Police and soldiers charged into Rio's most dangerous slum at daybreak to arrest a leading drug lord.

Jon Bon Jovi admits he has seen better days. But after a quarter century of non-stop hits, stadium tours and large-haired sexiness, what do you do for an encore? On the eve of his Auckland show, Polly Vernon caught up with the rock god.

Portable eateries are the US' latest food craze. One of the best draws from Brazil's rich culinary culture.

From the Sharpe books to Arthurian sagas, the prolific output of Bernard Cornwell has topped best-seller lists around the world. The secret is in the plot, he tells Robert McCrum.

Slum tours can improve locals' lives, writes Karen Phelps.

For mostly practical reasons the Brazilian constitution requires all of the nation's politicians to be able to read - even celebrity clowns.

One-time factory worker Zhang Xin rode China's property boom.

As head chef at Auckland's Savour & Devour restaurant, Jaqueline prepares Mediterranean and traditional French cuisine.

Mariah Carey is four months pregnant, it has been claimed.

David King and Bec Johnston discover the special joys of taking a 10-month-old girl on a six-month journey round South America.

The first man to walk the entire length of the Amazon river put his NZ-made backpacks through some serious paces.