Millions of people living along the east coast of the United States are preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Irene, which is due to reach land in the next 24 hours. With widespread flooding and power cuts expected, President Obama has urged Americans to prepare for the worst. Seven states have declared emergencies. The mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, has ordered a quarter of a million people to leave their homes.

"We are today issuing a

mandatory

, I repeat the word, mandatory evacuation order for all New Yorkers who live in the low-lying zone A coastal areas in all five boroughs that are at greatest risk of damage relating to Irene."

A court in Bolivia has sentenced seven members of a

reclusive

conservative Christian group to 25 years in prison for raping more than 100 women. The men were members of the Mennonite community, which rejects modern inventions such as cars and electricity. Mattia Cabitza reports from Santa Cruz.

The court heard that the convicted men had sprayed a potent sedative through the windows of their victims homes, and left entire families unconscious and vulnerable to abuse. Acting at night while the community was asleep, the men broke in and raped more than 100 women, children and adolescents. The youngest was nine years old.

A Greek shipping company says pirates in Somalia have released an oil tanker and its crew after holding them for nearly 10 months. The company, Paradise Navigation, gave no details of whether a ransom had been paid. It said one crewman had died of a stroke while being held captive.