Hagel says US must engage with world

27 February 2013 Last updated at 19:00 ET

Shortly after his swearing-in as defence secretary, Chuck Hagel has said the US should engage with the world rather than dictate to it.

Mr Hagel told Pentagon employees that the US must lead with its allies.

He made the remarks a day after the Senate approved his appointment following a bruising nomination battle.

Also on Wednesday, the Senate intelligence committee delayed a vote on whether to approve President Barack Obama's nominee for CIA director.

Mr Hagel was confirmed by a 58-41 vote after Republicans stalled his nomination, questioning his past positions on Israel and Iran and his qualification for the job.

He replaces Leon Panetta, who was confirmed unanimously in June 2011.

Use resources 'wisely'

In 15 minutes of remarks at the Pentagon, Mr Hagel called for the US to continue building strong relationships with old and new allies.

"We can't dictate to the world, but we should engage with the world," said the nation's 24th defence secretary.

Continue reading the main story

Hagel has stirred up a sudden storm in a chai glass here, with past suggestions that India has been using Afghanistan as a 'second front' against its old rival Pakistan"

End Quote

He added that the US was a "force for good" and that the US military should use its resources around the globe "wisely".

The former Republican Nebraska senator arrives at the Pentagon two days before $46bn (£30bn) in across-the-board cuts are set to hit the military.

On the budget cuts, Mr Hagel thanked staff for working to figure out how to deal with the reductions. But he said the real danger was the "uncertainty of planning, the uncertainty of commitment".

The new defence secretary also said he was committed to making sure that both US troops and civilian workers were treated fairly and equitably.

Two weeks ago, Republicans delayed a vote on Mr Hagel's confirmation.

But they dropped the filibuster stalling tactic, the first time it had ever been used to delay confirmation of a defence secretary, on Tuesday after a week-long recess.

President Barack Obama's Democratic Party holds a 55-45 edge in the chamber, and Mr Hagel ultimately only needed 50 votes to be confirmed in the final vote.

Republican Senators Thad Cochran, Rand Paul, Richard Shelby and Mike Johanns voted in favour of Mr Hagel's appointment.

Also on Wednesday, the Senate intelligence committee delayed a vote on White House counter-terrorism adviser John Brennan, whom Mr Obama has nominated as the next director of the CIA.

The panel's top-ranking Republican, Senator Saxby Chambliss, said a vote would be rescheduled for Tuesday but did not explain why it had been delayed.

Meanwhile, some Democrats have expressed concern over the government's use of unmanned drones to carry out "targeted killings", and have suggested a vote on Mr Brennan should be delayed until the committee can review certain secret documents relating to the programme.

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Wall Street Market Report

27 February 2013 Last updated at 16:25 ET Continue reading the main story Continue reading the main story

(Close): The US shares rallied for a second day, as evidence of a recovery in the housing market mounted.

The Dow Jones gained 176 points, breaking above the 14,000 level to 14,076, its highest close in the five years since the financial crisis began.

The Dow is close to its all-time high of 14,198.10, set in November 2007.

Worries that Italy's indecisive election result may renew the eurozone crisis have fallen away in the face of robust US home sales data.

Ben Bernanke also buoyed the market, arguing in Congress for a deal to delay big spending cuts due this Friday.

The Federal Reserve chairman said that if the $85bn "sequester" were allowed to stand, it could actually end up increasing the government's budget deficit because of the damaging effect such a sudden reduction in public spending could have on the economy.

Meanwhile, the Nasdaq tech index rose 33 points, to end the day at 3,162.

Shares in Dollar Tree Stores jumped 10%, after the retailer, which sells miscellaneous items from flowers to office supplies to toys, reported an unexpected rise in spending by shoppers.

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Shell halts Arctic drilling for 2013

27 February 2013 Last updated at 17:40 ET

Royal Dutch Shell has said that it will suspend its offshore drilling programme in the Arctic for the rest of 2013 in order to give time to ensure safety.

The decision to pause drilling for oil in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas off Alaska was widely expected, following a catalogue of problems last year.

The US Department of Justice is looking into safety failures at one rig.

The move "will give us time to ensure the readiness of all our equipment and people", said Marvin Odum of Shell Oil.

"We've made progress in Alaska, but this is a long-term programme that we are pursuing in a safe and measured way," he added.

'Good decision'

Shell first obtained licences from the US Department of the Interior in 2005 to explore the Arctic ocean off the northern and north-western coasts of Alaska.

It has since spent $4.5bn (£3bn), culminating in two exploratory wells completed during the short summer drilling season last year.

But Shell ran into multiple problems during the drilling programme:

• the company failed to have a spill-response barge on site before the drills reached oil-bearing zones, as it had promised, and a containment dome was damaged during testing
• drilling in the Chukchi Sea had to be called off less than 24 hours after it began on 9 September due to a major ice floe
• a fire broke out on the Noble Discoverer rig that Shell had hired for the Chukchi Sea drilling, and the US Coast Guard discovered 16 safety violations on board, which have now been passed to the justice department
• the Kulluk, a circular drilling barge, broke away from its towing vessel and ran aground on its way to a shipyard in Washington State in late December

The decision to abort drilling this year may in part be due to the fact that both drilling rigs are likely to be stuck in East Asia, undergoing repairs.

Shell has also faced widespread opposition to its activities from environmental activists.

"This is the first good decision we've seen from Shell," said Mike le Vine of Oceana, a group which focuses on ocean conservation.

"Given the disastrous 2012 season, our government agencies must take advantage of this opportunity to reassess the way decisions are made about our ocean resources and to reconsider the commitment to explore for oil in the Arctic Ocean."

US Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has said his department will carry out a high-level assessment of what when wrong with Shell's operations last year.

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Lew confirmed as treasury secretary

27 February 2013 Last updated at 18:39 ET

Jack Lew has been confirmed as the next US treasury secretary in a 71-26 vote of the Senate.

Mr Lew, 57, was recently chief of staff to President Barack Obama, who nominated him to the new role.

Mr Lew takes up his post amid tense negotiations between the White House and congressional Republicans.

They are fighting over a looming series of spending cuts know as the sequester, which would cut $85bn (£56bn) from the federal budget this year.

The cuts, which are set to begin to take effect on Friday if Congress does not act to avert them, would be split between defence and domestic programmes, with a total of $1.2tn reductions until 2022.

After the vote, Mr Obama praised Mr Lew's qualifications and said he had been by his side "as we confronted our nation's toughest challenges".

"His reputation as a master of fiscal issues who can work with leaders on both sides of the aisle has already helped him succeed in some of the toughest jobs in Washington," Mr Obama said.

Before working as Mr Obama's chief of staff, Mr Lew was his budget director. He also filled that role under President Bill Clinton.

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Argentina resists debt demands

27 February 2013 Last updated at 19:00 ET

Argentina has signalled to a US court that it will resist demands by a group of investors to repay them in full 11 years after its huge debt default.

A New York appeals court was hearing arguments after a previous ruling that Argentina should pay $1.3bn (£857m).

Argentina refuses to pay anything to investors who declined to participate in a previous debt reduction deal involving most of the nation's lenders.

Argentina was not minded to obey the previous court order, lawyers said.

"We would not voluntarily obey such an order," Jonathan Blackman, a lawyer for Argentina, told the appeal hearing.

However, he said Argentina was open to a solution that is "workable and doesn't create a terrible confrontation".

The appeal comes after a Manhattan court ruled last February that Argentina had violated its contractual obligation to treat all creditors equally. That meant the country would have to pay the bondholders, led by NML Capital and Aurelius Capital Management.

Argentina defaulted on some $100bn of debts in 2002, and has since restructured its debt twice, cancelling around 75% of the nominal value of the bonds.

Almost 92% of the country's bondholders agreed to write off most of the amount owed to them.

NML Capital and Aurelius are demanding 100% repayment plus interest.

The two investors were so determined to get their money that they went to court to have an Argentinean ship, the Libertad, impounded in Ghana. After several weeks, the ship returned home.

There is concern that if the pair succeed in getting all their money, Argentina's settlement with other creditors could unravel. The court ruling could also set an unfortunate precedent for other heavily-indebted nations seeking to restructure their finances.

However, Circuit Judge Reena Raggi said at Wednesday's hearing that a court's role is to enforce contracts, "not to rewrite them".

She said it "hardly seems appropriate for a court not to enforce one of its orders, because a party will breach another of its obligations".

The appeals court is expected to take several weeks to make a judgement.

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Voting law before US Supreme Court

27 February 2013 Last updated at 20:52 ET

An Alabama county's challenge to a landmark 1965 voting rights law is being heard at the US Supreme Court.

Shelby County says it is no longer necessary to require places with a history of racial discrimination to get approval to modify election laws.

The requirement is part of the Voting Rights Act, extended for 25 years in 2006 with wide bipartisan support.

Questions from conservative justices on the bench suggested the key provision could be in jeopardy, analysts say.

'South more racist?'

The Voting Rights Act, passed at the height of the US civil rights movement, requires strict federal oversight of election laws in nine states, most in the US South, as well as in a few jurisdictions in other states.

Justice Anthony Kennedy, the court's swing vote on many politically charged issues, said during arguments that "times change".

Chief Justice John Roberts asked Solicitor General Donald Verrilli, who represents the Obama administration, whether the administration thought Southerners "are more racist than citizens in the North".

