'Above 2,000 metres the gradient of the Himalayas is very steep and if you build any infrastructure (roads, dams, hydro power projects) in these regions, it will not be able to sustain these events (the onslaught of debris that comes down with great speeds).'

The underwater world has never looked so magical, mysterious and mesmerising. These photographs are some of the stunning medal winners in the Underwater Photographer of the Year 2021 contest.

We present our alphabet of 2020, pulling in everything you'll remember about this year we'd rather forget.

Subsequently, Nivar weakened into a cyclonic storm and further into a deep depression, centered about 50 km west-southwest of Tirupati at 1430 hrs, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials said. According to IMD, it is to weaken into a depression during the next six hours.

The latest rains since Saturday evening led to lakes and other water bodies overflowing and triggering flooding of several low-lying areas, including places affected last week, in Hyderabad and on the outskirts.

Over 20,000 people were evacuated to safer places in these three districts. State capital Mumbai too witnessed water-logging in many areas after overnight rains on Thursday.

The state government has declared a holiday on Wednesday and Thursday for all private institutions, offices, non-essential services within Outer Ring Road here in view of rains.

Is there no 'normal' background? Sure there is.

'The Pangong Tso lake is frozen from September-October to February-March. The windchill factor is phenomenal. The night temperature goes to minus 40. The area is like a barren desert. You are out in the open with no trees or bushes to take cover.'

The new service will travel through 18 countries and each bus will accommodate 20 passengers.

Gupt's greatest success lies in how attractive it remains despite the suspense becoming common knowledge, feels Sukanya Verma.

'Hotel rooms' in Switzerland take an unusual new direction.

'Wild animals lived in their natural environment.' 'So, viruses could not be communicated.' 'Then came mass production and mass quartering of animals -- whether it be poultry, pigs and cattle -- which gave rise to bird flu, SARS and the mad cow disease.' 'Vast amounts of animal produce are also being flown from one part of the world to another, which has helped to spread the virus.' 'All these changes have led to a new and deadly mutation of the virus that has immobliised human beings.'

'The Chinese have been moving in step by step; inch by inch for the last 40 years.'

China has not limited the 'battle' to the diplomatic field alone; the People's Liberation Army has become aggressive on the ground too. The recent 'fights' in Northern Sikkim and Ladakh are part of the pattern, asserts Claude Arpi.

The views are stunning, the skies are blue, the forests are lush and, wonder of wonders, thanks to the discipline of the tea estate, even man isn't vile, discover Renu Bahal Wadhwa and T C A Srinivasa Raghavan after a trip to Kerala's breathtakingly beautiful hill retreat.

More than 86,000 people worldwide have been infected with the novel coronavirus and the global death toll is nearing 3,000. To try to prevent the spread of the virus, local governments have been closing tourist attractions that normally draw large crowds. World-famous destinations such as the Great Wall of China and the Venetian canals resemble ghost towns. As new coronavirus cases are confirmed daily, more closures and cancellations are expected. For the most up-to-date information on the status of an attraction or event, check the institution's or event's main web page.

The Underwater Photography Guide has announced the winners of their 8th annual Ocean Art Underwater Photography Competition: a selection that runs the gamut between beautiful, eye popping and, in the case of the Conservation category winner, tragic and unnerving. This year's contest attracted "thousands" of entries from 78 countries across the world.

These incredible pictures show what freedom means to 50 top photographers from around the globe. Free-to-use photography app Agora asked its 3.5 million users to take a photo which they thought would best illustrate the theme of 'freedom'. After nearly 20,000 entries, 50 images have made it to the final and are now being voted on --competing to be crowned the 'World's Best photo of #Freedom2020'. Voting is open now and the winner will be selected by January 23, with the top photographer will win $1,000 (Rs 70,850).

Explosives, weighing totally nearly 750 kgs, were used in a controlled manner to bring down the lakeside structures in Maradu, eight months after the apex court ordered their demolition for violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone norms.

Both the teams gave it their all to find the winner but could not do so.

The three districts are among over a dozen in the state that were lashed by incessant rain for close to 48 hours bringing normal business to a grinding halt and disrupting rail and road traffic in most places.

The rains also led to waterlogging in the low-lying areas of the city, they said.

The overall winners will be announced on October 15 at an awards ceremony in the Natural History Museum's iconic Hintze Hall.

Incredible images depicting the scientific world give a beautiful insight into the academic world. A shortlist of images from the Royal Photographic Society's science photographer of the year competition has been released and includes images from the macroscopic to the microscopic. The winning images will be revealed in October to coincide with the opening of the free exhibition. The Science Photographer of the Year exhibition will run at the Science Museum from October 7-January 5.

Milind Bhade presents a list of 10 forts near Mumbai that offer a slice of history along with breathtaking views.

What happened in India in the week gone by? Here's the top stories that captured India's attention in the week gone by.

Waterlogging was reported from areas like Dadar, Wadala, Worli, Kurla, Chembur, Bandra, Andheri, Kandivili, Vikhroli, Kanjurmarg and Bhandup, among others.

We've been asking you to share your most interesting #India-Photos and travel stories.

Jitender Soni gives us a glimpse into the fascinating city.

Driven from its self-styled caliphate in Iraq and Syria, Islamic State is down but not out. Where once they confronted armies, the extremist Islamist group's adherents have now staged hit-and-run raids and suicide attacks. In some cases, the group has claimed responsibility for atrocities, including the bombings of churches and hotels in Sri Lanka that killed at least 253 people. Its involvement is not always proven, but even if the link is ideological rather than operational, Islamic State still poses a security threat in many countries.

After going through more than 78,000 photographs from over 4,700 photographers, the expert judges of the World Press Photo contest have announced the finalists of the 2019 competition. The panelists have selected 43 photographers from 23 countries to represent the best in photojournalism.

'In India, we are paying a price for not managing water as we are not willing to pay the cost for it.'

The sun is out. The flood waters have receded. Keralites have spent crores in quickly cleaning up the state and making it visitor ready. Go to Kerala folks!

'Lhasa is more than the Unesco World Heritage Sites it boasts of. It is more than a gateway to the mighty Himalayas.' 'It is about the warmth of its people: Unsaid, unspoken, but felt everywhere,' discovers Shruti Bajpai.

'There is no audience anymore for my graphic novels. Few people seem interested in what I find interesting,' Sarnath Banerjee tells Uttaran Das Gupta.

The best camera is the one you have in your pocket. Ever since the release of the first iPhone, the iPhone Photography Awards, now in its 11th year, highlights the best of the best. This year's winners were selected from thousands of entries and from photographers in 140 countries. The winning image, taken by Jashish Salam of Bangladesh and titled "Displaced," shows a crowded refugee camp with Rohingya children watching a film about sanitation. Other awards included prizes for photographer of the year and 18 other categories like Nature, Children and Travel. Check out the winning images.

A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Saturday

The street leading up to his tea stall cum house is dotted with Argentina flags while a giant one flutters high making its presence felt.

There's never a bad time to visit Japan.