 Britain's reputation for fighting corruption may have suffered "severe damage" because a fraud inquiry into an arms deal was dropped, MPs have warned. The Serious Fraud Office's inquiry into a 1980s deal between BAE Systems and Saudi Arabia was stopped last December. Tony Blair has said the decision was made in Britain's national interest. The Commons foreign affairs committee has now urged ministers to explain how they responded to criticism from the international anti-bribery watchdog. The Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith, said the UK had a good record on combating international corruption. In December, the prime minister said he took full responsibility for the decision to drop the probe and that the move was in the national interest because of Britain's relationship with Saudi Arabia. But the decision was condemned by the anti-bribery watchdog, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which is planning to send inspectors to Britain to find out why ...
http://news.bbc.co.uk
censor News |
Editor - 08:39:00 04-29-07
|
 Army chief wants soldier increase earlier than originally planned |
| The Army's new chief of staff says he wants to accelerate by two years a plan to increase the nation's active-duty soldiers by 65,000. The Army has set 2012 as its target date for a force expansion to 547,000 t.. full News |
Editor - 08:34:00 04-29-07
|
| Police: Man Kept Mom's Corpse in N.Y. Home for Days |
| A son kept the body of his 93-year-old mother in the apartment they shared for days after she died, police said.The body of Helen Salonen was discovered in her Westchester County home after officials with the s.. full News |
Editor - 08:32:00 04-29-07
|
| Chinese workers freed in Ethiopia |
| Seven Chinese oil workers kidnapped by rebels in Ethiopia have been released and handed to the Red Cross, Red Cross officials and the rebels said. One Somali and an Ethiopian oil worker were also released, an O.. full News |
Editor - 08:29:00 04-29-07
|
| World rallies for Darfur action |
| Protests have taken place around the world to demand intervention to end the fighting in Sudan's Darfur region. Organisers of the Global Day for Darfur said events were taking place in 35 capitals to mark the f.. full News |
Editor - 08:27:00 04-29-07
|
| Huge rally for Turkish secularism |
| Hundreds of thousands of people have rallied in Istanbul in support of secularism in Turkey, amid a row over a vote for the country's next president. The protesters are concerned that the ruling party's candida.. full News |
Editor - 08:25:00 04-29-07
|
|
| post The Good, The Bad and The Ugly |
|
|