Continue reading the main story

[The law] moved the burden from victims to perpetrators"

End Quote Sherrilyn Ifill NAACP

Mr Verrilli replied no.

But other justices asked tough questions of the lawyers representing Shelby County.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor suggested that despite change in the South, Shelby County had not made enough progress.

"Why would we vote in favour of your county, whose enforcement record is the epitome of the reasons that caused this law to be passed in the first place?" she asked.

In its suit challenging the law, Shelby County argues the "dire local conditions" that once justified strict federal oversight of elections no longer exist.

The Obama administration and civil rights groups acknowledge progress in combating discrimination against African Americans and other minority groups, but argue Congress was justified in extending the provision in 2006.

Black voting increases

If the requirement for advance approval were thrown out "it would be hard for us to catch those things up front to make sure that elections are done in an equitable way," President Barack Obama told a radio host, Joe Madison, last week.

The law's supporters say it has been successful because it requires jurisdictions to demonstrate that proposed election law changes will not discriminate.

"It moved the burden from victims to perpetrators,'' said Sherrilyn Ifill, the head of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) legal defence and educational fund.

Shelby County and several states joining the suit say Congress did not take into account dramatic increases in voter registration and participation by minorities when it agreed to extend the law, nor discrimination problems in places not covered by the requirement.

Their lawyers also argue those who are discriminated against could still file a lawsuit under other provisions of the Voting Rights Act.

Analysts say that after oral arguments the bench appeared to be split evenly, with Justice Kennedy appearing to hold a swing vote on the case and the section of the law in question in jeopardy.

Several justices have already expressed scepticism about the continuing need for the law.

In a similar challenge four years ago, Chief Justice Roberts said the law's past success "is not adequate justification to retain the preclearance requirements".

But the justices sidestepped the question of its constitutionality at the time.

The provision covers Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia, as well as certain places in California, Florida, Michigan, New York, New Hampshire, North Carolina and South Dakota.

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White House budget cuts talks ahead

27 February 2013 Last updated at 20:56 ET

Congressional leaders head to the White House on Friday to discuss a series of deep budget cuts, on the day the measures are due to take effect.

A White House spokesman said the talks would be a "constructive discussion" about how to avert the scheduled cuts.

But some opposition Republicans said the talks are a sign the White House is not serious about seeking a solution.

Mr Obama says the $85bn (£56bn) budget cuts will harm the US economy if Congress fails to avoid them.

Some Republicans, meanwhile, have accused the president of using "scare tactics" to force Congress to raise taxes.

Looming deadlines

Analysts say a deal to replace the across-the-board, automatic spending cuts is unlikely to be struck before Friday.

The budget cuts, known in Washington DC as the sequester, were devised in 2011 as an intentionally painful cudgel to encourage Democrats and Republicans in Congress to strike a deal to reduce the US government's $1.1tn budget deficit.

Amid partisan gridlock in Washington, the two sides have not agreed to another budget plan, so the cuts are due to take effect on Friday.

Meanwhile, Congress is just weeks away from its next budget battle.

On 27 March a temporary budget that has kept the federal government running since the last budget ran out is due to expire.

Failure by Congress to enact a new stop-gap budget could see parts of the federal government shut down.

'No alternative'

On Friday, Republican House Speaker John Boehner and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, as well as the Senate's Democratic majority leader, Harry Reid, and Republican minority leader Mitch McConnell, are due to attend the White House talks.

Continue reading the main story

I am not saying we shouldn't deal with long-term fiscal issues, but I think that, from the perspective of our recovery, a more gradual approach would be constructive"

End Quote Ben Bernanke Federal Reserve chairman

Ahead of the meeting, White House press secretary Jay Carney said the president would only agree to a deal that included some tax increases and spending reductions smaller than those in the sequester budget cuts.

"There is no alternative in the president's mind to balance," he told reporters.

But Republicans have said they would not allow further tax rises.

"One thing Americans simply will not accept is another tax increase to replace spending reductions we already agreed to," said Mr McConnell, the top Republican in the Senate.

Several draft bills to avert the sequester are being prepared in Congress, although analysts say none of them are likely to pass both chambers.

In the Senate, Democrats are proposing an approach that Mr Reid has called "balanced". It would pair targeted spending cuts with repeal of some tax loopholes to generate additional revenue.

Republicans are working on a number of plans. Under one, Congress would give Mr Obama authority to put off Friday's budget cuts by choosing where in the federal budget the spending would be reduced.

But the White House has rejected this approach, and some Republicans are wary about handing more power to the White House.

Meanwhile, members of Mr Obama's cabinet have warned that allowing the cuts to go through would force them to scale back on public services.

'Gradual approach' recommended

The Department of Homeland Security has announced the release of hundreds of illegal immigrants from jails, and the Pentagon has said it has delayed scheduled maintenance on aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln.

Most of the Pentagon's 800,000 civilian employees would be placed on unpaid leave for a total of 22 days, and training programmes would be dropped, the Pentagon has also said.

And on Wednesday, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke warned a congressional committee that the sequester budget cuts would hurt the US economy.

"What I am advising is a more gradual approach," Mr Bernanke said.

"I'm not saying we should ignore the deficit, I am not saying we shouldn't deal with long-term fiscal issues. But I think that, from the perspective of our recovery, a more gradual approach would be constructive."

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Newtown dad weeps at Senate hearing

27 February 2013 Last updated at 22:20 ET

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Neil Heslin: "I'm not here for the sympathy."

The father of a boy slain in a mass school shooting in December has broken down in tears at a US Senate hearing on a proposed assault weapons ban.

Neil Heslin said he came to "speak up" for his son Jesse, 6, who died along with 25 others in Newtown, Connecticut.

Opponents of the bill say it would violate Americans' right to bear arms.

The massacre fuelled debate on how to curb America's gun violence epidemic, but it is unclear if lawmakers will enact stricter gun control.

"I'm not here for the sympathy or the pat on the back," Mr Heslin told a panel of senators.

The 50-year-old construction worker described the last morning with his son.

"When he was getting out of the truck he hugged me and held me and I could still feel that hug and pat on the back," he said, breaking down.

"I have to go home at night to an empty house without my son. He was the only family I had left. It's hard for me to be here today to talk about my deceased son. I have to. I'm his voice."

The legislation under consideration would ban assault weapons and ammunition magazines with more than 10 rounds.

But opponents of the bill have argued it would violate the US Constitution's guarantee of the right to bear arms.

Others, like Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, have said better enforcement of existing laws such as the requirement for background checks on most weapons purchases, would address the problem.

Private transactions and sales at gun shows are not currently subject to background checks.

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US hackers 'attacked China websites'

28 February 2013 Last updated at 07:04 ET

Hackers from the US have repeatedly launched attacks on two Chinese military websites, including that of the Defence Ministry, officials say.

The sites were subject to about 144,000 hacking attacks each month last year, two thirds of which came from the US, according to China's defence ministry.

The issue of cyber hacking has strained relations between the two countries.

Earlier this month a US cyber security firm said a secretive Chinese military unit was behind "prolific hacking".

Mandiant said that Unit 61398 was believed to have "systematically stolen hundreds of terabytes of data" from at least 141 organisations around the world.

The White House has said that it has taken its concerns about cyber-theft to the highest levels of China's government. China denied the allegations, saying it was also the victim of cyber attacks.

The US is yet to respond to these latest allegations from China.

Attacks 'increased'

"The Defence Ministry and China Military Online websites have faced a serious threat from hacking attacks since they were established," defence ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng is quoted by Reuters news agency as saying at a monthly press conference.

He added that the number of attacks on these sites had steadily increased over the years.

An analysis of the IP addresses involved showed that officials had ascertained that attacks from the US accounted for 62.9 percent of the attacks made on these two website in 2012, according to Mr Geng.

He also said that reported US plans to expand its cyber warfare capabilities were unlikely to foster international collaboration.

"We hope that the U.S. side can explain and clarify this," he said.

It is believed to be the first time that Chinese officials have provided such details about alleged US-based attacks on their own systems.

However, Beijing has been accused by several governments, foreign companies and organisations of carrying out extensive cyber espionage for many years, seeking to gather information and to control China's image.

In late January, the New York Times said that hackers from China had "persistently" infiltrated the paper over the previous four months, saying the attacks had coincided with its reports into the wealth of the family of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.

At the time China's foreign ministry dismissed those accusations as "groundless".

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US extends aid to Syrian rebels

28 February 2013 Last updated at 08:01 ET

The US is to step up its support for the Syrian opposition as it fights to topple President Bashar al-Assad, Secretary of State John Kerry says.

Mr Kerry said the US would provide direct support to rebel forces in the form of medical and food supplies.

He also promised an additional $60m (£40m) in aid to the opposition to help it deliver basic governance and other services in rebel-controlled areas.

Mr Kerry was speaking at a gathering of the Friends of Syria group in Rome.

'Out of time'

The promise of direct, non-lethal aid to the rebels represents a shift in US policy on Syria, correspondents say.

However it falls short of providing the weapons and munitions that the rebels say they need to defeat government forces.

Mr Kerry said the decision was designed to increase the pressure on President Assad to step down and allow a democratic transition.

"The US decision to take further steps now is the result of the brutality of superior armed force propped up by foreign fighters from Iran and Hezbollah."

"President Assad is out of time and must be out of power," said Mr Kerry, adding that the Syrian leader could not "shoot his way out" of the situation.

