Judge rules on Gulf payout

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The administrator of the US$20 billion ($25.8 billion) compensation fund for Gulf oil spill victims is not independent from BP and must stop telling potential claimants that he is, a federal judge ruled yesterday, just hours after the fund czar released details on how final payments would be determined.

United States District Judge Carl Barbier said Ken Feinberg and any of his agents must clearly disclose in all communications that he is acting for and on behalf of BP, not independently.