BBC news 2010-05-24 加文本

2010-05-24 BBC

BBC News with Ian Purdon.

The US Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has sharply criticised the oil company BP for its handling of the huge oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico. Speaking after a visit to BP's American headquarters in Houston, Mr Salazar said he was angry and frustrated that BP has missed deadline after deadline to stem the flow of oil. He said the disaster represented a crucial challenge for the company.

“I have no question that BP is throwing everything at the problem to try to resolve it because this is an existential crises for one of the world's largest companies. Do I have confidence that they know exactly what they are doing? No, not completely.”

Earlier a spokesman for BP admitted that efforts to reduce the flow of oil had not been working as effectively as before. The BBC Washington correspondent says the tough rhetoric from the White House is in part a response to increasing public frustration with the way the federal government is handling the crises.

Iran has suggested that Washington propose a prisoner swap in return for the release of three Americans held in Tehran accused of spying. The Americans say they entered Iran accidentally while hiking in northern Iraq last year, but the Iranian authorities have ignored repeated please for their release. From Washington here is Bahman Kalbasi.

The Intelligence Minister did not name any specific Iranians being held in American prisons who could possibly take part in a prisoner exchange, but he said Iran had made a humanitarian gesture in allowing the three American prisoners’ mothers to visit last week and the US should make a similar move. Responding to the comments, a US State Department spokesman said there had been no discussion between the two countries about any potential swap. He added the US believed the spying charges against the 3 young Americans are, in his word, ridiculous, and they should be released immediately.

Latest measurements from the Icelandic volcano that's caused serious disruption to air traffic for more than a month show a marked drop in activity. They show it’s now only producing steam. Rister Booker reports.

Magnus Tumi Gudmundsson, one of Iceland's leading volcano experts, flew over the Eyjafjallajokull eruption today. He says heat camera footage shot during the fight indicated that the temperature in the crater had fallen to just 100℃. Under such circumstances, only steam is coming from the volcano, no magma is being produced. But Magnus still may warned that it was too early to say that the eruption was completely over. The volcano could just have entered a period of low activity.

The space shuttle Atlantis is on its way back to earth from the International Space Station on its last voyage after a 25-year career. The American space agency NASA is retiring the shuttle fleet for cost and safety reasons. The crew of Atlantis uploaded a new research laboratory there and also a docking port for Russian spacecraft during its week long trip, leaving behind what one called “a palace in space.”

World news from the BBC.

A prominent Cuban dissident says the communist authorities have agreed to improve conditions for political prisoners and move sick inmates to hospital. Guillermo Farinas, who's being on hunger strike to demand the release of sick prisoners, said this followed a meeting between Cuban officials and representatives of the Roman Catholic Church. Michael Voss reports from Havana.

A spokesman for the Roman Catholic Church in Havana who asked not to be named said that the Cuban government will shortly start transferring political prisoners back to their home provinces so that they can be nearer to their families. There’s also been an agreement to admit a number of inmates who have serious health problems to hospital. It’s the first sign of the movement on the issue by the Cuban authorities and has raised hopes that some prisoner releases could follow.

South Korea has confirmed it's to seek a new resolution against North Korea at the UN Security Council over evidence that it sank one of its warships, the Cheonan, killing 46 sailors. Further measures to be announced on Monday are expected to include banning North Korean ships from South Korean waters.

Voting has ended in Ethiopia's first parliamentary election since a disputed poll 5 years ago which resulted in post-election violence. Members of the opposition coalition say some voters have been intimidated and forced to support the ruling party. But the Prime Minister Meles Zenawi who’s been in office nearly 20 years has rejected the allegations. Preliminary results are expected on Monday. 

At the Cannes Film Festival in France, a work from Thailand on reincarnation has won the Coveted Palme d'Or prize for best film. Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul, is based on a book written by a Buddhist monk. A French film, Of Gods and Men, took the runner-up Grand Prix Award.

BBC News.