Some of the strangest stories from around the world

Rescue crews in Jamaica dredged rivers and dug through debris and thick mud today to look for bodies as the number of dead continued to rise after Tropical Storm Nicole unleashed floods and mudslides.

Hurricane Ivan lost its catastrophic capabilities as it skirted Grand Cayman today, but it still uprooted trees, burst the banks of canals and flooded some homes with winds near 155mph.

Hurricane Ivan has weakened slightly as it left behind a trail of destruction in Jamaica and bore down on the Cayman Islands with winds close to 155 mph, according to the US National Hurricane Centre.