'Best candidates' for lost Philae comet lander

The European Space Agency (Esa) has released some pictures that may include its lost comet lander, Philae.

Whether that really is the case is far from certain, however.

The features of interest in the images are on the scale of a few bright pixels and could very easily just be a trick of the light.

Philae was dropped on to the surface of Comet 67P by its mothership Rosetta in November last year, and has not been heard from since its battery ran flat.

The washing-machine-sized robot bounced a good kilometre from its intended touchdown point, hence the doubts about its current precise whereabouts on the 4km-wide icy dirt-ball.

Mission teams have a very good idea of where Philae ought to be - inside a patch of terrain measuring perhaps a few tens of metres across. But getting the photographic evidence to prove it is there has been very challenging.

Rosetta acquired a series of pictures of the suspected resting region back in December, and scientists have been poring over the data ever since.

They have been looking for differences in this image-set compared with pictures taken before the landing, and Thursday's release from Esa represents what can only be described as "the best candidates" for Philae. One is rated higher than the others, but even this cannot be promoted with particularly high confidence, agency officials have told the BBC.

Even after some smart processing techniques were applied, it is still just a bright splodge. Esa has rendered a movie that zooms in on this top candidate (MOV)to make it easier for people to discern the feature being discussed.

Stephan Ulamec, the lander manager with the German space agency, said recently: "In the best images we have after the landing, with the correct illumination and taken from an altitude of 20km - the lander would be in the range of two-times-three or three-times-three pixels. And this is exactly the problem: it's not very distinct. We have to assume there is some shadowing effect on the lander that will camouflage it.

"And, yes, the later in the evening and the more wine you drink - the more landers you're able to identify in this terrain," he memorably joked at this year's European Geosciences Union General Assembly in Vienna in April.

Before it lost power, Philae itself returned images of its surroundings, which showed it was in some kind of ditch. The location, dubbed Abydos, is on the "head" of the duck-shaped comet.

High walls were blocking sunlight from reaching Philae's solar panels, denying the robot the ability to charge its battery.

The mission teams must now hope that those illuminations conditions will improve as Comet 67P moves closer to the Sun in the course of the next few weeks. They should. And if Philae can muster enough charge to boot up, the orbiting Rosetta will be listening for even the briefest of radio communications.

The first contacts - if they come - will be short because the battery will almost immediately die again as the transmitter equipment is fired up. But in time - perhaps by July - Philae could be getting enough intense sunlight to generate a useful amount of electricity.

The big concern, however, is the cold. For many of the lander's components this is not a problem, but there will be electronics that have experienced temperatures in the past few months that are below their "qualified" limits. This will include the onboard computer and the communications unit, both of which sit inside a so-called "warm compartment".

"A problem one may face with these low temperatures is some thermal stresses on the electronics boards, and they may damage soldering points," Dr Ulamec explained.

"All the instruments and mechanisms that are outside the warm compartment - they are qualified for very low temperatures because we were expecting those even if we had landed in the planned landing location."

Mission teams had the idea to send Rosetta on a quick, close flyby of the suspected resting place this month, to acquire new images with a higher resolution than those featured on this page. But this possibility has long since been abandoned. So much dust is coming off the active comet that Rosetta's navigation systems get confused if the probe ventures too close.

Rosetta has been pulled back from 67P and currently keeps a watching brief from a distance of about 100km.

The probe's distance from Earth is about 309 million km, and about 218 million km from the Sun.

Three ISS astronauts return to Earth after month-long delay

Three astronauts from the International Space Station (ISS) have returned to Earth, after the loss of a spacecraft delayed an earlier return attempt.

The trio handed control of the ISS over to Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka, after nearly 200 days in space.

Among them is Italian Samantha Cristoforetti, who has set the record for the most time in space on a single mission by a female astronaut.

Their Soyuz spacecraft landed safely on Thursday in the steppes of Kazakhstan.

"It was a textbook homecoming for the Expedition 43 crew," said a NASA presenter after the landing.

The commander of the expedition, Terry Virts, and his crewmates Anton Shkaplerov and Ms Cristoforetti have spent almost seven months on board the ISS carrying out scientific research and technology demonstrations.

All three were carried out of the spacecraft and checked over by medical workers. "Everything worked by the second, step by step, the guys were great," said Mr Shkaplerov.

According to a Nasa press release, the team has travelled more than 84 million miles since their launch into space on 24 November.

They were originally due to leave a month ago, but their departure was delayedafter the failure of a supply spaceship. The out-of-control unmanned Progress M-27M burnt up as it re-entered the Earth's atmosphere.

 The delay meant that on 6 June Ms Cristoforetti set a new world record for the most time spent in space by a woman on a single mission after clocking up more than 194 days.

