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Tornadoes level homes in Oklahoma; hit elsewhere

EDMOND, Oklahoma: One of several tornadoes that touched down Sunday in Oklahoma turned homes in a trailer park near into splinters and rubble and sent frightened residents scurrying for shelter.

Officials warn of commuter chaos from Connecticut derailment

BRIDGEPORT: Thousands of Connecticut commuters should brace for travel chaos on Monday as Metro-North workers repair damage on the United States’ busiest rail line caused by the collision of two trains, officials warned on Sunday.

China asks NKorea to release fishing boat, crew

BEIJING: The Chinese Embassy in Pyongyang asked North Korea to release a private Chinese fishing boat and its crew soon after its owner reported the detention 10 days ago, state media said.

China halts imports of New Zealand meat

WELLINGTON, New Zealand: China has halted imports of New Zealand meat due to a certification dispute.

Trace volcano ash reaches small Alaska city

ANCHORAGE, Alaska: Alaska’s Pavlof Volcano sent ash and steam skyward Sunday but not enough to raise the aviation threat for international air carriers.

40ha of forest land razed in 12-hour forest fire

DUNGUN: It took 23 firemen and three fire engines including one from Marang to contain a forest blaze here in Kuala Abang at 2am today.

National hockey squad ready for world league semifinals

KUALA LUMPUR: The national hockey squad are ready for action in the third round of the World Hockey League semifinals at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium in Johor Baru, Johor from June 29 to July 7.

Denmark’s de Forest wins Eurovision song contest

MALMO (Sweden): Denmark’s Emmelie de Forest has won this year’s Eurovision Song Contest with her ethno-inspired flute and drum tune “Only Teardrops,” despite tough competition from spectacular stage shows by performers from Azerbaijan and Ukraine.

Man held over housewife's death in abuse case

KUALA LUMPUR: Police have detained a man in connection with the death of a housewife, believed to be a victim of domestic violence, at Taman Bahagia, Jalan Puchong here yesterday.

4 killed in 3 cars and motorcycle crash at MRR2

AMPANG: Four people died while one injured in crash involving three cars and a motorcycle near the exit to Ukay Perdana at the Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2) heading towards Hulu Klang today.

Two in motorcycle convoy to Desaru killed in crash

KOTA TINGGI: Tragedy befell a convoy of 40 riders on their Honda Wave motorcycles when two of them were killed in a crash at the 22.5km Jalan Kulaijaya–Kota Tinggi here yesterday.

Couple want missing daughter to return home

SUNGAI PETAN -- The parents of a university graduate who went missing two months ago, are worried sick over their daughter's safety.

Pedrosa back on top with French GP win

PARIS: Spain’s Dani Pedrosa claimed top spot in the world championship MotoGP standings when he won his maiden French Grand Prix on a wet Le Mans course on Sunday.

Factory owner barred from leaving Bangladesh

DHAKA ( Bangladesh): The High Court in Bangladesh’s capital asked authorities Sunday to prevent the owner of a garment factory where 112 people died in a fire last year from leaving the country, a lawyer said.

'Respect decision made by majority of Malaysians'

KANGAR -- The Raja of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail, today said that the people should respect the decision made by the majority of Malaysians who had exercised their rights to form the government.

Syrian activists: Shelling near Lebanon kills 16

AMMAN (Jordan): The Syrian military on Sunday launched an offensive to retake a strategic rebel-held town near the Lebanese border, a government official said, as activists reported that regime airstrikes and shelling of the town have killed at least 16 people, including opposition fighters.

Special team to look into forest, hill destruction

KUALA LUMPUR: The natural resources and environment ministry will set up a special team with the respective state governments to look into the destruction of forests and hill slopes in the country.

Daniel Bego back with a splash

KUALA LUMPUR -- National swimmer, Daniel Bego hopes his long-time injury would not be a burden for him anymore.

Cameron losing control of his party: Howe

LONDON - British Prime Minister David Cameron is “losing control of his party”, Conservative Party grandee Geoffrey Howe said on Sunday, as a row raged over whether a close aide to Cameron had labelled grassroots activists “mad, swivel-eyed loons”.

'Rallies against GE13 results new craze for sore losers'

KUALA LUMPUR -- The protest gatherings against the 13th general election results did not reflect the characteristic of democracy as these were protests against the decision made by the majority of Malaysians,said Communication and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek.

Unscheduled water disruption in Gombak, K. Lumpur

KUALA LUMPUR: Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas) said in a statement today, that a number of areas in Gombak and Kuala Lumpur experienced water disruption and lower pressure due to a critical dip in levels at its main reservoirs, since yesterday.

Call for Umno members to close ranks

PONTIAN -- Umno members have been urged to close ranks to ensure the party remain strong after going through the challenges in the 13th general election recently.

