Briefly

INDONESIA

Stay-clear warning as volcano spews dust

A rumbling volcano in western Indonesia on Sunday unleashed an avalanche of scorching clouds down its slopes. Authorities are closely monitoring Mount Sinabung on Sumatra, one of Indonesia's main islands, after sensors picked up increasing activity in past weeks. The volcano in North Sumatra Province was shooting smoke and ash more than 1,000 meters into the air on Sunday morning, and hot ash clouds traveled 1 kilometer southeast, Indonesia's Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center said. Villagers were advised to stay 5 km from the crater's mouth and should be aware of the peril of lava, the agency said. Air travel had not been affected by the ash so far, the transport ministry said. There were no casualties from the eruption, said Armen Putra, an official at the Sinabung monitoring post. Villages outside the red zone were not in immediate danger, he said.

IRAN

Atomic chief to meet country's authorities

Rafael Mariano Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, was expected to travel to Teheran to meet high-level Iranian authorities on Monday, the agency said. The visit will be Grossi's first to Iran since he took office in December, the agency said. During his visit, Grossi will address the cooperation of Iran with the IAEA, and in particular Iran's provision of access to the agency's inspectors to requested locations, it said. Grossi said he has decided to go personally to Teheran so he can reinforce the importance of cooperation and the full implementation of all safeguards, commitments and obligations with the agency. Iran is one of the main partners of the agency and Grossi's visit will hopefully lead to reinforced mutual cooperation, said Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's ambassador and permanent representative to the Vienna-based IAEA.

UNITED KINGDOM

London's Tower Bridge stuck open

London's famous Tower Bridge, which crosses the River Thames in the heart of the British capital, was stuck open on Saturday, leaving traffic in chaos and onlookers amazed at the sight. The historic bascule-and-suspension bridge failed to close after opening to allow ships to pass underneath on the Thames. City of London Police tweeted shortly after 5 pm that the bridge was closed to pedestrians and traffic and mechanics were working to fix the problem. An hour later, police tweeted that the bridge had reopened. Police said that the mishap was the result of a "mechanical failure", according to CNN. Once powered by steam, the hydraulic bascules have been driven by oil and electricity since 1976. "The bridge experienced technical issues this afternoon and was locked in a raised position for a period of time. It has now reopened. Thanks to all those who fixed it," the bridge's Twitter account said. Tower Bridge is 244 meters long and its towers are 65 meters high. It was built between 1886 and 1894.

Xinhua - Agencies