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The latest stories from the Home section of the BBC News web site.

Obama calls for Mid-East progress

President Obama urges Mid-East leaders not to let the chance of a peace deal slip away, ahead of a new round of talks.

Four power firms face sales probe

Four of the "big six" UK energy suppliers are to be investigated amid concerns of mis-selling to customers, the regulator says.

Police complaint numbers revealed

At least 2,000 police officers were subject to three or more complaints by members of the public in the last year, figures obtained by the BBC show.

Elderly broken hip care concerns

One in five elderly people with broken hips do not get surgery quickly enough, a survey shows.

Hague adviser quits over rumours

William Hague's special adviser Christopher Myers has resigned over "untrue and malicious" allegations, the foreign secretary has said.

'Holiday camp' punishments rapped

Community service has been described as a 'holiday camp' after criminals were filmed sitting drinking tea and smoking illegal drugs.

Prison 'difficult to run safely'

Holloway Prison is "extremely difficult to run safely", with about 60% of inmates feeling unsafe at some point, inspectors say.

Hurricane prompts US evacuations

Evacuations begin in areas of the US East Coast likely to be hit by Hurricane Earl, which has strengthened to a category four storm again.

Discovery Channel gunman killed

Police shoot dead a gunman who took three hostages at the Discovery Communications HQ near Washington and free his prisoners.

Chile miners given first hot meal

Chilean miners trapped underground receive their first hot meal in 26 days, as Nasa experts arrive at the mine site.

Apple launches MySpace challenger

Apple launches a music-based social network called Ping as part of its latest upgrade to the iTunes music software.

Gooaaal! Football's greatest free kick 'no fluke'

Physicists explain one of football's most spectacular free kicks, showing that Roberto Carlos's 1997 "impossible goal" was not a fluke.

Rub-a-dub-dub one man in a tub crosses the Irish Sea

At an age when many people are thinking about how to get in and out of the bath, Mervyn Kinkead has put his own tub to a use which belies his advancing years.

Murray eases through in New York

Britain's Andy Murray cruises into the second round of the US Open with a straight-sets victory over Slovakia's Lukas Lacko.

Crouch out of England qualifiers

Tottenham striker Peter Crouch is the latest player to pull out of England's squad for the Euro 2012 qualifiers against Bulgaria and Switzerland.

Pietersen apologises for outburst

Kevin Pietersen apologises for the outburst which followed his omission from England's limited-overs squads for the series against Pakistan.

Pakistan trio 'may face' England

The three Pakistan cricketers facing spot-fixing claims could play against England in limited-over matches on their tour.

England Women in World Cup final

England Women will face New Zealand in the World Cup final on Sunday after defeating Australia 15-0 at Twickenham Stoop in Wednesday's semi-final.

Hairdresser blast death a mystery

The cause of an explosion which killed a 19-year-old hairdresser in her car remains a mystery, an inquest hears.

School meals 'help fussy eaters'

School lunches can tempt fussy eaters to try new foods, a survey carried out in England for the School Food Trust suggests.

Minimum alcohol price to be named

The Scottish government is to confirm for the first time its proposed minimum price per unit of alcohol.

Girl is treated after dog attack

A 10-year-old girl is hospitalised after being bitten by a dog in Kilmarnock.

Planning appeals 'face backlog'

The Planning Appeals Commission has a backlog of 13 pending major cases but can only deal with one case at a time, its head says.

South Armagh diesel plant raided

An illegal diesel laundering plant has polluted a rural area of South Armagh, according to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

Blair's devolution danger worries

Tony Blair, the former prime minister whose government created the Welsh assembly, describes devolution as "a dangerous game" in his memoirs.

UK 'failing its wounded troops'

The UK is "failing miserably" to help injured and traumatised troops recover from combat, say the parents of a Welsh soldier fatally wounded in Afghanistan.

Deadly Maputo clash over prices

Six people are reported killed in Mozambique's capital Maputo in riots over rising food and fuel prices.

Floods swamp south Sudan region

Some 57,000 people have been forced from their homes because of dramatic floods in south-western Sudan over the past month, officials say.

Ancient reef uncovered in Pacific

An ancient reef may provide scientists with clues about what will happen to coral when sea temperatures rise.

EU presses China over fake goods

The EU urges China to curb smuggling to Europe, saying counterfeit cigarettes alone deprive the EU of 10bn euros (£8bn) in tax revenue annually.

