Saudi inquiry decision faces legal challenge
The government's controversial decision to drop a Serious Fraud Office investigation into allegations that Saudi officials were bribed to win a lucrative order for a British arms firm could be challenged in the high court, it emerged last night.
Anti-arms trade campaigners yesterday instructed lawyers to consider a legal action against Lord Goldsmith, the attorney general, after he halted the SFO inquiry into allegations of corruption by officials from BAE Systems when sealing the Al-Yamamah deal in the 1980s.
The Telegraph reports that
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development signalled that it would mount an investigation as a defiant Tony Blair took "full responsibility" for the decision.
It leads though on a story that the Chancellor is distancing himself from the cash for honours inquiry.
Brown fights 'dirty tricks' campaign
Gordon Brown issued a statement last night in an attempt to distance himself from the cash for honours affair that has engulfed the Labour Party and resulted in Tony Blair being interviewed by police.
The Chancellor and his allies decided to confront head on what they suspect is a "dirty tricks" operation being orchestrated by his enemies within Labour who they fear are desperate to embroil Mr Brown in the police investigation which has so far centred on the Prime Minister and his closest supporters.
The Indy reports that following thee interview with the Pm
Honours police 'likely to return to Levy' after Blair is questioned
The Times concentrates on the Suffolk murders
Detectives are increasingly confident that they are closing in on the murderer, who has dumped the naked bodies of five women around the edge of the Suffolk town.
One man in particular has come to the fore. A senior police source described him to The Times as “very interesting”.
The Mirror meanwhile headlines with a plea
STOP YOU'VE KILLED ENOUGH
THE uncle of one of the five murdered vice girls yesterday begged the Ipswich Ripper to stop.
Peter Nicholls, grieving for his niece Annette, 29, told the killer: "You have done enough damage.
"For the sake of my family and the families of the other girls, please leave this town alone." His plea was echoed by Kerry Nicol and Jim Duell, whose daughter, Tania Nicol, was also murdered. Yesterday, it was revealed that police are looking very closely at five suspects.
The Sun claims that there was a sixth victim in Ipswich
Baby is killer's 6th victim
ONE of the Suffolk Strangler’s victims was PREGNANT, The Sun can reveal.
Vice girl Anneli Alderton, 24, was around three months into her pregnancy, cops confirmed last night.
Walter Litvinenko: 'Putin murdered my son'
In his first interview since his son's death, Walter Litvinenko, who served as a doctor in the Gulag during the Communist years, said he was convinced that Alexander was poisoned by the FSB - the successor to the KGB. "The cynical murder of my son was a calculated act of intimidation," he said. "I have no doubt that he was killed by the FSB, and that the order came from that former KGB spy President Putin. He was the only person who could give that order. I haven't a shadow of a doubt that this was done by Putin's men."
The same paper reports on the increasing tension in the Gaza strip
Hamas yesterday uncompromisingly rejected calls for new elections as fresh violence threatened a slide into worsening and potentially bloody conflict between it and the rival Fatah group it ousted in last January's poll
The Guardian reports that
Palestinian factions fought on the streets of Gaza and the West Bank yesterday as the territories slid further into violence and political confrontation.
In Gaza City the Palestinian prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, appeared before a rally of tens of thousands of Hamas supporters while in Ramallah at least 30 people were hurt, many seriously, in clashes between Hamas and Fatah gunmen.
The Times reports on more problems for the rail network
Rail company pulls out of service to the North East
The Government’s plans for investing in Britain’s railways are in disarray after the company operating the most profitable route surrendered the contract yesterday.
GNER had signed the contract only 18 months ago, under which it had agreed to pay the Government £1.3 billion over ten years to run trains between London and Edinburgh.
This evening is the final of X factor and the Telegraph looks forward to the battle
The Voice versus The Quiff
Tonight The X Factor, ITV's astoundingly successful reality TV talent search, reaches a climax. It has been a long, hard and, at times, ridiculous road to the final.
Some 100,000 contestants entered, delighting millions of viewers but appalling the judges, especially Simon Cowell, with their capering and caterwauling. Now, 17 weeks later, two remain, knowing they are just four songs and a public vote away from a £1 million recording contract.
The bookies' favourite is Leona Lewis, a 21-year-old receptionist from Hackney, London. She has a spectacular voice; Cowell described her rendition of Over the Rainbow in last Saturday's semi-final as "the single best performance I've ever seen" as a judge. But if Leona wins - and thereby becomes the first black female contestant to do so on a British reality TV contest - it will still be a triumph against the odds.
As his brother passes out of Sandhurst the Sun reports that
PRINCE Harry did his best to “pass out” yesterday — during a FOURTEEN-HOUR bender at his regimental Christmas bash.
The 22-year-old knocked back wine, eight pints of lager, shots and slammers during an all-day drinking session.
Second Lieutenant Harry began at midday with fine wine in the Officers Mess during lunch, then joined NCOs and troopers to swill lager in his first-ever “Brick Hanging” session in the Warrant Officers’ mess — before doing shots at a club.
The story of the drunken director is reported in a number of the papers,The Times saying that
A man who caused travel chaos after passing out with his head on a railway line while drunk has been ordered to undertake 180 hours of community service and to pay £560 of compensation to the rail company.
Kevin Craswell, a former company director, of Ashtead, Surrey, was heard snoring as he lay sprawled across the tracks with his feet inches from the live rail.
Redhill Magistrates’ Court heard that staff were forced to switch off power to the line, near Epsom, in Surrey, causing delays for thousands of people and costing almost £8,000 in delays. PC Keith Board, of British Transport Police, said: “It was truly remarkable that he wasn’t struck by a train or fatally electrocuted.”
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