It's a picturesque area now, but 100 years ago, France's champagne riots saw violence erupt on such a scale the army was brought in.

The New Zealand stock exchange is back in positive territory - currently up 0.2 per cent.

The tumult on global financial markets is a vote of no confidence in political leaders on both sides of the Atlantic.

You've paid for the airfare for your dream holiday to Europe. Now it's time to consider what to squeeze into your itinerary.

We round up some of the best free activities for travellers in Europe.

Kate Roff discovers a rebellious streak in the quaint Austrian town of Hallstatt.

Wall St has followed European markets sharply down overnight, with the Dow Jones falling 5.5 per cent, the Standard & Poor's 500 index down 6.6 per cent and the Nasdaq down 6.9 per cent.

The Dow has plummeted 4.4 percent overnight, dropping below the 11,000 level for the first time since November, as markets continued a global sell-off. It comes as Standard and Poor's warns New Zealand is among the countries that could suffer...

Picturesque Maribor is Slovenia's second largest city, and sits at the heart of a centuries-old wine region.

The Old Town of Dubrovnik, hemmed in by 2km of majestic medieval walls, is spectacularly located on the Adriatic coastline.

But how do you punish such a heinous crime as Anders Breivik's? Paul Holmes says there is nothing that could be good enough.

The NZ stock exchange has fallen 2.5 per cent on opening, following a big slump on world markets overnight. The NZX 50 Index shed 80.89 points to 3297.86, the lowest level since December.