Search teams found at least 12 bodies Friday near where a Russian-made jetliner crashed into the side of an Indonesian volcano while on a demonstration flight for potential buyers from airlines, an official said.

Its rich multicultural heritage makes the city-state an exciting destination for a gourmet tour, as Sarah Barrell discovers

The Popocatepetl volcano shot a heavy plume of ash into the sky southeast of Mexico's capital and spewed glowing rock from its crater at dawn today.

Destination of the week: Santorini

'The first time we worked together it got so heated he threw a plate and a glass at me'

Zoologist, conservationist and TV presenter Mark Carwardine has had his share of exotic animal encounters. Here, he reveals some of his favourites

Matt Dickinson, 46

I am desperately trying to get fit in time for my final monster-hunting trip in Nepal. I'm off to try and find the Yeti, or the "Appalling Snowman" as my son calls him. Unfortunately, I broke four metatarsals in my left foot while on a television show in Argentina and, a year later, the foot is still giving me huge problems. This is very unfortunate as I have a six-day trek ahead of me. The word "trek' is a very passive sounding description for clambering up huge mountains at very high altitude while very cold in order to look for a hairy missing link.

There is one vital ingredient to every snowshoeing trip. And that's snow. Pulling back the curtains of my hotel room window, I gazed out at the sheer slopes of Mount Etna. There wasn't a flake to be seen. Did Luca, my guide, have some bad news? "Don't worry," he said, while loading our snowshoes into the van.

Even in winter, this Sicilian city charms with colourful festivities, delicious food and dramatic scenery, says Duncan Garwood.

A volcano on Alaska's Aleutian Islands sent up an ash cloud today which prompted scientists to increase the alert level for commercial air traffic.

A pygmy elephant has fatally gored an Australian tourist in a remote area of Borneo.

For the past fortnight, Captain Uwe Post has been flying in circles in the congenial surroundings of north-eastern Sicily. The German pilot is working for an Anglo-Norwegian project that aims to allow passenger aircraft to fly safely during and after volcanic eruptions.