BBC News with Jim Lee.

Police in Jamaica have begun an operation to take control of the headquarters of the alleged drug dealer Christopher "Dudus" Coke, at the centre of the recent unrest in the capital Kingston. As the violence continues, the US State Department has said its embassy in Kingston is suspending none-essential services. Nick Davis sent this report from Kingston.

The Jamaican Defence Force were in convoys as they headed out of their base in the centre of Kingston to go downtown to the west of the city where the security forces spent much of the night fighting gunmen. Heavily armed soldiers have sand bags attached to their vehicles as they moved in on Tivoli where it’s believed Christopher "Dudus" Coke is said to be hiding. It’s been reported that the operation which starts about three hours ago has seen heavy fighting. There’ve been reports on the number of casualties and bodies seen in the streets.

The oil giant BP has pledged up to $500 million to fund research into the long-term environmental effects of the devastating oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The company has faced stinging criticism over its handling of the spill. The offer came as a delegation of White House officials and Senators flew over the Louisiana coastline to assess the extent of the pollution. The US Interior Secretary said the government would continue, as he put it, to keep its foot on BP’s neck. BP has meanwhile said another method is to be tried to stop the oil leak, the pumping of mud into the blown-out wellhead.