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US President Barack Obama has signed into law new sanctions against Iran intended to impede the development of its nuclear programme.
The measures, which penalise foreign companies that trade with Iran, were overwhelmingly approved by US Congress last week.
Mr Obama said the sanctions would strike “at the heart” of Iran's ability to fund and develop nuclear programmes.
Iran says its nuclear industry is for peaceful purposes; the West disagrees.
The bill targets those firms that supply Iran's Revolutionary Guards or contribute to the country's energy industry, including foreign companies that provide finance, insurance, or shipping services. Mr Obama said: “We are showing the Iranian government that its actions have consequences, and if it persists, the pressure will continue to mount, and its isolation will continue to deepen.
“There should be no doubt – the United States and the international community are determined to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.”
Mr Obama noted that Iran had rejected the offer of dialogue and engagement he had made on taking office last year.
“To date, Iran has chosen the path of defiance,” he said. “That is why we have steadily built a broader and deeper coalition of nations to pressure the Iranian government.”
Tehran denies seeking to acquire nuclear weapons.
Last month, the UN Security Council voted to impose a fourth round of sanctions on Tehran for failing to halt its nuclear enrichment programme.
They include tighter finance curbs and an expanded arms embargo, but not the crippling sanctions the US had wanted.
Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad dismissed those sanctions as a “used handkerchief” fit for the dustbin.
Three earlier rounds of UN sanctions have blocked trade of “sensitive nuclear material”, frozen the financial assets of those involved in Iran's nuclear activities, banned all of Iran's arms exports and encouraged scrutiny of the dealings of Iranian banks.

Source:BBC

Top seed Serena Williams survived an unexpectedly tough examination of her title credentials before reaching her sixth Wimbledon final.Vera Zvonareva stands between Williams and a fourth title after the world number one battled past Petra Kvitova 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 on Thursday. Kvitova, in her first Grand Slam semi-final, became the first player to break Williams’ serve at Wimbledon. But she let slip a first-set lead and the top seed’s experience told. After a tussle lasting one hour and 32 minutes, Williams celebrated with a curtsey for the crowd. “It wasn’t easy, I worked really hard,” she told BBC Sport. “I didn’t expect to get this far the way I started at the beginning of the tournament. I just felt off, but I’m happy to still be here. It’s such a blessing to just be in the tournament.” Williams’ route to a fourth title looked relatively simple after her sister Venus and Kim Clijsters were beaten in the quarter-finals. Kvitova had never won a match on grass before arriving at Wimbledon this year, and the 20-year-old admitted before her debut Grand Slam semi-final that she did not think she could beat Williams. But her performance on Centre Court, certainly in the early stages, belied that statement, a magnificent low volley setting up break point at 2-2 before Williams netted a forehand to find her serve broken for the first time in the tournament. Kvitova had a point for a 5-3 lead, but three forehand errors allowed Williams to get back on level terms. Still, the unseeded Czech refused to roll over completely, fighting back from 4-0 down in the tie-break and saving two set points before Williams delivered a crunching first serve to take the first set by the narrowest in just under an hour. Williams found the second set a little easier to negotiate, but Kvitova still provided flashes of brilliance for an appreciative crowd. Trailing 4-2 and break point down, the pair played out a thrilling 19-shot rally, Kvitova somehow scrambling back a lob before finally firing a forehand past an exhausted Williams. The effort, though, was apparently too much for the 20-year-old and she double-faulted on the next break point to allow Williams to come through.

Source:BBC

President Barack Obama is pressing for reform of US immigration policy in his first major speech on the issue.
Mr Obama has made immigration reform a priority amid pressure from border states to tackle illegal immigration and drug violence.
He said the US had thrived as a nation of immigrants but reform had been held hostage by “political posturing”.
The White House says recent developments have influenced Mr Obama's decision to make his speech now.
Arizona recently enacted a law which makes it a crime to be in the state without immigration papers.
In his speech, Mr Obama said the Arizona issue had divided opinion in the US.
“But everywhere people have expressed frustration with a system that seems fundamentally broken,” he said.
Mr Obama said US borders had been porous for decades and there were an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the country.
“The majority are simply seeking a better life for themselves and their familes,” he said.
Legal challenge
Mr Obama is delivering his speech at American University's School of International Service in Washington.
Arizona' controversial law has already brought a legal challenge from Mexico which says it could discriminates against its citizens.
At the time, President Obama called the law misguided and has asked the Justice Department to review its legality.
However, other states are considering similar moves.
White House spokesman Bill Burton said Mr Obama “thought this was a good time to talk plainly with the American people about his views on immigration”.
Immigration reform has been pushed down the president's agenda in recent months by issues such the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and overhauling the US health care system, correspondents say.

Source:BBC

Contracts for sales of previously-owned homes plunged a record 30% in May, far higher than expected.
The figures came in a survey from the National Association of Realtors (NAR).
A tax break, designed to boost sales, was withdrawn at the end of April, and a fall in deals was expected, but at around 12%, more than half the level actually recorded.
The break had galvanised the market, but these figures show it has floundered without it.
The NAR said its Pending Home Sales Index, based on contracts signed in May, not only fell by a record amount, but hit a record low of 77.6, from 110.9 in April.
Pending home sales – deals agreed but not yet completed – had risen by 6% in April.
The fall mirrors the decline in new home sales in May. The Commerce Department recently said that they had slumped by a third compared with the previous month.

