Hurley's World

Hurricane Earl weakens as it nears the US East Coast, though officials warn it remains "large and powerful".

An explosion rips through an offshore oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, west of the site of the blast in April that caused a huge oil spill.

A tanker carrying 9m litres of diesel fuel runs aground off the coast of northern Canada but no environmental damage is reported.

Hurricane Earl is downgraded to a category two storm as it nears the US East Coast.

Israeli and Palestinian leaders meet in Washington for the first direct peace talks in nearly two years and agree a framework for negotiations.

The Canadian Space Agency announces astronaut Chris Hadfield will become the first Canadian commander of the International Space Station in 2013.

A growing number of New York sky-scrapers switch off their lights at night to help reduce the number of migratory birds hitting the buildings.

Burger King is being sold to private equity firm 3G Capital in a deal valued at $3.26bn (£2.1bn), it has been announced.

US authorities indict 11 German and Chinese executives for conspiring to illegally import $40m worth of honey from China.

Susan Powell takes a look at the track of the current Atlantic storms

Tablet computers to rival Apple's iPad are creating a stir as one of Europe's largest technology shows, the IFA, gets under way in Berlin.

Dell withdraws its bid for 3Par after rival Hewlett-Packard raises its offer for the data storage company to $2.1bn.

Canada provides backdrop for Kerouac's On The Road

Jennifer Mascia gave World News America a first person account of her extraordinary childhood and her surprise at finding out about her father's mafia past.

President Obama urges Mid-East leaders not to let the chance of a peace deal slip away, ahead of a new round of talks.

Police shoot dead a gunman who took three hostages at the Discovery Communications HQ near Washington and free his prisoners.

Documenting New Yorkers' changing accents

President Barack Obama condemns the "senseless slaughter" of four Israeli settlers, as he opens a new round of Mid-East diplomacy.

A man with a gun has taken at least one hostage inside the Discovery Communications offces in Silver Spring, near Washington DC.

Apple launches a music-based social network called Ping as part of its latest upgrade to the iTunes music software.