Illegal bushmeat 'rife in Europe'

　　

　　

　　Two primate species were among the seizures of bushmeat by customs About 270 tonnes of illegal bushmeat could be passing through one of Europe's busiest airports each year, the first study of its kind estimates.

　　A team of researchers says the illicit trade could pose a risk to human or animal health and increase the demand for meat from threatened species.

　　The figure is based on seizures from searches carried out over 17 days at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris.

　　The findings appear in the journal Conservation Letters.

　　A team of researchers from France, Cambodia and the UK said it was the "first systematic study of the scale and nature of this international trade".

　　"We estimate that about five tonnes of bushmeat per week is smuggled in personal baggage through Paris Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport," they wrote.

　　During the 17-day study, a total of 134 passengers arriving on 29 flights from 14 African nations were searched.

　　Nine people were found to be carrying bushmeat, which had a combined mass of 188kg.

　　In total, 11 species were found - including two types of primates, two kinds of crocodiles and three rodent species - four of which were listed as protected species.

　　'Lucrative trade'

　　Co-author Marcus Rowcliffe from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) explained why the international team of researchers decided to carry out the research.

　　Continue reading the main story

　　

　　Only a small proportion of Africa's bushmeat is exported

　　Calls for bushmeat ban rejected

　　"As no study like this had been carried out before, we really had no idea as to the volume of bushmeat coming into airports," he told BBC News.

　　"It was a surprise when we saw how much was arriving."

　　The products were not only imported for personal consumption, but were part of a lucrative organised trade with high prices indicating luxury status, Dr Rowcliffe added.

　　"A 4kg monkey will cost around 100 euros (£84), compared with just five euros in Cameroon," he said.

　　Based on the data gathered from the 29 flights covered by the study, the researchers then calculated the weekly and annual inward flow of bushmeat.

　　"Assuming that (the study's) rates are representative of the average weekly rate over the year, this equates to... 273 tonnes of bushmeat," they calculated.

　　The team suggested that there were likely to be a number of factors behind the large volume of bushmeat being imported.

　　"First, detecting and seizing these products is not a priority," they explained.

　　"Second, penalties for importing illegal meat or fish are low and rarely imposed. Third, the rewards for transporting bushmeat are potentially high."

　　The researchers acknowledged that the study had a short time scale and limited geographical coverage, and said that a longer and large scale survey was now required to build on the findings.

　　However, they added that their study did allow them to consider ways to control the trade.

　　They suggest offering incentives to customs officers, increasing the penalties for illegally importing the products and raising awareness among passengers that bringing such products into the EU was prohibited.

　　The team concluded: "The large scale of current imports makes it important to consider all options for reducing the flow of illegal meat and fish, and of bushmeat in particular."

Times Square car bomb suspect Faisal Shahzad indicted

　　

　　

　　Faisal Shazhad, 30, was arrested two days after the car bomb attempt The main suspect in the alleged attempt to set of a car bomb in New York's Times Square last month has been indicted by a federal grand jury.

　　Faisal Shahzad, 30, is facing terror charges, including attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction.

　　The explosives found in a car on Times Square on 1 May failed to detonate.

　　Mr Shahzad, a Pakistani-born US citizen, was later arrested at New York's JFK airport. He faces life in prison if convicted.

　　He did not enter a plea at a court appearance on 18 May, but officials said he was co-operating.

　　The SUV found on Times Square was loaded with fertiliser, fireworks, gasoline, propane and alarm clocks.

　　Investigators traced the vehicle back to Mr Shahzad.

 

Blast at Colombia coalmine kills 16 and traps dozens

　　

　　

　　A blast at a coalmine in Colombia has killed 16 miners and left about 70 trapped underground, officials say.

　　The explosion happened late on Wednesday at the San Fernando mine in Amaga, Antioquia province.

　　Officials say there is little likelihood of finding survivors as rescuers tried to get into the mine.

　　"To be honest there is not much [hope], very little, practically none," Luz Amanda Pulido, a national disaster official, told local radio.

　　The blast happened at 2200 local time on Wednesday when miners were changing shift, officials said.

　　For that reason, the exact number of people inside the mine was unclear, they said.

　　Rescuers were trying again to get inside the shaft on Thursday morning.

