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Indication that China's economy is close to second largest in the world came today with the release of Japan's growth figures for the second quarter.

Waterborne diseases continue to pose great risk to millions of people affected by the devastating floods in Pakistan, the United Nations warned today, a day after Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, on a visit to the country, described the “heart-wrenching” suffering he witnessed among flood survivors.

US President Barack Obama has once again weighed into the mosque for Ground Zero argument, saying Muslims have the right to build their house of worship near the site of the 9/11 terrorist event.

US President Barack Obama has told Turkish Prime Minster Recep Tayyip Erodgan that the US will not sell weapons to his country if he does not change his attitude toward Israel.

Pointing to his tiny plot along the Zambezi River in central Mozambique, Tome Lande explains how the maize plants at the top of the sloping riverbank withered away during the drought, and those at the bottom washed away during the floods. His entire crop is gone, and he now collects washed up algae to fill his stomach.

The International Year of Youth kicked off today with calls from United Nations officials to harness the talents and energy of the world’s young people to promote better understanding and dialogue between different generations, cultures and religions.

United Nations aid agencies and their partners today requested almost $460 million to help Pakistan assist millions of people affected by floods that have cut a swathe through the country, killing hundreds of people and destroying homes, farmland and major infrastructure.

Zimbabwe's production of maize, its staple food, has improved "significantly", but the country is still food insecure and about 1.68 million people will require assistance in the first quarter of 2011, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP) said in a national crop and food security situation report released on 9 August.

North Korean television has confirmed another disaster has occurred in the Communist country.

There has been a rise in the death toll from massive flooding in central Europe overnight.