US lifts BP government contract ban

The US has lifted a ban on oil giant BP that prevented it from bidding for US government contracts. The ban was imposed after the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, caused by an explosion on BP's Deepwater Horizon rig, which killed 11 people. The ban has been lifted after the firm agreed to a set of safety, operations and compliance requirements. As part of the agreement, BP will also drop its lawsuit against the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The firm had sued the EPA after it imposed the ban for "improper statutory disqualification and suspension", according to BBC.