Brazil plans to start withdrawing its troops from the UN peacekeeping force in Haiti, the defence minister says.

Chile holds two days of mourning for all 21 people killed when a Chilean air force plane crashed in the Pacific, as officials warn some bodies may never be found.

Up to a million king crabs are discovered on the edge of Antarctica, probably carried by warm water, raising fears for the local ecosystem.

Syria makes a last-minute request for the Arab League chief to delay his planned visit aimed at pressing for an end to the crackdown on protests.

Peruvian President Ollanta Humala approves a law giving indigenous communities the right to be consulted about development on their land.

Yahoo's chief executive Carol Bartz is fired by the internet company after two-and-a-half years in the top job.

Hurricane Katia, a category two storm in the Atlantic, is expected to miss the US, forecasters say, although Bermuda is put on tropical storm watch.

Australia's economy grows 1.2% in the June quarter, rebounding from a contraction during the first three months of the year.