Moscow (CNN)Millions of locusts have descended on farmlands in southern Russia, devouring entire fields of crops and causing officials to declare a state of emergency in the region.
A vast area of at least 800 hectares is currently being affected as the swarms of insects, each measuring about 8 centimeters long, annihilate fields of corn and other crops.
It's been more than 30 years since this part of southern Russia suffered such a dense plague of locusts, according to local officials.
Officials say at least 10% of crops have already been destroyed, and the locust feeding frenzy is far from over, threatening to devastate the livelihoods of local farmers.
Walking through what remains of his corn field in the Stavropol region, one farmer, Pyotr Stepanchenka, looks distraught.
"Look," he says to the camera, "there is nothing left of the corn. The locusts ate it all, from the leaves to the cobs."
On state television, Russian news broadcasts are linking the plague to climate change, connecting the phenomenon to recent flooding amid higher than average temperatures.
Officials from the Russian ministry of agriculture have declared a state of emergency, but appear helpless to prevent the destruction.
They say they are stepping up efforts to save the harvest by increasing crop-spraying flights.
But high summer temperatures, they say, are decreasing the effectiveness of the powerful pesticides they use.
Also, officials say the locust swarms are moving fast across southern Russia, sometimes too fast for the authorities to keep up, leaving a trail of destruction behind them.
"In Kalmikya, Astrakhan, Volgagrad, and Dagestan, there is already no food left for the locusts, so they have moved on to other sources of food," says Tatiana Drishcheva of the Russia Argricultural Center, a government organization.
"They have wingspans of nearly 12 centimeters, like small sparrows," she added.
Some frustrated locals, facing ruin, have posted videos of themselves desperately trying to hold back the tide. But it all seems futile in the face of such an overwhelming Russian swarm.
Singapore is celebrating 50 years of independence and everywhere you look in the city, there are posters, banners, bus ads and post boxes marking the event.
The government-led brand sums up the jubilee with the acronym SG50.
It is the city state's biggest and most expensive effort to drum up nationalist fervour.
The celebrations will culminate on 9 August, National Day, the date of Singapore's independence 50 years ago.
An extravaganza costing nearly $15m (£9.6m) will take place on the historic Padang - the large field in the middle of the city - as well as on a platform that overlooks the picturesque waterfront where 150,000 people are expected to fill the stands and watch from the city centre.
The show has been put together by 12,000 participants and crew - among the highlights will be 20 fighter jets forming the number 50 in the sky.
Fighter jets were rehearsing their formation ahead of the big dayNational Day 'fun packs' are being sent to 1.5m households
Companies have also piled in, desperate to be associated with the "feel-good" factor.
Honav Singapore is one small firm hoping to do this. They've produced around 300,000 flag-themed temporary tattoos, as well as more than a million mini Singapore flags, erasers and games for the National Day 'fun packs'.
Around 1.5m of these packs are being distributed free to households and to spectators of the national day parade rehearsal shows over the last few weeks. The fun packs are estimated to have cost the government around $7m, though part of this cost is picked up by sponsors such as Honav Singapore.
Chief representative officer Marilyn Lai says it's a chance too for her firm to get more exposure and be associated with a 'memorable once in a lifetime event'.
SG50 planes, cars and whisky
Jubilee branding has also turned up on Singapore Airline's A380 planes. Two of these have been flying the globe since July, flanked in the red and white colours of the Singaporean flag with SG50 on the turbochargers of its wings.
Singapore Airlines, who were the first to fly the A380 planes when they debuted in 2007, says one of these flag themed planes will be flying past over the parade on the day.
The airline says that its growth has been so closely linked to the development of Singapore that having the special Singapore-flag themed livery would be a 'unique way to help celebrate Singapore's 50th birthday'.
Singapore airlines put the SG50 logo on two of its A380 planes
Even supermarkets are in nationalistic overdrive, trying to sell shoppers everything from 50 grams more bacon and fishcakes shaped in the number 50 for their noodles.
It's not just Singaporean companies, the fervour has hit big multi-national firms too.
Real patriots can order a bespoke SG50 Rolls Royce. The car company says it is the first time anywhere in the world Rolls-Royce has commissioned a car to commemorate the anniversary of a country.
Price is upon application for the one of a kind Ghost Series II which has hand painted details of Singapore's famous Merlion - a creature with a lion's head and fish body .
According to Paul Harris, the regional director of Rolls Royce Motor Cars, they did this because Singapore is an important market for the firm. It had its first Asian dealership there and it is where most of their regional employees are based.
It is one of the "top five markets in Asia for the Ghost Series II" and has a "loyal base of customers dedicated to the brand", he adds.
The Merlion turns up too on Johnnie Walker's high end Blue Label whisky. Diageo has commissioned 888 gold silk screen printed bottles for the nation's jubilee. The number 8 is considered a lucky number in Chinese culture as it sounds like the word for 'wealth'. Gold printing them is an intricate process involving a dedicated staff of up to 10 and curing for 48 hours before it's shipped off for sale.
The president of Diageo for the region, Sam Fischer, also says that Singapore is an important base for them. It's where their regional and logistical headquarters is based.
