Blogscrape

BP mounted a powerful fightback against its critics last night, visiting Downing Street for crisis talks over the Deepwater Horizon oil leak and drawing up a plan to defer a £1.75 billion payout to shareholders.

The elusive Carl-Henric Svanberg, BP’s chairman, was tracked down today for an exclusive interview by Sweden’s biggest daily newspaper, Aftonbladet. The highly defensive conversation followed his meeting with George Osborne in Downing Street. This is the direct transcript, translated from Swedish.

David Cameron said today that he was “frustrated and concerned” at the continuing environmental damage of the BP oil well leak in the Gulf of Mexico.

Tearful survivors of a bus crash which killed three British students comforted each other today after their college field trip to South Africa ended in tragedy.

Four politicians face a criminal trial over expenses claims after a judge today rejected their claim to be immune from prosecution under Parliamentary privilege.

New calculations double rate of oil spill | Q&A: BP and its dividend payment

David Cameron has told British troops in Afghanistan of his mission to return the Armed Forces to the “front and centre” of national life, saying that soldiers should be treated with the same respect today that they received after both world wars.

The widow of Garry Purdham promised at the funeral of her “soulmate” to bring up their two young children in a way that would have made him proud.

A senior NHS manager who defrauded hospitals of more than £200,000 to pay for the running of a stud farm and supplies of horse semen has been jailed for two years and nine months.

Read our unbeatable World Cup coverage in full on our new website: thetimes.co.uk

Read The Times's exclusive investigation into Britain's war in Afghanistan at our new website: US warned Britain to send more troops to Helmand | Pictures: from the frontline | Unworkable command structure | Were platoon houses a disastrous error? | Commander nearly quit in frustration | Complacent British ignored Pentagon advice | Comment: Lessons of Helmand |

Home Secretary's anger, Crime Central

Two homosexual paedophile lovers were convicted yesterday of murdering a woman 13 years ago because they feared she would report them to the police for sexually abusing a young boy.

Scientific tests on a rediscovered painting by Raphael bought for the nation for £34 million have dispelled suspicions that it might not be the work of the Renaissance artist.

Read more about the controversy over the Gulf of Mexico oil spill at The Times's new website: Boris Johnson attacks 'anti-British' rhetoric | 'Kick-ass' Obama condemns BP chief executive | BP shares plunge as clean up costs soar | BP accused of 'judge-shopping' | BP accused of skewing Google search results on spill

Teesside unveiled its very own Taj Mahal this morning. Not in the sense of a timeless architectural masterpiece to be envied the world over — that sort of verdict takes years if not centuries to arrive.

Why does BP matter to Britain?

Longbridge was once among the world’s largest manufacturing plants. It has made cars and hosted ballroom dancing competitions. The Chemical Brothers filmed the video for their hit single Believe there.

They already have a lot to complain about — pensions, The Archers and the way young people wear their trousers far too low these days — but yesterday the nation’s over-50s found a new issue to speak out against: chewing gum.

Mark Wright Coroner spoke of shameful shortages