*12 dead 💐, 18 injured in Mexico tour bus 🚌 crash 💥*

A tour bus crash in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula on Tuesday left at least 12 dead and 18 injured, officials said. The bus was carrying 31 people, including tourists from the United States, Brazil and Sweden, in the state of Quintana Roo, according to Public Security of Quintana Roo.

The bus was traveling from the coastal village of Mahahual to the Mayan ruin archaeological site Chacchoben, according to Public Security of Quintana Roo.

Among the bus passengers were 27 cruise guests from two Royal Caribbean ships, Celebrity Equinox and Serenade of the Seas, the cruise line said.

Representatives from the United States mission in Mexico are heading to the scene to assist any US citizens involved, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said.
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*West Ham star Lanzini banned for dive at Stoke*

Manuel Lanzini has been banned for two matches for his 'successful deception of a match official' when winning a penalty for West Ham at Stoke City on Saturday.

Argentinian midfielder Lanzini went to ground under a challenge from Erik Pieters after 18 minutes at the bet365 Stadium, with referee Graham Scott pointing to the spot and Mark Noble converting from 12 yards.

West Ham went on to win 3-0, Lanzini assisting further strikes from Marko Arnautovic and Diafra Sakho to pile misery on Stoke boss Mark Hughes, whose side sit a point above the relegation zone.

Lanzini denied the charge, but the Football Association has seen fit to punish the midfielder, who will sit out matches against Arsenal and Newcastle United over the festive period.

*Leicester City 1 Manchester City 1 (aet, 3-4 pens): Vardy & Mahrez miss in shoot-out as visitors reach semi-finals

Jamie Vardy equalised from the spot but failed in the shoot-out as Manchester City beat Leicester City 4-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw to secure a spot in the semi-finals of the EFL Cup.

Leicester were their own worst enemy for much of the first half, inviting pressure with a string of avoidable mistakes and one ultimately led to the opening goal - Bernardo Silva steering home after Ilkay Gundogan had wrestled the ball from Kelechi Iheanacho just before the half-hour.

The hosts improved after the break and gave City more to worry about, though clear-cut chances remained at a premium for them, with Bravo rarely forced into meaningful saves until late in proceedings.

The spotlight was on the Chilean deep into eight minutes of stoppage time at the end of regulation time and he could do little to prevent Vardy from forcing an extra half hour with his penalty, which was controversially awarded after Demarai Gray went down under pressure from substitute Kyle Walker.

Still the two sides could not be separated and it came down to the shoot-out, with City ultimately reigning supreme, scoring all four of their kicks and claiming victory thanks to Vardy missing and Bravo swatting away Mahrez' final penalty.

*Leicester City 1 Manchester City 1 (aet, 3-4 pens): Vardy & Mahrez miss in shoot-out as visitors reach semi-finals 📹* http://v.duta.us/sBjqAgAA

Jamie Vardy equalised from the spot but failed in the shoot-out as Manchester City beat Leicester City 4-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw to secure a spot in the semi-finals of the EFL Cup.

Leicester were their own worst enemy for much of the first half, inviting pressure with a string of avoidable mistakes and one ultimately led to the opening goal - Bernardo Silva steering home after Ilkay Gundogan had wrestled the ball from Kelechi Iheanacho just before the half-hour.

The hosts improved after the break and gave City more to worry about, though clear-cut chances remained at a premium for them, with Bravo rarely forced into meaningful saves until late in proceedings.

The spotlight was on the Chilean deep into eight minutes of stoppage time at the end of regulation time and he could do little to prevent Vardy from forcing an extra half hour with his penalty, which was controversially awarded after Demarai Gray went down under pressure from substitute Kyle Walker.

Still the two sides could not be separated and it came down to the shoot-out, with City ultimately reigning supreme, scoring all four of their kicks and claiming victory thanks to Vardy missing and Bravo swatting away Mahrez'

*Italian 🇮🇹 king's reburial reopens 😢 old wounds*

The body of King Victor Emmanuel III has returned to Italy from Egypt, 70 years after he died there in exile.

But the royal reburial has brought back difficult memories for many and caused anger, as the BBC's Sofia Bettiza in Rome reports. 
King Victor Emmanuel III was infamously nicknamed Sciaboletta, meaning "little sabre", because of his size: he was 1.53m (5ft) tall. 
A special sword had to be forged for him, so it would not scrape the ground when he carried it. 
His physical stature may have been small, but Victor Emmanuel's impact on Italian affairs certainly was not. 
He is known in Italy as the king whose actions gave rise to the fascist regime of Benito Mussolini and the end of the monarchy. 
Now, seven decades after his death, he is causing fresh controversy. 
Victor Emmanuel died in exile in Egypt in 1947. He had fled Italy four years earlier, fearing arrest by the German army after declaring an armistice with the Allies during World War Two. 
His remains were finally flown back to his homeland on Sunday, amid condemnation and outrage, particularly among Italy's Jewish community. 
"This cannot fail to generate deep concern," said Noemi Di Segni, president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities. 
"Victor Emmanuel III was an accomplice of the fascist regime, whose rise he never opposed."

*Hundreds of dead 🦈 sharks wash up on Iranian island❗*

Hundreds of dead sharks have been found washed up on the shores of Iran's Shif island.

Some fishermen catch the sharks for their fins, which are believed to have medicinal properties, officials say.

After cutting off the fins, they throw the dead sharks in the sea because they fear they will be fined. 
The sharks end up washing up on the beach, an environment official in the southern port city of Bushehr is quoted as saying by IRNA news agency. 
The price for 1kg (2.2lb) of shark fin is about $2 (£1.50), the director-general of the Environmental Protection Organisation, Hoseyn Delshab, said. 
Shark fishing was banned in Iran in 2014 over concerns the population was facing extinction. 
The fine for catching a shark is about $7,000. 
The finding is "an alarm about the extinction of sharks" in the Gulf, Mr Delshab