BP’s €11.3bn share-swap with Russian government-owned Rosneft was dealt another blow today after a tribunal blocked the deal until further notice.

BP shares came under pressure today as it was reported that staff at the beleaguered oil giant could face manslaughter charges over the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

Banking shares kept the London market aloft today following bullish comment on the sector from investment brokers.

A £10bn (€11.4bn) deal between British oil giant BP and Russian government-owned Rosneft is on hold today after a tribunal ruled it breached agreements with other partners.

The market gave a warm welcome to BP’s £10bn (€11.9bn) deal with Russian oil giant Rosneft today following Friday’s news of an Arctic exploration alliance.

BP has unveiled an “historic” agreement with the Russian government in a £10bn (€11.85bn) deal which will open up unexplored reserves in the Arctic.

Naval engineers using a remote-controlled mini-sub conducted exploratory work today at the site where the Kursk nuclear submarine sank, laying the groundwork for the complex, two-month operation to raise the shattered ship.