Financial Transparency Coalition

Washington Times: One of the key corruption charges against former Rep. William J. Jefferson may turn largely on the actual reason that nearly $100,000 ended up in his freezer.

PANAMA CITY — The month-old government here is expected to announce as soon as next week the first steps toward breaking with decades of banking secrecy that have drawn both tax-allergic customers and global rebukes.

Two dual Afghan/U.S. citizens were charged today with conspiracy and bribery in connection with a scheme to offer $1 million in bribes to a U.S. Army contracting official in order to influence the award of a road construction contract in Afghanistan.

Swiss banking giant, UBS, and the US government have come to a tentative settlement agreement in the prolonged legal battle which has pitted the US government against Swiss banking secrecy. From the Washington Post:

The U.S. and Swiss governments have tentatively settled a dispute in which the U.S. government was seeking information about thousands of American depositors suspected of using accounts at Switzerland's largest bank to hide money from the Internal Revenue Service.

The two sides have "reached an agreement in principle on the major issues," Justice Department lawyer Stuart D....