Source:BBC

LIVE TEXT COMMENTARY (all times BST) FIRST SET Serena 7-6 Kvitova
Remarkably, the speed-gun is showing 145 mph for the first Serena serve. I think it might be getting carried away. Serena targeting the Petra forehand with success for the mini-break, but she has an ace over-ruled on Hawk-Eye and is then powerless to a stooping Kvits volley – 4-1. Ace! To the Williams backhand, 4-2. Long from Serena, 4-3. Oh, chance to steal back the mini break, wasted with a forehand pushed into the tramlines. Big serve from Serena forces the reply long – 6-3. Kvits saves one break point as Serena slaps a forehand halfway down the net – and another, despite a second serve, as Serena’s backhand goes wide. Third set point, this time on Serena’s serve… huge first serve, and there’s no getting that bacl… Tim via text on 81111: “Did you notice that its the men’s and women’s world ranked 82 who created the biggest shocks? Lu beating Roddick and Pironkova beating Williams! Random lucky number.” Serena 6-6 Kvitova
Petra like a rock here, battering her way to 40-0, untroubled in the slightest by the vaunted Serena power. Breaker, and this feels wide, wide open. Serena 6-5 Kvitova *
Serena starting to fire, driving the forehands, screaming and fist-pumping, eyeballing Papa Richard in the VIP slots. Pressure back on the plucky outsider. Charles in Nottingham via text on 81111: “I have packed my wooden racket for our holiday. My son will probably disown me but I’ve relented in not taking the wooden clamp!” * Serena 5-5 Kvitova
World 62? Not on that evidence – nerveless volleying off faultless approach shots sliced deep onto the baseline. Who expected this? Honestly? Serena 5-4 Kvitova *
The answer to that last quizzer: the clue was in the previous entry – Martina Navratilova. Well, not so much a clue as the answer itself, but still. Lame double fault from Serena, who throws her arms up with exaggerated despair as the call comes in. Acer down the middle to edge back in front, and Kvits prepares herself for the set-saving onslaught.* Serena 4-4 Kvitova
Here comes the pressure, the red-panted American stepping in to the serve and attacking the backhand side – she’ll have a break point here as a forehand goes wide, and another forehand error now – into the net-post as the ball-boy flinches, and Serena has the break back. Game on. Serena 3-4 Kvitova *
There’s the champion’s response, an angry hold to love as left-hander Kvits stretches in vain. Another quiz question for you: who was the last leftie to win the ladies’ championship here?* Serena 2-4 Kvitova
Remarkable volley from Petra once again, stretching low and to her right like her one-time compatriot Martina Navratilova. Serena just trying to stay alive – she benefits from successive drives from Kvits that come to earth fractionally beyond the baseline. Deuce…. double fault! Break-back point, greeted with dismay by the piqued punters… but Serena crashes the second serve long, and squeals in disappointment. Long again from Serena, considerably below her best so far, and when she finds the net with a backhand, Kvits hangs on. Serena 2-3 Kvitova *
This wasn’t in the script – crashing forehand again, and Kvits will have a break point. Oooh, first serve fault from Reenie, and probably a good job – the return is a thing of wonder. Ole! Fabulous forehand cross-court winner from Serena, but she’s done like a kipper up next – wondrous stop-volley from Kvits for another break point. Serena to the net – into the tape! She’s been broken – even at this Wimbledon, you don’t think…* Serena 2-2 Kvitova
Jana Novotna, of course. Talking of Czech mates, I think that’s 1973 men’s champ Jan Kodes in the VIP box, seated alongside Helena Sukova. Rapid hold from Kvits, and she’s started well here. Talking of Kodes, my old man used to use a wooden racquet that Kodes endorsed. Not sure how good it was, but he used to store it in one of those square wooden clamps. Serena 2-1 Kvitova *
The last Czech woman to reach a Wimbledon semi? You’ve got until the next game to work it out. Super forehand return again from Petra – it seems to mean nothing at 40-15, but when Serena lets a loose backhand flop into the tape, we’re at 40-30 and interested. Nope – long from Kvits. Anti-climax.
* Serena 1-1 Kvitova
Super chasing from Serena, punching a winner down the line for 15-30 and another cross court for 30-40. First serve… net. Second serve… better, and Serena scoops a forehand long for deuce. Mmm, lovely loose-shouldered forehand drives from the Czech, and she’s levelled up. Promising. Super Elsewhere at Wimbledon: from 5-4 up and serving for the first set, Tara Moore unravels a touch, losing eight games in a row, and Laura Robson runs out a 7-5 6-1 winner in their girls’ quarter-final. She’ll face Japan’s 10th seed Sachie Ishizu in the semis as she bids to win the title for a second time.Serena 1-0 Kvitova *
If Pironkova was the outsider in the first semi, what does that make Petra Kvitova? Before this Wimbledon she’d never even won a match on grass, losing in the first round here in 2008 and 2009. She’s coming out blazing, going after a Serena second serve to crash back a winning return for 30-30, and when Serena bunts a backhand long she’ll have a shock break point. Crash – first serve takes that away; bang – first serve gets her on the board.* denotes next server1508: Players emerge onto Centre Court, Serena in the now familiar strawberries and cream-inspired outfit. Kvitova opts for a vest top and skirt combo. “Of course Vera came good, my wife just reminded me my mother-in-law’s name is Vera. 1500: Zvonareva will face Serena Williams, or maybe Petra Kvitova, in Saturday’s final. That match coming up on Centre. Meanwhile, good news and bad news for Britain on Court 12. Britain’s former champ Laura Robson has come from a break down against Britain’s Tara Moore to take the first set.Vera Zvonareva on BBC Two: “I’m very excited. I think I’m not realising at this moment what I’ve done. It was very tough – she’s very young but a very tough opponent. She fought so well and I’m happy I was able to hang in the match and turn it around. It’s one of my dreams to be out there in the Wimbledon final.” Zvonareva 3-6 6-3 6-2 Pironkova It looks like she can – brilliant exchange at the death, volleys pinged back and forth, a lob and winning forehand drive from Zvon. Match point now – deep forehand, Pironkova in deep trouble… nets! Zvonareva through to Saturday’s final…
1452: Intriguing news from Court 12 where 17-year-old Tara Moore, who served for the first set against Robson in their girls’ quarter-final. Robson broke back though when her return was called in, with Moore indicating it was about a foot long. Robbo now leads 6-5.* Zvonareva 3-6 6-3 5-2 Pironkova A Tweet arrives from England off-spinner Graeme Swann: “Sat on bates bulge at wimbledon with two of the best looking men I know on women’s semi final day. The air reeks of desperation.” Pironkova serving to stay in the championships, her hopes hanging by a threat – lovely driving forehand, splendid driving backhand. 40-15. Heavy net-cord to draw groans from the crowd and a head-shake from Pironks, but she stays alive. Two breaks needed – can Zvon stay strong to get through to her first Grand Slam final? Zvonareva 3-6 6-3 5-1 Pironkova * Nerves tightening the guts of both players – woeful Pironks backhand so long Cliff can nearly take it on the full in the Royal Box, but then Zvon does the same – two unforced errors for two break-back points. Much better serving to save one, then the other – help-yourself drop-volley from Pironks, Zvon there to punch away the winner.* Zvonareva 3-6 6-3 4-1 Pironkova You can’t move for hats in the crowd – it’s like a milliner’s fantasy. A prosaic milliner – lots of Panamas, boaters, cloches. Delightful sliced drop-shot from Zvon to drag herself to deuce, and calamitous from Pironks – way, way long, and that’s the double break. The dream is dying. Zvonareva 3-6 6-3 3-1 Pironkova * Cloudy, sticky, muggy. Great day for swing bowling. Zvons belts a forehand wide and long for 30-30, and after she lets a volleyable backhand bounce there’s a big chance for a cross-courter…. boff, into the tape. That was the break-back chance, and with Zvon’s reputation for crumbling, it wouldn’t have taken much to make her wobble…* Zvonareva 3-6 6-3 2-1 Pironkova The wheels starting to come off for the plucky Bulgar. Twice she goes long with her forehand, and that means two points for a double break. Too tentative, but that’s more like it – go for it again, rather than sitting back and waiting to be dismantled – flatter deeper forehands, back to deuce. More aggression again, and she’s wriggled free. For now. Zvonareva 3-6 6-3 2-0 Pironkova * Fine exchange of forehands, and Zvon is always in control – hitting flat, the returns coming loopier and loopier. You’ll get punished for those. Zvon has now won six of the last seven games, and that spells T-R-O-U-B-L-E.