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John Kerry: "This funding will allow the opposition... to be able to rebuild"

The $60m in aid to the opposition Syrian National Coalition (SNC) represents a doubling of US support.

It was intended to help the opposition deliver governance and basic services in rebel-controlled areas, said Mr Kerry.

"As the regime continues to lose ground it will help the opposition extend stability and build representative government and the rule of law," he added.

Mosque 'captured'

In the latest fighting, rebel forces have captured the historic Umayyad Mosque in Aleppo, according to an activist group.

The mosque was damaged and its museum caught fire as rebels forced government troops to withdraw, UK-based activist group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Fighting also raged elsewhere in Aleppo's old city, including near the Palace of Justice, it added.

Aleppo - Syria's second city - has been a key battleground in the conflict,

John Kerry highlighted the fate of the city in his address, accusing President Assad of engaging in "ruthless attacks" with Scud missiles against rebel-held areas.

'New phase'

Earlier, UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said the Friends of Syria were determined to "ramp up" assistance to the opposition.

"We are entering a new phase in the response of western and Arab nations to the crisis in Syria," he said.

The main opposition Syrian National Coalition (SNC) had threatened to boycott the meeting in Rome in frustration at the "the world's silence" at the violence.

But SNC leader Moaz al-Khatib agreed to attend after the US and UK indicated there would be specific promises of aid.

According to UN estimates, more than 70,000 people have been killed in Syria since the revolt against President Assad began nearly two years ago.

Opposition fighters have been constantly outgunned as President Assad's forces deploy tanks, aircraft and missiles against them.

The US has already provided $384m in humanitarian assistance to victims of the conflict in Syria, as well as $54m in financial support to the SNC.

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Facebook scrubs shooting 'tributes'

26 February 2013 Last updated at 09:36 ET

Facebook has removed some pages dedicated to last year's Sandy Hook primary school shooting, following complaints.

Dozens of "tributes" were added to the social network following the December attack in Newtown, Connecticut, in which 20 children and six adults died.

The family of one of the victims had raised concern some pages were being used to spread conspiracy theories.

Politicians had also complained that some posters appeared to be scammers.

Senator Richard Blumenthal, Senator Chris Murphy and Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty sent a letter to Facebook's chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg at the end of last week calling for action, after a local newspaper publicised the story.

A statement from Facebook said: "We have created a new, streamlined, customised process with dedicated staff to allow concerns specific to the Sandy Hook tragedy to be addressed directly and immediately, while also recognising that people across the country want to express grief for a terrible national tragedy."

Conspiracy theories

Greenwich Time reported last week that the mother of Victoria Soto - a teacher killed while trying to protect her students - had said she had previously failed to convince Facebook to delete some of the pages.

She had said that her daughter would have hated some of the unauthorised pages set up in her name.

"I understand some people have good intentions [and] some people say she is a public figure, but, to me, she is my daughter that was put in this awful position [and] she would never want to be a public figure and she would not want people making pages in her name," Donna Soto was quoted as saying.

The mother maintains her own Facebook page dedicated to the memory of her daughter.

Kaitlin Roig, a teacher at the school, who survived the attack, also noted that some posts had claimed the shootings had been staged, with one conspiracy theorist suggesting Ms Roig bore a strong resemblance to a known "crisis actress".

In the letter sent by the politicians to Facebook, they noted more than 100 tribute pages had been set up in Victoria Soto's name or likeness alone.

"Many give the appearance they were created by loved ones in the names of the victims," they wrote.

"Unfortunately, many of these pages have become vehicles for harassment, intimidation and possibly financial fraud.

"Pages providing platforms for people to violate the privacy of families as they grieve, or seek financial gain through soliciting donations under false pretences, or generating Facebook 'likes' for marketing purposes, should not be given quarter in the Facebook community."

The politicians noted the site's own terms and conditions banned users from setting up personal accounts in someone else's name and from posting comments that "intimidate or harass".

'Vigilant' checks

A search of the social network by the BBC revealed that dozens of Community, Public Figure and Organisation pages dedicated to Ms Soto still remain online.

However, Facebook confirmed it had "refined" its procedures to help it address complaints related to the shooting.

"On Sunday, Facebook briefed Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen, about our efforts to protect the families," a spokesman said.

"We continue to work closely with his office, the families, and the foundation representing the victims of Sandy Hook to ensure that we respond as quickly as possible to concerns.

"For the past few months, our rapid response team has acted swiftly to remove inappropriate materials flagged by the foundation and the families. We will continue to be vigilant."

According to Greenwich Time the news has been welcomed by Donna Soto.

"I am pleased that Facebook has agreed to do the right thing," she said.

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Nato admits Taliban figures 'error'

26 February 2013 Last updated at 12:38 ET

US-led military forces in Afghanistan have admitted that an error led them to mistakenly claim a fall in the number of attacks by the Taliban last year.

A report posted on the website of the Nato-led Isaf force had claimed that there had been a 7% drop in Taliban attacks in 2012.

However, after being queried the figure was removed from the site.

The error is likely to embarrass Isaf which has been insisting the militants are in decline, correspondents say.

The Associated Press news agency reports that it inquired about the missing figures when they were taken down from Isaf's site without explanation.

Isaf spokeswoman Erin Stattel told the BBC that "during a quality control check, Isaf recently became aware that some data was incorrectly entered into the database that is used for tracking security-related incidents across Afghanistan.

"This was a record-keeping error that we recognised and have now corrected."

The correction shows no change in the number of attacks during the period concerned.

"In spite of this data adjustment, our assessment of the fundamentals of campaign progress has not changed," Ms Stattel went on. "The enemy is increasingly separated from the population and the ANSF [Afghan National Security Force] are currently in the lead for the vast majority of partnered operations."

US and Western officials have often pointed to decreasing violence in Afghanistan as a sign that Isaf's mission is meeting with success.

Earlier this month the outgoing commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan, Gen John Allen, insisted the alliance is on the road to winning the war.

But correspondents say the Taliban are a long way from being defeated. They still mount regular attacks with devastating effect and are in de facto control of many parts of the country.

Most foreign troops are due to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014 and hand over responsibility for security to Afghan forces, but serious questions have been raised over whether they will have developed sufficient capability for the task.

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Rare killing of US prison guard

26 February 2013 Last updated at 16:12 ET

An inmate at a high-security Pennsylvania jail has killed a guard, the first time a federal prison officer has died at work in almost five years.

Eric Williams, 34, was attacked with a homemade weapon by an unnamed inmate.

Canaan prison officials would not say how Williams died on Monday night, but his sister said a coroner had told her he was stabbed multiple times.

The last time a federal officer died on the job was in June 2008 in California, according to the Bureau of Prisons.

Canaan prison warden David Ebbert said in a statement: "This is clearly the darkest day in our institution's short history.

"We are in shock over this senseless loss of a colleague and friend."

Continue reading the main story

There wasn't a mean bone in him"

End Quote Lauren Williams Victim's sister

At least three inmates have been killed at the jail, which opened in 2005 in Waymart, Pennsylvania.

The federal prison, which is 20 miles (32km) outside Scranton, houses 1,350 male inmates.

Williams, who became a guard at Canaan in September 2011, was working in a housing unit on Monday night when the inmate attacked him, officials said.

Other prison staff restrained the attacker and Williams was brought to hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly before midnight.

The prison was put on lockdown, officials said.

The dead man's sister, Lauren Williams, told the Associated Press news agency: "There wasn't a mean bone in him.

"He was not confrontational at all. He's never been in a fight.''

She said Williams had never reported any problems at work.

"He's already in jail," Ms Williams said of her brother's attacker. "How do you get your justice?"

Officials said an FBI investigation was underway into the death of Williams.

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Drinkers sue over 'watered-down' Bud

26 February 2013 Last updated at 18:29 ET

Beer drinkers in the US have filed a $5m (£3.3m) lawsuit accusing Anheuser-Busch of watering down its beer.

The lawsuits, filed in Pennsylvania, California and other states, claim consumers have been cheated out of the alcohol content stated on beer labels.

The suit involves 10 Anheuser-Busch beers including Budweiser and Michelob.

Anheuser-Busch InBev have called the claims "completely false", and said in a statement "our beers are in full compliance with labelling laws".

The lawsuits are based on information from former employees at breweries owned by the multinational.

"Our information comes from former employees at Anheuser-Busch, who have informed us that, as a matter of corporate practice, all of their products mentioned [in the lawsuit] are watered down," lead lawyer Josh Boxer said.

The complaint claimed that "Anheuser-Busch employs some of most sophisticated process control technology in the world to precisely monitor the alcohol content at the final stages of production, and then adds additional water to produce beers with significantly lower alcohol contents than is represented on the the labels".

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Lead lawyer Josh Boxer says former employees came forward with evidence

The lawsuit alleged that the practice began after the American Anheuser-Busch merged with the Belgian-Brazilian InBev in 2008, to form the world's largest alcohol producer.

"Following the merger, [Anheuser-Busch] vigorously accelerated the deceptive practices, sacrificing the quality products once produced by Anheuser-Busch in order to reduce costs," the lawsuit said.

Peter Kraemer, vice president of brewing and supply at Anheuser-Busch said in a statement, "We proudly adhere to the highest standards in brewing our beer."

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Obama ups ante as budget axe hovers

26 February 2013 Last updated at 18:35 ET

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Barack Obama says the effect of looming budget cuts are already being felt

US President Barack Obama has urged Congress to take action to avoid deep spending cuts due to begin on Friday.

