised by human rights groups. Amnesty International said the blackout was "heinous and reckless" and warned it could put people at risk of human rights violations.
The United Nations special rapporteur on Myanmar, Tom Andrews, called on the agency's Human Rights Council to convene a special session on the "unfolding crisis", saying: "[The] junta must stand down now."
The coup took place as a new session of parliament was set to open. Many Burmese watched events unfold in real time on Facebook, which is the country's primary source of information and news.
Myanmar at a glance
Myanmar is a country of 54 million people in South East Asia which shares borders with Bangladesh, India, China, Thailand and Laos.
It was ruled by an oppressive military government from 1962 to 2011, either directly or indirectly, leading to international condemnation and sanctions.
Aung San Suu Kyi spent years campaigning for democratic reforms. A gradual liberalisation began in 2010, though the military still retained considerable influence.
It triggered a rift between Ms Suu Kyi and her previous supporters in the international community after she refused to condemn the crackdown or describe it as ethnic cleansing. But she has remained hugely popular at home.
Have you been affected by recent events in Myanmar? You can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.
Myanmar has seen its largest protests in more than a decade, as tens of thousands of people rallied against the military coup and demanded the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
"We don't want military dictatorship. We want democracy," the large crowds chanted in the main city, Yangon.
Internet access has now been restored after a day-long blackout.
The military, which overthrew the government on Monday, has not commented on the growing demonstrations.
Ms Suu Kyi and senior leaders of her National League for Democracy Party (NLD), including President Win Myint, have been under house arrest since the coup.
The army seized power after claiming, without evidence, that the November election was fraudulent. The military authorities declared a year-long state of emergency and have been hunkered down in the capital, Nay Pyi Daw.
In Yangon, people wore red shirts and held red balloons, the colour of Ms Suu Kyi's party, while cars and buses slowed to sound their horns in support. Many flashed the three-finger salute, a symbol of defiance against authoritarianism in the region.
The internet shutdown imposed by the military failed to curb the protesters. "Respect our vote," read one banner, in reference to the NLD's landslide win in November.
AFP
Sunday's protests in Yangon were the biggest since the so-called Saffron Revolution in 2007, when thousands of the country's monks rose up against the military regime.
Crowds marched towards the Sule Pagoda in the city centre while police vehicles and officers in riot gear were stationed near Yangon University. There were no immediate reports of violence.
Myo Win, a 37-year-old protester, told Agence France-Presse: "We'll move forward and keep demanding until we get democracy."
Smaller demonstrations were also held in at least a dozen other towns and cities including Nay Pyi Daw and Mandalay, the country's second-largest city. In Mawlamine, there were reports of shots being fired but no-one was hurt.
Openly angry, quietly afraid
By Nyein Chan, BBC Burmese, Yangon
People from all different backgrounds, not just students and activists, have joined the protests in Yangon. They shouted anti-military slogans and sang famous revolutionary songs from the 1988 student uprising against the military regime.
The atmosphere was charged and protesters were defiant. They are angry but also quietly afraid.
They know that the military is capable of using violence to suppress dissent but they feel like they have no choice.
When a group of protesters met a row of soldiers they chanted at them: "You're trained to be professional soldiers, do not kill civilians."
Internet returns
The monitoring group NetBlocks Internet Observatory said connectivity rose to about 50% by 14:00 local time (07:30 GMT) but access to social media, including Facebook and Twitter, remained blocked.
The shutdown was criticised by human rights groups. Amnesty International said the blackout was "heinous and reckless" and warned it could put people at risk of human rights violations.
The United Nations special rapporteur on Myanmar, Tom Andrews, called on the agency's Human Rights Council to convene a special session on the "unfolding crisis", saying: "[The] junta must stand down now."
The coup took place as a new session of parliament was set to open. Many Burmese watched events unfold in real time on Facebook, which is the country's primary source of information and news.
Myanmar at a glance
Myanmar is a country of 54 million people in South East Asia which shares borders with Bangladesh, India, China, Thailand and Laos.
It was ruled by an oppressive military government from 1962 to 2011, either directly or indirectly, leading to international condemnation and sanctions.
