In Short

A round-up of other stories in brief

A round-up of other stories in brief

Aides desert McCain's campaign

WASHINGTON -Struggling Republican presidential contender John McCain has suffered another wave of staff resignations, including his national press team and aides in the early voting states of Iowa and South Carolina.

Campaign communications director Brian Jones and his two deputies resigned as did the research director and another communications aide. Press aides in Iowa and South Carolina also quit, as well as a South Carolina field director. - (Reuters)

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Poland to allow US defence system

WASHINGTON -A US missile-defence system will be built in Poland despite Russia's anger over the plans, Polish president Lech Kaczynski has said.

At a meeting yesterday with US president George Bush, Mr Kaczynski expressed confidence in the system although Poland has held off a formal agreement to host it and pressed for concessions. - (Reuters)

Two on attempted SA murder charges

JOHANNESBURG -South Africa has filed attempted murder charges against two apartheid-era officials for allegedly poisoning a prominent black minister.

Charges were filed against Adriaan Vlok, former minister of law and order, and former police chief Johann van der Merwe, the National Prosecuting Authority said.

Hardline former minister Vlok sparked controversy last year when he apologised and washed the feet of Rev Frank Chikane, the man he is being charged with trying to kill. - (Reuters)

Bishop accused of adultery

HARARE -Zimbabwe's Roman Catholic archbishop, Pius Ncube, a strident critic of Robert Mugabe's rule, has been accused of a two-year adulterous affair with a secretary at his church in a lawsuit that his lawyers described as politically motivated. Archbishop Ncube, however, declined to explicitly deny the affair yesterday. - (Guardian service)

Iran cracks down on women

TEHRAN -Iranian police have stepped up a crackdown on women ignoring strict Islamic dress codes, including sending newly trained women officers to help "guide" violators.

Police in the Islamic Republic have said they would intensify a drive in the next few days against women whose veils do not cover their hair properly or whose overcoats are too short. - (Reuters)

Media woman stabbed to death

MOSCOW -Detectives are investigating the brutal murder of the deputy head of the Russian arm of German media conglomerate Bertelsmann, who was stabbed to death in her Moscow dacha with an antique dagger.

Marina Pisareva (47) was found dead on Sunday morning at her house in the Odintsovo district, just west of Moscow, prosecutors said. - (Guardian service)

Libyan ruling on Aids postponed

TRIPOLI -Libya's top judiciary body has postponed until late last night its meeting to decide the fate of six foreign medics sentenced to death for infecting Libyan children with the Aids virus, according to officials and lawyers. - (Reuters)