Speaking at a shipyard in the state of Virginia, he warned the defence industry would be hit especially hard.

The US Navy has already told suppliers it would be forced to cancel future contracts if the cuts go through.

The US immigration and customs agency has meanwhile begun to release illegal immigrants from jails, as a result of the looming budget cuts.

Noting current "fiscal uncertainty", the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency said hundreds of illegal immigrants had been "placed on an appropriate, more cost-effective form of supervised release".

On Monday, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano warned the cuts would hit her department's core programmes - including border and airport security.

'Perfect storm'

Firing a shot across lawmakers' bows, Mr Obama said the $85bn (£56bn) cuts, known as the sequester, were "arbitrary" and "dumb".

"They are a self-inflicted wound that doesn't have to happen," he said, speaking to shipbuilders gathered for his speech.

Continue reading the main story

The looming crisis is causing a lot of people intense worry - I also suspect it has already damaged the economy "

End Quote

He delivered his remarks standing in front of a submarine propeller at the shipyard where scheduled maintenance on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln has been delayed due to the cuts.

Mr Obama blamed Republican lawmakers for failing to compromise, and for rejecting some revenue increases to soften the blow of the cuts.

He added: "There are too many Republicans in Congress right now who refuse to compromise even an inch when it comes to closing tax loopholes and special interest tax breaks."

Tuesday's event was the president's latest effort in a campaign to sell to the American public his plan to avoid the sequester.

"I need you, Virginia, to keep up the pressure," the president said. "If you stand up and speak out, Congress will listen.

Unusually, Mr Obama, a Democrat, was accompanied on Tuesday by a Republican congressman, Scott Rigell, who fears job losses in his Virginia constituency if the cuts take effect.

Both Democrats and Republicans agreed to the sequester in 2011 as part of a bill to raise the US debt ceiling - the legal limit the government can borrow.

The cuts were designed to be so unappealing that lawmakers would be forced to agree to a separate deal, but amid gridlock in Washington, such an agreement was never reached.

Some Republicans have been saying the president is exaggerating the negative consequences of sequestration.

House Speaker John Boehner accused Mr Obama of using "our military men and women as a prop in yet another campaign rally to support his tax hikes".

The top Republican in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, said: "The president's been running around acting like the world's going to end because Congress might actually follow through on an idea he proposed and signed into law."

As well as the homeland security secretary, other Obama cabinet members have warned of dire consequences if the sequester is not stopped.

Last week, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said teachers' layoffs have already begun - although no details have been released.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said US national parks would face a "perfect storm" if the sequester takes effect.

And Transport Secretary Ray LaHood suggested air traffic controllers would be furloughed while air travel could face delays.

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Hagel confirmed as defence secretary

26 February 2013 Last updated at 20:28 ET

The US Senate has confirmed former Senator Chuck Hagel as the new Pentagon chief, after four Republicans joined Democrats to approve his nomination.

The former Republican Nebraska senator was confirmed by 58-41.

Mr Hagel will replace outgoing Defence Secretary Leon Panetta, who was confirmed by 100-0 in June 2011.

Two weeks ago, Republicans delayed a vote, questioning Mr Hagel's past positions on Israel and Iran, and his qualifications for the post.

But they dropped the filibuster stalling tactic, the first time it has ever been used to delay confirmation of a defence secretary, after a week-long recess.

North Korea allegation

President Barack Obama's Democratic Party holds a 55-45 edge in the chamber, and Mr Hagel ultimately only needed 51 votes to be confirmed.

Republican Senators Thad Cochran, Rand Paul, Richard Shelby and Mike Johanns voted in favour of Mr Hagel's appointment.

After the acrimonious nomination fight, President Obama said he was pleased there had been at least some bipartisan support for Mr Hagel.

Continue reading the main story

• There have been some 500 presidential cabinet nominations since 1789
• In only nine cases have such nominees been rejected
• In a further 21 cases, the nomination was withdrawn or the Senate took no action
• The last time it happened was in 1989 when another Pentagon nominee, John Tower, was rejected by 53-47 in a Senate vote, amid allegations of private misconduct
• The last time a nomination was withdrawn was in 2009 - President Obama's pick for health secretary, Tom Daschle, over questions about his tax payments

Source: Donald A Ritchie, US Senate historian

"I am grateful to Chuck for reminding us that when it comes to our national defence, we are not Democrats or Republicans. We are Americans, and our greatest responsibility is the security of the American people," said Mr Obama.

Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Hagel, a decorated Vietnam veteran, passed a crucial procedural vote that needed the support of 60 senators.

Among the sticking points in Mr Hagel's nomination process was a remark he made in a 2008 book that the "Jewish lobby" intimidated decision-makers on Capitol Hill.

Republican senators also said they feared the 66-year-old Mr Hagel would be too lax on Iran.

During his time as a senator, Mr Hagel angered Republican party leaders when he pilloried former President George W Bush's handling of the Iraq war.

Ted Cruz, an outspoken conservative first-term senator from Texas, recently suggested without evidence that Mr Hagel had accepted payments from North Korea.

During his confirmation hearing in January, Mr Hagel sought to reassure the Senate armed services committee that he was "fully committed" to preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

He also apologised for the "Jewish lobby" comment, saying he could not be defined by any single quote.

Mr Hagel's Democratic Party supporters produced other remarks and evidence they said showed he would stick to existing US policy on Israel and Iran.

The White House had warned of great risks in leaving the Pentagon without a leader at a time of budget challenges and while the US has troops in Afghanistan.

Senate Democrats blasted their colleagues for the blocking tactics, but some Republicans protested that they needed more time to weigh the nomination.

Others, including several senior Republicans on the armed services committee, said outright that they would not back Mr Hagel.

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UK link in US 'cannibal cop' case

26 February 2013 Last updated at 21:47 ET

A former New York policeman accused of plotting to cannibalise women exchanged disturbing emails with a co-conspirator in the UK, a court has heard.

Messages between Gilberto Valle, 28, and a man who used the screen name Moody Blues, included graphic details about cooking and eating women.

They were read out after testimony from several women, some seen as potential targets of the alleged plot.

But the defence says Mr Valle was only discussing extreme fetish fantasies.

The man Mr Valle was allegedly communicating with in the UK used MeatMarketMan as an email address, say prosecutors.

It is not clear if he has been questioned by British authorities in relation to the case.

'Kidnapping and cooking'

At a court in New York, FBI agent Corey Walsh read out passages of the emails and texts allegedly exchanged between the two men.

In the case of one woman, the two discussed "cutting off her feet and barbecuing them in front of her" while she was still alive.

Elsewhere, the agent quoted Mr Valle as having written: "I'm dying to taste some girl meat."

There were grim expressions on jurors' faces as they heard the exchanges.

Among the charges, Mr Valle faces counts of conspiracy to kidnap and improper use of a federal database to research and identify possible victims.

If found guilty, the former officer could face life in prison.

Earlier in the day, the accused's former classmate, Kimberly Sauer, told the court she had never felt threatened by Mr Valle and had no knowledge of his supposed plans.

But prosecutors say Mr Valle and Moody Blues discussed her at length. In one message Mr Valle is said to have written that Ms Sauer would be easy to capture because she lived alone.

"I can knock her out, wait until dark and kidnap her right out of her house," Mr Valle wrote, according to prosecutors.

When Moody Blues is said to have suggested eating the woman alive, prosecutors say Mr Valle responded: "I'm not really into raw meat."

After allegedly discussing how they could cook Ms Sauer, the FBI agent quoted Mr Valle as saying: "I just can't wait to get Kimberly cooking."

According to Agent Walsh, authorities discovered on Mr Valle's computer a file called Abducting and Cooking Kimberly: A Blueprint.

The investigation was triggered by the ex-policeman's estranged wife, Kathleen Mangan-Valle, 27.

During an emotional day of testimony on Monday she described how she found emails suggesting her husband was plotting to tie her by her feet, slit her throat and watch the blood drain out of her.

Mr Valle is expected to take the stand during the trial.

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Brown receives 55-day jail sentence

27 February 2013 Last updated at 04:25 ET

Bobby Brown has been sentenced to 55 days in prison in Los Angeles and four years of probation for drink-driving.

Following his arrest in October 2012, the 44-year-old pleaded no contest to charges he was under the influence and driving on a suspended licence.

He was on probation after another drink-driving incident at the time.

The New Edition singer and ex-husband of Whitney Houston will be required to undertake an 18-month alcohol treatment programme.

Brown was not in court on Tuesday when his attorney entered his plea and must report to jail on 20 March.

Before that date he must attend three AA meetings per week, according to reports.

Brown and Houston divorced in 2007 after 15 years. Houston would later describe their marriage as stormy and reveal they regularly took drugs together.

The singer and star of hit movie The Bodyguard died in February last year at the age of 48.

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BP denies sole blame for Gulf spill

27 February 2013 Last updated at 04:42 ET

A senior BP executive has told a US court that the oil giant was not solely responsible for the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

Rig operator Transocean and contractor Halliburton must also bear portions of the blame for the explosion and resulting spill, Lamar McKay said.

The trial, in New Orleans, will determine liability for the spill.

BP could face a huge fine, despite agreeing in 2012 to pay $4.5bn (£2.9bn) to settle criminal charges.

An unfavourable trial verdict could see the firm liable for the biggest civil fine in history, of up to $17.6bn.

