31.   Heavy rains have pounded parts of northern Nigeria for the past month, bursting dams and river banks, and killing an unknown number of people.

32.   Heavy rains also pounded the islands of Antigua, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and St. Lucia.

33.   Heavy rains have pounded Ecuador, especially its Pacific coast, since the start of November, flooding coastal provinces and producing mudslides in parts of the Andes Mountains.

34.   Heavy rain pounded the eastern Yucatan, Belize and northern Honduras today.

35.   Heavy rain pounded the Yucatan Peninsula on Thursday morning as forecasters feared a barely moving Hurricane Roxanne was just gaining strength for her next destructive foray.

36.   Heavy rains pounded the Alpine regions, shutting down rail lines and roads and washing away some bridges.

37.   In Qingyuan, a satellite city of Guangzhou, rains pounded the Feilai Temple, causing buildings to collapse and killing the monks, China Daily said.

38.   Lightning and driving rain pounded Kennedy Space Center throughout the morning, preventing the launch team from loading a half-million gallons of fuel into the shuttle tank.

39.   Monsoon rains have been pounding Yangon since early May, but the temple and its visitors are now safe.

40.   Rains pounded eastern Puerto Rico with near-record amounts on Tuesday, flooding major streets and highways and sending rivers and creeks surging over their banks.