Aung San Suu Kyi spent years campaigning for democratic reforms. A gradual liberalisation began in 2010, though the military still retained considerable influence.
It triggered a rift between Ms Suu Kyi and her previous supporters in the international community after she refused to condemn the crackdown or describe it as ethnic cleansing. But she has remained hugely popular at home.
Have you been affected by recent events in Myanmar? You can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.
Image:The jab is now being developed to fight different variants
A spokesman for AstraZeneca, said: "Early data has shown limited efficacy against mild disease primarily due to the B.1.351 South African variant.
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"We do believe our vaccine could protect against severe disease, as neutralising antibody activity is equivalent to that of other COVID-19 vaccines that have demonstrated activity against more severe disease, particularly when the dosing interval is optimised to 8-12 weeks."
But with the median age of participant in the study being just 31, researchers have not been able to fully ascertain its effect against severe disease and hospitalisation given that the 2,000 subjects were predominantly young healthy adults.
More from Covid-19
Researchers are also investigating other immune responses to the vaccine, including T cell responses, which may have a role in protection against disease.
Oxford University and AstraZeneca say they have started adapting the vaccine against the South Africa variant and that it will be ready for autumn delivery if needed.
The findings - which was first reported by the Financial Times - will be published on Monday.
Image:Door-to-door testing to track the South Africa variant in England are under way
Speaking about the study on Sky News' Sophie Ridge On Sunday, vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said: "Of course the virus will mutate. The more we vaccinate, the more the virus will attempt to mutate and adapt to survive.
"We have the world's best genomic sequencing ecosystem industry here in the UK, so we're able to sequence the genomes of the mutations rapidly, and then talk to the manufacturers."
Image:Dr David Nabarro, Special Envoy on COVID-19 for the World Health Organization
He said this "futureproofs our country" in the development of vaccines and is "all part of the government's strategy to protect our nation".
Meanwhile, World Health Organisation (WHO) special envoy Doctor David Nabarro told Sky News' Sophie Ridge: "This virus, like every other virus will vary. We're going to see variations which are particularly dangerous emerge from time to time. We know how to deal with this problem.
"The first thing is that we use the precautions that we're using generally with regards to distancing and face-masking. Secondly, we can adapt vaccines, the scientists are good at doing that, and we will do it.
"Just like we do for flu, we'll do for coronavirus. Variations are worrying and we have to be very conscious of them, but we know they're going to come and go on coming and we know the vaccines will have to continue to be modified.
"The really important thing is for leaders around the world to give their support to outfits like the WHO, which is the only kind of organisation that can keep a track of different variants as they emerge and give advice on things like travel."
Targeted door-to-door tests to track the South Africa variant in England are currently under way, after cases of the variant were identified in people who had no links to travel - suggesting it may be spreading in communities.
That variant - labelled B117 and discovered at the start of December - was partially blamed for coronavirus cases ballooning to record-high levels and then continuing to rise into the start of 2021, before lockdown was imposed across the country.
Tens of thousands have protested for a second day in Myanmar's main city, Yangon, thwarting the military's attempt to stop anti-coup rallies by imposing an internet shutdown.
"We don't want military dictatorship," the crowds chanted. Many held pictures of detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi and wore red, the colour of her party.
She has not been seen since the army overthrew her government last Monday.
Internet access now appears to have been partially restored.
The day-long blackout was imposed after the military blocked access to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stop people mobilising. Phone services have also been disrupted.
On Sunday, demonstrators in Yangon held red balloons, while cars and buses slowed to sound their horns in support. Many flashed the three-finger salute, which has become a symbol of defiance against authoritarianism in the region.
"Respect our vote," read one banner, in reference to the landslide win of the National League for Democracy Party (NLD) in November's election.
Crowds marched towards the Sule Pagoda in the city centre while police vehicles and officers in riot gear were stationed near Yangon University. There were no immediate reports of violence.
Myo Win, a 37-year-old protester, told Agence France-Presse: "We'll move forward and keep demanding until we get democracy."
