An executive who paid more than $500 million to buy dozens of small US newspapers from former media magnate Conrad Black's company testified yesterday at Lord Black's fraud trial that he balked when asked to wire $9.5 million directly to Lord Black and his associates.

Michael Reed, the former chief executive of the Birmingham, Alabama-based newspaper group, testified that he thought the deal was with Hollinger International. "It just didn't seem like the right thing to do," Mr Reed said. - ( Reuters )