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	Friday, 18 July, 2008, 1:00 GMT 09:00 +08:00:Asia/Shanghai




TOP STORIES

	Treasury may relax fiscal rules Officials in the Treasury are looking at ways of relaxing Gordon Brown's so-called fiscal rules on government finances.

	IMF raises world economic targets The IMF says the global economy has weathered the impact of the credit crunch better than first feared.

	Gas bills 'to top £1,000 a year' Energy bills could rise by more than 60% within the next few years, the UK's biggest domestic energy supplier warns.

	EU hits Intel with fresh charges European regulators file new charges against chip maker Intel over alleged abuse of its dominant market position.

	Ex-soldiers 'struggle on leaving' Service personnel leaving the forces after just a few years settle into civilian life less well than those of many years' service, MPs find.




WORLD

	IMF raises world economic targets The IMF says the global economy has weathered the impact of the credit crunch better than first feared.

	Four Madrid bomb convicts cleared Spain's Supreme Court overturns the conviction of four people found guilty of involvement in the Madrid train bombings in 2004.

	EU plans to block aid to Bulgaria The European Commission plans to block almost $1bn in funds for Bulgaria as penalty for failing to beat corruption.




AFRICA

	Nigeria footballer's brother free The brother of Nigerian and Everton footballer Joseph Yobo is freed after being kidnapped by gunmen.

	Fierce fighting in Somali capital Somali insurgents and government troops exchange heavy artillery fire in the capital, Mogadishu.

	Zimbabwe 'faces new EU sanctions' European Union member states will agree next week to impose tougher sanctions against Zimbabwe, diplomats say.




AMERICAS

	US judge backs Guantanamo trial A US judge rules that the first war crimes trial at Guantanamo Bay, involving Osama Bin Laden's former driver, can go ahead.

	Obama gets June fundraising boost Democratic US presidential hopeful Barack Obama reveals that his campaign raised $52m (£26m) in June.

	Nicaragua's Farc offer rebuffed Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega's offer to talk to Colombia's Farc rebels is rejected by Bogota.




ASIA-PACIFIC

	Philippines Muslim area to expand The Philippines government agrees a draft deal to expand an autonomous area granted to minority Muslims.

	Troop build-up at hill-top temple Cambodia and Thailand move more troops into an ancient border temple, as a territorial dispute enters its third day.

	China auctions lavish building Chinese officials announce plans to sell a lavish government building to the highest bidder, in aid of earthquake relief funds.




EUROPE

	Four Madrid bomb convicts cleared Spain's Supreme Court overturns the conviction of four people found guilty of involvement in the Madrid train bombings in 2004.

	EU hits Intel with fresh charges European regulators file new charges against chip maker Intel over alleged abuse of its dominant market position.

	EU plans to block aid to Bulgaria The European Commission plans to block almost $1bn in funds for Bulgaria as penalty for failing to beat corruption.




MIDDLE EAST

	Israel buries returned soldiers Israel holds military funerals for two soldiers returned from Lebanon by Hezbollah militants as part of a prisoner exchange.

	Olmert lawyers quiz businessman Lawyers for the Israeli PM question a US businessman at the centre of a corruption investigation against him.

	Iran satisfied at US involvement Iran welcomes as positive America's decision to take part in international talks on its nuclear programme.




SOUTH ASIA

	Doubts over US Afghan operation Nato says US forces killed two Taleban commanders in western Afghanistan, amid reports of heavy civilian casualties.

	Protest over Pakistan share slump Hundreds of angry Pakistani investors hold violent protests at plunging share prices.

	Gandhi defends US nuclear accord The leader of India's governing Congress Party, Sonia Gandhi, defends a controversial nuclear deal with the US.




UK

	Treasury may relax fiscal rules Officials in the Treasury are looking at ways of relaxing Gordon Brown's so-called fiscal rules on government finances.

	Gas bills 'to top £1,000 a year' Energy bills could rise by more than 60% within the next few years, the UK's biggest domestic energy supplier warns.

	Teenager dies in stabbing attack A teenager dies after suffering stab wounds at a property in south-west London, Scotland Yard says.




ENGLAND

	Canoe wife wished husband drowned The wife of presumed-dead canoeist John Darwin tells a jury she wished her husband really had drowned.

	Stab shoe pulled after knifings Sportswear firm Nike withdraws its Air Stab retro range of trainers following a recent spate of knife deaths in London.

	Divorcee publishes payout to wife A businessman silences critics who branded him "tight" by publishing details of his wife's divorce settlement.