　　'Huge tragedy'

　　It is not yet clear what caused the blast but officials said there may have been a build-up of gases. There are fears the death toll could rise further.

　　President Alvaro Uribe described the disaster as "a huge tragedy" and said "my heart goes out" to the families of the dead.

　　Colombia is one of the world's largest coal exporters.

　　COLOMBIA'S MINE DISASTERS

　　Continue reading the main story

　　2009: Methane gas explosion kills eight, also in Antioquian

　　February 2007: Gas explosion in north east kills 32

　　October 2007: At least 24 gold prospectors killed in mine collapse

　　April 2001: 15 dead after gas explosion in northern Colombia

　　1997: 16 miners buried alive after blast at coal mine in same region

　　It has the second-largest reserves in South America, after Brazil. According to the US Energy Information Administration, it was the fourth largest coal exporter in the world in 2008.

　　Dozens of workers have been killed in explosions at mines, many of which are makeshift.

　　A methane gas explosion killed eight workers in a mine last year, also in Antioquia province.

　　In February 2007, a gas explosion at a mine in north-eastern Colombia killed more than 30 workers.

　　After the blast at the makeshift La Preciosa site, about 580km (360 miles) north of the capital, Bogota, authorities said they would step up their supervision of Colombia's mines.

Pan-Starrs telescope begins operations to hunt asteroids

　　

　　

　　The telescope is relatively small, but incorporates cutting edge technology A new telescope facility in Hawaii designed to search for asteroids and comets which could threaten Earth has been made operational.

　　The Pan-STARRS 1 telescope will map large portions of the sky each night to track not only close space objects, but also exploding stars (supernovae).

　　The telescope has been taking science data for six months but is now operating from dusk-dawn each night.

　　Pan-STARRS 1 (PS1) is expected to map one-sixth of the sky every month.

　　The facility boasts a huge digital camera: a 1,400 megapixel (1.4 gigapixel) device that can photograph an area of the sky as large as 36 full Moons in a single exposure.

　　Continue reading the main story

　　These data will help us understand the life cycles of galaxies

　　Prof Carlos Frenk Durham University

　　"Although modest in size, this telescope is on the cutting edge of technology," said Dr Nick Kaiser, head of the Pan-STARRS project.

　　The giant digital camera will take over 500 exposures each night, collecting about four terabytes of data (equivalent to what 1,000 DVDs can hold).

　　By casting a wide net, the telescope is expected to catch many moving objects within our Solar System.

　　Frequent follow-up observations will allow astronomers to track those objects and calculate their orbits, identifying any potential threats to Earth.

　　In January this year, a report by the US National Research Council said the country must do more to tackle the asteroid threat.

　　Professor Carlos Frenk, from Durham University, who is the UK's member on the Pan-STARRS board, said: "PS1 will generate the largest ever multi-colour survey of the cosmos.

　　"Alongside supercomputer simulations of the universe, these data will help us understand the life cycles of galaxies and, if we are very lucky, the nature of the mysterious dark matter and dark energy that control the evolution of our cosmos."

　　The 1.8m (60-inch) diameter telescope on Haleakala will also spot many small, faint bodies in the outer Solar System that hid from previous surveys.

　　PS1 is the experimental prototype for a larger telescope to be built called PS4, which will have four times the power of PS1 and is planned for Mauna Kea in Hawaii.

Sarkozy in UK to mark de Gaulle historic war broadcast

　　

　　

　　Nicholas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni last visited the UK in March 2008 The French president and his wife are visiting the UK to mark the 70th anniversary of Charles de Gaulle's radio appeal to German-occupied France.

　　Nicolas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni will visit the BBC radio studio in London where the general famously urged his compatriots to resist Nazi occupation.

　　Mr Sarkozy, joined by Prince Charles, will lay a wreath on the Mall at the statue of the Queen's father George VI.

　　The president and British PM David Cameron will later meet veterans.

　　Limited audience

　　The visit is the first by a French president to mark Gen de Gaulle's broadcast on 18 June 1940.

　　The general had fled his country the day before as a new administration, headed by Philippe Petain, sought an armistice with Hitler.

