Mexico: Brutal cartels fight over conflict-free gold revenues

Heroin traffickers linked to the abduction and disappearance of 43 students a year ago are battling over millions of dollars paid by Canadian mining giant Goldcorp to a village in Mexicos southern gold belt, leading to a wave of murders. Dec 8, 2015

North Korea test site activity could be bluff

Heightened activity at a North Korean nuclear test site could be a bluff rather than preparations to set off an atomic device soon, the head of an international body set up to monitor a ban on nuclear testing said on 7 December in Seoul, South Korea. Dec 7, 2015

Maine: Santas ski and snowboarding for charity

A ski resort in Maine welcomed 150 skiing and snowboarding Santas on 6 December to raise money for charity. The Santas received lift ticket to the resort in return for a $15 (£10) donation to the Sunday River Community Fund, a nonprofit that supports organisations surrounding the Newry, Maine, community. Dec 7, 2015