■ Chile
Immunity stripped, again
The Supreme Court on Wednesday stripped former dictator General Augusto Pinochet of immunity from prosecution for corruption charges related to his multimillion-dollar bank accounts overseas. Pinochet, 89, has been stripped of his presidential immunity at least four times before, but in cases stemming from the massive human rights abuses during his 1973-1990 dictatorship. This time, the court decided that Pinochet can be tried on charges related to his bank accounts in the US. The charges include tax evasion, filing a false tax return and using false passports to open bank accounts abroad.
■ United States
Warrant issued for DeLay
An arrest warrant was issued on Wednesday and bail set at US$10,000 for former US House Majority Leader Tom DeLay ahead of his first appearance in court on money laundering and conspiracy charges. The warrant called upon any Texas law enforcement officer to arrest DeLay, but he was expected to turn himself in voluntarily. DeLay is scheduled to make his first court appearance today, and is charged with conspiracy and money laundering in a campaign finance scheme tied to his political action committee, and could face up to life in prison if convicted.
■ United States
Spelling a campaign issue
The campaign of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg misspelled the name of one of the mayor's most important supporters, his predecessor, Rudolph Giuliani, in an invitation to a kosher breakfast next week with Bloomberg, Giuliani and former mayor Edward Koch, who has also endorsed the mayor. The campaign, which has spent at least US$47 million already, added an extra "i" to Giuliani's name, spelling it "G-i-u-i-l-i-a-n-i" in the invitation. The campaign of Bloomberg's Democratic opponent, Fernando Ferrer, sent a copy of the invitation to reporters by e-mail with the subject heading that said "how quickly we forget" and a quick note that read "Rudy who?" "At least we got `Bloomberg' right," a spokesman for Bloomberg's campaign, Stu Loeser, said.
■ United States
Travel rules `hurt families'
Travel restrictions imposed by the US and Cuba show complete disregard for families by tearing children away from parents and preventing adults from caring for ailing parents, a major report on travel by Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday. US and Cuban policies forcibly separate families and infringe on internationally recognized rights to freedom of movement. As a result, marriages dissolve, children are unable to reconnect with parents following long separations and the elderly die without seeing their offspring for a last time.
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