　　DE GAULLE'S HISTORIC BROADCAST

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　　Gen de Gaulle fled France on 17 June 1940 as a new administration sought an armistice with Hitler

　　The next evening he urged the French to fight on in a BBC radio address from Broadcasting House

　　Britain had turned his request to broadcast down, but the decision was reversed after PM Winston Churchill intervened

　　To the general's fury, his speech was not recorded, so he returned four days later to deliver his message again

　　Blog: Head of BBC History on visit

　　In the stirring radio appeal Gen de Gaulle declared himself leader of the "Free French", spawning the French Resistance, which went on to play a crucial role in defeating the Germans.

　　He told his nation that "the flame of the French resistance must not and will not be extinguished".

　　Posters displaying his words were put up all over London in the days that followed the broadcast, to galvanise French exiles.

　　During their visit to Broadcasting House, Mr Sarkozy and his wife will unveil a plaque and view a tapestry presented in thanks to the BBC by France after World War II.

　　The president and Prince Charles will later lay wreaths at the statue of Gen de Gaulle in Carlton Gardens, where he set up his wartime offices.

　　About 800 people from the Charles de Gaulle Foundation, the Free French Foundation and other groups have been invited to London to join events.

　　Many will travel across the Channel on a specially chartered Eurostar, which will take them home again for further ceremonies.

　　The French and UK leaders will later meet resistance fighters and British veterans for a ceremony at the Chelsea Royal Hospital, home of the Chelsea pensioners.

　　Continue reading the main story

　　Translation of the speech

　　A student from the French lycee in London will read Gen de Gaulle's speech to Mr Sarkozy, the full text of which is inscribed on a bronze plaque at the foot of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

　　He was given a hero's welcome after the liberation of Paris in August 1944, but historians point out that he was not seen as a saviour in 1940.

　　They say his now revered broadcast went almost unnoticed at the time, with a very limited audience on the BBC French Service.

　　Mr Sarkozy's last official visit to the UK was in March 2008, when he was also accompanied by his supermodel-turned-singer wife.

　　The 36-hour stay was the first full state visit by a French president for 12 years.

Man wrongly jailed after Northants Police 'mistakes'

　　

　　

　　Warren Blackwell was freed after more than three years in prison Mistakes by a police force contributed to an innocent man being jailed for indecent assault, a watchdog has ruled.

　　Warren Blackwell, of Woodford Halse, was jailed having been found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman with a history of false claims against men.

　　A report by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) criticised Northamptonshire Police's handling of the case.

　　Mr Blackwell, 40, spent more than three years in jail before being cleared.

　　The IPCC report said a detective was told the woman was "unreliable" and "unstable" but did not pass the information on.

　　Delay in apology

　　Mr Blackwell was accused of a violent sexual assault by a woman who had suffered mental health problems and had a history of making false allegations.

　　The IPCC report criticised police for failing to challenge discrepancies in the woman's account and for not interviewing witnesses whose evidence would have undermined her claims.

　　The report said one officer, which the IPCC felt should have faced a misconduct hearing, had retired from the force.

　　Two detectives have been given management advice about their conduct.

　　Continue reading the main story

　　Warren Blackwell was subject to a terrible miscarriage of justice

　　Commissioner Amerdeep Somal IPCC

　　Mr Blackwell had his conviction overturned by the Court of Appeal in September 2006.

　　Northamptonshire Police only apologised to Mr Blackwell four years after he had been cleared.

　　The IPCC said it was "dismayed" it had taken so long to issue an apology.

　　Mr Blackwell was jailed after a woman claimed he indecently assaulted her outside a social club in the early hours of 1 January, 1999 after a New Year's Eve party.

　　Mr Blackwell was convicted in October 1999 at Northampton Crown Court, despite maintaining his innocence.

　　He was jailed for three years - later increased to five.

　　But the conviction was overturned after the case was referred by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC).

　　Commissioner Amerdeep Somal, of the IPCC, said: "As the Court of Appeal has ruled, Warren Blackwell was subject to a terrible miscarriage of justice.

　　"Nothing can bring back the three years four months he wrongly spent in prison.

　　She said a request that the Chief Constable withdraw a commendation given to the detective constable by the former Chief Constable for the original investigation had not been accepted.

　　She also expressed her "deep dissatisfaction" for the "unacceptable" length of time the force had taken to resolve disciplinary matters.

　　"Such unnecessary delay is neither in the public interest, nor in the interest of all those involved, including the police officers," she said.