Singapore has "logistics efficiency" and "manufacturing excellence" he says.
"It's such an important part of Diageo and we felt the need to commemorate such an important occasion for Singapore."
As a true patriot you can now sip on SG50 whisky
Nation branding
But does this sort of patriotic branding work? Brand expert Samir Dixit, managing director of Brand Finance Asia Pacific, says the jury is out.
"Looking at our economic analysis, there's nothing to suggest that the companies will see any benefit. There's nothing to say that if they put the SG50 logo on the product, that they will sell more than before or if they are not using it, they will sell less."
Just how much is too much? SG50 has become so ubiquitous that it's spawned web sites mocking these efforts.
Search the acronym and you'll uncover them, including one called 'Simi Sai, also SG50' which describes the latest SG50 branding effort and tries to get online users to rate them as 'sai' (which translates as 'rubbish') or 'not sai' (not rubbish).
Singaporeans, too, feel that these SG50 marketing campaigns are aimed not so much at playing up their patriotism, but parting them from their cash.
'Overdone' and 'over the top' are what most of them said when asked about SG50. Yet many admit that it's a special time to look back at the nation's progress as one of the great economic successes of the 20th century.
While the effect on businesses may be limited, there may be some benefit for the nation.
"Events like this put the country through a rejuvenation mode, so that may be good going forward in the next two or three years," admits Mr Dixit. But he says those economic effects can only accurately be measured after the fact.
So the impact of Singapore's golden jubilee will most likely only be felt long after the last SG50 signs are taken down.
There were hours of rainfall, the city was getting soaked. And then something many Beijing residents did not expect on Monday evening.
The rainbow that stopped a city
A rainbow.
Readers almost anywhere else in the world might scratch their heads at what is probably quite a commonplace phenomenon. But in smog-ridden Beijing, rainbows are rare.
Just how rare became evident in the hours that followed and into the early hours of Tuesday morning as Chinese netizens uploaded images in their thousands and shared their joy at the sight of the rainbow on social media.
"To us living in China, it was so rare and beautiful to see," commented Weibo user TingLee. "It's definitely not something we see very often."
One rainbow photo, which captured the vivid colours above an urban scene, was the most popular. Suddenly Beijing was seen as if through a vintage Instagram filter.
"Could this be a sign of better things to come for our environment? I hope so," another Weibo user said, showing how inevitably the first thoughts people had were about the state of their environment.
Rainbow mania also spread to popular Chinese instant messaging app WeChat.
When in China and if you see a rainbow, take a pictureThe rainbow could be prominently seen above Beijing's central district, as seen in this image uploaded by a Weibo user
The rainbow also excited Chinese state media. The power of the rainbow extended beyond the sheer delight and even further beyond expressions of desire for an improved air quality.
An editorial by China's national newspaper the People's Daily likened the rainbow's appearance as "stabilising" China's slumping stocks market.
"Rainbows always appear after the rain," it said in a piece on Tuesday.
China has been closely criticised for its worsening standards of air pollution
'Blue skies today'
On Tuesday, the BBC's Beijing bureau was happy to report a "blue sky day".
"It's usually grey and depressing. Like looking at a smudgy charcoal drawing. You often can't see some buildings," China producer Maria Byrne reported.
"But there are even some clouds in the sky today, which we don't normally see! So it means we can open the windows in our bureau in we want to."
This photo taken by the BBC's Beijing bureau shows clear blue skies in the Chinese capital on Tuesday
"Goodnight rainbow. Hope to see you again."
The words of one satisfied viewer on Monday evening. here were hours of rainfall, the city was getting soaked. And then something many Beijing residents did not expect on Monday evening.
The rainbow that stopped a city
A rainbow.
Readers almost anywhere else in the world might scratch their heads at what is probably quite a commonplace phenomenon. But in smog-ridden Beijing, rainbows are rare.
Just how rare became evident in the hours that followed and into the early hours of Tuesday morning as Chinese netizens uploaded images in their thousands and shared their joy at the sight of the rainbow on social media.
"To us living in China, it was so rare and beautiful to see," commented Weibo user TingLee. "It's definitely not something we see very often."
One rainbow photo, which captured the vivid colours above an urban scene, was the most popular. Suddenly Beijing was seen as if through a vintage Instagram filter.
"Could this be a sign of better things to come for our environment? I hope so," another Weibo user said, showing how inevitably the first thoughts people had were about the state of their environment.
Rainbow mania also spread to popular Chinese instant messaging app WeChat.
When in China and if you see a rainbow, take a pictureThe rainbow could be prominently seen above Beijing's central district, as seen in this image uploaded by a Weibo user
The rainbow also excited Chinese state media. The power of the rainbow extended beyond the sheer delight and even further beyond expressions of desire for an improved air quality.
An editorial by China's national newspaper the People's Daily likened the rainbow's appearance as "stabilising" China's slumping stocks market.
"Rainbows always appear after the rain," it said in a piece on Tuesday.
China has been closely criticised for its worsening standards of air pollution
'Blue skies today'
On Tuesday, the BBC's Beijing bureau was happy to report a "blue sky day".