The 38-year-old has gained an active following on Twitter during her time on the ISS by posting videos showing how to do simple everyday tasks in space such asmaking a meal.

She also famously introduced an espresso machine, which was specially adapted to work in space.

Expedition 44 is led by Mr Padalka, alongside fellow crew members US astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko.

Mr Kelly and Mr Kornienko are two-and-a-half months into a year-long tour of duty on the ISS, the longest continuous stay anyone will have had on board the 400km-high (250 mile) orbiting platform.

Three more astronauts are due to join them in July.

David Cameron holds 'open and frank' EU talks

David Cameron has held what were described as "open and frank" talks with the Belgian prime minister over his plans for EU reform.

The PM met Charles Michel and other EU leaders at a summit in Brussels.

Mr Michel said he respected the UK's decision to hold a referendum on its EU membership, but also warned against "discrimination of European employees" under any reforms to welfare.

Mr Cameron has said he is "content" with the reception from leaders so far.

The PM, who also spoke to his counterparts from Spain, Finland and Romania, is seeking support for his plan to renegotiate the UK's membership before holding an in-out referendum.

He has said he wants to speak to all 27 EU counterparts about his agenda for reform and to set out the UK's intentions before they gather for next month's European Council meeting.

Free movement

Mr Cameron is pressing for changes including restrictions on welfare entitlements, greater powers for national Parliaments and an opt-out for Britain from the principle of "ever closer union".

Mr Michel's spokesman said the two leaders had held "open and frank" talks, with the Belgian premier telling Mr Cameron he did not want to see the "dismantlement of the European Union".

"In Belgium we believe that the principle of free movement of workers is very important, that non-discrimination and equal rights for European citizens are very important," he said.

"And on these issues, we hope to find agreement in the negotiations".

Former Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt told the BBC's Daily Politics other countries wanted to see their own reforms.

"It's not only about the wish list of David Cameron. It's going to be a global renegotiation," he said.

David Cameron is starting renegotiation of the terms of Britain's EU membership ahead of a referendum. Here is some further reading on what it all means:

Q&A: The UK's planned EU referendum

UK and the EU: Better off out or in?

What Britain wants from Europe

Timeline: EU referendum debate

Mr Cameron has already held talks with the leaders of Europe's two largest economies, Germany's Angela Merkel and France's Francois Hollande, as well as the European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Council president Donald Tusk.

Speaking as he arrived in Brussels, Mr Cameron told reporters; "I'm content with the progress we've made so far but the referendum will happen by the end of 2017."

British officials told the BBC that the meetings were an opportunity to talk about broad objectives and the prime minister would stress reforms that benefit all 28 members of the EU.

According to a draft communique of June's Council meeting which was published on Wednesday, "the UK" is item number four, due to be discussed in the afternoon.

'Fair settlement'

The meeting is seen as an early litmus test of the progress that the UK is making and where it is meeting resistance.

Speaking in the city of London on Wednesday, Chancellor George Osborne said the UK had a series of clear objectives in mind, based on the principle of fairness for all EU members.

He said the aim of the renegotiation was to enable "Britain to be in Europe but not run by Europe".

"We need a settlement that recognises that while the single currency is not for all, the single market and the European Union as a whole must work for all," he said.

"So among the principles we seek to establish in this re-negotiation are these simple ones: fairness between the euro-ins and the euro-outs enshrined, and the integrity of the single market preserved.

"It's in our interests that the Euro is a successful, strong currency. So we're prepared to support the Eurozone as it undertakes the further integration it needs.

"But in return, we want a settlement between the UK and the Eurozone that protects the single market and is stable, fair and lasts."

The prime minister's strategy was boosted on Tuesday when MPs demonstrated overwhelming support for a referendum on the UK's membership of the EU.

A bill authorising a referendum by the end of 2017 cleared its first parliamentary hurdle, with a majority of 491, although MPs from all sides expressed reservations about issues ranging from the franchise and the likely date of the referendum to rules on government publicity in the run-up to the vote

Police dogs have 'detected evidence' of US fugitives

Police bloodhounds have found where David Sweat and Richard Matt may have spent the night after they escaped from prison six days ago.

Food wrappers and other evidence were discovered in the woods nearby the prison according to US media reports.

Police have been receiving hundreds of tips from the public, and a sighting has been reported in Philadelphia.

"Follow every lead you have" Governor Andrew Cuomo told police as the search extended into Vermont.

"Follow them as if it's the lead that's going to break the case. I am confident we are going to find them, the only question is when."

The manhunt in northern New York and surrounding areas has also reached into campsites and boat slips in neighbouring Vermont.

