Pro-democracy protesters have been defiant in the face of attacks by opponents and warnings by the Hong Kong government to clear the streets, staging a massive rally in the downtown business district they have occupied for a week.

A father in north-western India remained unrepentant after beheading his daughter with a ceremonial sword in a rage over her relationships with men, police said.

New Orleans’ police chief fiercely defended his officers following claims that they deserted in droves, leaving the city to rapists and looters in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Hindu mobs attacked Muslims in remote parts of western Gujarat state as sectarian violence that killed 708 people continued to boil in Indian villages that were not previously affected.