　　In October 2006, Mr Blackwell's accuser was named in the House of Lords by Labour peer Lord Campbell-Savours during exchanges about the rape laws.

Van outside Aughnacloy police station sparks alert

　　

　　

　　Army bomb experts have been called to examine the abandoned van Police are advising the public and motorists to avoid Aughnacloy in County Tyrone after a van was abandoned outside a police station.

　　Army technical officers have been called to examine the vehicle which was left outside the building on the Dungannon Road.

　　Some 350 people living close by have had to leave their homes.

　　Dungannon Road and Main Street have been cordoned off and other agencies are helping police to clear the area.

　　Local DUP councillor Sammy Brush, who is at the scene, said: "There is nothing getting in, or out, of the vicinity of the police station.

　　"There's a white Ford transit van parked in front of the police station."

　　

　　Mr Brush said residents have been moved to nearby halls for the night.

　　"We can open all the halls that are needed. We have the facilities to open them.

　　"We wouldn't have beds in them but we have seats and things like that.

　　"It looks like it's going to be a long night and probably these people are going to be out for some considerable time."

　　He added that the evacuation seemed "fairly well organised" and that there was "no panic".

　　"There's a little bit of anger and disbelief but I suppose the longer this goes on, the feelings will probably get stronger."

Forth Valley Hospital to use robot 'workers'

　　

　　

　　Hospital managers say the robots will not replace humans A hospital in Scotland is to become the first in the UK to use a fleet of robots to carry out day-to-day tasks.

　　The robots will carry clinical waste, deliver food, clean the operating theatre and dispense drugs.

　　They are currently undergoing final tests ahead of the August opening of the new £300m Forth Valley Hospital in Larbert, Stirlingshire.

　　The robots will have their own dedicated network of corridors underneath the hospital.

　　NHS Forth Valley chairman Ian Mullen said the new hospital would be "packed full of design features to improve patient care and improve the life of staff".

　　Continue reading the main story

　　Members of staff will use a hand-held PDA to call up the robot to move meal trays, or linen, or whatever

　　Ian Mullen NHS Forth Valley

　　He added: "Members of staff will use a hand-held PDA to call up the robot to move meal trays, or linen, or whatever.

　　"The robot will come up in the service lift by itself, pick up the item and go back into the lift."

　　Tom McEwen, the project manager for manufacturer Serco, said a series of pre-programmed routes would be set out for the robots to follow.

　　"The robots will follow the sytem using a series of laser beams which will tell it exactly where it is," he explained.

　　Computers on board the robots will be able to tell doors to open, and sensors will tell the robots to stop if anything - or anyone - is in the way.

　　One of the most valuable aspects of using robots is in controlling infection.

　　Dispense drugs

　　"Traditionally clean and dirty tasks are carried out by the same person," infection control nurse Lesley Shepherd said.

　　"Here, you'll have the robots that do dirty tasks, so they may take dirty linen or clinical waste away, and you'll have robots that do clean tasks, such as bringing meals and clean linen to patients.

　　"They have separate lifts so there's no way they can cross, which is great."

　　Other robot models will clean theatre floors and even dispense drugs at the pharmacy.

　　Managers said the robots would not replace humans, but would free up more time for staff to spend with patients.

　　They will also have to keep at least one human on standby, should any of the robots break down.

Congress tells Hayward BP ignored oil well dangers

　　

　　During the course of the day, Mr Haywood faced attacks from both politicians and the audience

　　BP chief executive Tony Hayward has been told by an angry US Congressional panel his firm ignored dangers when drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

　　House committee on energy and commerce chairman Henry Waxman said BP's "complacency" before the 20 April rig explosion had been "astonishing".

　　He accused Mr Hayward of "stonewalling" for failing to answer his questions.

　　As a public relations exercise for BP, the hearing was a disaster, a BBC correspondent says.

　　Continue reading the main story

　　We are not small people but we wish to get our lives back

　　Bart Stupak US Congressman BP hearing: Key clashes Send us your comments

　　Over and over, the BP chief refused to agree with the conclusions of a group of angry, hostile Congressmen and women who seemed in no doubt, after their own lengthy enquiries, that BP had shown a reckless lack of attention to safety, Paul Adams reports.

　　Infuriated by Mr Hayward's inability or unwillingness to answer their questions, committee members resorted to expressing their disgust, more than one saying he felt insulted.