NORTHERN IRELAND

	Shotgun fired by cash van robbers A shot is fired by armed robbers who made off with up to 100,000 euro from a cash-in-transit van in Dublin.

	Christian bookshop staff targeted A man is arrested after staff were threatened during robberies at two Christian bookshops in Belfast.

	Woman, 21, killed in car accident A 21-year-old woman killed in a car crash near Armagh is the ninth road death in 10 days in Northern Ireland.




SCOTLAND

	Man charged with Moira's murder A 32-year-old man appears at Glasgow Sheriff Court charged with the murder of 40-year-old Moira Jones.

	By-election vote pitch continues Political parties continue their campaigning for the Glasgow East by-election, with just over a week to go to voting.

	Birthday books for Mandela's 90th Glasgow sends 50,000 books to South Africa to mark Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday.




WALES

	Teen guilty of dog walker murder A youth sobs in the dock as a jury convicts him of battering to death a woman out walking her dog.

	Warning over 'dangerous' knifeman Police warn about an "extremely dangerous" man carrying a large knife after two attacks in Swansea.

	NHS trusts lose confidential data More than 150 separate cases of data being lost across Welsh NHS trusts left patients details at risk, it is revealed.




POLITICS

	Treasury may relax fiscal rules Officials in the Treasury are looking at ways of relaxing Gordon Brown's so-called fiscal rules on government finances.

	Army chief welcomes troop support The head of the Army, Gen Sir Richard Dannatt, welcomes moves by ministers to increase support for soldiers and their families.

	Parties count down to by-election Political parties have been campaigning hard in the Glasgow East by-election with just over a week to go.




BUSINESS

	Gas bills 'to top £1,000 a year' Energy bills could rise by more than 60% within the next few years, the UK's biggest domestic energy supplier warns.

	Treasury may relax fiscal rules Officials in the Treasury are looking at ways of relaxing Gordon Brown's so-called fiscal rules on government finances.

	EU hits Intel with fresh charges European regulators file new charges against chip maker Intel over alleged abuse of its dominant market position.




ENTERTAINMENT

	Cranford Dames join Emmy hopefuls Dame Judi Dench and Dame Eileen Atkins are among the contenders for this year's Primetime Emmy Awards in the US.

	Veteran rockers set for windfall Ageing rock musicians are set to be paid for their recordings for the rest of their lives under a European Union plan.

	China ban for 'threatening' stars Western pop stars will not be affected by Bjork's outburst at a recent Chinese concert, authorities say.




SCIENCE/NATURE

	Grunting fish yield vocal clues A grunting fish helps scientists to date the origins of vocal sounds to about 400 million years ago.

	Water 'widespread' on early Mars Water was once widespread on Mars, data show, raising the prospect the planet could have supported life.

	Sea die-out blamed on volcanoes Undersea volcanic activity has been blamed for a mass extinction in the seas 93 million years ago.




TECHNOLOGY

	Say goodbye to the computer mouse Gestural interfaces could spell the end for the humble computer mouse says analyst company Gartner.

	Veteran rockers set for windfall Ageing rock musicians are set to be paid for their recordings for the rest of their lives under a European Union plan.

	Whitehall bid to cut IT emissions The government unveils plans its hopes will help it become the first in the world to make its computer use "carbon neutral".




HEALTH

	Target to cut MRSA virtually hit The government has almost reached its target of halving MRSA rates, figures show.

	Teen drink and drug use falling Rates of drug taking, smoking and drinking are falling in young teenagers, a national survey shows.

	Huge gap in world cancer survival There is a huge variation in cancer survival rates across the world, an in-depth global study shows.




EDUCATION

	'Farce' warning on degree levels A committee of MPs warns that the lack of certainty about what a degree is worth is "descending into farce".

	More questions about Sats results Questions are being raised about the quality of the marking of some of this year's school tests in England.

	4,000 schools 'closed by strike' A strike by teaching assistants and support staff closes at least 4,000 schools, its organisers have claimed.

ON THIS DAY NEWS FROM THE BBC ARCHIVES

2000: Sarah Payne's body found
Police confirm the body they found in a West Sussex field yesterday is that of missing eight-year old Sarah Payne.

1966: Nurses murder suspect charged
US police have charged a seaman with the murder of eight student nurses in their hostel in Chicago.

2003: Missing Iraq expert - body found
A body believed to be that of government scientist Dr David Kelly is found in Oxfordshire - an inquiry will be held into his death.




DON'T MISS

Phill Jupitus' Comic Heroes
Comedian Phill Jupitus offers some personal insights into the world of the satirical newspaper comic strip.
SATURDAY, 10.30am, BBC RADIO 4 or ONLINE

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