* Zvonareva 3-6 6-3 1-0 Pironkova Zvon sits on her chair at the changeover, head completely covered in a towel. She does it to relax apparently. I do the same thing when I get home from work – get out a canvas chair, stick on the towel and shout, “Barley-water! Banana!” into the empty air. Trouble for Pironks – she’s lost ther crispness on her groundstrokes, and Zvon is in the groove – chance here for an early break, and she takes it as Pironks slaps a forehand long. From @concettasidoti on Twitter: “Only a man would go to Fever Pitch as a Colin Firth ref. That’s Mr Darcy, that is.” Tracy Austin on BBC TV: “Zvonareva cut down on the errors to win that set. I’d have to give her the edge now just for her experience alone.” SECOND SET Zvonareva 3-6 6-3 Pironkova * Sir Cliff likes that – big muscling forehands, dragging Pironks this way and that, two set points… ah, history repeating itself as a lucky net-cord seals the set. Which way will this one go now?* Zvonareva 3-6 5-3 Pironkova This Bulgar’s not for lying down – thumping forehands, crunchy serves, and she’ll make Zvons serve out for the set and parity. Zvonareva 3-6 5-2 Pironkova * Pironks does like to go for her shots – it’s what saw her past Venus in the quarters – but when the radar goes slightly awry, the unforced errors start clocking up. Lovely volleying from Zvon, and she goes down on one knee to flay a sizzling backhand away for the game. In other news: Lionel Messi, Gabriela Sabatini, Hugo Porta… Your boys took one hell of a beating. Britain’s Oli Golding sweeps into the semi-finals of the boys’ singles with a 4-6 6-4 6-4 win over Argentina’s Renzo Olivo. He’ll face Ben Mitchell or Damir Dzumhur in the last four. Easy. * Zvonareva 3-6 4-2 Pironkova Yup, you guessed it – Sir Cliff’s here as well. Wearing a jacket patterned with blue and white chevrons. Only Sir Cliff. This is getting tight now – slicing squash-style forehand from Pironks, and that will get whipped away – oh, right on the line with the next one for 40-30. Splendid 84 mph forehand clouted into the corner from Zvon; netted backhand from Piron, and that offers up the first break point on her serve in the match… taken, with a forehand into the corner and backhand into the wide open spaces. Interesting… Zvonareva 3-6 3-2 Pironkova * Hints of a change in momentum here. Zvon, for so long one of the great wobbly bottlers in women’s tennis, has the nerves under control and foot to the floor. * Zvonareva 3-6 2-2 Pironkova The first sign of trouble on the Pironks serve. Zvons hitting cleanly, turning the vice, and she sets up a brace of deuces – only to toss away the chance with forehands fractionally long. Brief interlude of sunshine. I’ve almost forgotten what precipitation looks like. Zvonareva 3-6 2-1 Pironkova * I see your Firth and I raise it one blazered, impassive Sir Terry Wogan. Truly we are living through great days. Much better from Zvons, hitting the backhand with depth and direction. The match coming to life.* Zvonareva 3-6 1-1 Pironkova Not even a sniff of a breaking opportunity there. The first serve is powerful and consistent, the replies from Zvon anything but. Hold on – is that Colin Firth in the Royal Box? Not quite at fever pitch yet, but maybe he’s waiting for love, actually. Zvonareva 3-6 1-0 Pironkova * Pironkova, should you need reminding, had won just one match at Wimbledon before this year. In the last three years she lost in the first round on every occasion. Hold to love from Zvons, but she looks as baffled as anyone else by what’s going on out there.Tracy Austin on BBC TV: “This an absolutely amazing story. A huge underdog in the semi-finals, on Centre Court, and she plays a spectacular first set.” FIRST SET* Zvonareva 3-6 Pironkova Now then – will there be any nerves from the outsider as she stands on the brink of the first set? Not on that evidence – big first serve, Zvon forced long, same again, three set points. Splendid counter-punching from Zvon, killing a pick-up volley stone dead… oooh, big wobble on a backhand into the net for 40-30. Zvon fancies this now – big backhand, Pironks forced to toss up a looping backhand… Zvons into the net! Zvonareva 3-5 Pironkova * Super battling from Pironks, forcing Zvon back with successive lobs for 15-15. Better from the Russian, her second ace giving her some daylight and some sweet drives on the forehand side keeping her in the set. News of Britain’s young pup Oli Golding: he lost the first set to Argentina’s Renzo Olivo, but took the second 6-4. They’re into a crunch decider on Court 12…* Zvonareva 2-5 Pironkova That Pironks backhand really is a weapon – this time she’s on the run out wide, Zvon at the net, but she somehow double-fists over the highest part of the net for a crowd-pleasing winner. Remarkable to think that Pironkova lost pre-Wimbers to Britain’s Heather Watson, and seemed at 22 years old to be going nowhere – only to be reborn here on the bleached grass as an apparent world-beater. Zvonareva 2-4 Pironkova * You’d expect to see some sign of nerves from Pironks – she’s never before made it past the second round of a Grand Slam – but she’s as footloose and fancy-free as anyone could hope to be. Super flat forehand off Zvon’s looping reply, sent fast and flashing right onto the baseline, and she’ll have a break point – taken, as a net-cord leaves her opponent stranded in no-woman’s land.* Zvonareva 2-3 Pironkova Solid again from the Bulgarian world no.82, although even if she loses here today she should climb into the top 35 on the back of her success here. Three Russians vanquished already here at Wimbledon, and she’s doing a good job of scaring another – hold to 15, the pressure right on Zvoners. Zvonareva 2-2 Pironkova * Pironks with a splendid forehand topspun down the line asZvon is slow to the net, and a backhand blasted down the line takes her to 30-30. Oh, chance for further pressure as Zvon invites her in behind a poor drop-shot, but the flicked forehand goes long. Sorry to be a pain, but could you manually refresh again?* Zvonareva 1-2 Pironkova Chap in the crowd there in a fuchsia satin shirt and curl-brimmed cowboy hat, like a partygoer on a Wild West themed float at a Mardi Gras parade. Crisp first serving from Pironks, her face hidden under a white golf visor, dark black hair bouncing in a long ponytail, and that big backhand comes out again. Promising early signs from the outsider. Zvonareva 1-1 Pironkova * Here’s one for the collectors and future contestants on Question of Sport – as Zvon clouts a backhand into the net, she shakes her head and asks the ball-boy for the ball back – she gives it a squeeze, frowns and lobs it to the umpire, and she’s arguing here that the ball has popped. The umpire agrees, and according to a rule that most of us have never seen invoked before, we’ll replay the point. Long from Pironks, and we’re level pegs. * Zvonareva 0-1 Pironkova Some strange technical things going on with this page, but at least there are no Hairy Bikers appearing. Yet. Pironks to open out, and that’s the start she was after – driving on the lusty backhand, forcing her more experienced rival back and wide.* denotes next server1303: Patrons still edging their way into Centre as the two players stroll out. Muted atmosphere, but it’ll build. It’s not the semi-final we expected, but that’s part of the joy of this Wimbers – new storylines, new characters, fresh and unexpected twists at every turn. 1301: Glimpse of the two players there, waiting to come out – Zvonareva jumping around like a boxer before a prize fight, hair pulled back tight into what I believe some call a Croydon facelift. 1255: Sultry day at Wimbledon. The sort of days when tempers flare, where strange things happen – at least in pot-boiler novels. 1250: Ladies and gentlemen, may I remind you that use of flash photography and mobile phones on Centre Court is frowned upon, but a quick manual refresh would work wonders.
1244: Tom Fordyce is flexing his fingers, still buzzing from news of doughnut-gate (see 1123), so I will hand you over for the rest of the day…1239: Calm down, Britain. As expected, Oli Golding now back on serve against Renzo Olivo… GAH! No, he’s not, he’s dropped it again. Rollercoaster of emotions on Court 12. “I noticed yesterday Golding had on a bright red pair of pants with white stars shining through his whites. Lucky pair?”
