Pakistani media reported dozens more flood-related deaths as officials admitted they were struggling to cope. At least 1,600 people have died in the nation's worst deluge in 80 years. Some 14 million people have been affected. The landslides hit two villages in Gilgit-Baltistan province on Saturday, and officials are still trying to recover bodies from under the mud.

In another flood-related incident, at least 14 people were killed when a lorry carrying people across a river in Lower Dir province was swept away, according to local media. Most of the deaths have occurred in northern Pakistan, but as the rain has continued, the south is now also on red alert. One dam in the southern Sindh province has already been breached, and engineers are warning that the huge Tarbela and Mangla dams in the north are close to their maximum levels.

Officials say 650,000 homes have so far been destroyed across the country and 5,700 sq km (2,200 sq miles) of agricultural land has been flooded. AP reported that the prices of some basic vegetables had quadrupled in recent days, putting them out of reach for many Pakistanis. "Floods and rains have made these things unaffordable," one shopper in Lahore, Mohammad Siddiq, told AP.

UN once again calls for a global currency, called the "Bancor," the name proposed by Keynes over half-century ago. Whatever it is called, it would be fiat money similar to what is currently produced by nations. That means there would be no limit to the amount that could be created, and massive inflation would continue. The difference is that nations no longer could return to a sound money even if they wanted to.

But parents have voiced concern over the methods used to slaughter animals in this way and say they haven't been properly consulted over the changes. Harrow Council is among the first in Britain to encourage halal meat. It says dieticians recommended the policy due to difficulties storing and preparing two sorts of meat.

According to the 2001 census, the North-West London borough is among the most religiously diverse areas in Britain. Just under half of the population is Christian, a fifth is Hindu, 7 per cent is Muslim and 6 per cent Jewish. The council says the composition of the area's primary schools is now significantly different and the Muslim population is larger.

Halal slaughtering involves cutting through the large arteries in the neck with one swipe of a blade, while a Muslim butcher recites a religious verse. All blood is then drained away since the consumption of blood is forbidden under Islamic law. Animal welfare campaigners say the method, which is exempted from welfare laws, is inhumane as animals are not stunned before being killed.

"In connection with the unusually high temperatures and the drought, I consider it right to impose a temporary ban on the export from Russia of grain and other products produced from grain," Putin told a government meeting. Russia earlier this week slashed its 2010 grain harvest forecast to 70-75 million tonnes, compared with a harvest of 97 million tonnes in 2009, owing to the worst drought for decades. Last year, Russia exported 21.4 million tonnes of grain and observers had already warned that could be sharply lower this year owing to the drought.

The prime minister's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the export ban would come into force August 15 and remain in place until December 31. "We must not allow an increase in domestic prices and must preserve the headcount of our cattle," Putin said in comments broadcast on state television. Putin signed a decree imposing the ban which also stated that Russia would ask fellow members of a regional customs union - Belarus and Kazhakhstan - to make a similar move. Kazakhstan is also a major world grain exporter.

"There can only be one comment - shock," said Vladimir Petrichenko, director of the Prozerno agricultural analytical firm. "We will only be able to return to the global markets with a tarnished reputation, with losses," he told Interfax. Russia's policy after December 31 would be determined by the results of the harvest, Putin said. Russia has seen 20 percent of its arable land (10 million hectares, 24.7 million acres) destroyed in the heatwave.

The chemical mimics the female sex hormone oestrogen and interferes with the way hormones are processed by the body. Although some animal studies have shown it is safe, others have linked it to breast cancer, liver damage, obesity, diabetes and fertility problems. Experts estimate BPA is detectable in more than 90 per cent of people. It is one of the world's most widely manufactured chemicals, with more than 2.2 million tons made each year. Earlier this year, Denmark became the first EU country to ban the chemical in food and drink containers for children under three. Canada and three US states have also brought in bans.

Elizabeth Salter Green, of the Chemicals, Health And Environment Monitoring Trust, described the study as 'another nail in the coffin' for BPA and called for it to be banned. 'There are now hundreds of research papers that indicate BPA is not good for our health, linking exposure to fertility problems, cancer, diabetes and obesity,' she added.

The Food Standards Agency insists there is no evidence BPA is harmful.

The extraordinary change of tune came after government scientists concluded, much to President Obama's embarrassment, that three-quarters of the leaked oil has evaporated, dispersed, been burned off or been contained. The report was released as BP announced 'encouraging' progress on its 'static kill' attempt to seal the leak.

