International criticism and concern grows following the release of a convicted murderer after his transfer from Hungary to Azerbaijan.

Portugal says it has asked for EU assistance to tackle dozens of forest fires which have left at least one person dead.

A ban on smoking in closed public spaces in Lebanon has led some restaurant-owners to stage sit-in protests, while smokers bemoan the new law.

Spain's Andalusia becomes the latest region to request a financial lifeline from the central government.

Actor and former bodyguard Michael Clarke Duncan, nominated for an Oscar for his role in The Green Mile, dies at 54 following a heart attack.

The white marble head of a girl raises from a beach in Rio de Janeiro as Spanish sculptor Jaume Plensa unveils his latest work of art.

Griselda Blanco, a Colombian who had spent two decades in a US jail for drug trafficking and was known as the "queen of cocaine", is shot dead.

Moody's lowers its outlook for the European Union's AAA credit rating to "negative" and warns that the bloc's rating could be downgraded.