Cyclone Fani has torn through India's eastern coast as a grade 5 storm, lashing beaches with rain and winds gusting up to 200km/h and affecting weather as far away as Mount Everest as it approached the former imperial capital of Kolkata.

Soaring temperatures have gripped parts of southern and northern India in an extreme heatwave which has killed more than 500 people and looks set to continue this week, officials said.

Teach the poor to help themselves and watch them rail against inequality, says Claire O’Sullivan

The gang rape and death of an Indian woman and other incidents have turned the spotlight on the nation’s attitude to women, writes Claire O’Sullivan