Japanese railway company offers abject apology after train leaves station 20 seconds early

The No. 5255 Tsukuba Express train left a station at 9.44:20am instead of 9.44:40am.

• by Motoko Rich and Makiko Inoue

North Korea opens door to Russian tourists, promises a place 'Safer than London!'

Organised tours "show the travellers the multi-faceted life of this most closed of countries".

• by Dmitry Solovyov

London's Big Ben to go silent for four years

So it has come to pass that the keeper of the Great Clock announced on Monday that London's "Big Ben" hour bell will be silenced for four long years.

• by William Booth and Karla Adam

Jane Austen takes pride of place on Britain's new plastic £10 note

The Bank of England has unveiled its first plastic £10 note, featuring British novelist Jane Austen.

• by David Milliken

'Gaudi hates you': Barcelona natives turn on tourists

The butcher's shop at the Mercat de La Boqueria has been in Francisca Gabaldas family for four generations.

• by ​Hannah Strange

Electronic devices flight ban extends as United Kingdom joins United States

The new restrictions were prompted by reports that militant groups want to smuggle explosive devices in electronic gadgets, officials told reporters.

• by David Shepardson

US to ban some airline passengers from carrying electronics after 'terror threat'

US authorities are planning to ban passengers travelling on certain US-bound foreign airline flights from carrying on larger electronic devices in response to an unspecified terrorism threat, according to a government official.

Saudi king Salman to take 459 tonnes of luggage on trip to Indonesia

A company was employing a total of 572 workers to deal with the Saudi monarch's luggage.

• by Adam Taylor

Hawaii's Kilauea volcano forms smiley face

It takes more muscles to frown than to smile, but it took a volcanic eruption to see nature's grin.

• by Ryan W. Miller

Terrorism: the 'new normal' for today's traveller

The latest horrific events in France have rendered the question "to go or not to go" and even more pertinent one for travellers.

• by Anthony Dennis