FRANCE: A national day of mourning was held in France today for the victims of Cyclone Chido, which devastated the French overseas department of Mayotte earlier this month. 

The cyclone, the most destructive to hit Mayotte in 90 years, caused extensive damage to the island and left at least 35 dead and around 2,500 injured. 

Chido also hit the south-eastern part of the African continent leaving at least 94 people dead in Mozambique.

PAKISTAN: The political party of Pakistan’s imprisoned ex-prime minister Imran Khan held talks today with the government over the release of its leader and other political activists, officials said.

The two sides met in Islamabad in the presence of Ayaz Sadiq, the speaker of parliament’s National Assembly, or lower house, who initiated efforts to open talks.

COOK ISLANDS: New Zealand today rejected a proposal to allow Cook Islanders to have a separate passport while allowing them to retain New Zealand citizenship.

Cook Islanders can live, work and access healthcare facilities as a self-governing nation in “free association” with New Zealand.

Auckland said the proposed arrangement would not be possible unless the Cook Islands become fully independent. 

CUBA: A magnitude 6.1 earthquake hit eastern Cuba today, according to the country’s National Seismological Service.

The quake shook the provinces of Granma and Santiago de Cuba in the early hours of Monday morning with the epicentre located around 22 miles south-west of Chivirico in Santiago de Cuba.

No casualties have yet been reported.

This comes weeks after two other powerful tremors of magnitude 6.0 and 6.7 occurred on November 10.