The NATO Military Alliance has approved the request from Turkey for Patriot intercept missiles to counter any threat from across its border with Syria. More shells from Syrian conflict landed inside Turkey on Tuesday. NATO Foreign Ministers meeting in Brussels also expressed grave concern at reports that Damascus may be considering using chemical weapons in its conflict with rebels. The NATO head, Anders Fogh Rasmussen warned that any such use will provoke an international response.

The authorities in Brazil have arrested at least 60 policemen accused of receiving regular payments from drug dealers to turn a blind-eye to their activities in several shanty towns on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. Eleven suspected drug dealers from Rio's main criminal gang - the Red Command - were also arrested. Leonardo Rocha reports.

Prosecutors say police officers in Duque de Caxias, in the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro were getting up to $1,200 a week from drug-gangs to overlook their criminal activities. When pay was delayed, the officers conducted security operations against them. The policemen are accused of involvement in all the criminal activities, from selling weapons to gangs to kidnapping drug lords relatives for ransom.

World News from the BBC

The first direct talks have been held between the government of Mali and rebel groups that seized the north of the country following a coup earlier this year.

Representatives from the Tuareg rebel group and one of the Islamist militias controlling northern Mali are at the talks in Burkina Faso. The delegations have now issued a statement agreeing on the need for territorial integrity and rejecting terrorism.