APATHY about the status of Tamil schools as a symbol of Indian and Tamil identity is among the reasons behind the lower number of pupils in Tamil vernacular schools, Makkal Osai reported.

Surveys show that about 40% of Indian children attend national or other types of schools, a disheartening figure, say Tamil educators and activists.

Adding to the low numbers, they say, is the falling birth rate among Indian families.

> A seven-year-old girl died in Sri Lanka after being trampled by an elephant, Makkal Osai reported.

The girl was accompanying her father, who was working on their farm in Hambantota, a province in the south of the island nation.

The duo were suddenly attacked by a elephant at around 6am.

The girl was killed instantly while her father sustained serious injuries and was admitted to the district hospital.

The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a, it denotes a separate news item.