India glacier collapse leaves more than 100 missing

The World
Several rescue workers are shown standing in the muddy collapse of a dam with several pieces of large wood sticking up from the ground.

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Rescuers in India’s northern state of Uttarakhand are racing to find more than 100 people missing after a glacier collapsed on Sunday, and sent a wall of water and debris rushing down the mountain. More than a dozen people lost their lives in the disaster when a portion of the Nanda Devi glacier calved off, sending water smashing through a dam, then surging downstream, damaging another dam project and taking out buildings and trees.

Most of the missing are workers on the two dam projects. Rescuers said they were focusing on saving more than 30 workers stuck inside a tunnel at one of the affected hydropower plants who had been out of contact since the flooding.

Scientists raised concerns that the glacier collapse in the middle of winter could be linked to climate change and a team of experts were expected at the site on Monday to investigate.

What The World is following

Health officials in South Africa announced a halt to the rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine after new data suggested it doesn’t appear effective at preventing mild to moderate illness from the COVID-19 variant dominant in the country. News of the halt comes as South Africa had just received 1 million doses of the AstraZeneca coronavirus jab and Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said the government would now wait for additional advice on how to proceed.

And with the new Biden administration announcing a return to diplomatic efforts (?) around the world after four years of President Donald Trump’s “America First” policy, the Iran nuclear deal, which the US pulled out of in 2018, is expected to be a priority. Biden on Sunday suggested that the US would not lift sanctions on Iran until it complies with the terms of the deal. But Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif responded saying it was the US that violated the deal and America itself should “implement its obligations.”

From The World

In Germany, fighting against extremism starts at school

 Anika Färber is a trainer for The Network for Democracy and Courage, or NDC, one of several organizations in Germany confronting racism.
Anika Färber is a trainer for The Network for Democracy and Courage, or NDC, one of several organizations in Germany confronting racism.Ryan Delaney

Activists are working with children and youth in schools to combat extremism amid a renewed wave of anti-immigrant politics, conspiracy theories and anti-Semitic attacks in Germany.

Dr. Atul Gawande: Pandemic led to a ‘rethink on what matters’

A man is shown carrying a clear umbrella and wearing a face mask while walking with his left hand in his pocket.
A man wearing a face mask walks through the Sensoji temple in the snow in Tokyo, Jan. 28, 2021.Hiro Komae/AP

Almost a year into the pandemic, societies are faced with immense contradictions: processing shocking death tolls while finding hope in promising vaccine rollouts. Surgeon, writer and researcher Dr. Atul Gawande speaks with The World’s Marco Werman about what it means to be human in this precarious moment.

Bright spot

Many in the US have languished with a sad desk lunch — eating right at your desk while continuing to work. Now French employees might get to enjoy (?) that questionable American habit. France is set to scrap a law in the nation’s labor code that forbids companies from “letting workers take their meal inside the work premises,” or face a fine. The Labor Ministry says this will be a temporary measure aimed at limiting employees’ exposure to COVID-19.

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Listen: In US foreign policy reset, Biden advocates for diplomacy

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President Joe Biden speaks about foreign policy at the State Department, Feb. 4, 2021.Evan Vucci/AP

US President Joe Biden delivered what many viewed as a morale boost to the foreign service on Thursday. In his first major foreign policy speech as president, Biden declared that “diplomacy is back.” And, the world is witnessing the biggest vaccine campaign in history. Now, eight weeks since the first COVID-19 shots arrived, where are we with vaccine rollouts? Also, an all-female rowing team based in the UK have become the first team to complete the 3,000-mile Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge in an eco-boat.

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