No idea. Anyone else familiar with the underwear-wearing habits of Britain’s top junior?1228: Oh. And now I appear to have jinxed Oli Golding as well. Sorry everyone. Renzo Olivo is a break up at 3-2. Plenty of games to be played there though. Hold on tight.1212: Court 12 is packed to the rafters to see Oli Golding in action. He’s made a solid start, leading 2-1 on serve. I don’t know what’s happened to Sloane Stephens (apart from the fact that I tipped her for glory). The American took the first set 6-4 against Kristyna Pliskova but lost the second 6-1 and is 2-0 down in the third.1205: Wimbledon Wonders of the World… I think I may have hit upon something here. Castle’s Hair, Becker’s Wardrobe, Anyway, time to give your Union Jack a flap. Oliver Golding is about to get going on Court 12. The 16-year-old Londoner meets dastardly Argentine Renzo Olivo in the boys’ quarter-finals, but after beating the top seed in the last round, I have every faith in Our Oli.1158: While I’m at it, I’ll put forward Boris Becker’s wardrobe as a wonder of the world. Another magnificent ensemble from BB on yesterday. A cable-knit cream cardigan, with a navy and yellow trim. Even had the bottom button undone, like my Grandad used to do.1147: Wanna see Andrew Castle’s hair should be one of the wonders of the world… In fact, I’m sure they opened the voting for the new wonders of the world recently. I’m going to nominate Castle’s hair. Who’s with me?1134: The first semi-final features Vera Zvonareva, who beat Kim Clijsters, and Tsvetana Pironkova, who saw off five-time champion Venus Williams. Pironkova’s win came only a couple of weeks So if Heather Watson’s better than Pironkova, who’s better than Venus, is British tennis not in such bad shape after all?1129: Still, nice to see Kvitova going into the match with a positive attitude. Asked if she believed she could beat Serena, she replied: “I don’t think so. Serena is a very good player and she won here I don’t know how many times. I lost against her in the Australian Open, it was very quick. But I’m not favourite, so I can play just my game and enjoy, so we will see.”1123: Doughnut justice was done when my boss for the day walked in with jam all down his trousers. Anyway, shall we start looking at the day ahead? Serena Williams says there are three other players who have good a chance as she does of winning Wimbledon. She shows excellent humility there, but she’s clearly talking nonsense. She’s going for her fourth title here and her 13th Grand Slam overall. The other three have one losing semi-final between them. Serena’s opponent today Petra Kvitova had not won a match at Wimbledon before this year. From James at Wimbledon, via text: “My day has just been made. A Constable Wombell is patrolling around Wimbledon!” 1109: Word reaches me that there were free doughnuts on the walk from Southfields to Wimbledon. I am crushed. What about the people who start work at 9am eh? WHAT ABOUT US???1100: It’s 11am, which means it’s time to play tennis. My tip for future world dominance, Sloane Stephens, is on Court Eight against ninth seed Kristyna Pliskova. On Court 14, it’s another girls’ singles quarter-final between Yulia Putintseva and Ons Jabeur. Got to be backing the Tunisian (Jabeur) in that one, haven’t you? From Jane in Dorset, via text: “Would love Murray to win but fear he’s in the wrong semi! If only he could have faced one of the others first and Rafa in the final what a Wimbledon that might have been – but I hope I’m wrong…”1056: What about “Federer’s total dominance and consistency in the Grand Slams had to end at some stage and even he has said that himself. Has he won his last Slam? I certainly don’t think so. He’s still only 28 and I can see him lifting more of these trophies in the future.”From JV, with a remarkably large glass (half full, obviously), via text: “Had the privilege of being on No 1 Court yesterday… I thought Nadal looked beatable. When Soderling was finding his range, he had Rafa in all sorts of bother. Add to that there were indications Rafa is not fully fit (tell-tale back-stretching between points). Come on Muzza!!!” “Winner of the Murray v Nadal match to win the tournament… probably. I reckon Nadal has the edge.”From Catherine in Leeds Via text: “Fed’s aura has definitely gone! The glimmer started to fade when he lost in Madrid and it was a slippery slope from there! LONG LIVE RAFA (and Murray of course!)” “I’m fearful Murray will beat Nadal but then lose in the final, it would be a nightmare!! Fed will win the US in my opinion!”1027: Just asked the good people of the following: Will Murray win Wimbledon? Will Fed win another Slam? Will Fed ever be No1 again? Feel free to join in on 81111 (UK) or +44 7786200666 (worldwide). 1019: Federer’s defeat, coupled with Murray’s win, means tennis has finally pushed football off the back pages (albeit because the World Cup is currently resting for two days). Federer will now drop to number three in the world rankings, the lowest he’s been since 2003. He hasn’t failed to reach the final in a grasscourt event since 2002. “Quarters is a decent result,” said Federer yesterday. “People would die to play in the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam.” You’re not most people though, eh Fed? Will Fed ever get back to world number one? Will he ever win another Grand Slam? I’ll say: No, and maybe. Another Wimbledon might not be beyond him, but the aura has gone.From Thomas from Durham, via text: “This Fed losing malarkey is all a big joke right? Murray will get to the final just to have Fed jump out from behind the chair shouting ‘SURPRISE’.”1000: Andy Murray’s latest EXCLUSIVE! column for the BBC Sport website In it, he looks back on the last time he played Nadal at Wimbledon – “I’d been playing well in the tournament and managed to come back from a couple of sets down against Gasquet in the previous round, but I didn’t have the energy to compete with Rafa how I would have liked and lost heavily. A lot has changed since then. I’ve spent a lot of time getting physically stronger, a lot more time in the gym, and since then I’ve had good results against him.”0947: So the big question is: is it Murray’s year? But one man who wasn’t really in the mood for answering that was Roger Federer. The six-times champ shocked a few observers with his yesterday after losing to Tomas Berdych. He blamed leg and back injuries for his limp four-set defeat, and then, when asked about Murray’s chances of victory, he slathered on the sarcasm… “Yeah, I mean, true, Rafa played terribly lately. He’s got an easy ride to this victory, that’s for sure. Djokovic can’t play tennis anymore it seems like.”0940: Murray, impressively, didn’t shy away from a question about Britain’s epic wait for a men’s singles champion at Wimbledon. “It’s obviously been a huge, huge wait for us, and it’s still going on now. It’s something that’s kind of joked about amongst players and people within tennis about how long it’s been since someone British has won at Wimbledon. It’s something that you just learn to deal with. It doesn’t affect the way that I play. It’s not something that you’re thinking about when you’re on the court at all.”0931: To be fair to the nation’s scribes, there is plenty of realism around. Nadal hasn’t lost at Wimbledon since a winning all 12 matches since. And as the “British men are on a nine-match losing streak in Wimbledon semi-finals. Mike Sangster lost one, Roger Taylor lost three, Tim Henman lost four, and Murray lost one last summer, when he was stopped by a superb performance by Andy Roddick. Before he can emulate Fred, he must first emulate Bunny [Austin, the 1938 finalist].”0920: The women’s semi-finals begin with Zvonareva v Pironkova at 1300 BST, to be followed by Serena v Kvitova. Hard to pick a winner this year isn’t it? Is it? Before that, let your eyes wander to Court 12 where Britain’s Oliver Golding meets ninth seed Renzo Olivo of Argentina in the boys’ quarter-finals. Then it’s an ALL-BRITISH girls’ quarter-final between Laura Robson and Tara Moore. Actions starts at 1200 BST there. Before even that, stick around here for more fall-out from the men’s quarter-finals – and if all else fails, there’s always brand new 0911: It may be but Perry, 1936, 74 years of hurt, and all that, is all over the newspapers this morning after And with what can possibly go wrong? And who is this Nadal fella anyway?0900: Good morning. Eleven days in, and I think it’s time to give in to the inevitable and say it loud and proud: FRED PERRY.