So far the military authorities, known for their violent repression tactics, are not stopping this show of mass defiance, BBC South East Asia correspondent Jonathan Head reports. But everyone assumes they will try to before long, our reporter adds.
Ms Suu Kyi and senior leaders of the NLD, including President Win Myint, have been under house arrest since the coup. The army has declared a year-long state of emergency.
AFP
Sunday's protests in Yangon were the biggest since the so-called Saffron Revolution in 2007, when thousands of the country's monks rose up against the military regime, Reuters news agency reports.
Smaller demonstrations were also held in the capital, Nay Pyi Daw and in the country's second-largest city, Mandalay. In Mawlamine, there were reports of shots being fired but no-one was hurt.
The military authorities, hunkered down in the capital, have not commented.
Internet returns
Internet connectivity rose to about 50% by 14:00 local time (07:30 GMT), according to the monitoring group NetBlocks Internet Observatory. It remained unclear if restoration would be sustained and social media remained blocked, it said.
Earlier, despite connectivity being at 14% of usual levels, some images and videos of the protests were posted online.
The shutdown was criticised by human rights groups. Amnesty International said the blackout was "heinous and reckless" and warned it could put people at risk of human rights violations.
The United Nations special rapporteur on Myanmar, Tom Andrews, said: "The generals are now attempting to paralyse the citizen movement of resistance - and keep the outside world in the dark - by cutting virtually all internet access."
The coup took place as a new session of parliament was set to open, following the November election in which the NLD won 80% of parliamentary seats.
Many Burmese watched the events unfold in real time on Facebook, which is the country's primary source of information and news.
Myanmar at a glance
Myanmar is a country of 54 million people in South East Asia which shares borders with Bangladesh, India, China, Thailand and Laos.
It was ruled by an oppressive military government from 1962 to 2011, either directly or indirectly, leading to international condemnation and sanctions.
Aung San Suu Kyi spent years campaigning for democratic reforms. A gradual liberalisation began in 2010, though the military still retained considerable influence.
It triggered a rift between Ms Suu Kyi and her previous supporters in the international community after she refused to condemn the crackdown or describe it as ethnic cleansing. But she has remained hugely popular at home.
Have you been affected by recent events in Myanmar? You can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.
The Alaska Volcano Observatory has issued a yellow warning, which USGS indicates means: "Volcano is exhibiting signs of elevated unrest above known background activity." High-resolution satellite images yesterday showed a small ash deposit coming from the North Cerebus Crater on the Semisopochnoi Island in Alaska
The steam has obscured views into the crater.
The Alaska Volcano Observatory said: "There is no evidence for continuing activity, but observation of a new deposit suggests renewed unrest."
They added how they are "increasing the Aviation Color Code to yellow and the Volcano Alert Level to advisory".
The Observatory continued: "Small eruptions producing minor ash deposits within the vicinity of the volcano are typical of activity during unrest at Semisopochnoi since September 2018, with the last detected activity in June 2020.
"Local seismic stations have been offline since November 11, 2020.
"New explosions could occur at anytime with no warning."
The volcano is monitored remotely by satellite and lightning senors.
The Observatory added in their report: "An infrasound array on Adak Island could detect explosive emissions from Semisopochnoi with a 13 minute delay if atmospheric conditions permit."
A historic eruption was reported in 1873, and at least four others may have occurred in the previous hundred years, but documentation is scant.
In December, geologists discovered that a trail of volcanic islands off the coast of the US state may actually be connected to one giant caldera.
The cluster of six volcanoes in the Aleutian Islands – known as the Islands of the Four Mountains – may be connected to a much bigger underwater volcano.
Scientists analysed seismic activity, gas emissions, gravity measurements and geochemistry in the region surrounding the six stratovolcanoes of Carlisle, Cleveland, Herbert, Kagamil, Tana and Uliag – and their results suggested activity could be traced to a bigger source.
Alaska is home to more than 40 active volcanoes and many more potentially active volcanoes.
Many of these occur along the Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Island.
In 2016, the Pavlof volcano on the Peninsula sent ash 20,000 feet into the air.
The US state is also known for having frequent earthquakes and in December recorded more than 3,500 quakes through the month.
