Residents flee huge ash cloud from Indonesia volcano

A volcano on the Indonesian island of Java is erupting, sending a vast plume of ash into the sky and blanketing nearby villages, reports say.

Ajaz Patel claims 10 wickets in Test innings

Ajaz Patel became the third bowler in Test history to claim all 10 wickets in an innings as New Zealand bowled India out for 325 in Mumbai.

Leopard enters classroom in India

A leopard was captured in the northern Indian city of Aligarh after it entered a school and attacked a student. The student, who suffered minor injuries, said he ran out of the classroom when he saw the animal hiding there.

EU launches €300bn bid to challenge Chinese influence

Projects had to be of high quality, with a high level of transparency and good governance, and had to deliver tangible results for the countries involved, she explained. One EU official told the BBC that Africa would be a major focus of the scheme.

Barbados becomes the world's newest republic

Barbados has officially removed Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state and became a republic in an overnight ceremony in the capital of Bridgetown.

Biden says Omicron lockdowns not needed 'for now'

US President Joe Biden has called the Omicron Covid variant a "cause for concern, not a cause for panic" one day after it was detected in North America.

India man builds Taj Mahal replica home for wife

A 52-year-old Indian businessman has built a scaled-down replica of the iconic Taj Mahal as a home for his wife of 27 years. Anand Prakash Chouksey built his "monument of love" in Burhanpur city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

New Covid variant not a disaster - Sage scientist

The Omicron Covid variant is "not a disaster" and some people may be "hugely overstating the situation", a scientist advising the government says.

New variant classed 'of concern' and named Omicron

It had a large number of mutations, and early evidence suggested an increased reinfection risk, the WHO said. It was first reported to the WHO from South Africa on 24 November and has also been identified in Botswana, Belgium, Hong Kong and Israel.

Cummins named Australia Test captain

Australia have made 28-year-old fast bowler Pat Cummins their Test captain for the Ashes, with former skipper Steve Smith as his deputy. Tim Paine, 36, stepped down as captain on Friday over a historical investigation into sexually explicit texts to a female colleague.