The day in pictures

1 of 9 A California firefighter takes a well-deserved rest between battles with wildfires in Simi Valley, California. At least 15 people have died and thousands have fled as fires have swept across the south of the state.

2 of 9 The Dusit Zoo in Bangkok, Thailand, proudly displays two adorable one-month-old Bengal tigers.

3 of 9 An Iraqi boy carries pastries as he passes by the ruined headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Baghdad; at least 35 people were killed when bombs exploded at the ICRC centre and three police stations.

4 of 9 Manal Salah, 30, an Egyptian mother who gave birth to sextuplets, five of whom survived, comforts her one-day old babies at her home in Banha, 49 km (80 miles) north of Cairo.

5 of 9 A young Palestinian boy celebrates with a homemade sparkler after breaking the Ramadan fast in the Daraj neighbourhood of Gaza City.

6 of 9 Spanish astronaut Pedro Duque eats an apple, the symbol of Kazakhstan, shortly after returning to Earth from the International Space Station.

7 of 9 England rugby players Matt Dawson [left] and Ben Kay slide down a water chute at a theme park near Brisbane, Australia to relax after a bruising World Cup match against Samoa.

8 of 9 With Halloween approaching, residents of Hong Kong prepare to stock up on costumes and goodies; although not a tradition the festival is becoming increasingly popular in the territory.

9 of 9 Ron McKay from at the US National Institute of Health talks to stem cell researchers in front of a photo of neurons. Singapore is hosting a three-day conference on the subject as it attempts to become a centre for biomedical research.