Source:BBC

Nine suspects accused by the US of spying for Russia face hearings in federal courts to request their release on bail.
They were part of a group of 10 suspects arrested on Sunday in Boston, New York and the Washington area accused of belonging to a spy ring.
The alleged agents are suspected of posing as ordinary citizens to collect information for Russian intelligence.
US police moved on the group after an investigation of more than 10 years.
An 11th suspect has disappeared in Cyprus after a judge there released him on bail.
The man, a Canadian passport holder, was named by police as Christopher Metsos. He was due to sign in at a police station in the coastal town of Larnaca on Wednesday but did not show up.
He was held at Larnaca airport on Tuesday as he tried to board a plane to Budapest, a day after the US said it had held 10 other suspects.
Mr Metsos was awaiting a hearing for extradition to the US.
Aged 54 or 55, he is depicted by US prosecutors as the alleged spy ring's shadowy money man, visiting the US as early as 2004 to deliver bags of cash to its members.
Accused of money laundering, he was released on bail of 26,500 euros (21,700; 32,500) to await an extradition hearing scheduled for 29 July.
Cyprus has issued an arrest warrant for him on Thursday but police were not certain whether he remained on the island.
The 10 suspects held in the US are accused of conspiracy to act as unlawful agents of a foreign government, a crime less serious than espionage but which carries up to five years in prison.
Most of them are believed to be Russians living under false names.
Nine are scheduled to appear before federal courts on Thursday to have their requests for release on bail to be heard.
The 10th suspect, using the name Anna Chapman, had her bail request denied on Monday. Donald Howard Heathfield and Tracey Lee Ann Foley are to appear in Boston, where they were arrested after more than 10 years of surveillance by US police.
Michael Zottoli, Patricia Mills and Mikhail Semenko are to appear in Alexandria, Virginia, near Washington.
Richard and Cynthia Murphy, Vicky Pelaez and Juan Lazaro are to appear in a New York City court.
Ms Chapman, 28, has been painted as the femme fatale of the alleged spy ring, with several glamorous photos posted on her page on Facebook.
US prosecutors say they posed as ordinary citizens, some living together as couples for years.
They were trained by the SVR Russian intelligence agency to infiltrate policymaking circles and collect information, according to papers filed in New York.
Russia, which initially reacted angrily to the US charges, has said it does not expect the incident to harm relations.
Moscow has confirmed that some of the suspects are Russian and Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said diplomatic help would be offered to them.

