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US Congressional investigators believe the device meant to stop oil leaking from a Gulf of Mexico well after last month’s rig explosion was faulty.

The blowout preventer (BOP), a set of huge valves, had a hydraulic leak and a failed battery, they said after studying BP and other documents.

Oil industry chiefs say it is too early to conclude what caused the disaster.

A climate change bill just submitted to the Senate could allow states to veto some offshore drilling plans.

Introducing the American Power Act, Senator John Kerry described it as "a bill for energy independence after a devastating oil spill" and "a bill to hold polluters accountable".

President Barack Obama hailed the legislation, which faces a difficult passage.

"The challenges we face – underscored by the immense tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico – are reason to redouble our efforts to reform our nation’s energy policies," Mr Obama said.

Eleven people died when an explosion – thought to have occurred after a surge of methane gas from deep within the well – destroyed the Deepwater Horizon rig on 20 April.

At least 4m gallons (15m litres) of oil have leaked into the Gulf from the damaged well to date, the Associated Press news agency reports, and desperate efforts are being made to protect the Gulf coast’s ecosystem from the slick.

Attempts to stop the leak have so far failed but engineers hope at least to begin reducing it later this week with a steel dome – dubbed the "top hat" – which has been lowered on to the seabed.

‘Apparently defective’

Representative Bart Stupak, head of the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, said its investigators had uncovered significant problems with the BOP, which was meant to stop sudden, dangerous rushes of volatile oil and gas.

"The safety of [Deepwater Horizon’s] entire operations rested on the performance of a leaking and apparently defective blowout preventer," he told a House hearing.

He said a 2001 report by Transocean, which operated the drilling rig on behalf of BP, indicated there could be as many as 260 failure possibilities in the equipment.

"How can a device that has 260 failure modes be considered fail-safe?" Representative Stupak asked.

The hearing was also told that the BOP had been modified, which made it difficult to operate after the accident.

Its emergency back-up controls may have failed because the explosion that destroyed the rig also disabled communications preventing workers from sending signals underwater, the hearing heard.

A senior BP executive, Lamar McKay, told the House: "It’s inappropriate to draw any conclusions before all the facts are known."

Jack Moore, president of Cameron International Corp, which built the BOP, told the hearing it was "far too early" to draw conclusions on what had caused the accident. He added that the company had not been able to the examine the BOP.

Ambitious bill

The headline aim of the American Power Act is to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 17% within a decade and by 80% by 2050, which is ambitious by any standards, the BBC’s Madeleine Morris reports from Washington.

To try to achieve this, the bill pushes nuclear power and clean coal technology by giving financial incentives.

It imposes a strict carbon-trading market as well as mandatory cuts on emissions by certain manufacturers and power companies.

Because of the Gulf of Mexico spill, a provision was added at the last minute, allowing states to veto drilling less than 75 miles (120km) off their own coastlines.

But that may not placate several Democratic senators, who are already uncomfortable with offshore drilling and, because of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, are now even more so, our correspondent says.

Republican support for the act is by no means guaranteed at the moment, she adds.

How the oil has spread
Approximate oil locations 22 April – 12 May

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

A car bomb outside a cafe in Baghdad has killed seven people and injured more than 20, Iraqi officials say.

The bomb went off outside a cafe in Sadr City, a mainly Shia area in eastern Baghdad.

It comes two days after a spate of attacks across the country killed more than 100 people.

Iraq remains in political stalemate after inconclusive elections in March. Officials have warned the situation could be exploited by al-Qaeda.

Police and hospital officials said the blast took place near a popular cafe where young people were gathered.

Sadr City, a stronghold of anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, was the scene of one of Iraq’s most deadly bombings earlier this year, when insurgents targeted worshippers gathered for Friday prayers in April.

Earlier on Wednesday, police said a bomb inside a grocery shop in another mainly Shia area of Baghdad killed three people and wounded 23 others.

Insurgents apparently dumped a corpse in front of the shop, located in a market in the Shula district of north-western Baghdad, and then detonated a bomb when people crowded around.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Fulham’s brave bid to lift the Europa League ended in heartbreak as Diego Forlan’s winner deep into extra time gave Atletico Madrid victory at Hamburg’s Nordbank Arena.

The final looked destined for a penalty shoot-out until former Manchester United striker Forlan took advantage of strike partner Sergio Aguero’s persistence to send a deflected finish beyond Mark Schwarzer with only four minutes left.

Forlan poached another close range finish to put Atletico ahead in the first half, but Simon Davies responded swiftly with a volleyed equaliser for Fulham to spark hopes of a first European trophy heading to Craven Cottage.

But Forlan, tormentor of Liverpool in the semi-final, seems intent on making up for his unfulfilling spell at Old Trafford by inflicting pain on Premier League teams every time they cross his path – and how Fulham felt the agony as their players lay on the turf as Atletico celebrated wildly celebrated the decisive goal.

Atletico created the better opportunities in a final short on serious excitement, with Forlan striking a post and Aguero somehow poking wide from almost on the goalline in the first period of extra time.

