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Firefighters douse Indian blaze day after it killed 43

Officials say firefighters have doused a smoldering fire in New Delhi building that killed 43 people a day earlier

White Island eruption: what we know so far

One person is dead and up to 26 unaccounted for after an eruption hit White Island in New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty

One dead and more fatalities expected - latest updates

One person has been killed, and that figure is expected to rise, after a volcanic eruption on New Zealand’s Whakaari, also known as White Island.

Up to 26 people are still unaccounted for and the island is too dangerous for police and rescue crews to access. Police deputy commissioner John Tims said there “are likely to be more” casualties.

Fewer than 50 people were on the island at the time of the eruption, and 23 have been taken off. Seven were suffering critical injuries.

Between 30 and 38 of those people were passengers on the cruise ship Ovation of the Seas, as confirmed by the chief executive of the New Zealand Cruise Association.

The nationalities of those on the island are not yet known but Australia’s department of foreign affairs said it was making “urgent enquiries”.

Royal Caribbean, the owner of Ovation of the Seas, confirmed guests were touring the island and asked for “prayers” for those affected.

The eruption occurred at about 2:11pm local time, 48km off the coast of the Bay of Plenty, on the north island.

Prime minister Jacinda Ardern said the situation was “significant and evolving” and that an active search and rescue operation was under way.

Whakaari/White Island is New Zealand’s most active cone volcano, and is a popular tourist destination and scientific research site. It last experienced a short-lived eruption in 2016.

Factbox: Previous volcanic eruptions in New Zealand

Several people were injured on Monday and some reported missing as New Zealand mounted a rescue effort after its White Island volcano erupted off the east coast of the North Island, spewing a plume of ash thousands of feet into the air.

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Finance

France to press ahead with pensions reform despite protests

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No trains and no compromise as France faces a winter of discontent

With hardline unions threatening indefinite strikes over pension reforms, there is apprehension at the political perils facing Emmanuel Macron

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France faces second day of travel chaos as strikes continue

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A grassroots citizens’ protest movement began in early November 2018 against a planned rise in the tax on diesel and petrol, which Emmanuel Macron insisted would aid the country’s transition to green energy. A poll at the time found that the price of fuel had become France’s biggest talking point.

'Everyone is on the streets': strike forces France to a halt – video

Rail workers, air-traffic controllers, teachers and public sector staff staged walkouts and took to the streets across France to protest against proposed changes to the pension system.

The strike is the biggest in Emmanuel Macron's presidency and 90% of regional trains were cancelled on 5 December

France grinds to halt in the biggest strikes of Macron's presidency

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