Source:BBC

Ten years ago, Jorge Lemos was told by the authorities in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro to abandon his house as it was built in an area at high risk of landslides.
Reluctantly Mr Lemos complied and built another house a little further down the slope in the shanty town where he lived.
Now, history seems to be repeating itself.
In April this year, disaster struck: the heaviest rains in Rio for decades triggered mudslides in numerous shanty towns or favelas, including in Mr Lemos's neighbourhood. It brought down half of his house, and the few walls that still stand can collapse any time. Mr Lemos moved his family to a firend's home and is waiting for a new flat promised by the government – a promise made to all those who lost their houses or live in high risk areas.
“Right after the mudslides government officials came here and promised us money and a new home,” Mr Lemos says. “Then they disappeared and were never seen again.”
Mr Lemos says that the government's silence does not come as a surprise to him.
“I am still waiting for part of the compensation for my other house, demolished 10 years ago,” he said.
Local authorities estimate that 24,000 residents of Rio de Janeiro live in high risk areas.
After the latest mudslides in April, the government said said that all would have to leave from their homes – and would be removed by force, if necessary. The plan is to move them to new housing units yet to be built.
Many people in Rio agree that houses in dangerous areas should be vacated.
However, any talk about forced removals of favela residents is highly controversial. Compulsory moves during the 1960s, 1970s and 1990s were largely seen by many as a way of clearing poor people, says Jorge Barbosa.
He is the coordinator of the Favelas Observatory, an institute dedicated to the study of the slums.
“All the forced rehousing that happened in the past have been disastrous, with no exceptions,” said Mr Barbosa.
“We have noticed that these attempts only worsened social inequalities.”
When people had to move to faraway neighbourhoods, they lost their local connections, Mr Barbosa said.
“People lost their jobs, they had to spend more money to commute, lost their social networks and many other things,” he said. “The result was that the rehousing projects ended up as enormous favelas themselves.”
Among these “new slums” is the shantytown Cidade de Deus, made famous by the 2002 movie City of God. It started out as a rehousing project in the late 1960s.
Half a century later it is one of the biggest and most dangerous favelas of Rio. The police managed to regain control of the area only a few months ago, wresting it from drug barons who had dominated it for many years.
The mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, insisted that things were different now. He said the city council has no intention to embark on large scale rehousing projects.
“Our plan is to fix the areas so people can go on living there,” Mr Paes told the BBC. “I believe that this will be the case with more than 99% of the slums.”
The mayor said people will only be asked to move if they live in an area that cannot be protected from landslides and if their lives are in danger.
But in the shanty towns many fear that government has other intentions.
Elisa Brandao is the community leader of the favela Morro dos Prazeres (Hill of Pleasures). She said that many houses in good condition have been marked for demolition by workers sent by city hall.
“See those green numbers marked on the doors?” Ms Brandao pointed out. “These are the references for workers to come and measure the houses – and then bring them down.” Ms Brandao said that a lot of those buildings are in good condition.
“We have come to the conclusion that the city wants to move us because we are in a prime spot for real estate speculation,” she added.
Many favelas have been built on Rio's steep hills, giving them amazing views and easy access to many areas of the city.
Ms Brandao agreed that some house will have to be abandoned because of the danger of landslides.
“But not that many people would have to leave if the authorities did some work to support the slopes,” she said.
Fabio Pereira, for example, feels perfectly safe in the three-storey house his father built decades ago in Morro dos Prazeres. Yet he has been told that it will be demolished.
“My father started building this house when I was just born – 33 years ago,” Mr Pereira said.
He also said he had had the building checked by a surveyor and been told that it was safe.
“I am not stupid or suicidal,” Mr Pereira said. “If there were any cracks or problems with the house I would leave, but there aren't.”
Mr Pereira cannot imagine how he would fit the whole family into one of the two-bedroom apartments the government is set to offer.
“It just does not seem right,” he said, adding that he would only leave his home if he know he would not be worse off afterwards.
“No way will I swap my house for one of those tiny flats,” Mr Pereira said.

Source:BBC

US officials have shut down nine websites accused of offering free access to films, including Toy Story 3.
The crackdown, which included seizing assets from 15 bank accounts, involved police, customs and the movie industry.
The closure of the sites, which had 6.7m visitors combined each month, was described as the “largest takedown of illegal movie and TV websites in a single action” by the government.
Some films were available hours after their release in US cinemas.
Previous crackdowns on film piracy have focused on illegally copied DVDs.
The latest action is the first of its scale to target websites which profit – by selling advertising or taking donations – from offering pirated films for free.
Search warrants were executed in New Jersey, New York, North Carolina and Washington in an investigation which involved about 100 agents in 11 US states as well as the Netherlands
Websites targeted had links to films including Knight and Day, Jonah Hex and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time – all currently showing in US cinemas. A warning placed on the websites state they have been seized by officials.
The government has only seized domain names which means computers running the sites could be used with different URLs.
John Morton, of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said: “If a site reappears, so will we.
“If the criminals move overseas, we will follow.
“Take it from me, I don't think that we've stopped internet piracy in a day but this is going to be a sustained effort.”
Officials say that further actions, including possible prison terms, are expected against website operators.

Source:BBC

Maggots falling from an overhead luggage locker have forced a US Airways flight to return to the gate at Atlanta airport.
“Bugs just began to fall out of the overhead compartment” causing panic on board, passenger Desiree Harrell was quoted as saying by Associated Press.
All the passengers were then asked to get off so crews could clean the plane.
The airline said a container of spoiled meat brought on by a passenger caused the delay of the flight to Charlotte. It said that after landing in North Carolina, the plane was taken out of service and fumigated.
Donna Adamo, a passenger on board flight 1537, said she first noticed a couple of flies when she got to her seat on Monday but did not pay much attention to that.
As the plane was taxiing, she said she heard a passenger behind her causing a commotion and refusing to take her seat.
“Then I heard the word 'maggot' and that kind of got everybody creeped out,” Ms Adamo told AP.
“All of a sudden, I felt somebody flick the back of my hair and on the front of me came a maggot, which I flicked off me.
But she said she “felt like they were crawling all over me because it only takes one maggot to upset your world”.
“And as they're telling us to stay calm and seated, I see a maggot looking back at me and I'm thinking, 'These are anaerobic, flesh-eating larvae that the flight attendants don't have to sit with.'”
Ms Adamo said the pilot then announced that he had to return to the gate because of a “minor emergency on board”.
The plane was cleaned and then continued on to Charlotte.
However, the unnamed passenger who brought the spoiled meat in a carry-on bag was put on another flight, US Airways spokesman Todd Lehmacher said.
It was not immediately clear how the passenger managed to take the meat on board.

