BBC news with Mick Cooper.

The German manufacturer of a drug, which left thousands of children with birth defects, has apologized to those affected. The

pharmaceutical

company Gruenenthal produced thalidomide in the 1950s and 60s to help pregnant women suffering from morning sickness. With the details, here is Mike Wooldridge.

The apology came as the chief executive of the Gruenenthal Group Harald Stock unveiled a bronze statue symbolising a boy born without a limbs because of thalidomide. He said the company sincerely regretted the consequences of the thalidomide, and apologized to all those affected and to their mothers for attempted for as he put it not reaching out their personally for almost 50 years. But he also repeated the firm's long standing

assertion

that it acted according to the state of scientific knowledge up to time that challenged by campaigners.

The runner-up in Mexico's presidential elections Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador says he won't accept the court ruling that

validates

the July's poll. Earlier, the country's electoral court dismissed an appeal by Mr. Lopez Obrador against to victory central right candidate Enrique Pena Nieto whom he accused of electoral fraud. Will Grant reports from Mexico City.

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador accused Mr. Pena Nieto's party the PRI of vote buying and other

irregularities

, and entered the petition that the election be declared valid. That request was formally denied on Thursday when an electoral tribunal called and found its claims and lack of evidence. The tribunal has now taken the next step and confirmed that Enrique Pena Nieto will be