A water main burst in Rio de Janeiro, flooding dozens of houses and killing a three-year-old girl.

A senior United Nations official has criticised the Chilean government for using anti-terrorist legislation against the Mapuche indigenous minority.

The emir of Kuwait Sabah al-Sabah announces a pardon for all those convicted of insulting him on the occasion of the last 10 days of Ramadan.

Zimbabweans head to the polls to elect a president amid claims that the party of incumbent Robert Mugabe has doctored the electoral roll.

A university student in San Diego receives more than $4m from the US government after he is abandoned for four days in a prison cell, his lawyer says.

Temperatures in parts of China have hit record highs, leading to the "hottest July" in Shanghai on record, state media say.

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange says the conviction of US Army Private Bradley Manning on spying charges sets a "dangerous precedent".

Mealtime chatter helps boost children's communication skills, suggests a study by the National Literacy Trust.