Wu praises Hillary’s speech:

Chinese^merlcan activist Harry Wu on Thursday praise U.S First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton for her hard hitting speech on human rights at a UN Conference on Women in Beijing. Reuter reports from Washington.

T want to applaud Mrs Clinton. She deserves my praise." he told a news conference, at the National Press Club. "All Americans should be product of their First Lady as she stood up and affirmed the principles of the United States."

Floods hit New Delhi:

Monsoon tioodmg along the banks of the Yamuna River forced' New Delhi to evacuate thousands of people from its shanty towns, close its main bug. station and cancel nearly half of Its train • traffic on Friday, AP reports from New Delhi.

About 100.000 travellers were stranded at the Inter State Bus Terfrtnal and two railroad stations. The bus sta-Uqn. where 1.200 buses normally depart a day. was closed when flood waters reached knee level. Forty percent of railway traffic was stopped after floods began to submerge a railroad bridge that connects New Delhi with eastern India.

1 die in train mishap in S Korea:

A train and a truck collided at a level crossing in the South , Korean town of Okchon yesterday killing one person and injuring about 30. police said. Reuter reports from Seoul ... Four carriages were derailed by the collision which stranded many people on the rail line linking Seoul and the southern port of'Pusan. South Korea’s second largest city. .

Murayama plans to visit US in Oct:

Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama plans to visit the United States in October to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, officials said Friday. AP reports from Tokyo.

Murayama plans to attend a special session of the U.N General Assembly that will mark the golden anniversary of the world body’s founding on United Nations Day, October 24. said a Foreign Ministry official. Kyodo News Service reported that Murayama would leave Japan October 21. give a speech at the session and return on October 23.

5 Thai workers electrocuted:

workers at a fruit-processing factory in Thailand were electrocuted in a pickled mango storage tank when an . extension cord from a radio fell into the tank, police said yesterday. Reuter reports from Bangkok.

"Police said that radio they hooked up to the electricity supply short-circuited and the cord fell into water at the bottom of the tank during the accident on Thursday. The workers apparently died one after the other as they tried to help their colleagues, police said.

Clinton’s aide arrested:

’resident Clinton’s senior adviser. George Stephanopoulos, has been arrested for leaving the scene of automobile accident and driving without a permit, police said Friday. AP reports from Washington.

"Stephanopoulos was arrested at 11:45 pm. Thursday in the Georgetown section of Washington, according to a police communications supervisor, who spoke only on condition of anonymity. He was taken to the 2nd District police station and charged with driving without a permit and leaving the scene of an accident, the supervisor said. Details of the accident were no immediately available.

China detains 3 TV newsmen:

: Chinese police detained a three-person television crew as they were filming a march to present a petition at the United Nations Women's Conference in Beijing yesterday, witnesses said. Reuter reports from Beijing.

The crew, from Hong Kong's TVB station, were grabbed by plainclothes security men who dragged them along a street leading out of the site of the UN Fourth World Women's Conference. The three, reporter Tammy Tan. a cameramen and a soundman, shouted and struggled as they were pulled along the street by more then a dozen police.

Chechens destroyed 307 tanks:

Chechen separatists destroyed *307 Russian tanks in the fighting which began last December in the rebellious northern Caucasus region, the armed forces reported on Thursday. Reuter says from Moscow.

Colonel-General Alexander Galkin, head of tank forces al the Ministry of Defence, told ITAR-Tass news agency that a total of 1,200 armoured vehicles took part in the campaign "to disarm illegal armed groups." It was not clear how many of those were tanks.

Kennedy Jr launches magazine:

John Kennedy Jr. introduced his new project Thursday to more than 100 invlteij reporters — a magazine named George. AP reports from New York.

The magazine is about politics and meant for the 18-to-45 age group. Kennedy is a co-founder and the editor in chief. The first issue features Madonna in a regular celebrity feature. "If I Were President', Julia Roberts talking about here trip to Haiti:

Kennedy's interview with former Alabama Gov,, George Wallace; and a piece on stumping In New Hampshire with Republican presidential candidate Richard Lugar

Packwood resigns from Senate:

Bob Packwood, one of the most powerful politicians in ‘Washington, resigned from the US Senate on Thursday rather than face possible expulsion on charges of sexual and ethical misconduct. Reuter reports from Washington.

, "I am aware of the dishonour that has befallen me In the last three years and I don't want to visit further that dishonour on the Senate' , Packwood said in an emotional, rambling and hastily arranged speech on the Senate floor.

"I respect this institution, my colleagues, too much for