WORLD

8 killed, 40 injured after stadium wall in India collapses during cricket match

The Associated Press

NEW DELHI, India Ÿ At least eight people were killed and 70 injured yesterday when part of a stadium crowded with 40,000 spectators collapsed, news reports said.

A wall in the Vidharbha Stadium in the central city of Nagpur gave way when people rushed in after play resumed after lunch in a cricket match between India and New Zealand, United News of India news agency said.

The crash and an ensuing stampede interrupted play for some time as police and paramedics rushed the injured to hospitals. Twelve of those hurt were reported in serious condition, United News said.

Many spectators fell from a height of 30 feet, Press Trust of India news agency said. Three spectators, including a girl, died instantaneously, and five others died in a hospital.

Cabinet member ordered to wear dress

The Associated Press

LUSAKA, Zambia Ÿ Zambia's parliament speaker admonished a female Cabinet member for wearing pants in the chamber and ordered her to put on a dress.

Robinson Nabulyato, who has been speaker for 23 years, said Energy and Water Minister Edith Nawaksi was dressed improperly Thursday when she wore a dark, floral jacket and black slacks.

''I would like to ask the minister to go out of the house and dress like a woman,'' said Nabulyato, who is Zambia's longest-serving parliament speaker. ''She is not supposed to come here in trousers Ÿ can she go and dress properly?''

Many in the male-dominated 157-member chamber shouted ''Shame'' as Nawaksi left. She returned an hour later in a black skirt.

Chinese village leaders to be executed

The Associated Press

BEIJING Ÿ Two village leaders will be executed for beating a peasant to death, a government newspaper reported Friday.

The case began in May when Li Hongshan, a leader in Zhuzhuang village in eastern Hebei province, claimed peasant Zhang Yanqiao's wife got pregnant without permission, the Workers' Daily reported.

Under China's stringent population-control program, each village or neighborhood is allowed a limited number of births each year, and local family planning officials must approve pregnancies.

After a medical examination later showed that his wife wasn't pregnant, Zhang sought a public apology. Unable to obtain one, he damaged Li's home by removing two roof tiles.

To punish Zhang, the local party secretary rounded up local leaders, who pummeled the peasant for 30 minutes despite his father's pleas.

Holidays bring stock prices down

The Associated Press

TOKYO Ÿ Stock prices closed slightly lower Friday in thin trading ahead of the weekend and following national holidays in Japan and the United States. The dollar remained lower against the yen.

The Nikkei Stock Average slipped 24.61 points, or 0.13 percent, to close the week at 18,215.23 points. On Wednesday, the average had fallen 144.48 points, or 0.79 percent.

The Tokyo Stock Price Index of all issues listed on the first section was down 2.98 points, or 0.21 percent, to 1,442.08. The TOPIX lost 9.38 points, or 0.64 percent, on Wednesday.

Share prices had been slightly higher earlier in the day but intermittent selling from domestic players pushed the market down. National holidays in both Japan and the United States Thursday also dampened trading.

Volume on the first section was estimated at 277 million shares, down from 375 million shares Wednesday.

Retreating issues outnumbered advancing issues 594 to 426, while 184 issues were unchanged.

In currency trading, the dollar rose from its opening level on buying from Japanese importers and trust banks but remained beneath its previous level in Tokyo Wednesday.

The dollar was trading at 101.08 yen at late afternoon, down from 101.68 yen late Wednesday in Tokyo. It had been trading at 100.72 yen Friday morning.

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