Source:BBC

The brother of a politician murdered as he campaigned for governor in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas is to run in his place in Sunday's election.
The killing of Rodolfo Torre Cantu on Monday was blamed on drug gang hitmen.
His elder brother Egidio, who will now stand as the candidate for the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), urged voters to turn out.
Fourteen states are holding elections on 4 July but violence has marred campaigning in some areas.
Egidio Torre said that “despite the profound pain” following his brother's killing, he had accepted the PRI candidacy in Tamaulipas, in north-eastern Mexico.
“I am inspired by the memory of my brother. I ask you to go out and vote,” he said.
Rodolfo Torre was shot along with four of his supporters when gunmen ambushed his vehicle as he travelled to a campaign event on Monday.
Mr Torre, who was tipped to win on Sunday, was the highest-profile politician to be killed in Mexico since 1994 when a presidential candidate, Luis Donaldo Colosio, was murdered.
Tamaulipas has been the scene of a fierce turf war between rival drug gangs fighting over access to lucrative drug-smuggling routes to the US.
Sunday's local elections will take place in 14 states, 12 of which will be choosing governors.
The federal authorities have offered all candidates protection if they request it.
Responding to Mr Torre's murder, Mexican President Felipe Calderon appealed for political parties to unite against organised crime.
Some 23,000 people have died in drug-related violence since late December 2006, when Mr Calderon launched a military crackdown on the cartels.
The elections on Sunday are being widely seen as an electoral test for the PRI, which ran Mexico for more than 70 years until losing the presidency in 2000.
The next presidential election will be held in 2012.

Source:BBC

Researchers have discovered the fossilised remains of an ancient whale with huge, fearsome teeth.
Writing in the journal Nature, the scientists have dubbed the 12 million-year-old creature “Leviathan”.
It is thought to have been more than 17m long, and might have engaged in fierce battles with other giant sea creatures from the time.
Leviathan was much like the modern sperm whale in terms of size and appearance. But that is where the similarity ends. While the sperm whale is a relatively passive animal, sucking in squid from the depths of the ocean, Leviathan was an aggressive predator.
According to Dr Christian de Muizon, director of the Natural History Museum in Paris, Leviathan could have hunted out and fed on large sea creatures such as dolphins, seals and even other whales.
“It was a kind of a sea monster,” he said.
“And it's interesting to note that at the same time in the same waters was another monster, which was a giant shark about 15m long. It's possible that they might have fought each other”.
The researchers speculate that Leviathan was able to feed on very large prey up to 8m long. It would catch the prey in its huge jaws and tear it apart quickly and effectively with its giant teeth.
A 3m-long fossilised skull of the creature was discovered by researchers in southern Peru in 2008. Dr de Muizon's student, Olivier Lambert was among them.
“It was the last day of our field trip when one of our colleagues came and told us that he thought he'd found something very interesting. So we joined him and he showed it to us,” he said.
“We immediately saw that it was a very large whale and when we looked closer we saw it was a giant sperm whale with huge teeth.”
The teeth were more than twice the length and diameter of those found in modern sperm whales and they were on the upper and lower jaws.
Sperm whales only have teeth on their lower jaw.
Dr Lambert and his colleagues had speculated that such a fierce creature might once have existed on the basis of discoveries of individual teeth.
Now, the discovery of the skull means that the Leviathan is not merely the stuff of myth and legend.
“Finally we found it,” said Dr Lambert. ” It was a very exciting moment”.
The researchers do not know why this ancient whale died out. They speculate that the ecology and environment changed so that the creature had to change its feeding habits.
That may have led to the emergence of today's much gentler sperm whales, with the carnivorous niche filled by killer whales as conditions swung back again.
The authors of the report in Nature, who are all whale experts, are fans of the novel Moby Dick, which involves a ferocious white sperm whale.
So taken are they with the novel that they decided to dedicate their discovery to the author, Herman Melville, and give the creature its full scientific name of Leviathan melvillei.

Source:BBC

Costa Rica's Attorney General, Francisco Dall'Anese Ruiz, is to head the commission to combat impunity in Guatemala, the UN has said.
Mr Dall'Anese is to replace Carlos Castresana as chief of the UN-backed International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG).
Mr Castresana, a Spanish prosecutor, resigned three weeks ago, saying he could do no more for the country
He said the government had not done enough to reform the justice system.
UN General-Secretary Ban Kimono called Mr Dall'Anese a “a staunch opponent of narco-trafficking and organised crime”.
He also praised Mr Dall'Anese's experience in anti-corruption investigations.
Corruption, political violence and organised crime are rife in Guatemala. The country also has a long history of impunity, with few cases either coming to trial or resulting in convictions.
But since January 2008, CICIG has carried out investigations leading to the conviction of dozens of officials.
Hundreds of police officers with links to illegal groups have also been sacked.
CICIG's mandate runs until September 2011.

Source:BBC

Police in the US are reopening an investigation into allegations that former Vice-President Al Gore made unwanted sexual advances to a woman at a hotel in 2006.
Police in Portland, Oregon, had earlier said they considered the case closed because there was no evidence.
A spokeswoman for Mr Gore said he “unequivocally” denied the allegations.
She said Mr Gore welcomed the investigation, which would “only benefit Mr Gore”.
A spokeswoman for the police department said it would not make any comments on the case.
The massage therapist alleges that Mr Gore made unwanted sexual advances during a massage appointment on 24 October 2006 at the Hotel Lucia.
Mr Gore was in Portland to deliver a speech on climate change.
Last week, Portland police said the woman's lawyer had come to them with the allegations in 2006, but that she had then cancelled appointments with detectives and said she did not want the investigation to proceed.
The case was reopened in January 2009, when detectives interviewed the woman, but they determined there was insufficient evidence to support her claims.
She said Mr Gore, 62, who was awarded the Nobel peace prize in 2007, had become enraged when she refused his advances.
After the alleged incident, the woman said she was dissuaded from contacting the police by friends of hers.
One friend “was basically asking me to just suck it up, otherwise the world's going to be destroyed from global warming”, she said.

