A massive search is underway for an Air France plane with 216 passengers and 12 crew members on board. The plane left Rio de Janeiro early Monday morning and is believed to have crashed over the Atlantic ocean en route to Paris.

Pakistan police say Taliban militants have kidnapped as many as 300 students, teachers and their relatives near the Afghan border in North Waziristan. The incident follows the lifting of military curfews in the Swat Valley amid an ongoing offensive against the Taliban.

South Korean officials say a train carrying what appears to be an intercontinental ballistic missile is traveling to a launch site in North Korea, and report reduced communications from the North Korean Army that suggest “they are mindful of our monitoring.”

As the Western Hemispheres Travel Initiative goes into full effect all U.S. and Canadian citizens must show provide a passport to show proof of citizenship in order to enter the United States.  Some Canadians worry fewer Americans will head north to shop.