The US official in charge of the spill also announced BP would start pumping cement into its blown-out oil well to begin sealing the leak for good.

'Based on the successful completion of the static kill procedure and a positive evaluation of the test results, I have authorized BP to cement its damaged well,' retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen said in a brief statement. According to the report unveiled yesterday by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the remaining oil - mostly a light sheen on the surface or dispersed underwater - is breaking down rapidly.

The findings raise serious questions over the American government's torrid attacks on BP in the aftermath of the April 20 rig explosion that killed 11 workers and spilled millions of gallons of crude into the ocean. Mr Obama has already been accused of targeting the British oil giant to avert fears the spill was becoming a political liability for his Democrat Party in the run-up to the November mid-term elections.

Last night, however, all the big supermarkets made clear they would not touch milk and meat from clones or their descendants. The Innes family are Scotland's biggest dairy farmers, with more than 1,400 Holstein cattle producing vast quantities of milk every day. They claim they had no idea what they were doing was banned and have been 'flabbergasted' by the furore.

The Innes family are now under investigation by local council officials, while there are calls for an inquiry into the slaughter and sale of the bull last July.

Last night it also emerged a second clone farm bull has been slaughtered and eaten in another part of the country. The details were released by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), the watchdog also investigating whether milk produced by clone descendants has gone into homes.

It is thought the second bull was slaughtered in Staffordshire, but it is unclear where the resulting beef was sold.

Last night, the Government came under pressure to ban clone farming outright, including the imports of bull semen and embryos from clones in north America.

Supermarkets including Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Marks & Spencer and Waitrose last night insisted they are determined to keep food produced from clones or their offspring off the shelves. But the absence of a ban on clone embryo and sperm imports means this policy will be increasingly difficult to maintain.

Backers of the ban intend to appeal against the judge's ruling. The case is likely to reach the US Supreme Court. The measure was passed in a ballot referendum by a vote of 52% to 48%. Currently, five states and Washington DC allow same-sex nuptials, though many states have enacted bans.

The ruling does not immediately allow California same-sex couples to marry, as US District Judge Vaughn Walker has delayed final entry of his judgement so he can hear arguments on whether to stay the ruling, pending appeal. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger quickly welcomed Wednesday's judgement.

"For the hundreds of thousands of Californians in gay and lesbian households who are managing their day-to-day lives, this decision affirms the full legal protections and safeguards I believe everyone deserves," he said in a statement. "At the same time, it provides an opportunity for all to consider our history of leading the way to the future, and our growing reputation of treating all people and their relationships with equal respect and dignity."

Supporters of the gay marriage ban vowed to appeal against the ruling. Randy Thomasson, of the socially conservative group SaveCalifornia.com, described it as a "terrible blow" to voter rights. "Judge Walker has ignored the written words of the constitution, which he swore to support and defend and be impartially faithful to, and has instead imposed his own homosexual agenda upon the voters, the parents and the children of California," he told the AFP news agency.

Israeli troops have returned to the area to finish the tree-clearing under Unifil's supervision, reports say. At an emergency session on Tuesday, the UN Security Council expressed "deep concern" about the incident - the worst border clash for years between soldiers from Israel and Lebanon - and urged both sides to show the utmost restraint. The leader of the Lebanese militant group, Hezbollah, said it would join the fighting if there were any more border clashes.

"The trees being cut by the Israeli army are located south of the Blue Line on the Israeli side," said Unifil spokesman Lieutenant Naresh Bhatt in a statement, referring to a boundary drawn up by the UN in 2000. It marks the agreed line to which Israeli forces withdrew after 22 years occupying southern Lebanon.

Lebanese Information Minister, Tareq Mitri told journalists that his country disputes the Blue Line demarcation in certain areas, including the village of Adaysseh, where the clash took place.

Israel has welcomed the Unifil finding, saying it "clearly corroborates" the Israeli version of events. "Our routine activity yesterday was conducted entirely south of the frontier - on the Israeli side - and the Lebanese Army opened fire without any provocation or justification whatsoever," said Mark Regev, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel said its troops were fired upon while conducting maintenance work along the border, and that UN forces had been notified in advance.

Last month alone the UK was hit by a hosepipe ban, saw tarmac melting on roads and the population was issued health warnings about the dangers of too much sun. Yet despite the heatwave, it was also the wettest July ever recorded. According to provisional statistics from the Met Office, the country was 46 per cent wetter than average and some areas faced devastating floods.

