CORRUPTION-CHILE: Pinochet’s Family in Jail

A Chilean judge ordered the arrest of the widow of former dictator General Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990), his five children, and 17 of his closest civilian and military associates on corruption charges Thursday.

CORRUPTION-PERU: Profiting from Misfortune

Federal, provincial and municipal authorities in Peru benefited from the disaster caused by the Aug. 15 earthquake, lining their pockets with public funds and misusing humanitarian aid sent by foreign and local donors.

POLAND: ‘Fight against Corruption’ Leads to Early Vote

As Poland prepares for early elections Oct. 21, the corruption scandal that brought down the government still poses serious questions on the state of the country's democracy.

CORRUPTION-PHILIPPINES: &#39Coup Talk Could Be Diversionary Tactic&#39

Is there really a destabilisation plot against the government or are speculations about possible coups being floated to divert public attention from alleged irregularities involving the husband of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo?

RIGHTS-PERU: Evidence Against Fujimori ‘Overwhelming’

There is "overwhelming" evidence that former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori (1990-2000) was involved in death squad killings committed by army intelligence agents, chief prosecutor Pablo Sánchez told IPS.

CORRUPTION-MALAYSIA: Video Clip Lands Top Judiciary in the Dock

An explosive, eight-minute video clip, that opposition lawmakers allege implicates a controversial lawyer and a top judge by showing them conspiring to 'fix' high profile cases and the promotion of judges, has shaken the country and sparked widespread demands for an investigation and overhaul of the judiciary.

CORRUPTION-RUSSIA: A Fight Easier Declared Than Won

A few days after his appointment as new Prime Minister, Viktor Zubkov promised to tackle Russia's biggest problem: corruption. But analysts have their doubts how far he can succeed given that corruption has permeated from the top to the lowest positions.

CORRUPTION: World Bank, U.N. Target Kleptocrats

The United Nations and World Bank launched a bid Monday to strip crooked leaders of the money they steal from poor countries, and to plough the sums into health and development efforts.

POLITICS-CHINA: ‘New Anti-graft Body Lacks Teeth’

Corruption in China may be as old and enduring as the country’s legendary bureaucratic system but Chinese leaders are determined to use modern approaches in tackling it.

CORRUPTION: World Bank Panel Urges Anti-Graft Overhaul

The World Bank has been hamstrung in its efforts to fight corruption by tension between its anti-graft unit and the rest of the lender's bureaucracy, an independent panel commissioned by the lender has said.

RUSSIA: Winter Olympics – Putin Warns Against Corruption

President Vladimir Putin has issued a blunt warning to heads of organisations and regional administrations involved with the preparations for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia’s southern sea resort, to eschew corruption.

ENVIRONMENT-MALAYSIA: Mega City Project Robs Common Green

Alarmed civil society groups are coming together to oppose a massive urban development project that could result in 33 tower blocks of over 40 storeys each being built on one of the last huge green spaces left on land-starved Penang island.

VENEZUELA: Not Even Funerals Safe from Flying Bullets

At the wake of Yeison Mendoza, a 25-year-old construction worker shot dead in Petare, a poor neighbourhood on the eastside of the Venezuelan capital, prayers, tears and flowers set the atmosphere until hooded gunmen on motorcycles fired a hail of bullets into the Zambrano funeral parlour, killing three people and wounding another five.

PERU: Distribution of Earthquake Aid Under Scrutiny

Mayor Juan Mendoza seems perfectly at home. "Juanito, I need a coffin," "Juanito, we need tents in my barrio," "Juanito, the food’s run out in my neighbourhood," local residents clamour as they cluster around him.

BRAZIL: Plebiscite Against Privatisation of Mining Giant

Ten years after the much-criticised privatisation of the Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (CVRD), Brazil’s largest mining company, some 200 civil society organisations are attempting to undo the process, which is also facing a number of court challenges.

Q&A: Shipping Still At Sea

A first officer's certificate to navigate a ship and deputise for captain. No training, no skills. Price, 4,500 dollars. David Cockroft sent shock waves through the shipping business when he bought that certificate back in 2001 to show corruption in shipping registries.

CORRUPTION: Another Lead in Siemens Bribery Probe?

U.S. officials from the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation met with Munich prosecutors this week regarding the 1.3-billion-dollar bribe fund run by Siemens, the German multinational technology company.

LATIN AMERICA: Careful with the Toys

Between one-quarter and half of the toys in the hands of girls and boys in many Latin American countries are contraband items and many contain substances that are dangerous to human health.

CORRUPTION: Noriega Appears Fated to Head to France

Former Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega is one step closer to facing money laundering charges in France following his lengthy and storied stay in a U.S. prison.

SOUTH AMERICA: White Collar Criminals Slip Through Legal Loopholes

The snail’s pace of justice and large gaps in the criminal codes of Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay are the biggest hurdles to cracking down on financial crime in general, and bank fraud in particular, lawyers and anti-corruption experts say.

BALKANS: Privatisations Pick Up in Kosovo, Privately

"The Kosovo Trust Agency is now preparing to privatise one of the most remarkable properties remaining in south-eastern Europe - the Dragash Sarrprodhimi socially owned enterprise. Sharrprodhimi offers over 22,000 hectares of largely untouched land...with excellent potential for tourist industry development."