UK - The farmers who illegally put clone beef into the food chain own a further 96 cattle bred from cloned animals, it was revealed last night. Steven and Callum Innes face court action and a heavy fine after slaughtering a bull born to a clone and selling the meat. But before the bull was killed, it sired 96 calves - which the farmers intended would produce milk for sale.
USA - A US federal judge has overturned California's voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage. The judge found it unconstitutionally discriminated against same-sex couples who sought to wed. The state measure, known as Proposition 8, was passed by voters in 2008. It banned same-sex marriage, although the state offered same-sex civil unions.
ISRAEL - The UN peacekeeping force says Israeli soldiers were operating on their own side of the border when fighting broke out with Lebanese troops on Tuesday. Clashes erupted when Israeli troops tried to cut down a tree that both sides claimed was in their territory. Four people - including two Lebanese soldiers, a Lebanese journalist and an Israeli officer - were killed.
UK - While Pakistan has been hit by catastrophic flooding, Russia has endured a lethal heatwave. Some 1,200 people have been killed in the deluges sweeping Pakistan, but in Moscow more than 30 are reported to have died in wildfires as temperatures have soared to a new record for the region of 38C (100F). It marks out 2010 as the year of extreme weather - and experts predict the pronounced conditions will continue across the globe.
UK - David Cameron last night issued a blunt warning to Britain's booming banks that increased lending has 'got to happen'. The Prime Minister said the vast profits being unveiled this week suggested the industry had recovered from the credit crunch and was in a position to lend to businesses and home buyers. He said he would hold talks with Bank of England Governor Mervyn King today to discuss ways of forcing it to do so.
PERU - An outbreak of bubonic and pneumonic plague in Peru has killed a 14-year-old boy and infected at least 31 people in a northern coastal province. Oscar Ugarte, the health minister, said authorities were screening sugar and fish meal exports from Ascope province, located about 325 miles north-west of Lima. Chicama beach, a popular draw for tourists to Peru, is not far away.
GERMANY - More than 10,000 gay and lesbian athletes have come to Germany to participate in the 8th annual Gay Games in Cologne from July 31 to August 6.
PAKISTAN - Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari said on Tuesday the international community was losing the war against the Afghan Taliban and rebuked Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron for questioning Islamabad's resolve.
USA - An attempt to stop a plan for a mosque near New York's Ground Zero has failed after the site was denied landmark status. The scheme for a 13-storey Islamic cultural centre and mosque several hundred feet away from the site of the Twin Towers has drawn criticism. Opponents had hoped the Landmarks Preservation Commission would protect the building.
ISRAEL - Three Lebanese soldiers and an Israeli officer have been killed in the first serious border clash since Israel's 2006 conflict with Lebanon's Hezbollah. A Lebanese journalist also died in the fighting. Lebanon says troops opened fire after Israeli troops entered its territory. Israel denied the charge.
USA - Wheat prices have hit a 22-month high after a severe drought and ensuing wildfires in Russia devastated crops. Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) wheat for September delivery broke through the $7-a-bushel level in US trade for the first time since September 2008, before falling back to $6.93. Prices have risen 50% since late June.
USA - To combat plummeting sales, Archie comics have tried to increase their cultural relevance and topicality. The new plot lines - including an interracial crossover romance for the redheaded teen and the introduction of a gay character - have moved the series closer to present-day realities, but the danger is that they may also alienate a key Archie audience.
UK - More than 100 cows descended from cloned cattle have been born on British farms, sparking alarm about their secret spread into the food system. An investigation has been launched after a farmer claimed milk from a cow born to a clone had gone into high street shops without any special labelling. The Daily Mail has now learnt at least 105 Holstein cattle descended from a clone have been born on British farms in the past four years.
MIDDLE EAST - Christmas pudding will be a true festive luxury after the price of a crucial ingredient sky-rocketed by 64 per cent. A terrible harvest in the Middle East has raised the spectre of a pricey Christmas as the cost of dried fruit goes through the roof. The price of dried apricots has risen from 1,900 pounds to 3,122 pounds a metric tonne, according to a report by market analysts Mintec, while raisins have soared from 90 pounds to 1,300 pounds.
AFGHANISTAN - With her clear skin and dark, flowing hair, 18-year-old Aisha would ordinarily have stood out from a crowd because of her beauty. But now, tragically, the young Afghan woman is eye-catching for a horrifically different reason.