　　Eleven people died in the Deepwater Horizon drill rig accident, which left a ruptured well spewing hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

　　Despite BP efforts to contain the leak, oil continues to enter the sea, threatening states along the Gulf coast.

　　BP says it will withhold dividends until the end of the year as part of its response to the spill.

　　The long-term hope for ending the spill rests with two relief wells now being drilled, one of which has reached two miles (3km) below the seabed, or about two-thirds of its way to its target, US disaster coordinator Admiral Thad Allen reported on Thursday.

　　It is planned is to seal the leak with concrete but that is not likely to happen until August at the earliest.

　　'Tremendous risks'

　　BP's shares rose more than 6% after it agreed to put $20bn (£13.5bn) in a fund to compensate victims of the spill.

　　MARDELL'S AMERICA

　　Continue reading the main story

       This is going very badly for Mr Hayward and for BP

　　Mark Mardell BBC North America editor Read Mark's thoughts in full

　　The increase halted falls that had led to the company's stock value halving in recent weeks.

　　Congressman Waxman said in his opening remarks that BP had "cut corner after corner" in order to save money, which led to the explosion and fire on board the Deepwater Horizon.

　　"We could find no evidence that you paid any attention to the tremendous risks BP was taking," he went on.

　　"We reviewed 30,000 pages of documents from BP, including your e-mails. There is not a single e-mail or document that shows you paid even the slightest attention to the dangers at this well."

　　He told Mr Hayward: "You're not taking responsibility, you're kicking the can down the road."

　　One by one, other Congressmen, both Democrats and Republicans, questioned BP's activities in America in a hearing which lasted some seven hours.

　　"We are not small people but we wish to get our lives back," said Bart Stupak, playing on a comment made the day before by BP chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg about how BP sympathised with the "small people" of the Gulf, and a recent remark by Mr Hayward about wanting his "life back".

　　

　　Mr Hayward faced a barrage of questions about the drilling rig Texan Republican Michael Burgess expressed surprise when the BP chief said he had not known anything about the well in question until he was told in April that drilling had confirmed an oil discovery.

　　"But you're the CEO of the company," Congressman Burgess said.

　　"With due respect," Mr Hayward replied, "we drill hundreds of wells around the world."

　　"Yeah, that's what scares me right now," said Mr Burgess.

　　A row erupted within Republican ranks after another Texan Republican, Joe Barton, suggested BP had been subjected to a "$20bn shakedown" by the Obama administration.

　　Mr Barton, the senior Republican on Mr Waxman's committee, was rebuked by his own party leaders and retracted his words, the Associated Press reports.

　　"I regret the impact that my statement this morning implied that BP should not pay for the consequences of their decisions and actions in this incident," he said in a statement.

　　BP pledge

　　Earlier, as Mr Hayward prepared to testify, a protester briefly disrupted the hearing, shouting that he should be "charged with a crime" before she was removed.

　　Continue reading the main story

　　

　　This week, the BBC is assessing the impact of the Louisiana oil spill. Correspondents in the US, the Gulf of Mexico, Brazil, Nigeria and London are reporting for the BBC World Service, World News TV and the BBC News website.

　　Full coverage of the oil disaster

　　She was identified as Diane Wilson, a fisherwoman from Seadrift, Texas, near the Gulf Coast.

　　Expressing his "deep regret" for the spill, Mr Hayward repeatedly stressed he was constrained in what he could say by the fact that a number of investigations into the explosion had yet to finish.

　　"There is nothing I have seen so far that suggests that anyone put costs ahead of safety," he said at one point. "If there are, then we'll take action."

　　He said he had focused on improving safety for the three years he had been in his post and his priority was ending the spill and clearing uo the oil.

　　"I give my pledge as the leader of BP that we will not rest until we make this right," he said.

　　Mr Hayward's inability to answer specific technical questions about the situation on the rig angered the panel particularly.

　　BP's chief executive said answers would be supplied by his firm when they were ready.

