Cook Islands: New Zealand rejects proposal for the island’s own passport

New Zealand has rejected a proposal by the Cook Islands to introduce a separate passport for its citizens while allowing them to retain New Zealand citizenship. Cook Islands, a self-governing…

Brazil: Private plane crash kills pilot and his family

Ten members of a family have died after a private plane crashed into the city of Gramado in southern Brazil. Brazilian businessman Luiz Claudio Galeazzi, who was piloting the plane,…

UK: Heathrow cancels flights as wind hits festive travel

Strong winds are continuing to cause some travel disruption in parts of the UK as millions of people travel ahead of Christmas. Heathrow said around 100 flights had been cancelled…

Serbia: Thousands protest as anger mounts over train station accident

Tens of thousands of Serbians have gathered in the capital Belgrade to protest against President Aleksandar Vucic and his ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), which they blame for a railway…

DRC: Dozens dead after ferry capsizes

At least 38 people have died and more than 100 others remain missing after a ferry carrying passengers travelling for Christmas capsized on a river in the northeastern Democratic Republic…

Brazil: At least 32 people killed as bus and truck collide

At least 32 people have been killed when a passenger bus and a truck collided on a highway in southeastern Brazil. The fire department in Minas Gerais state, which responded…

UK: Car covered in Christmas lights stopped by police

A motorist who decked out the exterior of their car in Christmas lights was stopped by police who said it was not safe and could distract other drivers. Officers admitted…

Greece: At least eight migrants drown after boat collision off Greece’s coast

At least eight refugees and migrants have drowned off the coast of Greece after the coastguard chased a boat they were on in the Aegean Sea. The speedboat capsized near…

Italy: Explorer rescued from same Italian cave for second time

Caver Ottavia Piana has been airlifted to hospital after a painstaking rescue deep underground in a cave system in the Bergamo area of northern Italy. Piana, 32, had been exploring…

India: Missing woman found in Pakistan returns home after 22 years

An Indian woman who says she was trafficked to Pakistan more than two decades ago has finally returned home – 18 months after her grandson spotted her in a YouTube…