In Algeria they are known as taxi collectifs while the Madagascans refer to them as bush taxis. Now the UK is to get shared taxis, writes Sean Dodson.

  Credit card firms should give consumers the same protection when buying abroad that they receive in the UK, the House of Lords decided yesterday.

  Passenger and freight boom puts pressure on the network.

  Everyone loves a good ghost story, whether you believe them or not. Paul Torpeyhas the country's best spots for scaring yourself senseless.

  Â· New technology could 'decarbonise' traffic· Campaigners reject report as 'business as usual'

  A £3.5m development is set to confirm Buenos Aires as Latin America's pink capital.

  The solitary sage of the Lake District, who used to hide from fellow walkers and deny his name if questioned, has been "recreated" by new technology to act as a companion on the fells.

  Flat white or skinny latte? Melbourne is home to a vibrant cafe culture, and it's all online, writes Benji Lanyado.

  Young people aged 16 or 17 will be able to apply for a passport without parental consent from December, the government announced today.

  Welcome: Portraits of America, a new seven-minute film produced by Disney to woo visitors with a sanitised take on US landmarks, features an image of Horseshoe Falls which lies almost entirely inside Canada.

  Britain's first Muslim minister Shahid Malik had his hand luggage analysed for traces of explosives as he was about to fly home from Washington DC.

  From brie-topped productions at Café Midi to chilli shockers at Original Tommy's, Amy Balfourpicks starring hamburgers from the celluloid city.