　　The questions, set out in a letter to Mr Hayward on Sunday by Mr Waxman and fellow committee member Bart Stupak, include allegations that BP:

　　Went against the advice of its own plan review regarding the well's design and chose a riskier, cheaper and quicker casing option

　　Used only six centralisers to make sure the casing ran down the centre of the well bore, rather than the 21 recommended by sub-contractor Halliburton

　　Rejected warnings by its own plan review and Halliburton in preparations for a cementing job

　　Decided to forego a recommended safety step in the circulation of drilling mud

　　Did not deploy a "lockdown sleeve" that would have prevented the seal from being blown out from below

EU to publish bank data in drive to calm markets

　　

　　

　　Britain's David Cameron (left) was attending his first EU summit EU leaders have agreed to publish "stress tests" of banks next month to show investors where any potential risks lie.

　　EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said the results would be published "on a bank by bank basis - this should reassure investors".

　　The announcement came after EU summit talks dominated by the debt burden weighing on many member states.

　　The EU is wrestling with Europe's worst public debt for decades.

　　Leaders are intent on preventing contagion from the Greek budget crisis.

　　The summit came amid particular concern about public finances in Spain, the fifth biggest eurozone economy.

　　Bank levy plan

　　"Stress tests of banks will be published at the latest in the second half of July," European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said.

　　On Wednesday, Spain published the results of stress tests showing how its financial institutions would behave in a future crisis.

　　Now, overcoming German reluctance, all EU countries said they would do the same. The BBC's Oana Lungescu in Brussels says it is an unprecedented move which they hope will restore market confidence in the battered euro.

　　The leaders also agreed on the need for a bank levy, to ensure that any future bail-out is funded mainly by banks, rather than taxpayers.

　　Although details remain unclear, they will urge the US and other major economic powers to embrace a bank levy system at the G20 summit next week.

　　"In the G20 we will also propose to explore and to develop the introduction of a financial transaction tax," Mr Van Rompuy said.

　　"There is no need to create new [EU] institutions, it is... a matter of working better together," he added.

　　Both he and Mr Barroso have spurned suggestions by German Chancellor Angela Merkel that EU treaty changes might be necessary to enforce budget discipline.

　　Cooked breakfast

　　The EU leaders agreed on tighter collective supervision of individual member countries' budgets.

　　In addition, the rules governing debt levels among the 16 eurozone countries will be strengthened.

　　Earlier, British Prime Minister David Cameron, attending his first EU summit, promised to play a "positive" role in the bloc.

　　"We will of course always defend our national interests, as others do, and our national red lines," he added, speaking alongside Mr Barroso.

　　Both Mr Cameron and Mr Barroso said the EU should be focusing on "substance" rather than institutions.

　　At their early morning meeting Mr Barroso served up an English cooked breakfast of bacon, sausage and egg for Mr Cameron.

　　As the summit got under way the cost of borrowing for the Spanish government hit a record high, reflecting doubts about Spain's ability to repay its debts.

　　The government admitted this week that foreign banks were refusing to lend to some Spanish banks.

　　French President Nicolas Sarkozy insisted however that "there is no problem with Spain, we are showing full confidence in the Spanish authorities".

　　Budget surveillance

　　Spain has been forced to deny reports that it is in talks with the IMF over a bail-out package to help it manage its debts.

　　The country has announced budget cuts and unpopular labour reforms to avoid a Greek-style meltdown.

　　The eurozone has set up a 750bn-euro (£623bn; $920bn) bail-out mechanism as a safety net in case any more countries suffer a similar debt crisis to Greece.

　　The draft summit document mentions EU member states presenting their budgetary plans to the European Commission each spring, "taking account of national budgetary procedures", BBC Europe editor Gavin Hewitt reports.

　　The UK has made it clear that its budget must go before the British parliament before being presented to EU officials for scrutiny.

　　However, the UK's pre-budget report is already fed into EU finance ministers' discussions before the full budget appears in April, a UK diplomat told the BBC.

　　The EU leaders also discussed a new 10-year strategy for jobs and growth, drafted by the Commission, called "Europe 2020".

　　It sets out a range of targets for employment, training and investment. Spending on research and development would reach 3% of gross domestic product (GDP) under the plan.

Bebo sold by AOL after just two years

　　

　　

　　Bebo has struggled to compete against the likes of Facebook Internet company AOL has sold Bebo, the social networking site it bought two years ago for $850m (then £417m).

　　Criterion Capital Partners, a small private investment firm, announced that it had bought the business, but did not disclose the amount paid.

　　However, analysts suspect it to be just a fraction of the price paid by AOL in 2008.

