BBC News - 2009.11.18

TOP STORIES
	Brown draws election battle lines Gordon Brown puts economic recovery at the heart of the Queen's Speech - his final set of plans before the next election.
	Girl bullies guilty of fall death Two teenage girls are found guilty of causing the death of a vicar's daughter who jumped from a window in south-east London.
	UK soldier killed in Afghanistan A British military policeman is shot dead during a gun battle in Afghanistan's Helmand province, the MoD says.
	'Laughing thief' carjacked mother A thief laughed and appeared to be "frothing at the mouth" as he drove off in a woman's car dragging her along, a court hears.
	Obama admits delay on Guantanamo President Obama admits the US will miss the January 2010 deadline he set for closing the Guantanamo Bay prison.

WORLD
	Obama admits delay on Guantanamo President Obama admits the US will miss the January 2010 deadline he set for closing the Guantanamo Bay prison.
	Iraq VP vetoes new election law One of Iraq's vice-presidents vetoes part of the new election law, putting the parliamentary polls due in January in doubt.
	Poor women 'bear climate burden' Women in developing countries will be the most vulnerable to climate change, a report from the UN Population Fund warns.

AFRICA
	Somali woman stoned for adultery A 20-year-old woman is stoned to death by Somali Islamists, accused of adultery after giving birth to a still-born baby.
	Hijacked tanker's captain 'dies' The captain of a tanker seized on Monday off the Seychelles has died of his injuries suffered during the attack, Somali pirates say.
	Yahia sends Algeria to World Cup Antar Yahia scores the only goal of the game as Algeria beat Egypt 1-0 to clinch Africa's final spot at next year's World Cup.

AMERICAS
	Obama admits delay on Guantanamo President Obama admits the US will miss the January 2010 deadline he set for closing the Guantanamo Bay prison.
	Cuban conditions 'remain harsh' Cuba is continuing to violate human rights and is using draconian laws to repress its citizens, according to a new Human Rights Watch report.
	Shuttle docks with space station The space shuttle Atlantis has successfully docked with the International Space Station on its mission to deliver new parts, Nasa official say.

ASIA-PACIFIC
	Trade talks end Obama China trip US President Barack Obama meets Premier Wen Jiabao on the last day of his much-watched visit to China.
	Australia mulls Scientology probe Australia's PM is to consider an inquiry into Scientology after a senator alleges it is a criminal organisation.
	Tamils end asylum ship stand-off Fifty-six Sri Lankan asylum seekers leave an Australian ship in Indonesia after a stand-off of more than a month.

EUROPE
	EU concern at Russia human rights Sweden's PM describes Russia's human rights situation as a "cause for concern" after an EU-Russia summit in Stockholm.
	Poland seeks EU jobs transparency Poland says rivals for the new top jobs of EU president and foreign affairs chief should "present their visions" to EU leaders.
	Sweden sends back Maori remains Two Swedish museums return the remains of five people of Maori origin to New Zealand as part of a wider European initiative.

MIDDLE EAST
	Iraq VP vetoes new election law One of Iraq's vice-presidents vetoes part of the new election law, putting the parliamentary polls due in January in doubt.
	Obama warns Israel on settlements US President Barack Obama says Israel's approval of new homes at a settlement in Jerusalem could lead to a "dangerous" situation.
	Yahia sends Algeria to World Cup Antar Yahia scores the only goal of the game as Algeria beat Egypt 1-0 to clinch Africa's final spot at next year's World Cup.

SOUTH ASIA
	'Critical moment' for Afghanistan Afghanistan is at a "critical moment" as Hamid Karzai faces a second presidential term, Hillary Clinton says.
	Afghans 'blame poverty for war' Poverty and unemployment are seen as the main factors fuelling conflict in Afghanistan, according to a survey in that country.
	India English growth 'too slow' India is falling behind countries such as China in its attempts to teach more of its people to speak English, a report says.

BUSINESS
	Queen outlines new banking laws The government outlines bills in the Queen's Speech to strengthen financial regulation and reduce UK debt levels.
	M&S appoints new chief executive Retail giant Marks and Spencer says that Morrisons chief Marc Bolland will become its new chief executive.
	Bank split over stimulus package Bank of England rate-setters were split three ways on this month's decision to pump £25bn more into the economy.

ENTERTAINMENT
	Camilla Dallerup quits the jungle Former Strictly Come Dancing dancer Camilla Dallerup quits ITV1's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! just days after the show starts.
	Lloyd Webber is back in hospital Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber has been re-admitted to hospital after developing an infection following surgery for prostate cancer.
	Doctor 'responsible' says Jackson In her first TV interview, singer Janet Jackson reveals that she blames her late brother Michael's doctor for his death in June.

SCIENCE/NATURE
	Skate may be fished to extinction A species of skate could become the first marine fish driven to extinction by commercial fishing, say scientists.
	Mercury mission clears key hurdle Science delegations to the European Space Agency approve a much more expensive mission to the planet Mercury.
	Tiny chip could diagnose disease A simple and cheap approach to diagnosing a wide array of medical conditions has been demonstrated by researchers.

TECHNOLOGY
	Government lays out digital plans The government outlines a bill in the Queen's Speech for the country's digital future including plans to tackle illegal file-sharers.
	Tiny chip could diagnose disease A simple and cheap approach to diagnosing a wide array of medical conditions has been demonstrated by researchers.
	Ordnance Survey maps to go online The government has announced plans to make Ordnance Survey mapping data available free of charge online.

HEALTH
	Many 'have doubts over flu jab' About half of people would be happy to have the swine flu vaccination, an exclusive survey for the BBC shows.
	100,000 X-rays 'went unchecked' A doctor tells a tribunal he was sacked for whistle-blowing after finding 100,000 unprocessed X-rays "hidden" in a hospital cupboard.
	Concerns over social care plans The government's plan to offer the most vulnerable people free social care in their own homes in England has been met with a cool response.

EDUCATION
	School guarantee 'whingers' fear Plans in the Queen's Speech to guarantee rights for parents over their children's schooling could end in court cases, warn head teachers.
	Universities 'bail out students' Three quarters of universities in England have had to bail out students because of delays to loans, suggests a BBC survey.
	School phobia boy granted apology Officials are forced to apologise for bringing a truancy prosecution against a boy who suffered from a phobia of school.

ON THIS DAY NEWS FROM THE BBC ARCHIVES
	2000: Hollywood meets Wales in 'wedding of year' The film world celebrates the celebrity wedding of the year as film star Michael Douglas marries Welsh actress Catherine Zeta Jones.
	1987: King's Cross station fire 'kills 27' Twenty seven people are dead after a fire at King's Cross station in central London.
	1991: Church envoy Waite freed in Beirut Church envoy Terry Waite is freed by the Islamic extremists who kidnapped him in Beirut in 1987. . .