It has also paid $7.8bn in a settlement with people and businesses affected.

'Team effort'

In the first testimony from a high-ranking BP executive, Mr McKay stressed that all those involved in the Deepwater Horizon disaster should take some of the blame.

While BP was extracting the oil from underneath the Gulf of Mexico when the Macondo well exploded, the Deepwater Horizon rig itself was owned by Transocean. Cement used to seal the well was provided by Halliburton.

The Macondo explosion killed 11 men and released an estimated four million barrels of oil into the Gulf over 84 days. Since the leak was plugged, the debate over who was responsible has raged on.

"I think that's a shared responsibility, to manage the safety and the risk,'' Mr McKay told the court.

"Sometimes contractors manage that risk. Sometimes we do. Most of the time it's a team effort.''

He said the explosion was a "tragic accident" resulting from a "risk that was identified".

An expert witness testifying on behalf of the plaintiffs - the US Department of Justice and the US states affected by the spill - countered that the disaster was a direct result of poor management and heavy cost-cutting at BP.

"It's a classic failure of management and leadership in BP," said Robert Bea, an engineering professor at the University of California, Berkeley, who previously worked as a safety expert for BP.

He described BP as "too lean" following rounds of cost-cutting that led up to the disaster.

On the first day of the trial, a lawyer for the justice department said the disaster resulted from BP's "culture of corporate recklessness".

"Despite BP's attempts to shift the blame to other parties," Mike Underhill said, "by far the primary fault for this disaster belongs to BP".

One of the lawyers for the plaintiffs, Jim Roy, said BP had put "production over protection, profits over safety".

Mr Roy also attacked the rig's operator, Transocean, saying the company's safety official on the rig had received little training: "His training consisted of a three-day course. Amazingly, he had never been aboard the Deepwater Horizon."

He did not spare contractor Halliburton, either, saying it deserved some of the blame for providing BP with cementing of the Macondo well that was "poorly designed, not properly tested and was unstable".

Fading giant?

The trial will determine the causes of the spill, and assign responsibility to the parties involved, including BP, Halliburton, Transocean, and Cameron, which manufactured the blowout preventer meant to stop oil leaks.

Later, it will determine how much oil actually leaked, which will lead to the calculation of how much the oil companies owe in civil fines.

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It is expected to be one of the biggest and costliest trials in decades.

BP chief executive Bob Dudley has said he firmly believes the company was not grossly negligent.

The trial could last for months, but the risks are so great for BP that it may try to reach a settlement, analysts suggest.

Robert Percival, an environmental law professor at the University of Maryland, said: "The risk for both sides is so great - for BP it's their name, reputation and future contracts with the US government. For the US government it's all the resources they're spending on the trial - particularly if BP is not found grossly negligent."

The second part of the trial, set to begin in early autumn, will attempt to determine how much oil was leaked, which would then determine the size of the federal fine.

The Department of Justice intends to demonstrate BP was grossly negligent, which puts the maximum penalty at about $17.6bn.

However, on top of that, the Gulf states of Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida are demanding an additional $34bn in damages under the Oil Pollution Act, citing uncertainty over the long-term effects of the spill on their coastline as well as economic losses and property damage.

But BP has said it will "defend vigorously" against the claims, saying the methodologies used to calculate them were "seriously flawed".

Once the world's second-biggest oil company, BP has fallen to fourth place among the "oil majors" after selling off billions of dollars worth of assets to set aside money to cover liabilities related to the disaster.

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Four missing in California sailboat

25 February 2013 Last updated at 14:00 ET

Four people, including two children, are missing after abandoning a sinking sailboat in the Pacific Ocean off California, the US Coast Guard said.

Coast Guard vessels and aircraft are searching about 65 miles (104 km) off Monterey, California.

A spokeswoman said the ship made an initial distress call on Sunday at 16:20 local time (00:20 GMT Monday).

Those on board reported the boat was taking on water and its electronics were failing.

Coast Guard officials believe the sailors tried to fashion a makeshift life raft from a cooler and a life-preserver ring as the boat sank.

Petty Officer Pamela Boehland told the BBC the 29ft-boat (9m) did not have a working GPS system, but investigators used the boat's radio signal and radar to focus the search off the California coast.

Upon further review of the spotty radio transmissions from the distressed vessel, the search moved farther south.

California Air National Guard have joined the search.

A man and woman, their four-year-old son and the boy's cousin are believed to have been on board the vessel, possibly named Charmblow.

There have been no missing person reports related to the vessel, and officials are asking those who might have information on the family to contact them.

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BP 'prioritised profits over safety'

25 February 2013 Last updated at 14:12 ET

BP has been accused of putting profits before safety on the first day of a trial in New Orleans over liability for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

The accusation came from a lawyer acting for the plaintiffs' steering committee, which represents thousands of businesses and individuals.

He told US District Judge, Carl Barbier, that BP executives were most focused on cost-cutting.

The trial could result in the biggest civil fine in history of up to $17.6bn.

BP agreed to pay $4.5bn (£2.9bn) last year to settle criminal charges relating to the spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

It has also paid $7.8bn in a settlement with people and businesses affected.

BP and other oil industry firms are pitted against the Department of Justice and the US states that were affected by the spill.

Mike Underhill representing the Department of Justice said the disaster resulted from BP's "culture of corporate recklessness".

"Despite BP's attempts to shift the blame to other parties," Mr Underhill said, "by far the primary fault for this disaster belongs to BP".

One of the lawyers for the plaintiffs, Jim Roy, said BP had put, "production over protection, profits over safety".

Mr Roy also attacked the rig's operator, Transocean, saying the company's safety official on the rig had received little training: "His training consisted of a three-day course. Amazingly, he had never been aboard the Deepwater Horizon."

He did not spare contractor Halliburton, either, saying it deserved some of the blame for providing BP with cementing of the Macondo well that was "poorly designed, not properly tested and was unstable".

Focus on negligence

The trial will determine the causes of the spill, and assign responsibility to the parties involved, including BP, Halliburton, Transocean, and Cameron, which manufactured the blowout preventer meant to stop oil leaks.

Later, it will determine how much oil actually leaked, which will lead to the calculation of how much the oil companies owe in civil fines.

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It is expected to be one of the biggest and costliest trials in decades, featuring a small army of lawyers.

The non-jury trial will unfold in two phases.

The first, which opened on Monday, will focus on the cause of the 20 April 2010 explosion that killed 11 men and released an estimated 4 million barrels of oil into the Gulf over 84 days.

The first witnesses will be heard on Tuesday.

Judge Barbier will then determine whether BP's actions on the oil rig were simply negligent or grossly negligent, which would impose significantly bigger fines on the company.

BP chief executive Bob Dudley has said he firmly believes the company was not grossly negligent.

The trial could last for months, but the risks are so great for BP that it may try to reach a settlement, analysts suggest.

"If they are found grossly negligent it will set the tone on the level of fines BP will have to pay, and the financial consequences will be huge," said Nick McGregor, an oil analyst at Redmayne Bentley stockbrokers.

"So while BP's posturing in public is robust, I wouldn't be surprised if they are aggressively trying to reach for a settlement behind the scenes," he added.

Barrels of oil spilt

Robert Percival, an environmental law professor at the University of Maryland, said: "The risk for both sides is so great - for BP it's their name, reputation and future contracts with the US government. For the US government it's all the resources they're spending on the trial - particularly if BP is not found grossly negligent."

The second part of the trial, set to begin in early autumn, will attempt to determine how much oil was leaked, which would then determine the size of the federal fine.

Under the Clean Water Act, the fines are calculated as $1,100 for every barrel of oil spilt through ordinary negligence to as much as $4,300 a barrel through gross negligence.

The Department of Justice intends to demonstrate BP was grossly negligent, which puts the maximum penalty at about $17.6bn.

Last Wednesday, BP won a ruling that 810,000 barrels of oil captured would not be counted in Monday's civil case, which reduced the potential fine under the Clean Water Act by $3.4bn.

The minimum fine is now about $4.5bn - if BP is charged of simple negligence.

However, on top of that, the Gulf states of Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida are demanding an additional $34bn in damages under the Oil Pollution Act, citing uncertainty over the long-term effects of the spill on their coastline as well as economic losses and property damage.

But BP has said it will "defend vigorously" against the claims, saying the methodologies used to calculate them were "seriously flawed".

Rebuilding credibility

Once the world's second-biggest oil company, BP has fallen to fourth place among the "oil majors" after selling off billions of dollars worth of assets to set aside money to cover liabilities related to the disaster.

In spite of the looming costs, BP still eked out a profit in the fourth quarter from a year earlier.

And so far BP has done an effective job of restoring its credibility through PR campaigns and providing compensation, analysts said. While the financial impact related to the spill will be huge, it is unlikely that its overall outlook will be damaged.

For example, BP has only been suspended from getting contracts from the Environmental Protection Agency but not the US government, which surprised many lawyers, said Mr Percival.

"Many feel this [suspension] is temporary, and as oil is so fungible there will always be a market for BP," he said.

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Police widen Vegas shooting manhunt

25 February 2013 Last updated at 16:52 ET

Police have widened the search for an ex-convict suspected of a pre-dawn Las Vegas shooting and multiple car crash that left three people dead.

Ammar Harris, 26, is thought to be the gunman who shot dead aspiring rapper Kenneth Cherry Jr on Thursday.

