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24 August, AD79. The day one volcanic mountain came to life and two cities met their deaths. Pompeii and the nearby settlement of Herculaneum were consumed by a mixture of heat, falling pumice stone and ash. Mount Vesuvius, about 9km (5.5 miles) away, had exploded, sending a mass of volcanic debris high into the air, which then landed like a military bombardment on the citizens of the two cities below. Estimates of deaths in both places...

Kenya's flower industry has been badly hit by the cancellation of flights across Europe because of the ash cloud caused by a volcano in Iceland.

Iceland's most active volcano, Grimsvotn, has started erupting, scientists say. The volcano, which lies under the Vatnajokull glacier in south-east Iceland, last erupted in 2004.