　　Since then, Bebo has struggled to compete effectively against social networking rivals such as Facebook.

　　Earlier this year, AOL announced plans to sell or shut down Bebo because it was unable to provide the "significant investment" needed to prevent its decline as a business.

　　The BBC's technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones called AOL's decision to buy Bebo "one of the worst deals ever made in the dotcom era".

　　"The extraordinary thing is the deal was made years after the dotcom crash which was supposed to have taught the industry lessons," he said.

　　"The interesting thing is that the founder, Michael Birch, walked away with $300m - it's the art of timing."

　　'Active user base'

　　Criterion Capital's plans for Bebo are unclear, and the company was not immediately available to give further details.

　　But the new owners are believed to see significant potential in the business.

　　Bebo's headquarters is set to remain in San Francisco, at least in the near term, but job losses have not been ruled out.

　　In a statement, Adam Levin, Criterion Capital's managing partner, said there was plenty to be positive about.

　　"The young, highly active user base, revenue history, presence in countries throughout the world and solid technical infrastructure make it an attractive media platform," he said.

 

US prices fall for a second month

 

　　Falling fuel costs dragged prices lower US consumer prices fell for a second straight month in May, after energy prices dropped sharply.

　　The US consumer price index dropped 0.2% last month, adding to the 0.1% fall seen in April.

　　May's drop in prices was the biggest monthly decline since December 2008.

　　But economists said it was unlikely that the trend would result in a dangerous spiral of deflation, as core prices - which strip out energy costs - saw a small rise.

　　Core prices rose 0.1% in May, while energy prices dropped 2.9% - the biggest monthly drop in a year. Gasoline prices were down 5.2%.

　　The annual rate of inflation now stands at 2%, meeting the US Federal Reserve's target.

BP shares rise on US oil spill compensation deal

　　

　　

　　BP shares have closed up almost 7% after it agreed to put $20bn (£13.5bn) in a fund to compensate victims of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

　　The increase halted falls that had led to the company's stock value halving in recent weeks.

　　Investors said BP's agreement with the White House had "removed some of the uncertainty" surrounding the company.

　　The rise comes despite the announcement that BP shareholders will not receive dividend payments this year.

　　The year's first dividend payment of $2.6bn was due on Monday, but has now been cancelled.

　　It is the first time that BP has withheld the dividend since World War II.

　　Continue reading the main story

　　I am horrendously angry about this - we're being dragged into US politics

　　Sandy Lamb BP shareholder, Chester, UK

　　BBC business editor Robert Peston said the increase in BP's credit default swap (CDS) premium - the cost of insuring its debt - was an important factor in the board's decision to suspend the dividend.

　　The company also said it would be selling about $10bn worth of "non-core" assets in order to give it more available funds.

　　'Losing money'

　　One UK shareholder, who said he would lose £600 in dividend payments on top of the declining value of his shares, told BBC News online he felt he had effectively been "robbed by Barack Obama".

　　"If I was in the US, I could claim compensation for loss of income caused by the spill. But as it is, I'm losing money because of the oil spill and no one's giving me a helpline to call," said pensioner Sandy Lamb from Chester.

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　　The Gulf of Mexico debacle has increased the cost of insuring BP's shorter-term debt by a factor of 50

　　Robert Peston BBC business editor Read Robert's blog

　　"I am horrendously angry about this - we're being dragged into US politics... and David Cameron has done nothing for UK investors."

　　However, analysts were encouraged that the impact the disaster would have on BP was becoming clearer.

　　"The one thing investors hate is uncertainty," said Keith Bowman, equities analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown.

　　"A decision has been made on the dividend, and at least now we've got a few more numbers to work with."

　　Uncertainty remains

　　BP has agreed to pay $5bn into the fund this year, followed by quarterly payments of $1.25bn until the total $20bn is paid.

　　Continue reading the main story

　　

　　This week, the BBC is assessing the impact of the Louisiana oil spill. Correspondents in the US, the Gulf of Mexico, Brazil, Nigeria and London are reporting for the BBC World Service, World News TV and the BBC News website.

　　Full coverage of the oil disaster Q&A: Effect on your finances

　　Analysts said that the compensation fund and initial clean-up costs would be easily affordable for BP, but the threat of legal action and significant fines meant it needed to conserve cash.

