The lawyer leading the US government's inquiry into the causes of April's huge oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico says his panel agreed with about 90% of BP's own investigation, which put much of the blame for the disaster on its drilling partners. The chief counsel Fred Bartlit made his comments at the opening of a final two-day hearing into the accident.
Fred Bartlit said he and his colleagues had yet to uncover a single instance in which anyone involved with the Deepwater Horizon made a conscious decision to put dollars before safety. Mr Bartlit also said his panel agreed with about 90% of BP's own inquiry. That inquiry put much of the blame for what happened on the oil company's drilling partners. The White House commission hasn't finished its work and isn't due to report for another two months, so it's too early for anyone to feel they've been let off the hook.
Pope Benedict has called a meeting of Roman Catholic cardinals to discuss the Church's response to cases of sexual abuse by the clergy. The unprecedented meeting will take place at the Vatican on 19 November, a day before the Pope is due to create 24 new cardinals.
And the Spanish cyclist Alberto Contador who won this year's Tour de France but then failed a drugs test is one step closer to a ban. World cycling's governing body said on Monday it was asking the Spanish federation to take disciplinary action against him. Contador won his third Tour de France, the sport's most prestigious race, in July but tested positive for the banned substance clenbuterol which can enhance performance. He says it was the result of eating contaminated meat. Cycling has battled for years with doping allegations.