Uninhabited vacation homes are being searched in the popular tourist region.

Homeowners are being asked to leave their outdoor lights on overnight to aid police in the search.

Mr Shumlin and Mr Cuomo held a joint press conference outside the maximum security prison from where the men escaped, Clinton Correctional Facility.

"New York was going to be hot. Vermont would be cooler, in terms of law enforcement," Mr Shumlin said, referring to the unspecified information about the men's whereabouts.

Rainstorms have complicated efforts by masking scents detectable by search dogs and forcing officers to wade through swamps.

Officials at the Saranac Central School District, less than a mile from the prison, closed schools on Thursday "in order to assist law enforcement personnel with their search efforts, and due to the closure of a number of roads".

Police have interviewed a cab driver in Philadelphia, who told authorities to say he may have given a ride to the men early on Thursday morning. But police later ruled that out as a lead.

• 5 June: David Sweat and Richard Matt escape from Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora
• 6-7 June: Possible sighting of pair in Dannemora
• 9 June: Search focuses on Willsboro area after another possible sighting
• 10 June: Police close off Route 374 between Dannemora and Cadyville and search expands to neighbouring Vermont
• 11 June: Police dogs find food wrapper and footprint at suspected camp site near Dannemora

Police confirmed on Wednesday that they had interviewed "one woman in particular" who may have befriended the inmates and had a role in their escape, but would not go into detail.

That woman "may had had some role in assisting them", said New York state police superintendent Joseph D'Amico.

Matt was given a jail term of 25 years to life for beating a man to death in 1997.

Sweat was serving a life sentence without parole for the murder of Broome County Sheriff's Deputy, Kevin Tarsia.

Germanwings crash: French prosecutors open new probe

French prosecutors have announced a preliminary investigation into whether manslaughter charges should be brought over the Germanwings plane crash.

It is not clear who any possible charges would target.

All 150 people on board, mostly from Spain and Germany, died in the crash in March.

Marseilles prosecutor Brice Robin said there was "no doubt" that co-pilot Andreas Lubitz deliberately crashed the Airbus A320 in the French Alps.

Mr Robin said some doctors treating Lubitz felt he was unfit to fly but did not tell his employers because of German laws on patient confidentiality.

He said a preliminary investigation would focus on possible manslaughter charges as a result of the gap between need for patient confidentiality and need for authorities to know.

Inside a Texas biker gang funeral

Nine people died in Waco, Texas, in May after a shootout between warring motorcycle gangs at restaurant car park - but is such violence an aberration or part and parcel of such groups?

"Look at it now, it's such a tranquil place. It was the same that Sunday afternoon, until all hell broke loose."

McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara stands outside the Twin Peaks restaurant in Waco, the scene of a deadly shoot-out between biker gangs. He points to where the carnage happened.

"You could see bodies lying about - one was right there on the grass, five here on the parking lot, one over there behind that pick-up truck."

McNamara does not hide his contempt for the men involved.

"They couldn't have cared less about the families right across the parking lot in other restaurants or shops," he says. "All they were interested in was killing rival bike gangs."

All of those killed and injured were part of biker gangs who had arranged to meet at the restaurant.

More than 170 bikers were arrested. Most are still in prison, with members of the different gangs being detained separately from each other.

After some persuasion, we managed to speak to a biker who was moments away from having been caught up in the bloodshed. He had been heading to Twin Peaks, but was stuck in traffic when he heard what had happened.

"We were just as shocked as anybody else," says Sean, who spoke to us on the condition we only use his first name.

A few hours south of Waco, Sean invites us to attend the funeral of a friend of his, Jesse "Mohawk" Rodriguez. one of the bikers who died in the car park,

Hundreds of men in leathers are there, their bikes parked beside the church.

They hug each other, support the grieving family and ultimately congregate in individual groups, denoted by the insignia on their jackets.

As the coffin is brought out of the hearse, a large proportion of the bikers salute.

Many of them, like "Mohawk", Sean and thousands of bikers around the country, used to serve in the American armed forces.

"It's about camaraderie, it's about brotherhood, getting together with like-minded individuals," Sean says, explaining why so many bikers are former military.

"When you're in the military, you're really, really close to the people you serve with and when you come back there is a hole."

But another former biker, James Quinn, a professor at the University of North Texas, says when mixed with disillusionment, such biker clubs can often go beyond just men hanging out together with their bikes.

"They are very loyal to their insignia, to their brothers - and very territorial," Quinn says, adding the groups are a "great place" to set up criminal networks - "drugs, weapons, extortion and prostitution are the mainstays".

Police investigators say the killings at Twin Peaks were about a challenge over territorial control.

