Following another day of violence in Tunisia, the communications minister has told a news conference that the number of dead has reached 21 since the weekend. But local residents say the number is much higher.
Thousands more Australians have been forced to leave their homes around the Queensland capital Brisbane as the state's worst floodwaters for 50 years continue to rise. Further upstream, the town of Toowoomba was hit on Tuesday night by what was described as a terrifying "inland tsunami" raging through the streets. Ten people were killed, and almost 80 are said to be missing.
Egypt has recalled its ambassador to the Vatican. The move comes a day after Pope Benedict's strongly-worded appeal to the governments of predominantly Muslim countries to do more to protect their Christian minorities. Here's David Willey.
Egypt has accused the Pope of meddling in its internal affairs. The Egyptians insist that they are capable of protecting all their citizens and blame foreign elements for the New Year's Day suicide bomb that killed more than 20 worshippers and policemen at a Coptic church in Alexandria, and left dozens more injured. There was no immediate comment from the Holy See, but off the record, the Pope's advisers admit that they were expecting this type of reaction from the Muslim world.
World News from the BBC
Doctors treating the American congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords say she's breathing on her own. However, they say she remains critically ill. Ms Giffords was shot in the head in Tucson, Arizona on Saturday in an attack in which six people were killed, including a nine-year-old girl. President Obama is expected to travel to Tucson on Wednesday for a memorial service.