Theary Seng was among the hundreds of people who came to Phnom Penh from all over Cambodia to see the trial of former Khmer Rouge prison chief Duch. She was numb with shock when she heard the sentence: 30 years in jail, possibly as little as 19. The thought that a man who personally tortured and murdered thousands of people could walk free at the age of 89 is too much for Seng, who lost both her parents to the Khmer Rouge. Read her account...

Latin America is known for its religious fervour.  In Mexico City, even the clowns organise an annual pilgrimage. Read more and see the photos...

When Ray Carson took his boat out to go fishing one morning early July, he didn't expect the impressive greeting he'd get upon arriving at his usual fishing spot: several hundred frantic, starving alligators were barring his way. He crossed the canal unscathed and had the nerve to take out his camera and film the strange spectacle. Read more...

When the Lake Delhi dam in eastern Iowa broke last Saturday, Brad Mahoney filmed his neighbour's cabin being carried away by the floods. Read more and watch the videos...

Photo © Lauren Girardin, used with permission.

The Catalan parliament has voted to begin a process which could outlaw bullfighting across the region following a massive animal rights campaign against the Spanish pastime. A breeder tells us why he thinks the law would be both unfounded, and is supported by politicians for the wrong reasons. Read more...

With temperatures peaking at 37,2°C in the shade, Moscow has not been this hot since the 1920s. Temperatures reached a record, historic high on Monday, and Moscow citizens, who are more used to blizzards than sunshine, are finding it hard to live in such a scorcher. Read more...

A small village in the south of Iran has been suspended in time for thousands of years. Read more and see the photos...

Leaders of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip announced a ban on July 18 forbidding women from smoking hookahs (water-pipes) in public places, deeming the practice "immodest". Read more...

Our Observer tells us about his fight against Vale Inco's nickel treatment plant in New Caledonia, where repeated accidents threaten to wreck the island's unique flora and fauna. Read more...

Many Ivorian women won't leave the house without a pair of low-riding, figure-hugging, hipster jeans pulled half-way up their.... The wardrobe essential is not favoured by everyone in the country however, where some find the attire "disrespectful". Read more...

A fireman dealing with an oil spill was drowned in northeast China on Tuesday after a wave dragged him beneath the surface of the slick. Read more...

Belfast's famous murals; the city's colourful and controversial testaments to "the Troubles", are being painted over by the local authorities. Are they trying to whitewash history? Read more...

Poems about price hikes, political pleas and even apologies to girlfriends; for busy rickshaw drivers, the best place to get their message across is the back of their vehicle. So how did the concept of "rickshaw poetry" come about? Read more and see a few examples...

A New Zealand-based artist is encouraging people to vent their fumes by smashing up and vandalising old cars. Read more...