Harris' black Range Rover Sport was found parked in the garage of a gated block of flats on Saturday.

Police are now scouring south-eastern states after launching searches in Nevada, Arizona, California and Utah.

Cherry was killed at the wheel of his Maserati after the driver of a black Range Rover Sport opened fire at a red light in a busy section of the Las Vegas Strip, police say.

Continue reading the main story

The focus is on locating and apprehending him"

End Quote Chris Jones Las Vegas police

The Maserati then smashed into a taxi, which burst into flames, killing the driver and passenger inside.

The taxi driver has been named as Michael Boldon, 62, from Las Vegas, Nevada. The passenger was Sandra Sutton-Wasmund, 48, from Maple Valley, Washington state.

Harris has been described as a black male with brown hair and brown eyes, about 5ft 11in (180cm) tall and weighing about 180lb (82kg), according to a police statement.

Public records show he used to live in the states of South Carolina and Georgia.

In 2005, he was sentenced to three months in jail after being found guilty of marijuana possession by a court in Atlanta, Georgia. He was arrested in Miami in December last year for reckless driving.

He was also detained in Las Vegas last May over an incident that took place in June 2010. He was charged with robbery, sexual assault, kidnapping and coercion with a weapon, although records show that case was dropped.

"We can say with certainty that Ammar Harris is the suspect who fired the fatal shots," Las Vegas police captain Chris Jones told reporters on Monday afternoon.

Capt Jones added that the suspect should be considered armed and dangerous.

In total, six vehicles were involved in last Thursday's crash and several other people, including a passenger in the Maserati, were injured.

The shooting took place in the heart of Las Vegas' tourist area, near some of the most famous hotels on the Strip, including the Bellagio and Caesars Palace.

Police say the incident followed an altercation in the valet parking area at the Aria Hotel, a nearby hotel and casino. Authorities are still investigating whether Cherry and Harris knew each other.

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Barnes & Noble founder moots buy-out

25 February 2013 Last updated at 16:53 ET Continue reading the main story

Leonard Riggio, founder of the Barnes & Noble bookstore chain, has said he plans to offer to buy back its retail operations, but not its Nook e-reader.

Mr Riggio, who owns almost 30% of the company, notified US regulators that he would seek to purchase the loss-making firm's stores and online business.

The news sent Barnes & Noble's share price 11.5% higher in Monday trading.

Like book retailers worldwide, the firm has struggled to compete with cheap online vendors and downloads.

Main rival Borders was liquidated in 2011, after it succumbed to the pressure from digital competitors.

Barnes & Noble has sought to stay ahead of the game with its Nook product, which seeks to compete for readership with Amazon's Kindle and with tablet computers.

The e-reader attracted significant investments from Microsoft and UK media group Pearson last year, leaving Barnes & Noble with a 78% share in the product, which Mr Riggio does not propose to buyback.

There was talk early last year of spinning off the Nook, along with its successful digital college business, into a separate joint venture.

However, the firm's sales of both Nook products and of traditional books have both struggled.

Barnes & Noble reported a $39m loss for the last six months, and said sales through its stores and online platform over the critical Christmas period fell 11% from a year earlier.

The firm plans to shut a third of its stores by the end of the year.

Mr Riggio's offer follows similar moves by Michael Dell of Dell computers and Richard Schultze of electrical retailer Best Buy to buy out the struggling firms they founded.

Barnes & Noble was originally a New York bookstore, which Mr Riggio bought out the branding rights to in the 1970s, before building out a successful US-wide chain.

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Kerry urges Syria opposition to talk

25 February 2013 Last updated at 17:35 ET

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John Kerry: "The Syrian people deserve better than the horrific violence that invades and threatens their everyday lives"

John Kerry has urged Syria's opposition to attend an international meeting in Rome this Thursday, on his first trip abroad as US Secretary of State.

Speaking in London, Mr Kerry said he understood Syrians wanted results from the summit and promised it would not just be a talking shop.

He has held talks with PM David Cameron and Foreign Secretary William Hague.

Syria's opposition has said it will not attend the Rome talks because of "the world's silence" over Syrian violence.

After his talks in London Mr Kerry had a telephone discussion with Syrian Opposition Council President Moaz Al-Khatib, encouraging him to attend the Rome talks, but no more details of the conversation were released.

Mr Hague said the UK was preparing to "significantly increase" its support for Syria's opposition.

Political solution

Mr Kerry, who succeeded Hillary Clinton, is on an 11-day tour of Europe and the Middle East, and will meet Syrian opposition members and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Berlin on Tuesday.

Continue reading the main story

Suzanne Kianpour BBC News, travelling with Kerry

---

John Kerry, less than a month into his new job as America's top diplomat, has already hit the ground running. At the Foreign Office on Monday, he sent a message to the Syrian opposition from his podium in a room full of US and UK media - citing his new role as a "ripe" moment to move forward.

"We understand the Syrian people want to see results and I would say to [Syrian Opposition Council President Moaz] al-Khatib, so do we," he said. The state department said later that Mr Kerry called Mr Khatib directly. Shortly after, a report dropped that Mr Khatib had told the Italian government the boycott was over and he had persuaded his partners to attend.

"The Assad regime has rained down rockets on the people of Aleppo" in the last few days, said Mr Kerry, as he condemned the "indiscriminate killing of civilians".

He said such attacks were further evidence that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad should go.

Mr Hague said 70,000 people had been killed and he was "frustrated" at the lack of an international political solution, despite efforts at the UN.

Earlier, the Syrian foreign minister said his government was ready for talks with its opponents, even armed rebels.

'Shared determination'

Mr Kerry said the US would continue with its policy of not taking a position on the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands.

Argentina claims the territory - which it calls the Malvinas - and says it will not recognise a forthcoming referendum organised by the islanders on how they want to be governed.

Mr Kerry said he would not comment on the referendum.

"The United States recognises de facto UK administration of the islands, but takes no position on the question of party's sovereignty claims thereto," he said. "And we support co-operation between UK and Argentina on practical matters and we continue to urge a peaceful resolution of that critical issue."

A Downing Street spokesman said Mr Cameron and Mr Kerry "reiterated their shared determination to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran" and discussed "the challenges posed by fragile states around the world".

The top US diplomat said Britain and the US remained implacably opposed to the prospect of Tehran obtaining nuclear weapons, saying an Iran with a nuclear weapon was "simply unacceptable".

"The window for a diplomatic solution simply cannot by definition remain open forever," he told a news conference. "But it is open today.

"There is still time but there is only time if Iran makes the decision to come to the table and negotiate in good faith. We are prepared to negotiate in good faith, in mutual respect in an effort to avoid whatever terrible consequences could follow failure.

"The choice really is in the hands of the Iranians. And we hope they will make the right choice," said Mr Kerry.

Palestinian question

The prime minister's spokesman said Mr Kerry did not ask about Britain's possible future exit from the European Union but he and Mr Cameron did discuss a free-trade agreement between the US and the EU and the possibility of making progress at the next G8 summit in Northern Ireland in June.

In all, Mr Kerry will visit nine countries, stopping off in Paris, Berlin, Rome, Ankara, Cairo, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and Doha.

The British government is pleased that Mr Kerry made London his initial port of call on his first official trip abroad, says BBC diplomatic correspondent Bridget Kendall.

His itinerary stands in marked contrast to his predecessor, Hillary Clinton, who rather pointedly went to Asia first, our correspondent says.

Though the Middle East peace process will be on the agenda when he visits Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, Mr Kerry will not visit Israel or the Palestinian Territories.

However, our correspondent says Mr Hague would like to see a renewed effort from the US to engage the different parties in the peace process and is hopeful that Mr Kerry's visit will herald a new enthusiasm.

Mr Kerry, former Massachusetts senator and 2004 Democratic presidential candidate, has spent almost three decades in the US Senate as a member of the Foreign Relations Committee.

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NY Times brand to go international

25 February 2013 Last updated at 18:51 ET

The International Herald Tribune is to be renamed the International New York Times after its parent newspaper.

The change, expected this autumn, will end the 40-year-old IHT brand familiar to US expatriate readers.

It follows other moves by the NY Times to consolidate its image, including plans to sell off the Boston Globe announced this month.

Chief executive Mark Thompson said the paper would add new reporters, and aim to expand its overseas readership.

Mr Thompson took over at the liberal-leaning NY Times last November, and was previously director general of the BBC.

The paper has wholly owned the IHT since 2003, when it bought out the 50% owned by its rival, the Washington Post.

The international journal has already undergone several previous name changes in its 125-year history.

The IHT already shares a common online platform with the NY Times, and about 10% of the business's 640,000 digital subscribers are located outside the US.

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Obama urges budget cuts 'compromise'

25 February 2013 Last updated at 20:18 ET

President Barack Obama has urged US governors to prod Congress to strike a budget deal averting a raft of deep budget cuts set to hit on Friday.

He warned the $85bn (£56bn) cuts would put thousands of teachers out of work and bring economic uncertainty.

The president has called on Congress to pass revenue rises and some budget cuts to avoid the automatic reductions.

The Democratic president will travel to Virginia on Tuesday to discuss the cuts' impact on the defence industry.

"These cuts do not have to happen," Mr Obama told a bipartisan assembly of governors at the White House on Monday. "Congress can turn them off any time with just a little bit of compromise."

Unless Congress acts, the automatic cuts are set to take effect on Friday, part of a total $1.2tn in reductions over 10 years.

