A volcanic eruption in Tonga that triggered a tsunami was hundreds of times more powerful than the atomic bomb the US dropped on Hiroshima during World War Two, Nasa says. The eruption “obliterated” a volcanic island north of the Tongan capital Nuku’alofa, the agency said. Tonga says more than four-fifths of the population has been affected by the tsunami and falling ash. Three people were confirmed killed in the tsunami last week. Before the eruption, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcanic island was two separate islands joined by new land formed in 2015. Nasa says the eruption was so powerful all the new land is gone, along with “large chunks” of the two older islands. The widespread emission of volcanic ash, gases and particles from the eruption has proven to be a massive challenge for Tongan officials. In the immediate aftermath of the eruption and tsunami, there were fears that water sources had been polluted by the thick blanket of ash, increasing the risk of diseases like cholera and diarrhoea. However, officials noted that testing in recent days had cleared ground water and rainwater as safe to drink.(BBC)…[+]

Intense fighting is taking place in north-eastern Syria after Islamic State (IS) fighters tried to break inmates out of a Kurdish-run prison. Kurdish-led forces backed by US air strikes have been battling militants in the city of Hasaka since Thursday. The assault on Ghwayran prison is one of the group’s most ambitious since its defeat in Syria nearly three years ago. The overcrowded site houses 3,500 suspected IS members including some of its leaders, a monitoring group says. Hundreds of jihadists have been recaptured since the breakout, but some are still on the run, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Kurdish security forces have surrounded the prison and are fighting for control of nearby neighbourhoods. Residents have been fleeing their homes.(BBC)…[+]

At least 16 people have been killed in a fire at a nightclub in Cameroon’s capital Yaoundé, the government has said. The blaze was caused by fireworks that were lit while champagne was being served in the club, it added. At least eight others were seriously injured in the fire in the early hours of Sunday at Liv’s Night Club.

The fire engulfed the main room of the venue in the capital’s upmarket Bastos district. “The tragedy, which was caused by explosions from the fireworks often used in these places, first consumed the building’s ceiling, resulting in two very loud explosions, causing panic and a stampede,” the communications ministry said in a statement. The emergency services were still searching the venue, and the number of dead could rise, it added.(BBC)…[+]

A Dutch tourist has been detained in Poland for giving the Nazi salute at the site of the former Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp, local police say. The 29-year-old woman made the gesture in front of the Arbeit Macht Frei (Work Sets You Free) gate. The woman – who has not been named – was later charged with engaging in Nazi propaganda. Prosecutors issued a fine, which she agreed to pay. The woman said the act had been a bad joke, Poland’s PAP news agency reports. She had been posing for a photo taken by her husband at the time. Nazi Germany built the death camp in the southern Polish town of Oswiecim after occupying Poland at the start of World War Two in 1939.(BBC)…[+]

A French tourist who has been held in Iran since 2020 charged with espionage has gone on trial, his lawyers say. Benjamin Brière, 36, was arrested after flying a drone near the Iran-Turkmenistan border. If convicted he could receive a jail term, though his Iran-based lawyer has implied authorities are considering including him in a prisoner exchange. Mr Brière has been on hunger strike since December, leaving him very weak, another of his lawyers has said. Philippe Valent, Mr Brière’s lawyer in Paris, and Mr Brière’s sister said a verdict might be issued on Saturday. He is being tried behind closed doors in the Revolutionary Court in the eastern city of Mashhad, where he is being held. His Iranian lawyer, Saeed Dehghan, tweeted in Persian that the court had upheld charges of espionage and of “propagating against the system”. He also suggested the court might be planning to use Mr Brière in a prisoner swap, tweeting: “Using the word #exchange, they made their stance clear.” Earlier this week Philippe Valent said that his client had not been informed of the charges against him.(BBC)…[+]

An American Airlines plane bound for London from Miami has had to turn around because a passenger refused to wear a face mask, the airline has said. American Airlines Flight AAL38 with 129 passengers on board returned to Miami where it was met by police, it said. They escorted a woman in her 40s off the plane, reports say. She has been placed on a list of people barred from flying with American Airlines, pending further investigation, the airline said. The Wednesday flight turned around less than an hour into its journey, according to tracking service FlightAware. “American Airlines flight 38 with service from Miami (MIA) to London returned to MIA due to a disruptive customer refusing to comply with the federal mask requirement,” the airline said.(bbc)…[+]

Scientists say the plant enset, an Ethiopian staple, could be a new superfood and a lifesaver in the face of climate change. The banana-like crop has the potential to feed more than 100 million people in a warming world, according to a new study. The plant is almost unknown outside of Ethiopia, where it is used to make porridge and bread. Research suggests the crop can be grown over a much larger range in Africa. “This is a crop that can play a really important role in addressing food security and sustainable development,” said Dr Wendawek Abebe of Hawassa University in Awasa, Ethiopia. Enset or “false banana” is a close relative of the banana, but is consumed only in one part of Ethiopia. The banana-like fruit of the plant is inedible, but the starchy stems and roots can be fermented and used to make porridge and bread.(BBC)…[+]

The University of Michigan has agreed to pay $490m (£360m) in damages to more than 1,000 mostly male former students who say they were sexually abused by sports doctor Robert Anderson.

Lawyers announced the settlement after 15 months of negotiations over accusations dating back to the 1960s. One said he thought the settlement would bring “justice and healing”. Anderson, who died in 2008, is said to have abused victims during routine medical examinations. A police investigation launched in 2018 said no charges could be filed because Anderson was dead and none of his alleged crimes fell within the state’s six-year statute of limitations. In 2020, University of Michigan president Mark Schlissel apologised on behalf of the university to anyone harmed by the doctor. (BBC)…[+]

Most cases of a mysterious illness striking US officials dubbed “Havana syndrome” were not caused by a foreign power, CIA officials say. Since 2016, US diplomats around the world have reported symptoms – sparking suggestions Russia, China or another adversary could be responsible. But a majority of 1,000 cases looked at by the CIA can be explained by stress or natural causes, officials say. The release of the findings has angered some of those who fell ill. The CIA is still looking into a small number of unexplained cases, where the role of a foreign power has not been ruled out. Americans who have been hit by Havana syndrome have described dizziness, headaches and an intense and painful sound in their ears. First reported in Cuba in 2016, cases have since been reported in Geneva, Berlin and elsewhere.(BBC)…[+]

Former Pope Benedict XVI failed to act over four child abuse cases when he was archbishop of Munich, a German probe into the Catholic Church has alleged. Pope Benedict, then called Josef Ratzinger, held the position from 1977 to 1982. He has denied the accusations. But a new report into historical abuse allegations carried out by a German law firm incriminated the former pontiff. Abuse continued under his tenure, it is alleged, and the accused priests remained active in church roles. The former pope, now aged 94, became the first Church leader to resign in more than 600 years in 2013, citing exhaustion. Since then, he has led a largely quiet life in the Vatican City and is known as pope emeritus. The new report from German law firm Westpfahl Spilker Wastl was commissioned by the Catholic Church.(BBC)…[+]