Netherlands frees Yemeni suspects

Two Yemenis arrested in Amsterdam on suspicion of planning a terror attack are released, prosecutors in the Netherlands say.

Ferrari recalls cars after fires

Luxury carmaker Ferrari recalls all of the 458 Italia cars made this year, following reports of the supercars catching fire.

Brazil city's officials arrested

The Brazilian city of Dourados is left with power vacuum as police arrest all top officials on suspicion of corruption.

'Drug kingpin' confesses on video

US-born suspected gang leader Edgar "Barbie" Valdez admits involvement in the drugs trade during an interrogation by Mexico's police.

Obama hails US operation in Iraq

President Barack Obama hails the end of US combat operations in Iraq, saying the US has paid "a huge price" to "put Iraq's future in its people's hands".

Iran's Bruni slurs 'unacceptable'

France says that "insults" in Iran's media aimed at France's first lady, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, are "unacceptable".

Pakistan flood waters 'diverted'

A Pakistani diplomat calls for a probe into allegations that rich landowners diverted water into unprotected villages during the floods to save their own crops.

Deadly Lahore triple bomb blast

At least 25 people are killed and more than 170 are injured in three bomb blasts during a Shia religious parade in Lahore, Pakistan.

Alaska senator drops out of race

Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski accepts defeat in her re-election bid, and the Republican nomination goes to a newcomer backed by the Tea Party.

Fed mulls further debt purchases

Minutes from its August meeting reveal the US Federal Reserve will buy up more debt if conditions worsen "appreciably".

Blair 'warned on economy' in 2005

The UK should have addressed its public deficit back in 2005, former Prime Minister Tony Blair has told the BBC.

Lehman 'could have received help'

The former head of Lehman Brothers, Dick Fuld, blames regulators for the collapse of the Wall Street investment bank.

Boots to dissolve pension scheme

The drug company Alliance Boots is dissolving one of its two final-salary pension schemes to 'ensure long-term security'.

Blair's account of Brown 'unfair'

Allies of Gordon Brown rally behind the former prime minister, describing criticism of him in Tony Blair's memoirs as "unfair" and "one-sided".

Clegg issues Pakistan aid warning

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg warns Pakistan will need aid for years to come during a visit to the flood-hit country.

Ed Miliband: It's time to move on

Ed Miliband tells the BBC it is time for Labour to "move on" from Tony Blair - as the former PM warns against rejecting New Labour reforms.

Brain training may delay dementia

People who do puzzles and crosswords may stave off dementia longer but experience a more rapid decline once the disease sets in, a study suggests.

Cosmetic surgery women 'not vain'

Many women having cosmetic surgery believe that it is other people having work done who are motivated by vanity, it is claimed.

Problem drinking divides England

Figures reveal stark geographical divisions in the toll alcohol takes on health in England.

First wave of new-style academies

Teachers' unions are branding the government's relaunch of academies in England as a "failure", with about 30 expected this term.

Shoesmith given leave to appeal

Sharon Shoesmith is given leave to appeal over her sacking as the head of children's services at Haringey Council after the death of Baby Peter.

Imperial College expands overseas

Imperial College is going to open its first branch outside the UK - a medical school in Singapore, run in partnership with a local university.

Sony rolls out rival to iTunes

Sony has unveiled its own music and video download in an annoucement timed to coincide with an Apple media event.

Roaming iPhone glitch continues

Mobile operator O2 and Apple are still resolving a months-old data roaming issue, with customers complaining of charges they didn't incur.

Orange rolls out mobile HD voice

Mobile firm Orange becomes the first UK network to use a new technology that claims to offer higher quality voice calls.

Old star wallows in 'steam bath'

Europe's Herschel space telescope spies an aging star that has surrounded itself in hot water vapour.

Weather clash causes snowy winter

The collision of two major weather events can explain unusually large snowfall in the US and Northern Europe, researchers say.

Clue to ancient Antarctic seaway

Scientists have found evidence for an ancient sea passage linking currently isolated areas of Antarctica.

BBC loses court battle over Stig

The BBC loses a legal fight in the High Court to stop publication of a book which claims to reveal the identity of Top Gear's driver The Stig.

Stars poised for Venice film gala

Film stars from Hollywood and around the world are gathering for the start of the 67th Venice Film Festival.

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