NEWS LITE : GATES CONFIRMS NEXT BABY ON WAY.

Bill and Melinda Gates are doing what many parents of toddlers do - they're having another one.

The Microsoft Corp. chairman and his wife are expecting child No. 2 in mid- to late June, said Microsoft spokesman Dan Leach. As thrilled as the Gateses are, he said, they want to keep it private.

``They consider it very personal and don't expect to discuss it publicly,'' Leach said.

The couple don't know the gender of Gates version 2.0.

The Gateses were just as private about the birth of their first child, Jennifer, in April 1996. The couple made no public announcements of the arrival of Gates 96 to either Microsoft workers or the media. The birth went well, and Jennifer weighed in at 8 pounds, 6 ounces.

Melinda Gates, a former midlevel Microsoft manager, chose not to return to work after Jennifer's birth.

Judds plan reunion to sing bye to 1999

The Judds said Friday that they'll hold a reunion concert New Year's Eve 1999 designed to celebrate more than just that magical year. ``Celebrating Naomi's health is a big part of it,'' said spokeswoman Kathy Allmand.

Naomi Judd, 52, quit the country duo in 1991 after contracting hepatitis C, and she has been free of the disease for a year. Daughter Wynonna, 34, carried on with a solo career.

Supermodel charged with assault in hotel

Supermodel Naomi Campbell was charged with assault Friday for allegedly hitting her former personal assistant on the head with a telephone.

Campbell, 28, is accused of attacking Georgina Galanis at a luxury hotel Sept. 9 while in Toronto to film a movie, police said.

The model was charged at a detective bureau in Toronto on Friday, accompanied by prominent Canadian attorney Brian Greenspan. She was released on her own recognizance and will not have to appear at the next scheduled hearing in the case, Friday, Greenspan said.

Greenspan said Campbell, during the one-hour legal proceeding, ``dealt with the matter with good humor, grace and charm.''

Campbell denies the charge, he said.

In Canada, it is rare for a first-time offender to receive jail time on an assault conviction.

Galanis, 39, also has filed a $2 million lawsuit against Campbell in New York that mentions the alleged assault in Toronto.

Galanis, of Queens, N.Y., said in the suit that she worked for Campbell for nine days beginning Sept. 1. She alleged that while in Toronto in her last two days on the job, Campbell hit her twice on the head with a telephone, punched her shoulder twice, and grabbed her neck and violently shook her head.

Galanis' court papers said Campbell also struck her in the neck and slammed her against a wall.

In addition, Galanis claimed Campbell owes her $1,461.54 in back pay.

Campbell's spokeswoman, Marcia Horowitz, issued a statement about Galanis' lawsuit: ``These charges are nothing more than an attempt by a disgruntled employee, who was terminated for unsatisfactory performance after just one week, to make money at Naomi's expense. Naomi will vigorously fight these charges.''

Actor had high time on White House trip

Illicit sex in the Clinton White House? Uh huh. Illegal dope in the Reagan White House? Yes indeed, says Erkan Mustafa, a cast member of the British TV show ``Grange Hill.'' Mustafa swears that when actors from the show were flown in and taken to the White House to launch a British version of Nancy Reagan's ``Just Say No'' campaign, they were all high as a kite. Mustafa said he and his cast mates did coke and pot in the big house.

Mustafa thinks they got their stash past security because they were wearing ``Just Say No'' T-shirts. ``Everybody thought we were these cute kids with a wholesome message,'' says Mustafa, now 28. ``We were secretly thumbing our noses at the whole establishment.''

Thailand OKs plans for DiCaprio movie

The 20th Century Fox movie studio was cleared Friday to begin pre-production work on a Thai vacation island for a film starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

A little more than two weeks ago, the Forestry Department ordered a temporary halt to the film ``The Beach'' to examine environmental complaints after parts of a beach had been bulldozed.

Plans to film a movie based on Alex Garland's best-selling novel on the southern resort of Phi Phi Island upset environmentalists who said laws protecting the national park there were being violated.

A study group appointed by the Forestry Department concluded that preparing and shooting the movie would affect the environment but said the damage would be small enough that it would not be permanent.

It also made some recommendations that Santa Pestanij, the Thai coordinator for the film, said he was sure the movie studio would agree to.

Santa said he was relieved by the Forestry Department go-ahead but still worried about an ongoing protest by environmentalists and local residents who are camping out on the shooting site.

To avoid a confrontation with the protesters, Santa said he would contact provincial authorities for help.

Last month, 20th Century Fox dropped plans to shoot a remake of ``The King and I'' in Thailand and instead moved the filming to Malaysia.

News Lite is compiled by Karen Duffy from Daily News staff and wire reports.

CAPTION(S):

3 Photos

PHOTO (1) KRINGLE CUT

Kristy Salone of Fashionaire Hair Salon in Geneva, N.Y., helps Santa Claus (George Wyatt) get ready for the holiday season.

Associated Press

(2) Naomi Campbell, shown in September, was charged Friday with assault.

(3) GATES