Source:BBC

Authorities in the US have instructed Sony to conduct a recall of its Vaio laptops, after problems with overheating were reported.
Sony said the problem affects more than half a million of its F and C series laptops sold since the start of 2010.
The American Consumer Product Safety Commission said that “the computers can overheat, posing a burn hazard.”
But Sony said that this is “not a recall” and that the problem can be rectified with a software patch.
Although there are no reports of any users suffering burns, Sony say it has received a number of reports of its laptop overheating, distorting keyboards and casings.
Sony says 260,000 laptops in the US, 103,000 in Europe, 120,000 in South East Asia and 52,000 in Japan need to be fixed.
“The word recall has been used by the CPSC in the States, but we are not calling it that,” Nick Sharples, Sony's European communications director told BBC News.
“It is possible to update the firmware online, which will rectify the problem,” he added.
Tim Danton, editor of PC Pro magazine, told BBC News that hardware recalls were nothing new and he was surprised there had not been more this year.
“Laptops are particularly susceptible to overheating; hardly surprising when you are cramming so much hot running hardware into such a small space,” he said.
“One firm who may be concerned is graphics card manufacturer nVidia as its chipset is featured in a laptop that is overheating, even if we don't yet know the exact cause.
“In 2008 Hewlett Packard recalled tens of thousands of their Pavilion laptops due to overheating issues and that also used an nVidia chipset,” he added.
Sony have also conducted product recalls in the past. In 2006 the firm recalled over 100,000 batteries after concerns they were overheating and, in a few rare cases, exploding; while in 2008 it recalled 400,000 Vaio laptop computers worldwide because of wiring faults.
“We don't yet know how many people are actually suffering from overheating issues,” said Mr Danton. “So we don't yet know how many people will actually return their laptops or patch their computer.
“The only real risk to Sony is damage to their reputation, but that – like other recalls – swiftly dimishes over time.”

Source:BBC

Tate & Lyle has announced a deal to sell its sugar business to American Sugar Refining for 211m in cash.
The group said the proceeds of the deal, which was widely expected, would be used to reduce its net debt levels.
It said the company would be “more focused and less volatile” as a result of the sale.
Tate & Lyle's sugar business consists of refineries in the UK and Portugal, as well as the Golden Syrup factory in London.
The deal is expected to be completed within the next two months, the company said.
Tate & Lyle is famous in the UK for its sugar products, including its Golden Syrup. However, the firm is now set to concentrate on its industrial food ingredients division, which produces items used in processed foods such as soups and sauces.
“Sugar refining has enjoyed a long and proud history within Tate & Lyle, but we believe the interests of this business and its employees are now best served by being part of a company for whom sugar refining is core,” said Javed Ahmed, Tate & Lyle's chief executive.
Last month, the company reported a fall in profits and hinted that it might move away from the sugar business.
The group reported pre-tax profits of 229m for the year to March, down from the 247m it made a year earlier.
The group's net debt stood at 814m.
The company has struggled to break even in sugar-cane refining under stiff competition from sugar-beet producers.

Source:BBC

Hurricane Alex has made landfall in north-eastern Mexico, bringing heavy rains and winds.
Thousands of people were evacuated from low-lying areas before the arrival of the category two hurricane.
The storm's winds of more than 100mph (155km/h) are expected to hit southern Texas, where US President Barack Obama has declared a state of emergency.
Heavy seas caused by Alex are also disrupting BP's oil spill clean-up in the Gulf of Mexico.
Boats skimming the slick have been sent back to port by the US Coast Guard.
High waves and strong winds generated by the hurricane have also pushed more oil from the spill on to beaches in Louisiana.
However, the storm is not stopping oil recovery at the scene of the leak, 50 miles (80km) off the Louisiana coast.
Alex made landfall at Soto La Marina in Mexico's Tamaulipas state at about 2200 local time on Wednesday (0200 GMT on Thursday), the Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.
The storm, which is moving west at about 10mph, is about 110 miles south of Brownsville, Texas.
Heavy rains had already flooded roads in the Mexican town of Matamoros, across the border from Brownsville.
And thousands of Mexicans living in fishing villages along the Gulf Coast had fled inland to take refuge in storm shelters.
The NHC warned earlier that torrential rain could cause flash floods and mudslides in north-eastern Mexico and southern Texas.
It also warned of a storm surge of up to 5ft (1.5m) spreading several miles inland along the affected coast.
Alex is expected to weaken as it moves inland in Mexico, eventually dissipating in one or two days, the NHC says.
It is the first Atlantic hurricane to have formed as early as June since 1995.

Source:BBC

Brazil's famous Christ the Redeemer statue has been re-opened after a 4 million (2.7m) renovation.
The Rio de Janeiro monument has undergone a four-month restoration, covered with scaffolding as workers fixed cracks and damage due to water.
As it was unveiled, it was lit up in green and yellow to honour the Brazilian football team playing in the World Cup.
The 125 ft (38m) tall statue is visited by nearly two million tourists a year.
It has looked over Rio de Janeiro for almost 80 years.
“It is a beautiful and important moment, not only for Rio de Janeiro but for Brazil,” said Archbishop Orani Joao Tempesta, who held a mass during the re-inauguration.
One hundred people were involved in the restoration work, which was funded through public and private donations.
“The hardest part was finding the right colour stone,” architect Marcia Braga, head of the project, said.
The work involved the use of more than 60,000 pieces of stone from the same quarry used at the time of construction of the statue.

Source:BBC

The US House of Representatives has approved a landmark bill designed to overhaul the US financial system.
The bill will now go to the Senate, although that vote has been delayed until mid-July, ending President Barack Obama's hope of signing the bill into law by the end of the week.
The Senate vote is expected to be close, however.
Mr Obama made a commitment to overhaul the banking sector following the 2008 financial crisis.
He welcomed the bill's passage in the House, by 237 votes to 192.
“It will make our financial system more transparent, so that complex transactions that escaped scrutiny in the past will now be done in the light of day,” he said in a statement.
The legislation creates a new federal agency designed to oversee consumer lending and outlines new regulations for complex financial instruments.
“Never again should Wall Street greed bring such suffering to our country,” said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, following the vote.

Source:BBC