The dominant gang in a state (currently the Bandidos in Texas) can demand affiliation from smaller clubs in return for protection and the use of the state name on their insignia, Quinn says, adding smaller clubs may not be directly involved in criminal activity.

All of the bikers we spoke to at Mohawk's funeral said they were disappointed in the negative portrayals of bikers, saying accusation of links with criminality were far-fetched.

But when a veteran member of the Bandidos, a group that classifies itself as an "outlaw motorcycle club" arrived to pay his respects, many of those same bikers showed deference.

"If you lay down with dogs, you're going to get fleas," says Steve Cook, who worked as an undercover investigator in outlaw motorcycle gangs, and now trains law enforcement.

He goes further than many other experts, saying the vast majority of motorcycle clubs in the United States in some way support those bikers involved in criminal activities.

"As time goes by, they get a little bit more involved with the outlaw groups are doing and before you know it you have these guys getting involved in stuff like you saw in Waco," Cook says.

"The groups that don't placate these guys are few and far between."

The bikers we spoke to say the level of criminal activity Steve Cook alleges is not borne out by the number of arrests of bikers over the years.

But Cook believes that is due to romanticism that surrounds motor biking in the United States.

"Even within law enforcement here there is that romanticism about bikers," he says.

"Officers don't pay any attention to the crimes bikers commit at all, they don't take them seriously."

Sean feels the popular perception of bikers, especially in movies and television, go against them, focusing on violence and criminal activity.

"We're people who pay our taxes, have normal jobs, raise our kids," he says.

After the church service, uniformed Marines perform military rites beside the coffin.

As the hearse is pulled away by a Harley Davidson, the scores of bikers at the funeral mount their motorcycles and follow behind in a thunderous "last ride" for Mohawk.

Greek debt: IMF leaves talks amid 'major differences'

Greece's international creditors have raised the pressure on the Athens government, as IMF negotiators left talks in Brussels and flew home.

Major differences remained and they were "well away from an agreement", IMF spokesman Gerry Rice told reporters.

Greece is seeking a cash-for-reform deal, to avoid defaulting on a €1.5bn debt repayment to the IMF.

But the European Council president said there was no more time for gambling and the game would soon be over.

"The Greek government has to be, I think, a little bit more realistic,'' Donald Tusk said.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras held talks with European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker in Brussels on Thursday afternoon but little progress was made.

He also held a late-night meeting with the French and German leaders on Wednesday, after which Mr Tsipras said they had decided to intensify talks.

The EU and IMF are unhappy with the extent of economic reforms the Athens government is offering in exchange for the release of a final €7.2bn (£5.3bn) in bailout funds. Their bailout deal with Greece runs out at the end of June.

Mr Tsipras's left-wing Syriza party came to power in January on an anti-austerity platform.

'Happy ending'

IMF's Gerry Rice in Washington said there had been "no progress" in narrowing differences during the talks between IMF and Greek negotiators in Brussels, and both teams had packed up and left for home.

But he stressed that "the IMF never leaves the table. We remain engaged - but the ball very much is in Greece's court right now."

He said the sticking points remain pensions, taxes and financing.

Analysis: BBC's Chris Morris in Brussels

Alexis Tsipras is coming under huge political pressure to agree a deal that will give his government access to further funding, in return for further spending cuts, tax rises and economic reforms. Without a deal, Greece is heading for bankruptcy and possible exit from the euro.

One possible solution under discussion would be to extend Greece's current bailout deal, which expires at the end of the month, until March next year.

But the government in Athens would still need to commit to reforms that run counter to the promises it made when it was elected in January.

The latest comments from the IMF are a sign of how difficult this process is.

Sometimes in negotiations, the rhetoric gets tougher just before a deal is done.

Some EU officials still hope there could be a face-saving agreement at a meeting of eurozone finance ministers next week. But no-one is betting on it.

Greek spokesman Gabriel Sakellaridis said in a statement that government negotiators were ready to intensify talks "even in the coming days" and would carry on working on the remaining issues "such as the fiscal issue and the sustainability of the debt".

Earlier in the day, Greek stocks had soared by more than 8% after EU Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said a debt deal was close and needed a "happy ending".

However, as the mood darkened, stock markets elsewhere began to retreat. By then, the Athens market was already closed.

One EU diplomat called the meeting between Mr Tsipras and Mr Juncker a "last attempt" to reach a debt deal.

"If the process was working properly the president would not have had to have a meeting with Tsipras today," he was quoted as saying.

Mr Tsipras told reporters after meeting Mr Juncker that they were "working in order to bridge the remaining differences" and reach an agreement "which will ensure that Greece will recover with social cohesion and viable public debts".