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	Thursday, 15 October, 2009, 20:00 GMT 01:00 +05:00:Asia/Calcutta

TOP STORIES
	Expenses probe MP to stand down A Tory backbencher accused of using expenses to fund his own company confirms he will stand down at the next election.
	Dates for postal strike confirmed National postal strikes will begin on 22 October, the union confirms, a move Royal Mail describes as "unjustified".
	US runaway balloon lands in field A balloon that floated away over Colorado with a six-year-old boy reportedly inside lands, with live footage of the drama on US TV.
	Swine flu jabs starting next week The swine flu vaccination programme will get under way in the UK next week, the government says.
	Man sectioned over Lewis assault A man has been charged and sectioned under the Mental Health Act over an assault on pop star Leona Lewis, police say.

WORLD
	Pakistan rocked by fresh attacks A wave of militant gun and bomb attacks on security facilities in Pakistan leave about 40 people dead.
	US banks' profits beat forecasts US banks Goldman Sachs and Citigroup report better-than-expected results, lifting hopes of an end to the global crisis.
	Arctic to be 'ice-free in summer' The Arctic Ocean could be largely ice free and open to shipping in the summer in as little as ten years' time, according to one of Britain's top polar specialists.

AFRICA
	Tsvangirai fury at aide's jailing Morgan Tsvangirai suspends a Zimbabwe cabinet meeting after one of his aides was jailed on terrorism charges.
	SA marchers blockade 2010 stadium More than 30 South Africans are arrested after a violent protest near a 2010 World Cup stadium.
	Uganda MP urges death for gay sex A Ugandan MP proposes the death sentence for an offence of "aggravated homosexuality" in a parliamentary bill.

AMERICAS
	US banks' profits beat forecasts US banks Goldman Sachs and Citigroup report better-than-expected results, lifting hopes of an end to the global crisis.
	Obama views New Orleans recovery Barack Obama makes his first presidential visit to New Orleans to see the pace of recovery from Hurricane Katrina.
	US runaway balloon lands in field A balloon that floated away over Colorado with a six-year-old boy reportedly inside lands, with live footage of the drama on US TV.

ASIA-PACIFIC
	Death sentences for Xinjiang riot A Chinese court sentences six people to death over ethnic rioting that killed almost 200 in Xinjiang region in July.
	EU and South Korea in trade deal The European Union and South Korea sign a trade deal that could be worth billions of euros to European exporters.
	King's health worries Thai market Share prices fall in Thailand amid concern about the health of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who has been in hospital nearly a month.

EUROPE
	Italy fury at 'Taliban pay' claim Italy angrily denies a UK newspaper report that it paid Taliban fighters in Afghanistan to keep the peace.
	Hague fixes Karadzic trial date Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic will go on trial at The Hague on Monday 26 October, the court says.
	Green spaces 'improve health' People living close to green spaces have less chance of being mentally ill, say Dutch researchers.

MIDDLE EAST
	Allies push Israel for Gaza probe Israel comes under pressure from Western allies to investigate UN war crimes allegations during its Gaza offensive last winter.
	Hezbollah disputes 'rocket' video Lebanese group Hezbollah broadcasts its own footage to dispute an Israeli claim that it removed arms from the site of an explosion.
	Egypt groups target Mubarak son Opposition groups in Egypt start a campaign to block President Hosni Mubarak from passing power to his son Gamal.

SOUTH ASIA
	Pakistan rocked by fresh attacks A wave of militant gun and bomb attacks on security facilities in Pakistan leave about 40 people dead.
	Italy fury at 'Taliban pay' claim Italy angrily denies a UK newspaper report that it paid Taliban fighters in Afghanistan to keep the peace.
	Obama signs big Pakistan aid bill A $7.5bn US aid package to Pakistan is signed into law, after fears it might impinge on Pakistan's sovereignty are eased.

UK
	Expenses probe MP to stand down A Tory backbencher accused of using expenses to fund his own company confirms he will stand down at the next election.
	Swine flu jabs starting next week The swine flu vaccination programme will get under way in the UK next week, the government says.
	Dates for postal strike confirmed National postal strikes will begin on 22 October, the union confirms, a move Royal Mail describes as "unjustified".

ENGLAND
	Man jailed for letting girl smoke A man is jailed after a court hears he encouraged a girl of three to smoke cigarettes while she was filmed on a mobile.
	Dog attack toddler critically ill Police investigate after a two-year-old boy is critically injured when he was attacked by two dogs in West Yorkshire.
	Man sectioned over Lewis assault A man has been charged and sectioned under the Mental Health Act over an assault on pop star Leona Lewis, police say.