Britain was not alone. The mercury climbed to its highest point in decades in other parts of Europe, the US and Japan as record temperatures were recorded. In Russia the army was drafted in to battle the wildfires which were threatening dozens of towns and villages. Thick smoke and ash slowed firefighting efforts and thousands of people were being evacuated. A state of emergency was declared after swathes of the country were engulfed in flames and thousands were left homeless. More than 2,000 people are said to have died in the region since the beginning of July as they tried to cool down in lakes and rivers.

And in Greece dramatic blazes on the island of Samos have wreaked havoc. Hundreds of tourists were evacuated as the fires spread and helicopters along with more than 150 firefighters were brought in to tackle the flames. The fire, which broke out in a ravine on Monday, is the second to strike the island in a week.

But Met Office climate change scientist Peter Stott insisted the extreme weather patterns were not unexpected and in keeping with climate change theories.

'What we have observed generally is a tendency for more heavy rain fall, a tendency towards a greater risk of flooding and also a greater risk of drought as well. These are consistent with what we know about climate change,' he said.

The move comes after a Daily Mail campaign to get the banks lending again, which has highlighted their refusal to provide credit to the small businesses which are the engine of the economy. Ministers have already warned that banks could face a fresh clampdown if they refuse to relax tight lending rules blamed for driving 500 businesses a week to the wall. Mr Cameron said he saw such lending as a key priority in helping Britain's economic recovery.

'We are going to see this week some pretty big figures coming out of the banks in terms of profits, so they've made that sort of recovery,' he said. 'We've got to make sure that money is getting out of the banks and into businesses. I'm going to be meeting the Governor of the Bank of England... to make sure we find ways of encouraging the banks to help small businesses particularly, many of whom have got good ideas and are prepared to meet the terms of lending but can't get the money out - so it's got to happen.'

But the Prime Minister's words initially appeared to fall on deaf ears. Nationalised bank Northern Rock today revealed it would halve its lending target for this year from 9 billion pounds to less than 5 billion pounds - even though it is sitting on a cash pile of more than 7 billion pounds. Just a day ago, HSBC revealed that its UK loan book had shrunk by 20 billion pounds over the past year. This was despite the bank revealing its profits for the first half of this year had more than doubled to 7 billion pounds, compared to the same period last year. The moves will dismay first-time buyers and raise fears that a credit drought will cripple the fragile economic recovery.

Mr Ugarte said the boy, who had Downs syndrome, died of bubonic plague on July 26. He said on Monday that most of the infections were bubonic plague, with four cases of pneumonic plague. The former is transmitted by flea bites, the latter by airborne contagion. The disease is curable if treated early with antibiotics.

The first recorded plague outbreak in Peru was in 1903. The last, in 1994, killed 35 people. The bubonic plague is believed to have been the cause of the Black Death, which swept through Europe in the 14th century, killing one third of the population, or more than 25 million people.

The competition is aimed at promoting self-confidence and pride for gays all over the world. Figure skating is among 35 different sporting events at the games.

Shortly before leaving France for Britain for a visit that could define Pakistan's troubled relations with the West, Zardari set the stage for a difficult meeting with Cameron, saying he hoped a "frank exchange" would clear the air. During a visit to India last week, Cameron said Pakistan must do more to prevent "the export of terror," comments that infuriated Islamabad, which summoned Britain's envoy on Monday.

In a statement released by his office overnight, Zardari's office quoted him as saying it was "unfortunate that certain individuals continue to express doubts and fears about our determination to fight militants to the end. Pakistanis were disappointed by Cameron's comments especially as he said them in India and for this reason it was even more important for the president to visit Britain to address this issue," the statement said. "Such fears will only weaken the international effort to fight militants and extremists."

In an interview with Le Monde, Zardari gave a stark assessment of the nine-year Afghanistan war, and said the West was to blame for failing to win the support of ordinary Afghans. "I believe that the international community, which Pakistan belongs to, is in the process of losing the war against the Taliban," Zardari said. "And that is, above all, because we have lost the battle for hearts and minds."

Some relatives of 9/11 victims are against the building of a mosque. Sarah Palin and other prominent Republicans have attacked the mosque plan, but New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has said Muslim religious freedom must be respected.

The backers of the Cordoba House cultural centre believe it will become a symbol of good inter-faith relations. But the opponents say it is tasteless to have a mosque so near to a site where Islamist extremists killed thousands. Former Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin wrote that "to build a mosque at Ground Zero is a stab in the heart of the families of the innocent victims of those horrific attacks". The building is already being used as a makeshift mosque.