China opens 'longest sea bridge'

China has formally opened what it says is the world's longest sea bridge with a ceremony and fireworks.

The 36km (22.5 mile) bridge spans the mouth of Hangzhou Bay in the East China Sea, linking the commercial capital Shanghai and the port city of Ningbo.

The road bridge will shorten the distance between the two cities by 120km (75 miles), reported the official Xinhua news agency.

Work began on the bridge in 2003, and it cost 11.8bn yuan ($1.7bn; £850m).

In a break with tradition, private firms provided almost a third of the investment needed for the project.

The bridge was opened on Thursday, and traffic will begin using the six-lane highway from midnight (1600 GMT).

But traffic on the bridge will be regulated for a trial period, project managers told Xinhua, with heavy goods vehicles and vehicles carrying dangerous chemicals initially banned.

The bridge was built to address traffic congestion in the booming region, and will cut the driving time between Shanghai and Ningbo to two-and-a-half hours from four.

Chinese officials say the bridge is the longest sea-spanning structure.

It is about 2km short of the bridge across Lake Pontchartrain in the US state of Louisiana.

Colombia downgrades volcano alert

Colombia has downgraded a state of alert following the reduction in activity of a volcano south-west of the capital, Bogota.

The Nevado del Huila, the country's third highest peak, belched smoke and ash late on Monday night.

However, officials say there is no imminent risk of a major eruption.

Thousands of people who fled their homes on Monday night after the state of emergency was declared have begun returning to their homes.

The volcano, 240 km (149 miles) south-west of Bogota, became active again last year after being dormant for centuries.

Since 1985, Colombia has treated the rumblings of volcanoes with dread and respect, says the BBC's Jeremy McDermott in Colombia.

In that year the Nevado del Ruiz volcano erupted in the western province of Caldas, setting off mudslides that engulfed the town of Armero, killing most of the 25,000 residents.

Chile volcano prompts evacuation

A volcano has erupted in southern Chile, scattering ash over the surrounding area and forcing more than 1,000 people to leave their homes.

The eruption of the Chaiten volcano caught local authorities by surprise, as experts say it has been dormant for at least 450 years.

But on Friday morning, it blew a thick cloud of ash high into the air.

This prompted the evacuation of sick and elderly people from the town of Chaiten, just six miles away.

Residents have been told not to drink the water, because the reservoirs in the area are covered in a layer of ash.

Emergency workers are handing out face masks to help people breathe more easily.

The eruption also dumped a layer of ash in neighbouring Argentina, forcing the closure of schools and a regional airport.

Chile is one of the most volcanic countries on Earth, with more than 100 active volcanoes. Of those, experts say about 20 are in danger of erupting at any time.