NORTHERN IRELAND
	Controlled explosion on alert van A controlled explosion is carried out in the village of Clady after police were told a 600lb bomb had been left in a van.
	Woman victim of city sex assault A 34-year-old woman is sexually assaulted in the Antrim Road area of north Belfast, the police have said.
	'Wheel climber' charges changed A charge of false imprisonment laid against a man who climbed to the top of Belfast's big wheel has been reduced.

SCOTLAND
	Swine flu vaccinations to begin The H1N1 vaccination programme will begin in Scotland on 21 October, the Scottish government says.
	Salmond in election rallying call Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond issues a general election rallying call as he opens the 75th annual SNP conference.
	'Nightmare' pupils stress claim A drama teacher is seeking £800,000 damages after claiming "nightmare" pupils behaved so badly they made her ill.

WALES
	Man guilty in cottage voyeur case A man is warned he faces jail for secretly filming guests undressing and having sex at his holiday cottage.
	Fourth swine flu death confirmed A fourth swine flu related death is confirmed in Wales, with health officials warning more serious cases are inevitable.
	Number of deaths in fires reduce Firefighters in Wales attended fewer blazes and dealt with fewer arsons and fatalities over the last year, according to new figures.

POLITICS
	Expenses probe MP to stand down A Tory backbencher accused of using expenses to fund his own company confirms he will stand down at the next election.
	BNP to consider non-white members BNP leader Nick Griffin agrees to ask his party to amend its constitution so it does not discriminate on grounds of race.
	Salmond in election rallying call Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond issues a general election rallying call as he opens the 75th annual SNP conference.

BUSINESS
	US banks' profits beat forecasts US banks Goldman Sachs and Citigroup report better-than-expected results, lifting hopes of an end to the global crisis.
	Dates for postal strike confirmed National postal strikes will begin on 22 October, the union confirms, a move Royal Mail describes as "unjustified".
	Takeover talk boosts Sainsbury's Sainsbury's shares surge amid speculation that Qatari investors are about to increase their stake in the supermarket chain.

ENTERTAINMENT
	Man sectioned over Lewis assault A man has been charged and sectioned under the Mental Health Act over an assault on pop star Leona Lewis, police say.
	Stars wish Corrie's Blanche well Coronation Street stars wish actress Maggie Jones, who plays Blanche Hunt, a speedy recovery after major surgery.
	A-ha to break up after 25 years Norwegian pop group A-ha announce they are to call it a day, just months after scoring a top 10 album in the UK.

SCIENCE/NATURE
	Glimpses of Solar System's edge The first results from Nasa's Interstellar Boundary Explorer (Ibex) spacecraft show unexpected features at our Solar System's edge.
	Banana marks seed bank milestone An international seed bank has hit its target of containing 10% of all the world's wild plant species, researchers announce.
	Virtual maze 'maps' mouse memory Researchers take live recordings from inside the brain cells of mice as they move around a virtual reality maze.

TECHNOLOGY
	Microsoft recovers Sidekick data Microsoft says it has recovered "most if not all" of the data lost during recent server disruptions.
	Call for rethink on data storage A Microsoft official says new trading rules are needed for the movement of electronic data around the world.
	Battle of the smartphones begins With a clutch of new high-end handsets launching this week, could smartphones finally be going mass market?

HEALTH
	Swine flu jabs starting next week The swine flu vaccination programme will get under way in the UK next week, the government says.
	Watchdog vows to get tough on NHS One in eight NHS trusts must urgently improve their care, says a new watchdog which will gain powers to shut them down.
	Green spaces 'improve health' People living close to green spaces have less chance of being mentally ill, say Dutch researchers.

EDUCATION
	Fewer than half get GCSE minimum Just under half of teenagers who took GCSEs this summer in England got five "good passes" including maths and English.
	Troubleshooters lead loan review The government has appointed two troubleshooters to lead a review of the problems over student loans.
	Home educators' worry at register Groups representing families who home educate tell MPs they would resist calls to register annually with local authorities.

ON THIS DAY NEWS FROM THE BBC ARCHIVES
	1969: Millions march in US Vietnam Moratorium Americans take part in peace initiatives across the United States to protest against the continuing war in Vietnam.
	1964: Khrushchev 'retires' as head of USSR News of the sudden departure of flamboyant Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev comes as a surprise to the West.
	1999: Police award Silcott damages The Metropolitan Police announces a huge out-of-court settlement to Winston Silcott, wrongly accused over the murder of a policeman during riots in north London in 1985.

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