[03:24.36]Under Saddam Hussein’s leadership, the country was allowed to sell limited quantities of oil in order to buy in some food and medicines.
[03:31.88]But it’s known that the system was mired in corruption.
[03:34.80]Iraqi officials selected preferred foreign partners, who then used a variety of dodges to channel money either to their own accounts or back to Iraq.
[03:43.16]It was claimed that the oil group Total was involved in the scam as well as the 86-year-old former Interior Minister Charles Pasqua.
[03:51.54]But in its judgement, the court ruled that the evidence was unconvincing.
[03:55.07]Fertility doctors in Belgium say they’ve devised a simplified form of IVF that could make the treatment affordable for childless couples around the world.
[04:04.50]Researchers in the city of Genk say 12 children have already been born using the technique costing less than $300.
[04:11.83]James Gallagher reports.
[04:13.21]One of the main barriers to fertility treatment is the price.
[04:17.18]The Genk Institute for Fertility Technology tried to simplify the process to make it cheaper.
[04:22.97]They used bicarbonate of soda to replace expensive ways of controlling carbon dioxide levels around the embryo.
[04:29.48]The researchers’ aim is to bring IVF to the developing world.
[04:32.71]Fertility doctors said the findings needed to be tested further, but that the implications of the study could be truly enormous.