In response to past pressure to conduct a probe, the CFTC has publically said it has been investigating possible manipulation in the silver market.

FORBES: FOCUS: News Of Possible Probe Of London Fixings Raises Eyebrows In Gold Market

India last month named Justice Mukul Mudgal to probe the allegations following pressure from opposition parties who sought to equate a U.S.-mandated report of lobbying activities in Washington by the U.S. retailer with the bribery of Indian officials.

WSJ: Wal-Mart Asia CEO Appears Before India Investigator

It suffered from short-circuits, faulty radio and power systems, an unreliable tape-recorder, a sticky camera platform, and the loss of much of the gas that supplied its stabilising thrusters a problem overcome by repositioning its solar panels and main antenna so that they acted as solar sails, stabilising the probe via the gentle pressure of sunlight.

ECONOMIST: The long arm of the celestial repairman

His involvement in Singaporean investigations comes after weeks of international pressure on the city-state to pursue the European probe's findings, which were announced this month.

WSJ: Singapore Says Suspect Is Helping Soccer Probe

Pressure on the industry was building even before the latest probe.

ECONOMIST: Student loans: Another subprime scandal | The

But, according to Dr Forward, the increased pressure would more than make up for that, by accelerating the probe to speeds as high as 1, 000km a second.

ECONOMIST: Rockets are not the only way to travel through outer space

Similarly, the pressure exerted by sunlight, and the force exerted by the emissions from each probe's radio antenna, were dismissed: again, both are too weak, and they would tend to push the probes away from the sun, not towards it.

ECONOMIST: A space oddity

The Law Lords overturned an initial ruling that the SFO had acted unlawfully in dropping the probe, but opposition parties and anti-bribery campaigners said the SFO had been subject to substantial political pressure before acting.

BBC: UK under fire over bribery laws