"It's usually grey and depressing. Like looking at a smudgy charcoal drawing. You often can't see some buildings," China producer Maria Byrne reported.
"But there are even some clouds in the sky today, which we don't normally see! So it means we can open the windows in our bureau in we want to."
This photo taken by the BBC's Beijing bureau shows clear blue skies in the Chinese capital on Tuesday
"Goodnight rainbow. Hope to see you again."
The words of one satisfied viewer on Monday evening.
India's Twitter users are making "helpful" suggestions to the government on what to ban next now that they have blocked free access to porn websites.
Adults would still be able to access the sites using virtual private networks (VPNs) or proxy servers
The government had asked ISPs (internet service providers) to restrict access to 857 porn sites in what it claimed was a move to prevent children from accessing them.
The decision sparked strong reactions on social media, with many criticising the decision.
But others have found humour in the situation, pointing authorities to things they can also ban for the good of the "moral fabric" of society.
Here's a list of things Indians want banned:
Candy Crush requests
Candy Crush saga is extremely popular among Facebook users in India and around the world. But many often express annoyance with the constant requests for more lives, extra moves, and help to unlock new episodes in the game. This could explain why this seemed to be a popular suggestion for the #NextBanIdea.
Five police forces are investigating claims of historical child sexual abuse involving former PM Sir Edward Heath.
Edward Heath, who was prime minister from 1970 to 1974, died in 2005
The Met, Wiltshire, Kent, Jersey and Hampshire forces are conducting separate inquiries into the late MP.
The BBC understands Wiltshire Police halted an inquiry into a brothel keeper in the 1990s after she said Sir Edward was involved in child sexual abuse.
The Sir Edward Heath Charitable Foundation said it was confident he would be cleared of any wrongdoing.
'Case dropped'
On Tuesday night, Hampshire became the fifth force to say it was investigating "allegations", but gave no further details.
The BBC's home affairs correspondent Dominic Casciani says claims made by the brothel keeper, that Sir Edward was a client, meant that she had left herself open to prosecution.
However, the case against her was allegedly discontinued between 1990 and 1995.
Sir Edward lost the Conservative Party leadership to Margaret Thatcher
The woman, whose identity is known to the BBC, was later convicted of controlling prostitutes after a successful prosecution by Wiltshire Police.
She was jailed for six years after a trial that included allegations that she had supplied children as young as 13 to her clients.
It is unclear whether or not the force then went back to re-investigate the woman's original allegations against Sir Edward - and this is now part of a corruption inquiry by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.
Heath investigations
Operation Midland: The BBC understands Sir Edward is being looked at as part of the operation examining claims that boys were abused by a group of powerful men at locations across southern England and in London in the 1970s and 1980s. It has focused on the Dolphin Square estate in Pimlico, south-west London.
Operation Whistle: The States of Jersey Police has confirmed Sir Edward forms part of its investigation into historical allegations of abuse. It says some of the allegations relate to abuse "within institutions or by people of public prominence".
Operation Hydrant: A nationally co-ordinated exercise to collate all allegations of historical abuse involving high profile-figures. The operation has been notified of Sir Edward being named in connection with an allegation of sexual assault in the 1960s.
Historical child abuse: Key investigations
The IPCC said on Monday that it would look at whether Wiltshire officers failed to pursue allegations of child abuse made against Sir Edward, who was Conservative prime minister from 1970 to 1974.
He died in 2005, aged 89, at his home in Salisbury.
A retired detective has alleged claims were made in the 1990s but not followed up.
Wiltshire Police has declined to comment, but has appealed for information regarding allegations against Sir Edward.
It and the NSPCC said they had received "a number of calls" from members of the public.
They said any lines of inquiry would be passed to the relevant police force and followed up.
Kent Police told the BBC it had received a report on Tuesday of a sexual assault having been committed in east Kent in the 1960s.
"The victim has named Sir Edward Heath in connection with the allegation. Detectives are making initial enquiries, and will obtain a full account from the victim. The report has been notified as part of Operation Hydrant," it said in a statement.
The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) said it would neither confirm nor deny names of anyone who may or may not be part of its Operation Midland investigation.
A spokesman said: "Operation Midland continues to be a complex and sensitive investigation, and the MPS will not be giving a running commentary on its progress. This is important for the integrity of the investigation and protecting evidence that may form part of it."
Meanwhile, Labour MP Tom Watson said he had referred two allegations of child sexual abuse by Sir Edward to the police since 2012.
He said police had confirmed that at least one of those allegations was being investigated.
Friends of Sir Edward have dismissed the claims saying there is not a shred of evidence to link him to abuse.
'Co-operate fully'
The Sir Edward Heath Charitable Foundation, which operates the museum at Arundells, his home in Salisbury, said it welcomed the investigation.
"We wholeheartedly believe [it] will clear Sir Edward's name and we will co-operate fully with the police in their enquiries," a spokesman said.
Sir Edward took Britain into what was then the European Economic Community during his time as PM.
He lost his leadership of the party to Margaret Thatcher in 1975 - something he never forgave her for and he refused to serve in her cabinet.
He was also a successful author, a renowned classical musician and a world-class yachtsman.
