Benazir in Kuala Lumpur:

Pakistan Pram Minister Benazir Bhutto arrived in Kuala I umpur yesterday for a three dav visit to boost bilateral ties with her Malaysian brothers and enhance relations with Southeast Asian countries, officials said. AFP reports from Kuata I iBiiptir

The tl scar-old leader was accompanied by her three c hildren and a 20 member dek-gatkm including Foreign Affairs Minister Avert Ahmad All and Minister of Mate tor Finance Makitdoom shahabuddin and officials from the Pakistani Board of Investment.

EU mediator Carl Bildt in Sarajevo: European I nkm mediator Carl Bildt arrived In Sarajevo yesterday for a second round of talks with Bosnian government leaders to try to restart the peace process. I nited Nations offic ials in the capital said. AFP reports from Sarajevo.

He was expected to meet Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic. Bildt first visited Sarajevo 10 days ago and snubbed Bosnian Serb leaders by not travelling to their mountain stronghold of Pak-. outside the capital

Taiwan calls for talks with China: Taiwan today called for continued negotiations with China in order to resolve fishing and other practical issues between the two sides after Beijing accused the Taiwanese navy of killing a (hinese fisherman. AFP reports from Taipei.

"There is a need for our two sides to maintain a smooth negotiation channel in order to resolve something like this." Kao Koong-1Jan. Vice Chairman and spokesman of the Mainland Affairs Council, Taiwan's top mainland policy planning body, told reporters in Taipei in response to the Chinese charge.

Attempt on UP minister: a ivyearoid boy was killed when an unidentified man fired a gunshot at a government minister in a northern state, a news agency reported Thursday. AP says from New Delhi.

The incident highlighted the growing lawlessness in the state of Uttar Pradesh, where caste clashes are frequent and political rivalries often are settled tlin High gunshots.

Floods claim 20 in Ghana: Twenty I people, including four children, died in flooding caused by days of torrential rain. ac cording to television reports in Lome. AFP says from Lome.

Sixteen bodies were found Tuesday and four Wednesday in several parts of the country, a Ghana police officer announced Wednesday on Glianaian television, received in Lome, in neighbouring Togo.

Mandela arrives in South Korea: South African President Nelson Mandela arrived in South Korea yesterday to Mart a three-day visit to develop economic ties. Reuter says from Seoul

Mandela. who arrived after a five-day visit to Japan, was to visit the national cemetery before heading off to Seoul National University to receive an Iwoorary degree.

Turkish author Nesin dies: Prominent Turkish author and secularist Aziz Nesin. the focus of riots by Islamists two years ago which led to nearly 40 deaths in a hotel fire, has died of a heart attack, state radio said on Thursday. Reuter reports from Ankara.

Nesin. 80. died shortly after midnight in the western resort of Cesme where he had been invited to autograph his books.

Police defuses bomb in Tibet Security forces discovered and defused a bomb planted at a monument in I hasa. the capital of Chinese-occupied Tibet a pro Tibetan lobbying group reported Thursday . AP reports from Beijing.

Police foiled the attempted sabotage on June 25 amidst a tightening of security in and around Lhasa, the Washington-based International mpaign for Tibet said citing unnamed sources.

3 drown into river in US : Ihree young I children drowned whei^he van they slept in railed inm the ohunbia river w hik- their parents stopped at a pant to use tile restrtfonl authorities said. AFP reports from Chelan. Washington.

David and Jennifer Hoffpauir stopped at Beebe Bridge Park late Tuesday on their way home from watching Independence Day fireworks, and saw the van was gone w hen dies came- out of the restrooms

Chi Haotian arrives in Myanmar: hinese Defenc e Minister Chi Haotian has arrived in Myanmar on a goodwill visit, a Chinese embassy official said on Thursday . Reuter reports from Yangon

( hi. leading a nine member delegation, was expected to meet My anmars armed forces commanders and leaders of its military govern mein

Floods claim 17 in Afghanistan: Floods caused by heavy rains have killed 1* people in northern Afghanistan s I akhar province, the official Kabul radio said on Wednesday. Reuter reports from Islamabad.

The broadcast monitored ui Islamabad. said the flooding in Takhar s eastern district of Farkhar also damaged houses and agricultural land. Actor Shashi KapK>r awarded : Noted Indian actor. Shashi Kapoor was awarded the outstanding perfor marge of the year award for his work in Ismail Men hant s Mohafiz by the Bengal Film Journalists Association in Cakutta Wednesday PTI reports Iromtakutta

At a function held in lakutta Wednesday noted film maker. Shvam BenegaL w as aho awarded the Sarvairl Ray Award for his outstanding coo tribution to film

4 tourists abducted in Kashmir: Muslim miliums have abducted two British and two American tourists ui Kashmir and were holding them hostage at an unspecified location in the troubled northern Indian state, police said Thursdav AFP reports from New Deh.

Police identified the hostages as Paul Weils and Keith Manigan from Britain and John Donald and Fred Hutc hings of the I nurd Males adding that thrv were abducted on Tuesdav from Aroo near Kashmir s resort town of Pahaigam

Brezhnev's widow, Viktoria, dies: A iktoria Brezhnev the window of former Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev who sliuruied dr luwhghl during her decades as a Kremlin w*. has del at a slate medical centre a newspaper reported Thursdav she was 8~. AP re ports from Moscow

Mrs. Brezhnev had suffered from diabetes and recently from gangrene the dadv Moskovskv Komsomolets sard She was hospitalised two weeks ago a the Kremlin hospital and died on Wednrsdav

5 executed in Jordan:Frv, o„>gjo«ia.uam were hanged at awn in a prison in Amman yesterday after having been I found guilts of murder and rape, polar said AFP reports from Amman

Four of the convicts aged between 19 and 2". had raped and murdered a five v ear-old bos - the end of last vear. The fifth a 25 year-old. killed a m^bour