Suharto's late wife honoured: donesia s President Suharto has proclaimed his late wife Tien a national heroine for her services to the state and her dedication to the country's independence, the official Antara News Agency said yesterday. Reuter reports from Jakarta.

The president handed over a plaque and certificate to two of his daughters at the official ceremony at the presidential palace in Jakarta on Saturday. Both were visibly moved to tears. Siti Hartinah Suharto, who was widely known as Ibu Tien, died suddenly of a heart attack on April 28 at the age of 72. She had been married to Suharto, one of the world's longest serving heads of state, for 48 years.

Sinatra released from hospital : Legendary entertainer Frank Siantra was released from a Los Angeles hospital on Saturday, casting doubt on speculation that he was seriously ill with heart problems. Reuter reports from Los Angeles.

Sinatra's publicist. Susan Reynolds, said the 80-year-old singer went home fro Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre eight days after being admitted for treatment of what was officially described as a pinched nerve. "He is very happy to be home and again thanks everyone throughout the world for the wonderful get-well wishes he has received.’’ Reynolds said.

Tibetan monk under house arrest a Tibetan monk prominent in the movement for independence from China, has been placed under house arrest, according to a member of the European parliament who briefly met him last week, the London-based Tibet Information Network (TIN) reported. AFP says from London.

"He appeared to us to be under some kind of restraint. He did not have the freedom to come or go.” TIN quoted Irish Euro MP Bernie Malone as saying after meeting Yulo Dawa Tsering at a hotel on the outskirts of Lhasa.

ICRC recovers bodies of Taliban: Aid workers crossed the battlefield north of Rabul on Saturday and returned with the bodies of 14 slain Taliban fighters. AP reports from Rabul.

It was the first time the International Committee for the Red Cross has been able to recover bodies from the frontline. The recovery came after days of negotiations between the ICRC. the Taliban and commanders of ousted military chief Ahmed Shah Massood. "It was a very tense situation, but we hope we'll be able to continue these operations." ICRC spokesman Joerg Stoecklln said.

Strong quake rocks China: A powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.1 shook the southern Yellow Sea Saturday night, the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported. AP reports from Beijing.

The earthquake struck at 9:56 pm (1356 GMT) 120 kilometers (70 miles) due east of Shanghai. China's largest city and the closest landfall. Xinhua said, citing the State Seismological Bureau. A bureau seismologist who was reached by telephone but refused to give him name said there was no danger of a tsunami and there were no reports of casualties.