　　"The big issue is that nobody knows what the extent of BP's liabilities might be," warned Brian Tora, investment manager at JM Finn.

　　"BP is a huge company and it can certainly fund the cost of cleaning up the oil spill, but what the future holds is very difficult to tell."

　　So far BP estimates it has spent $1.6bn on containing and cleaning up the oil spill so far.

　　Standard Chartered warned last week that the total cost to the company, including legal costs, could top $40bn.

　　President Barack Obama has also said that BP's compensation costs may not be limited to the £20bn already planned for the fund, and individuals will still be able to sue the company.

Utah prepares for firing squad execution of Gardner

 

　　Ronnie Lee Gardner has been on death row for 25 years The US state of Utah is preparing to put convicted murderer Ronnie Lee Gardner to death by firing squad, the first such execution in 14 years.

　　Unless a last-minute plea for clemency succeeds, Gardner - who has spent 25 years on death row - will be shot at 0005 local time (0605GMT) on Friday.

　　Gardner, 49, chose the firing squad as his method of execution before it was banned by Utah in 2004.

　　He would be only the third man put to death in that way in the US since 1976.

　　He was convicted in 1985 of fatally shooting a lawyer during an attempt to escape from a court where he was facing another murder charge dating from 1984.

　　Appeal rejected

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　　Mr Gardner has had a full and fair opportunity to have his case considered by numerous tribunals

　　Gary Herbert Utah governor Utah counts down to execution

　　A federal appeals court in Denver denied Gardner's request for a stay of execution on Thursday.

　　His lawyers have appealed against the decision to the US Supreme Court. If that appeal fails, his execution will go ahead.

　　Utah Governor Gary Herbert also rejected a request for a temporary stay on Thursday, saying Gardner's legal team had presented no material that had not already been considered by the courts.

　　"Mr Gardner has had a full and fair opportunity to have his case considered by numerous tribunals," he said in a statement.

　　On Tuesday, he ate his final meal of steak, lobster, apple pie, vanilla ice cream and 7-Up, before beginning a 48-hour fast.

　　'Wild West'

　　The execution will be carried out by a five-man firing squad.

　　Four of their rifles will be loaded with live bullets but a fifth will carry a blank, so that none of the men knows with certainty that he shot a lethal round.

　　Gardner will be hooded and strapped to a black metal chair, with a target pinned to his chest. He will be asked for his last words before the firing squad's triggers are pulled.

　　Critics say the method is a relic from the state's Wild West past and should be abolished.

　　Death row convicts in Utah were for decades allowed to choose their method of execution.

　　State legislators removed that choice in 2004 and made lethal injection the standard method - but inmates sentenced before then can still opt for firing squad.

Remains of chess champion Bobby Fischer to be exhumed

 

　　Bobby Fischer died in Iceland at the age of 64 The remains of chess champion Bobby Fischer are to be exhumed in order to settle a paternity claim, an Icelandic court has ruled.

　　The Supreme Court in Reykjavik said a tissue sample was needed to prove whether nine-year-old Jinky Young was Fischer's daughter.

　　Fischer, who died in Iceland in 2008, left no will.

　　His estate, estimated to be worth $2 million (£1.4m), has been at the heart of several inheritance claims.

　　Fischer's former wife, relatives and the US government - which claims it is owed taxes - are also involved in the dispute.

　　Ms Young, a Filipina, is the daughter of Marilyn Young, who had a relationship with Fischer.

　　'Unavoidable'

　　"In order to obtain such a sample it is unavoidable to exhume his body," a court document said.

　　The verdict overturned a ruling by a district court, which said earlier this year that the grounds of the request were not strong enough.

　　Thordur Bogason, lawyer for Marilyn Young and her daughter, said the exhumation was a "last resort", saying they had hoped that blood samples had been kept in an Icelandic hospital.

　　He said they had presented evidence that his clients had received regular payments from Fischer in the years before he died.

　　US-born Fischer became world famous in 1972 after winning against Boris Spassky, in what became known as the "chess match of the century".

　　He was later accused by the US of violating international sanctions against Yugoslavia by playing a match there in 1992. He was granted citizenship in Iceland in 2005.

　　He died aged 64, and is buried in a church cemetery in southern Iceland, about 50km (30 miles) from Reykjavik.