Bug#46267: apt: Apt unable to cope with new format Packages file?

[Lazarus Long <lazarus@overdue.dhis.org>]

Package: apt
Version: 0.3.13
Severity: normal

Reading Package Lists... Error!
E: Malformed Priority line
E: Error occured while processing aleph-dev (NewVersion1)
E: Problem with MergeList /var/state/apt/lists/netgod.net_debian_dists_unstable_main_binary-i386_Packages
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.

Should there be some "NewVersion" handling added?

-- System Information
Debian Release: potato
Kernel Version: Linux phoenix 2.2.12 #1 Sun Aug 29 23:50:10 UTC 1999 i586 unknown

Versions of the packages apt depends on:
ii  libc6           2.1.2-5        GNU C Library: Shared libraries and timezone
ii  libstdc++2.10   2.95.2-0pre2   The GNU stdc++ library