Your morning briefing: What you should know for Tuesday, December 10

Probe into why tourists killed in NZ volcano eruption

An investigation is to be launched after five people were killed following the eruption of a volcano in New Zealand.

The health and safety probe will look into the deaths and injuries of 47 people during the disaster on White Island on Monday.

It was announced after questions emerged over why tour groups were allowed into the volcano zone despite scientists' warnings of increased activity.

Eight people were still missing and presumed dead, police in the country confirmed.

Tories accused of lying about assault on adviser at hospital

The Tories have been accused of lying about an alleged assault on an adviser to Matt Hancock.

Labour said the party tried to manipulate the media to distract from a row over a sick child who had to sleep on a hospital floor.

Journalists had said Conservative sources told them they believed a protestor had hit an adviser to Health Secretary outside a hospital in Leeds.

The claims sparked a huge backlash, with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn accusing Tories of “inventing fake stories.”

It came after a photograph of a 4-year-old laying on the floor in hospital as he waited for a bed to become free was widely shared.

His treatment was quickly turned into a political row - just days before the polls open for Thursday's General Election.

FBI's Russia probe 'not motivated by bias against president'

An FBI probe into Donald Trump’s election campaign’s alleged collusion with Russia was not motivated by political bias, a watchdog has concluded.

The internal government report found that the law enforcement bureau had "authorised purpose" to initiate the investigation.

It found numerous errors but no evidence of political bias against US leader Mr Trump by the FBI when it opened the probe.

Mr Trump called the investigation a witch hunt and assailed FBI leaders and career staffers who worked on it.

Britain braces for gale-force winds after Storm Atiyah strikes

Britain is today set to be battered with more gale-force winds of up to 70mph after Storm Atiyah hit the mainland at the weekend.

Many parts of the UK are set to suffer more wet and windy weather on, with warnings issued across northern England and Scotland.

Storm Atiyah is expected to continue to cause disruption but forecasters have said they were not expecting a second storm.

Gavin and Stacey Christmas special 'almost scrapped'

Ruth Jones and James Corden almost gave up on writing the Gavin And Stacey Christmas comeback episode after struggling to develop the story, it has been revealed.

Welsh actress and writer Jones, who plays Nessa in the much-loved sitcom, said she and US-based Corden were not "match fit".

She said the Christmas special had first been discussed two years ago, but she and Corden hit difficulties while writing together in LA in February.

On this day...

1868: London's first traffic lights were installed in Westminster, to help MPs get to the House of Commons.

1868: Whitaker's Almanack was published for the first time.

1869: Wyoming became the first American territory to grant women the vote.

1907: Rudyard Kipling was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature, the first time it had been awarded to an English writer.

1936: Edward VIII signed the Instrument of Abdication. He chose his love of American divorcee Wallis Simpson over his royal duty.

2011: The sun, Earth and moon fell almost exactly in line.

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