21 sentenced for vote buying
TAIPEI, July 4 (AP) — In a major attack on corrupt local politics, Taiwan’s Supreme Court has sentenced 21 members of a southern County Council to jail for vote buying, media reported today. The judgement upholding previous convictions appears to bring closure to one of Taiwan’s biggest political scandals relating to criminal control over local elected bodies. Among those sentenced is former Council Speaker Cheng Tai-Chi, who is already awaiting execution for the murder of a business rival while in office.

US attache expelled
MOSCOW, July 4 (AP) — A US military attache who was declared persona non-grata by Russia has left the country, an American official said today. Lt Col Peter Hoffman, an Assistant Army attache at the American Embassy, left Russia on Thursday after his diplomatic accreditation was withdrawn, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. No reason was given for his expulsion. But Hoffman’s departure comes at a time when relations between Russia and the west have become strained over NATO’s military campaign in Kosovo, and Russia’s role in keeping the peace there.

Retrial in Mujib case
DHAKA, July 4 (PTI) — A Dhaka court today rejected the findings of a probe into the 1975 killing of four top aides of Bangladesh’s founding father Mujibur Rehman in a military putsch as "faulty" and ordered a re-investigation into the killings. "I cannot indict the accused in the case today because of some flaws in the charge-sheet," trial Judge Sheikh Rezowan Ali of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge court told the court refusing to indict the 21 accused named in the case that include several top military officials. The judge ordered investigating officer Abdul Kahar Akand to submit an additional chargesheet by August 5 after a thorough re-investigation into the killings that followed a coup that overthrew liberation hero Mujibur Rahman’s Awami League government.

Akhund puts off visit
ISLAMABAD, July 4 (AFP) — Afghan Taliban government Foreign Minister Mulla Muhammad Akhund has postponed a visit to Pakistan because of the Kashmir crisis, officials said today. Akhund was scheduled to arrive here later in the day for talks with Pakistani counterpart Sartaj Aziz who left here overnight for Washington with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The Afghan Foreign Minister will now visit Pakistan later this month, the officials said.

13 bombs seized
KURNOOL, July 4 (PTI) — The police arrested two political activists, belonging to the ruling Telugu Desam and the Congress, and seized 13 country-made bombs from them in separate incidents in Kurnool district today. While TDP worker H.A. Balaraju was taken into custody at Chennapalli village and six bombs were recovered from him. Congress activist P. Ellaiah was nabbed at Varipenta village and seven bombs were seized, the police said here. Ellaiah was a close associate of Panyam MLA K. Rambhupal Reddy, the police added.

N. Korean ship
GANDHINAGAR, July 4 (UNI) — A North Korean ship which was detained at Kandla port of Gujarat last week is believed to be carrying equipments and parts required for Pakistan's missile programme. Sources here said the ship was carrying nearly 180 metric tonnes of cargo. This included 148 boxes which were extensively searched by Indian officials during the last two days. Some of these boxes, which were supposed to be unloaded at Karachi port, were reportedly containing equipments and parts meant for the development of missiles in Pakistan.