NIWA declares that the previous summer, which had an average temperature of 18.8 °C (65.8 °F), was the hottest in New Zealand history. (The New Zealand Herald)
A UNICEF report says that 20% of girls under 18 are married, compared to 25% ten years ago, with an estimated 25 million marriages having been prevented in the past decade. (BBC)(Voice of America)
Former Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter are taken to a hospital in critical condition after being exposed to an unknown substance in Wiltshire, United Kingdom. Skripal was granted refugee status in the UK following a "spy swap" deal between the UK and Russia in 2010. (BBC)
China's "two sessions" - the annual meetings of the national legislature and the top political advisory body - opens in Beijing; major announcements include an 8% rise in its military budget and a GDP growth target of around 6.5%. (BBC 1), (BBC 2), (Reuters)
Facebook apologizes after including a question in a user survey on the acceptability of soliciting sexual pictures from minors on its platform. (The Verge)