World News from the BBC
There's been a methane gas explosion inside a Russian coal mine in Siberia. Rescue workers said there were at least two deaths and several injuries. Many miners were brought to the surface,but more than a hundred others were still thought to be underground several hours after the blast.
The US Defence Secretary Robert Gates says he wants to make spending cuts of more than 10 billion dollars by altering a far-reaching review of what he called "a bloated and wasteful bureaucratic machine". From Washington, Madeleine Morris reports.
Robert Gates described America's defence spending over the past decade as a gusher, and one that had to be turned off. In announcing plans to save 10 billion dollars, Mr Gates gave diverse examples of what he sees as bloated Pentagon costs, including military health care, the large number of generals and admirals, and various layers of bureaucracy. He said redirecting 2 to 3% of defence spending to combat activities in readiness would be better use of American taxpayers' dollars in preparing for what he called "an uncertain future". Mr Gates pointed out that last year long-term savings of 330 billion dollars have been made by trimming several dozen weapons programmes.
The oil company BP has encountered problems with the massive containment box it's trying to place over a ruptured well on the seabed of the Gulf of Mexico. BP's chief operating officer Doug Suttles said the hundred-ton box had to be moved after icy residue or slush began accumulating inside it. He said engineers hoped they could find a solution to the problem and place the box back over the leak. The aim is to contain the oil and then funnel it into a tanker on the surface.