FP morning brief 7/16

Oil spill capped for second days as BP awaits test data

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Top story: For the first time since April, oil has stopped flowing into the Gulf of Mexico after BP successful placed a new cap over the gushing well yesterday. Engineers will continue to take pressure readings from the cap until at least Saturday. If pressure reading hold, it will be a sign the the pipe underneath is undamaged and the 35,000 to 60,000 barrels of oil spilling out of the well per day can be captured by surface ships.

Authorities at all levels warned against undue optimism. "It's far from the finish line. ... It's not the time to celebrate," said BP Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles, warning that the flow of oil could still resume. President Barack Obama welcomed the news as "a positive sign" but warned that "we're still in the testing phase."

The well will not be sealed off entirely until two relief wells can be built, probably in August.

Investigation: The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations committee will hold hearings into BP's role in Scotland's release of convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdel Baset al-Megrahi last year.

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Africa Kenyan police say they have arrested a suspect in connection with Sunday's bombing in Uganda. Somalia's al Shabaab rebels have promised a "new tide of terror" in retaliation for African Union peacekeeping operations. A defense lawyer for the 1994 Rwanda genocide tribunal was murdered in Tanzania. Middle East A Libyan ship that had been carrying aid to Gaza unloaded its cargo in Egypt. Lebanon has detained a second employee of the state-owned mobile phone company for spying for Israel. A pair of suicide bombings killed at least 20 people in Southeast Iran. Asia Authorities imposed a rigid curfew on Kashmir after a week of violent unrest. The U.S. and South Korea will conduct joint military exercises over Chinese opposition. More than 5,000 people were arrested across Asia in a crackdown against World Cup gambling. Americas A drug gang in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico attacked police with a car bomb, killing three. The Colombian government says it has clear evidence that Venezuela is sheltering rebel leaders. Eight men have been convicted in Guatemala in connection with the murder of a lawyer who may have arranged his own killing to discredit the government. Europe Three Chechens were arrested in France, possibly in connection with March's Moscow subway attacks. President Dmitry Medvedev says Russian authorities have identified the killer of human rights activist Natalia Estemirova. Sweden convicted two brothers for trying to burn down the house of a cartoonist who drew Mohammed.

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