■ UNITED STATES
Son accused of duping mom
The 83-year-old son of one of New York's most renowned society figures was charged on Tuesday with duping his mother out of millions of dollars. Socialite and heiress Brooke Astor died in August at the age of 105, leaving a fortune of US$200 million. Her son Anthony Marshall was accused before her death of swindling money out of the aging philanthropist. "Marshall abused his power of attorney and convinced Mrs Astor to sell property by falsely telling her that she was running out of money," the indictment said. The indictment also said Marshall induced Astor to change her will to make him the sole heir and drop her plan to leave her fortune to charity.
■ ARGENTINA
`Dr Death' may be alive
Notorious German war criminal Aribert Heim, 93, known as "Dr Death," is believed to be hiding in South America, Nazi-hunters said on Tuesday. "We have elements that lead us to believe Aribert Heim is alive ... probably in Chile or maybe Argentina," said Efraim Zuroff, who heads the Israel office of the Simon Wiesenthal Center. Heim is wanted for the murder of hundreds of inmates at an Austrian concentration camp. Germany, Austria and the center have put up a reward of US$459,000 for information leading to Heim. Heim was arrested by US troops in 1945 but was released two-and-a-half years later in what the Wiesenthal Center calls suspicious circumstances.
■ PUERTO RICO
Beauty pageant turns ugly
Police were trying to figure out on Monday who doused pepper spray on the gowns of Ingrid Rivera, who defeated rivals to become the island's 2008 Miss Universe contestant, despite breaking out in hives. Rivera said she presented a formal complaint to police, who will now give her around-the-clock protection. "What happened with me is unfair," Rivera said. Organizers said they found traces of pepper spray on Rivera's make-up and clothes during the pageant, after she broke out in hives repeatedly. Despite what she said was intense discomfort, Rivera won the competition on Sunday, defeating 30 rivals.
■ UNITED STATES
Canadian fights execution
A Canadian facing the death penalty in Montana is taking Canada's government to court over its decision not to object to his execution. Lawyers representing double-murderer Ronald Allen Smith submitted an application on Tuesday to the Federal Court of Canada for judicial review of a government decision last month to no longer ask democratic countries not to execute Canadian citizens. Smith and his Canadian legal team said the government's decision was a tacit approval of executions, a violation of Canadian constitutional rights and international law. "We believe our government has an obligation to seek clemency," lawyer Lorne Waldman said.
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