Ex-Thai PM Kukrit dies: Former Thai Prime Minister Kukrit PramoJ died in Bangkok, yesterday aged 84 after a long illness, hospital officials said. AFP reports from Bangkok.

Kukrit, who served as Prime Minister from March 1975 until April 1976, had been in hospital in critical condition for several months surviving on an artificial respiratory system.

Leghari leaves for Azerbaizan: Pakistan President Farooq Ahmed Leghari left Islamabad yesterday for the Azeri capital Baku on a three-day official visit to promote bilateral relations between the two Muslim countries, officials said. AFP reports from Islamabad.

Leghari is visiting Azerbaijan at the invitation of his counterpart Hayder Aliov, where he will hold bilateral talks with Azeri leaders on the Issues of Kashmir. Afghanistan. Tajikistan and Nagorno Karabakh.

Rao to attend NAM summit in Cairo: Indian Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao is leaving for Cairo on October 15 en route to Colombia to attend the 11th Non-Aligned summit there, official sources said yesterday. Xinhua reports-from New.,Delhi.

He will also go to New York for the 50th anniversary celebrations of the United Nations from October 20. Rao will hold official talks in Cairo with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak The talks are expected to centre mainly on the issues which are to come up at the Colombia Summit, the sources said.

Floods claim 6 in Sri Lanka: six people were killed and 20.000 families have been affected by raging floods caused by torrential rains lashing the Ratnapura district in central Sri Lanka Sunday, official sources said yesterday. Xinhua reports from Colombo

A total of 200 families were evacuated from the affected areas but the exact number of people made homeless is still not known Reports reaching Colombo indicate that large numbers have been marooned in the deluge

DPRK names new defence minister: North Korea has named it army's Chief of General Staff. Choe Kwang, as the state new Defence Minister. South Korea s official watcher of North Korean events said yesterday. Reuter reports from Seoul

The Naewoe press said North Korean radio reported on Sunday that Choe was replacing O Jin U whose death of cancer In February widened a hole in North Korea's lead ership that emerged following the death last year of the great leader Kim 11 Sung.

Pope leaves for Rome: pope John Paul n departed for Rome late Sunday after a five day US trip that took him to New York. New Jersey and Maryland AFP reports from Maryland

Shortly before departing, the Pope met with Vice President Al Gore at the international airport in Maryland Aum member surrenders: a.

Supreme Truth sect member suspected in a parcel bombing that targeted Tokyo Governor Yukio Aoshima has surrendered to police ending nearly half a year of flight Jlji Press reported Monday citing police AFP reports from Tokyo

Massahro Tomyama 26 was arrested after turning him self in at a police station in Saitama prefecture north of Tokyo on charges that he plotted with other Aum mem bers to kill Aoshima by sending a parcel bomb in May

50 Zambian troops leave for Angola: Fifty Zambian soldiers left Lusaka yesterday for Angola to join the United NaUons peace mission in that war ravaged country. Xinhua reports from Lusaka

They flew off from Lusaka International Airport in two C-130 UN transport aircraft