cannot upgrade because there is a section with no package or it cannot be opened

[Cheryl Sedlock]

'E:Encountered a section with no Package: header, E:Problem with MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty_main_i18n_Translation-en, E:The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.'

main.log information from /var/log/dist-upgrade/ folder........

2013-02-27 18:15:18,608 INFO Using config files '['./DistUpgrade.cfg']'
2013-02-27 18:15:18,609 INFO uname information: 'Linux cherylthecat222 2.6.38-8-generic #42-Ubuntu SMP Mon Apr 11 03:31:50 UTC 2011 i686'
2013-02-27 18:15:18,610 INFO release-upgrader version '0.152.25.4' started
2013-02-27 18:15:19,037 DEBUG WARNING: can not get name for '<gtk.TreeSelection object at 0x9ddad4c (GtkTreeSelection at 0x9ee0820)>'
2013-02-27 18:15:19,037 DEBUG WARNING: can not get name for '<gtk.TreeSelection object at 0x9ddad74 (GtkTreeSelection at 0x9f22120)>'
2013-02-27 18:15:19,082 DEBUG svg pixbuf loader failed (Error displaying image)
2013-02-27 18:15:19,413 DEBUG Using 'DistUpgradeViewGtk' view
2013-02-27 18:15:19,598 DEBUG aufsOptionsAndEnvironmentSetup()
2013-02-27 18:15:19,602 DEBUG using '/tmp/upgrade-rw-wxDKmL' as aufs_rw_dir
2013-02-27 18:15:19,604 DEBUG using '/tmp/upgrade-chroot-sDFehi' as aufs chroot dir
2013-02-27 18:15:19,604 DEBUG enable dpkg --force-overwrite
2013-02-27 18:15:19,665 DEBUG creating statefile: '/var/log/dist-upgrade/apt-clone_system_state.tar.gz'
2013-02-27 18:15:24,719 ERROR not handled expection:
Traceback (most recent call last):

  File "/tmp/update-manager-uPP2wP/oneiric", line 7, in <module>
    sys.exit(main())

  File "/tmp/update-manager-uPP2wP/DistUpgradeMain.py", line 201, in main
    save_system_state(logdir)

  File "/tmp/update-manager-uPP2wP/DistUpgradeMain.py", line 107, in save_system_state
    clone.save_state(sourcedir="/", target=target, with_dpkg_status=True)

  File "/tmp/update-manager-uPP2wP/apt_clone.py", line 131, in save_state
    self._write_state_installed_pkgs(sourcedir, tar)

  File "/tmp/update-manager-uPP2wP/apt_clone.py", line 158, in _write_state_installed_pkgs
    cache = self._cache_cls(rootdir=sourcedir)

  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/apt/cache.py", line 89, in __init__
    self.open(progress)

  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/apt/cache.py", line 127, in open
    self._cache = apt_pkg.Cache(progress)

SystemError: E:Encountered a section with no Package: header, E:Problem with MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty_main_i18n_Translation-en, E:The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.

2013-02-27 18:15:24,719 DEBUG running apport_crash()
2013-02-27 18:15:25,862 DEBUG enabling apt cron job

[Ubuntu Foundations Team Bug Bot (crichton)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. Reviewing your bug report it seems that you are experiencing bug 346386. This issue happens when you have tried to update your package information when you are a network that didn't return the right files. This issue can be cleaned up by using the following commands in a terminal:

1.) sudo rm /var/lib/apt/lists/*
2.) sudo apt-get update

Thanks and good luck!

[This is an automated message. I apologize if it reached you inappropriately; please reopen the bug task if it was incorrect.]