Fulham will feel nothing but despair at their failure to close out a season that has captured the imagination of the nation with silverware, but they have delivered pride to themselves, their fans and the Premier League as they took on some of Europe’s elite and only fell at the final hurdle.

Hodgson’s side could not quite touch previous heights in Hamburg, unquestionably hindered by the fitness problems suffered by striker Bobby Zamora, their European talisman who battled gallantly without reward despite the handicap of an Achilles tendon injury that is now expected to require surgery.

The successes enjoyed in the Europa League have enhanced Fulham’s reputation – especially that of their manager Hodgson. They must now hope they can ward off interest from other clubs understandably impressed by his remarkable rejuvenation of a club on course for the Championship when he was appointed.

Fulham, as expected, were able to call on Zamora and Duff – but it was Atletico’s dangerous strike duo of Forlan and Aguero who emerged as central figures in the Spanish side’s domination of the first half.

Danny Murphy carelessly, and almost fatally, presented Aguero with possession in dangerous territory and would have been the most relieved man in the Nordbank Arena to see Forlan’s shot glance away off the post after he was played in by the Argentine.

And Fulham keeper Schwarzer needed to be alert to hold on to Jose Antonio Reyes’ angled free-kick at the second attempt as it headed for the top corner.

Davies finally gave Atletico keeper David de Gea work to do with a snap shot that he clutched above his head, but Atletico made the breakthrough their supremacy merited after 32 minutes.

There was an element of good fortune for Atletico as Aguero’s miscued shot was transformed into the perfect pass for the lurking Forlan to steer past Schwarzer from close range.

Forlan had another shot saved by Schwarzer as Atletico looked to press home their advantage -but as so often this season, just when they looked in serious trouble, Fulham found a way of fighting back eight minutes before half-time.

Zoltan Gera’s cross took a deflection and fell at the far post for Davies, who accepted the invitation to flash the sweetest of half volleys beyond De Gea before he had any hope of reacting.

Zamora, who has been fighting a losing battle with an Achilles tendon injury, was replaced by Clint Dempsey early in the second half as Fulham finally showed signs of gaining a measure of control on the game.

And it was Davies who almost completed the turnaround on the hour when he delivered an instant strike from a poor Atletico clearance, but this time De Gea was able to make the block.

The game then drifted listlessly towards extra time, although Atletico finished the stronger. Several Fulham players needed massages before the action got under way again to combat the effects of their exertions.

Fulham survived an anxious moment 10 minutes into the extra period when Schwarzer could only palm away Forlan’s low driven cross, but it escaped Aguero as he waited to pounce inside the six-yard box.

Hodgson’s men then had an even bigger escape when Forlan left Chris Baird behind as he surged into the box, but in the ensuing scramble Aguero somehow poked wide from a yard out with the goal gaping.

As penalties beckoned, Atletico struck so late that it was impossible for even Fulham to mount a response. Aguero got the better of Chris Baird, and his cross was touched in by Forlan to provide a bitter conclusion to this wonderful European journey.

Fulham01 Schwarzer03 Konchesky05 Hangeland yellow card06 Baird18 Hughes11 Gera13 Murphy (Greening 118)16 Duff (Nevland 84)20 Etuhu29 Davies25 Zamora (Dempsey 55)Substitutes19 Zuberbuhler,04 Pantsil,17 Riise,23 Dempsey,27 Greening,34 Dikgacoi,10 NevlandRef: RizzoliAtt: 49,000FULHAMPossessionAtletico Madrid 51%Fulham 49%Attempts on targetAtletico Madrid 11Fulham 5Attempts off targetAtletico Madrid 10Fulham 4CornersAtletico Madrid 9Fulham 2FoulsAtletico Madrid 14Fulham 12

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Owen Paterson has been appointed as the new secretary of state for Northern Ireland.

The 53-year-old becomes the first Conservative Secretary of State since 1997, when Sir Patrick Mayhew held office in John Major’s administration.

Mr Paterson became MP for North Shropshire in the same year.

The Cambridge graduate was appointed Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary in July 2007.

Mr Paterson has been a frequent visitor to Northern Ireland since then and has built up a network of contacts with political parties, business organisations and community groups.

He was a prime mover in his party’s electoral link up with the Ulster Unionist Party and personally campaigned in a number of constituencies including Strangford and East Belfast.

Meanwhile on Wednesday, UUP leader Sir Reg Empey said: "I offer my warmest congratulations to Owen Paterson on his appointment as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

"Owen’s sterling commitment to Northern Ireland has been amply demonstrated during his time as Shadow Secretary of State."

The Northern Ireland Office once had responsibility for many issues including policing and justice, health, education, culture and the arts but these areas of public life are now in the hands of the NI Executive.

Today the secretary of state still has responsibility for constitutional and national security issues and the licensing and legislation of firearms and explosives.

The role also has an involvement in the ongoing public inquiries, human rights and electoral policy.

However, the job is no longer seen as one of the big offices of state and the arrival of devolution has prompted some commentators to predict that the job could disappear in the near future.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.