LONDON: Britain's House of Lords opened a fresh hearing to decide whether former Chilean dictator can return to Chile or must face prosecution in Spain for crimes against humanity. Seven judges from Britain's highest court began hearing arguments by the Crown prosecution service, which is seeking Pinochet's extradition on behalf of the Spanish government. The judges will examine the case, listening to both his supporters and detractors. Apart from the crown prosecution service and Pinochet's lawyers, Amnesty International will be allowed to submit its case to the court.KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's sacked finance minister Anwar Ibrahim has said his struggle for political reform is irreversible and `already half won'. Anwar said in a letter to an opposition lawmaker released on Monday that he detected growing disillusionment with prime minister Mahathir Mohamad's government. The letter was sent to Lim Guan Eng of the opposition Democratic Action Party who was jailed in August, barely a week beforeMahathir dismissed Anwar from his cabinet. The letter was released by Lim's father, Lim Kit Siang, who is parliamentary opposition leader. Lim Guan Eng was sentenced to two concurrent 18-month prison terms for publishing in 1995 a pamphlet which criticised the government's handling of allegations of statutory rape against a former state chief minister.BANGKOK: Titanic star Leonardo DiCaprio tried to calm an environmental row raging over his new movie on Monday, insisting he loved Thailand and would not tolerate any damage being done to a picturesque beach used in filming. Environmental campaigners claim alterations made to Maya beach in southern Phi Phi Island national park for the movie The Beach will ruin the eco-system of an idyllic bay. But DiCaprio said he would never be associated with a project that damaged the environment. ``Before I arrived, I was assured that nothing done by 20th Century Fox would have any detrimental effect whatsoever, and that the island of Phi Phi would bereturned to its natural state.''