Republicans say they will not agree to a deal that includes a tax rise.

Continue reading the main story

Here is the theory: Democrats would hate the savaging of social programmes; Republicans would loathe the reductions of military spending. So they would be forced to find more sensible ways to reduce public spending. Cunning? Only it has not worked."

End Quote

The budget cuts, known in Washington DC as the sequester, were devised in 2011 as an intentionally painful cudgel to encourage Democrats and Republicans in Congress to strike a deal to reduce the US budget deficit.

Now, House Republicans say reduced spending should be the focus of any deal, while Mr Obama and the Democrats want a package to include new tax revenue by closing tax loopholes for wealthy Americans.

With no deal in sight, on Sunday the Obama administration released fact sheets highlighting the threatened economic impact of the automatic cuts on a state-by-state basis.

"These impacts will not all be felt on day one," Mr Obama told the governors on Monday, "but the uncertainty is already having an effect.

"Companies are preparing layoff notices. Families are preparing to cut back on expenses. And the longer these cuts are in place, the bigger the impact will become."

The White House has warned of job losses for teachers, more expensive meat prices as inspectors are furloughed, air travel delays, and complications in distributing vaccines for children.

"While you are in town, I hope you speak with your congressional delegation," Mr Obama told the governors. "And remind them in no uncertain terms exactly what is at stake and exactly who is at risk."

The defence department has said it will make redundant up to 46,000 temporary workers and cause employees to lose one day of work per week without pay from April, saving $5bn.

In a separate press conference on Monday, homeland security secretary Janet Napolitano said queues at airport security checkpoints and at border crossings would lengthen considerably if the cuts were put into place.

Meanwhile, Republicans and Democrats are each trying to make sure the public blames the other side, should the automatic cuts take effect.

Senator John McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, called the looming defence cuts "unconscionable" and urged Mr Obama to call lawmakers to the White House to work out a deal.

"I won't put all the blame all on the president of the United States," Sen McCain told CNN. "But the president leads."

Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, a Democrat, said the cuts were "senseless".

"This really threatens to hurt a lot of families in our state and kind of flat-line our job growth for the next several months," he said.

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US wife accuses 'cannibal' policeman

25 February 2013 Last updated at 21:48 ET

The estranged wife of a New York City policeman has told a court about her discovery of his alleged plot to kill her and cannibalise women.

Kathleen Mangan-Valle said she found emails detailing husband Gilberto Valle's plans to slit her throat, and kidnap and kill her friend.

Mr Valle, 28, is charged with conspiracy to kidnap, and using police databases to make a list of targets.

But defence lawyers told the court it was merely a role-playing fantasy.

Ms Mangan-Valle, 27, testified as the trial opened on Monday that her husband used to live a normal life until "weird stuff started happening".

Internet searches

She said he began to ask where she liked to jog and whether the route was well-lit or busy.

Continue reading the main story

You can't convict people for their thoughts, even if they're sick"

End Quote Julia Gatto Defence lawyer

Eventually she used spyware to discover the evidence on his computer.

Ms Mangan-Valle told the court: "I was going to be tied up by my feet and my throat slit and they were going to watch the blood drain out of me."

She said his other plans included putting her friend in a suitcase and taking her somewhere to be murdered.

Mr Valle discussed how two other women would be "raped in front of each other to heighten their fears", and another would be roasted alive over a fire, said Ms Mangan-Valle.

"The suffering was for his enjoyment and he wanted to make it last as long as possible," she added.

The prosecution said the plans had come to light after Ms Mangan-Valle moved out of the marital home and reported her husband to the FBI.

They found a "heinous plot to kidnap, rape, murder and cannibalise a number of very real women", assistant US attorney Randall Jackson told the court.

He added that Mr Valle had tried to contact possible victims, including a primary school teacher.

The defendant had also allegedly used the internet to search for the best rope for tying people up, human flesh, white slavery and chemicals to render someone unconscious.

But in her opening statement, defence lawyer Julia Gatto said: "The charges are pure fiction."

"You can't convict people for their thoughts, even if they're sick," she added.

Both the witness and accused wept when a defence lawyer showed the court a picture of Mr Valle in his police uniform, feeding their newborn daughter.

The defendant is expected to take the stand during the trial.

If convicted, he faces a possible life sentence.

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MacFarlane boosts Oscars ratings

26 February 2013 Last updated at 05:00 ET

This year's Oscars attracted a US TV audience of 40.3 million, a million more than tuned in to 2012's broadcast.

According to the ABC network, the show - hosted by Seth MacFarlane, creator of hit TV cartoon Family Guy - drew the largest Oscar audience for three years.

Last year's show, hosted by comic Billy Crystal, was seen by 39.3 million, while 2011's was seen by 37.6 million.

Argo won best picture at this year's event, while Daniel Day-Lewis was named best actor for a record third time.

According to statistics company Nielsen, MacFarlane's involvement helped boost interest among young men and the 18- to 49-year-old age group.

Figures for the latter demographic, which is much coveted by TV advertisers, were up 11% on last year, while the 18- to 34-year-old male audience saw a 34% increase.

Reaction to MacFarlane's performance has been mixed, with Rolling Stone saying he resembled a "bumbling rookie" in his first stab at Oscar host.

The New Yorker was no less scathing, saying that watching the three-and-a-half hour ceremony "meant sitting through a series of crudely sexist antics".

The 39-year-old fared better with fellow members of the Hollywood community, some of whom took to Twitter to voice their support.

According to Russell Crowe, he "did great" and "handled it all with grace", while former Oscar host Steve Martin said he had been "wonderful".

On his own Twitter feed, MacFarlane joked that his cat "said the show went well" but said there was "no way" he would host the ceremony again if organisers asked him to do so.

Meanwhile, satirical website The Onion also found itself under fire on Sunday after calling Quvenzhane Wallis, the nine-year-old star of Beasts of the Southern Wild, a "crude and offensive" name on Twitter.

Steve Hannah, the website's chief executive, apologised to the best actress nominee, saying that "no person should be subjected to such a senseless, humorless comment masquerading as satire".

It has also emerged that an Oscar-winning producer was briefly ejected from Sunday's star-studded ceremony for throwing paper airplanes around the auditorium.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, security staff at Hollywood's Dolby Theatre took issue with Kristina Reed for recreating the action of Paperman, this year's best animated short.

Life of Pi took home the most awards on Sunday, winning four prizes including a best director accolade for Taiwan's Ang Lee.

Argo and Les Miserables won three Oscars apiece, with Django Unchained, Lincoln and Bond movie Skyfall receiving two awards each.

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Apple offers kid apps fee settlement

26 February 2013 Last updated at 07:24 ET

Apple has proposed paying compensation to US parents whose children made in-app purchases without their permission.

The iPod-maker had been sued over allegations it had failed to "adequately" publicise that child-targeted games in its App Store included the facility.

A judge will consider the proposal on 1 March.

Apple acknowledged it would need to tell more than 23 million iTunes account holders they might qualify.

Affected users would receive an email offering at least $5 (£3.20) in credit if they confirmed a minor had charged their account without permission, and that they had not already had the fee deleted after making a complaint.

15-minute window

The legal action dates back to April 2011 and allegations made by a California-based man that his youngest daughter had racked up a series of charges without his knowledge.

Garen Meguerian said his nine-year-old's actions had cost him approximately $200 after she bought toxin, gems and other "game currencies" within apps including Zombie Cafe, Treasury Story and City Story,

His lawyer later noted that some titles in Apple's store allowed children to buy more than $100 worth of items in a single click without entering a password. Apple took a cut of each in-app sale.

The case was later combined with other parents making similar claims.

By this point Apple had updated its mobile operating system to tackle the issue.

Prior to iOS 4.3 if a user entered their password to make a purchase their device would allow unlimited further sales without authentication for a 15-minute period.

After the software release all in-app transactions required a password.

But although Apple offered refunds on a case-by-case basis, it did not publicise an official compensation policy.

Time limit

Apple's proposed settlement was first reported by news site Law360.

Apple's proposal suggests affected parties can:

• Email in their details to qualify for a $5 iTunes credit
• Request the $5 in cash if they no longer have an iTunes account
• Provide full details of each in-app purchase to be reimbursed in full in credit or cash, for totals of at least $30

Apple indicates it will give claimants 180 days to submit their requests and will also award Mr Meguerian and four other named plaintiffs an additional $1,500 service award.

The plaintiffs have accepted the proposal and it is now set to be signed off by a judge in San Jose's courthouse on Friday.

Apple declined to comment when asked whether it might consider offering a similar deal to users outside the US.

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Boeing 'set to offer 787 fixes'

22 February 2013 Last updated at 09:06 ET

Boeing is expected to offer ways to fix the 787's battery problems at a meeting with the US Federal Aviation Administration on Friday.

Ray Conner, a Boeing executive, will explain measures to prevent future battery failures, according to reports.

Flights could resume by April if US authorities accept the proposed plan, they said.

But Transport Secretary Ray LaHood has warned 787s will not fly again until he is "1,000% sure" they are safe.

Fears about battery safety emerged after a lithium-ion battery in a 787 operated by All Nippon Airways overheated, forcing an emergency landing in western Japan in mid-January and a worldwide grounding of the Dreamliner fleet.

The measures include a battery box aimed at insulating lithium-ion cells from one another in order to prevent their overheating, as well as a venting mechanism for fumes, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"The gaps between cells will be bigger. I think that's why there was overheating," one person told Reuters news agency. Boeing declined to comment.

