Briefly

NEW ZEALAND

Eruption fears hit plan to recover bodies

Fears of another eruption at the New Zealand volcano believed to have killed 15 people made it too dangerous for emergency teams to recover bodies, police said on Wednesday, as doctors fought to save survivors who suffered horrific burns. The official death toll after Monday's explosion on White Island stands at six, with police listing a further nine as missing. Their bodies are thought to be on the island, but it remains too hazardous for rescuers to travel there, and for victim identification experts to begin their work. Forty-seven day-trippers and guides were on the island when the blast occurred, hailing from Australia, the United States, Britain, China, Germany, Malaysia and New Zealand.

CANADA

Electric commercial plane takes flight

The world's first fully electric commercial aircraft took its inaugural test flight on Tuesday, taking off from the Canadian city of Vancouver and offering hope that airlines may one day end their polluting emissions. "This proves that commercial aviation in all-electric form can work," said Roei Ganzarski, chief executive of Seattle-based engineering firm magniX. The company designed the plane's motor and worked in partnership with Harbour Air, which ferries half a million passengers a year between Vancouver, Whistler ski resort and nearby islands and coastal communities.

UNITED STATES

'They' named word of year by dictionary

The pronoun "they", used by nonbinary people who identify as neither male nor female, was named word of the year by US dictionary Merriam-Webster on Tuesday. In the English language, more and more people are exercising their right to choose the pronoun by which they are identified, regardless of their sex at birth－such as "they" instead of "she" or "he". Two months ago, the dictionary added the word "they" as a nonbinary pronoun that can refer to just one person.