Nation briefs 10/26/05

S.C. man dies driving to brother's funeral

FLORENCE, S.C. -- Crystal Chockley thought something was wrong when her brother-in-law didn't show up for her husband's funeral. Hours after burying Perry Chockley, she found out why. Larry Chockley died in a car wreck on his way to the funeral Saturday. Perry Chockley was killed in a four-wheeler accident a week ago. The men's sister, Sherry Harrell, also wondered why Larry wasn't at the funeral but thought he was too devastated to come. The family passed a wreck heading home, but Sherry Harrell said she thought nothing of it until she got a call from the hospital. Larry Chockley, whose brother died on his birthday, will be buried Thursday, the birthday of another sister, Sherry Harrell said.

McDonald's to display nutrition info on packaging

CHICAGO -- McDonald's Corp. announced Tuesday that it will display nutrition information on the packaging for most of its menu items next year. The world's largest restaurant company, like other fast-food chains, already has detailed nutrition information posted on its Web site, and a list of menu items and their content was available at many outlets when consumers requested it. The new packaging will be introduced in McDonald's restaurants in North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America starting in the first half of 2006. The Oak Brook, Ill.-based company said it expects to have the packaging available in more than 20,000 of its 30,000-plus restaurants worldwide by the end of the year.

IRS says it has $73 million in unclaimed refunds

WASHINGTON -- Thousands of people have money sitting at the Internal Revenue Service that could be claimed if they would just tell the tax collectors where they live. The IRS said Tuesday that $73 million in tax refunds that were sent to taxpayers this year did not reach the destination. In most cases, the post office returned the checks as undeliverable because the taxpayers had moved. The money belongs to more than 84,000 taxpayers, some of whom have more than one check waiting to be claimed.

-- From wire reports

Senator says lawmaker gave false testimony

WASHINGTON -- An anti-war British lawmaker gave false testimony to Congress when he denied receiving U.N. oil-for-food allocations from deposed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, a Senate investigative panel said Monday. Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., chairman of the subcommittee, and his investigators presented evidence that they say shows British lawmaker George Galloway's political organization and his wife received nearly $600,000 from the oil allocations. Congressional investigators said Galloway could face charges of perjury, making false statements and obstructing a congressional proceeding, with each charge carrying a penalty of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A spokesman for Galloway, Ron McKay, said in an interview from London that the lawmaker denies the accusations and if charged with perjury is willing to appear in an American court.