Other faults identified

Meanwhile, on Friday, Japan's transport ministry identified the causes of two fuel leaks on a Dreamliner operated by Japan Airlines, pointing to a coating around the mechanism that controls fuel movement between tanks. That led to a switch not working properly.

Officials also found that faulty taping led to cracks in cockpit glass, while problems with a part led to braking difficulties.

Earlier this week, a separate investigation found faulty wiring of the lithium-ion battery in an ANA Dreamliner jet.

Officials found that the battery for the aircraft's auxiliary power unit was incorrectly connected to the main battery that overheated.

JAL and ANA are the biggest customers of the Dreamliner, with ANA owning 17 of the jets and JAL having seven.

But the fixes presented by Boeing on Friday will not be conclusive, as airline safety inspectors have found no faults with the battery used in the 787. The problems could come from defects in the parts and systems connected to the battery, experts have said.

Japanese authorities in January said they had found no major quality or technical problem with the lithium-ion batteries, which are manufactured by Kyoto-based GS Yuasa.

'Reluctant' to approve

"It's one thing to rule out possible causes [at Friday's meeting] but they need to do more until it is clear what the problem was," said airline analyst Douglas McNeill at Charles Stanley.

"Until it's crystal clear what went wrong, the FAA will be reluctant to let the 787s resume," he added.

All 50 of the 787 jets in service around the world have been grounded since 16 January, after ANA's emergency landing in Japan. Earlier last month, a second battery caught fire in a Japan Airlines 787 parked in Boston.

United Airlines on Thursday removed the grounded Boeing 787 from its flight schedules at least until 5 June and postponed its new Denver-to-Tokyo flights.

LOT Polish Airlines has said it will keep its 787s grounded till October.

Meanwhile, Airbus has scrapped plans to use the batteries in its A350 passenger jet.

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Fans injured in Daytona race crash

23 February 2013 Last updated at 22:59 ET

At least 28 fans have been injured in a multi-car crash during a Nascar race at Daytona in the US state of Florida.

Large pieces of debris - including a tyre - flew into the spectator stands when one of the cars hit a fence separating the track from the seats.

Race officials said 14 people had to be treated in hospital.

The accident happened on the eve of the Daytona 500 - one of the most famous Nascar events. The officials later said the main race would go ahead.

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Daytona International Speedway's Joie Chitwoo, and Nascar's Steve O'Donnell addressed a press conference shortly after the crash

'Freaky'

The crash happened on the last lap of the second-tier race in Daytona as the cars approached the chequered flag.

The driver in the leading car apparently tried to stop others overtaking him by moving sideways. One vehicle then hit another and flew into the fence.

Pieces of debris were thrown into the stands and smoke from burning engines clouded the area.

"It was freaky," fan Rick Harpster told the Associated Press news agency.

"I saw a tyre fly straight over the fence into the stands. I knew it was going to be severe."

Another eyewitness described people running and seeing a girl completely covered in engine oil.

The race was earlier stopped for about 20 minutes following a separate accident in which one driver was injured.

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Pro-gun rallies staged across US

23 February 2013 Last updated at 23:52 ET

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Pro-gun campaigners in the US have been holding a "day of resistance", protesting against President Obama's plans to ban assault weapons

Gun rights activists in the US have held a "day of resistance" against planned reforms of firearm laws.

They say more than 100 rallies have taken place across the country to oppose moves to tighten restrictions on gun ownership.

Protesters say the moves breach their constitutional right to bear arms.

The rallies follow the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut in December, which left 20 children and six teachers dead.

That prompted calls for restrictions on gun use and a strong backlash from those who oppose them.

President Barack Obama wants a ban on assault weapons and wider background checks on people buying guns.

Continue reading the main story

• While some 46% of households and 29% of individuals said they owned a gun in 1990, two decades later this had fallen to 32% and 21%.
• DC has the most gun homicides; Connecticut has fewer than average
• For more statistics, as well as the difference between a semi-automatic rifle and pistol, visit the BBC's In statistics: Guns in the US

'Don't tread on me!'

"I do not oppose all tightening of gun restriction laws," says Dustin Stockton, one of the organisers of Saturday's protests.

"But what we will never accept is the government coming into our homes and demanding to know exactly what kind of weaponry we have for our natural right of self-preservation."

At one of the protests, in Maryland near Washington, about 100 people gathered.

Many wore T-shirts showing a rattlesnake and the words: "Don't tread on me!"

The symbol has been adopted by the conservative Tea Party movement, which organised this show of opposition, the BBC's Ben Wright in Washington reports.

In Sarasota, Florida, the Herald-Tribune news site estimated more than 50 people had attended.

"It's one of my rights - one I'd die for," it quoted Terry Childers as saying.

Others carried placards showing their support - including one with a picture of an assault rifle, reading: "Come and take it."

The protests follow a week of calls for tighter gun laws.

Some states have demanded mandatory liability insurance for gun owners.

On Thursday, Vice-President Joe Biden gave a speech not far from Newtown, Connecticut, where last year's deadly school shooting took place.

He said there was a "moral price to be paid" for inaction over gun control laws and criticised politicians "more concerned about your political survival" than the safety of America's children.

While President Obama takes his campaign for the assault weapon ban and universal background checks to America's cities, his opponents are mobilising, our correspondent says.

He adds that both camps are now fighting to capture public opinion and persuade politicians in Congress to back them.

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US Cardinal urged to avoid conclave

24 February 2013 Last updated at 05:55 ET

Roman Catholics in the US have delivered a petition asking Cardinal Roger Mahony to stay away from the conclave in Rome to choose a new pope.

The former Archbishop of Los Angeles was stripped of his duties last month over allegations he protected priests accused of child sex abuse.

Continuing scandals over sex abuse in the Church have cast a shadow over the process of choosing a new pope.

Benedict XVI - who is abdicating - is giving his final Sunday blessing.

Pope Benedict, 85, is due to step down on Thursday. Tens of thousands of people have gathered at St Peter's Square to hear the Angelus blessing.

'Slap in face'

Activist group Catholics United gathered nearly 10,000 signatures asking Cardinal Mahoney to recuse himself from the conclave that will chose the next leader of the world's Catholics.

Handing in the petition in Los Angeles, the group's communications director, Chris Pumpelly, said he was delivering a "message of pain" from thousands of Catholics.

"Cardinals, bishops and leaders of the church, listen to the cries of your flock, respect the victims of abuse and cover up, don't run from it," he said.

"Your scandal brings pain to the faithful."

On Saturday Cardinal Mahony answered questions for more than three hours from lawyers investigating sexual abuse by priests while he was Archbishop of Los Angeles from 1985-2011.

Church files unsealed under a court order last month show that in the 1980s he sent priests known to be abusers out of California to protect them from criminal prosecution.

The Cardinal was expected to board a plane for Rome shortly being questioned under oath.

On Friday he tweeted that were just hours to go before his departure.

But Joelle Casteix of the activist group Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests said he should not be involved in the conclave.

"It's a total slap in the face to victims to think he can cover up 25 years of child sex abuse and then go prancing off to Rome like a prince of the church," she said.

Roger Mahony is one of 117 cardinals under the age of 80 called to the Vatican to vote for the next pope following Benedict XVI's surprise announcement last week that he was abdicating because of ill-health.

Sex abuse by priests around the world was one of the defining issues of Benedict's eight-year reign.

The whiff of scandal involving Cardinal Mahony and a separate case involving Scottish Cardinal Keith O'Brien is overshadowing the transition period to the next papacy, the BBC's David Willey in Rome says.

On Saturday the Vatican criticised the media for reporting "misinformation" about alleged intrigue and corruption in the church.

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Apple drops shares plan after ruling

24 February 2013 Last updated at 06:27 ET

Apple has dropped a planned vote of shareholders after a US judge blocked the move in an ongoing spat over what to do with the tech giant's huge cash pile.

The judge backed a lawsuit by activist shareholder David Einhorn, who wants Apple to return more cash to shareholders.

Apple boss Tim Cook had called the lawsuit a "silly sideshow" but has complied with the judge's ruling.

The firm has $137bn (£90bn) in cash.

This is despite having already repaid $10bn via dividends and share buybacks.

Following the preliminary ruling by US District Judge Richard Sullivan in New York, Apple has dropped plans to ask shareholders to vote on whether to abolish a contractual right that the company currently enjoys to issue such preference shares without limit.

'Disappointed'

Apple had bundled the move, together with several other changes to the way in which the company is organised, into a single voting proposition for shareholders - something that Mr Einhorn said is illegal and the judge agreed.

"We are disappointed with the court's ruling," Apple spokesman Steve Dowling said. "[That proposal] is part of our efforts to further enhance corporate governance and serve our shareholders' best interests."

Mr Einhorn objects to the fact that a significant percentage of his investment in Apple shares in effect sits idle, invested in cash that pays very little return and has accused Apple of a "Depression-era mentality".

He wants Apple to issue perpetual preference shares to existing shareholders. These are a special type of share that pay a regular flat dividend in perpetuity, and which receive their payment in preference to the dividends paid out on ordinary shares.

Apple has said that it is keeping hold of the cash so that it is ready to make a major acquisition as and when the opportunity arises.

Apple has built up huge cash reserves by making extremely profitable products like the iPhone, iPad and the iPod.

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