Fidel Castro appears in public after months
HAVANA - A top executive at Havana's Hotel Nacional said that Fidel Castro made a public appearance there, challenging rumours that he is in ailing health. The hotel's commercial director Yamila Fuster said 86-year-old Castro arrived there in a car to drop off a "distinguished Venezuelan guest," then stayed to chat with hotel employees. Castro has not appeared on television or publically since March. AP
BP agrees to swapfor Rosneft stake
LONDON - A person familiar with the matter said that the board of UK energy company BP has struck a deal to swap its profitable but troublesome Russian oil venture TNK-BP for a big stake in Rosneft, the Kremlin-controlled energy company. The sale of BP's half of TNK-BP would net the company between US$10 billion to US$15 billion in cash as well as a 15 to 20 per cent stake in Rosneft. AP