Use proper channels to voice grouses: Lam Thye

KUANTAN -- Any quarters not happy with certain issues should use the proper channels to voice their grouses instead of going to the streets and disrupt public order.

Trio gets death for trafficking cannabis

ALOR STAR: A 51-year-old driver and his assistant were among three people sentenced to death by the High Court today after they were found guilty of trafficking in cannabis six years ago.

'Jom Kita Ke Sawah' programme gives valuable exposure to youths

PAPAR -- Exposing youths to the proper methods of paddy planting can inspire youths to develop paddy planting in Sabah, enroute to a better earning capacity said deputy Works minister Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin.

Chinese premier arrives in India for talks

NEW DELHI - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang arrived in India Sunday afternoon on the first stop of his maiden foreign trip, for talks on issues ranging from an unresolved border dispute to a festering trade-imbalance.

CCM urges media clubs to set up cooperatives

BESUT - Cooperatives Commission of Malaysia (CCM) executive chairman, Datuk Nik Ali Mat Yunus has called on media practitioners to follow the Terengganu Journalists Club's (Kawat) move of setting up a cooperative for the benefit of its members.

Pope leads pep rally at Vatican, meets with Merkel

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis lamented that investment losses by banks trigger more alarm in the economic crisis than the struggle of people to feed their families, as he led a huge rally Saturday to invigorate the church’s moral conscience, hours after he held talks at the Vatican about the economic crisis with Germany’s leader.

Badminton: Shaky start for favourites China

KUALALUMPUR - Defending champions China experienced a shaky start to their defence of the Sudirman Cup despite whipping India 5-0 in their opening Group A match in Malaysia on Sunday.

Assad says won't step down

BEIRUT: Syrian President Bashar Assad said in a newspaper interview on Saturday he won’t step down before elections and that the United States has no right to interfere in his country’s politics, raising new doubts about a US-Russian effort to get Assad and his opponents to negotiate an end to the country’s civil war.

18-year-old chef killed in motorcycle-taxi crash

GEORGE TOWN: An 18-year-old chef was killed in an accident after the motorcycle he was riding on was involved in a collision with a taxi along Jalan Kelawei, here today.

Bold action, big money needed to curb Asia's flood

CHIANGMAI, Thailand - Asia’s flood-prone megacities should fund major drainage, water recycling and waste reduction projects to stem deluges and secure clean supply for their booming populations, experts said Sunday.

Kedah to review delayed housing projects

ALOR STAR: The Barisan Nasional (BN) state government will review three housing projects in Kedah, which have been delayed for almost three years under the previous Pas-led administration, Menteri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir said.

Netanyahu takes aim at weapons 'leakage' in Syria

JERUSALEM - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held out the prospect on Sunday of further Israeli strikes inside Syria, pledging to act to prevent advanced weapons from reaching Hezbollah and other militant groups.

Greying China taps rural elderly to care for those even older

QIANTUN (China): Two years short of 70, Zhang Guosheng spends his days caring for an 81-year-old fellow villager - washing his clothes, bringing meals to his bed, and keeping him company - a routine he’ll keep up until he himself needs the type of care he is now giving.

BoE governor warns of euro risk to British recovery

LONDON - The single biggest risk to Britain’s nascent economic recovery is continued eurozone weakness, the Bank of England’s outgoing governor Mervyn King said in a television interview on Sunday.

Ancelotti mulls future, praises Beckham

PARIS -- As Carlo Ancelotti paid fulsome tribute to the retiring David Beckham the Paris Saint Germain manager revealed an announcement on his own future may be imminent.

Man pleads not guilty to assaulting political party worker

GURUN: A 47-year-old odd-job worker was charged at the magistrate's court yesterday with assaulting a political party worker with a knife during the campaign period of the recently-concluded election.

N. Korea test-fires another short-range missile

SEOUL - North Korea on Sunday test-fired a short-range missile off its east coast, its fourth in two days, a Seoul official said.

Petronas gives RM80,000 to 4 families of fallen heroes in Ops Daulat

KOTA KINABALU: Petronas today presented RM80,000 to four families of fallen heroes during Operation Daulat to rid the armed intruders in the east coast of Sabah, in March.

Bodies of 2 men found floating in sea

GEORGE TOWN: The bodies of two unidentified men, believed to have drowned, were found floating in separate incidents here today.

Up to 60 injured after car drives into US parade

DAMASCUS (Virginia): About 50 to 60 people were injured Saturday when a driver described by witnesses as an elderly man drove his car into a group of hikers marching in a parade in a small Virginia mountain town.

Bodies of two men found floating in sea

GEORGE TOWN: The bodies of two unidentified men - believed to have drowned - were found floating in separate incidents here today.

Bodies of 2 men found floating at sea

GEORGE TOWN -- The bodies of two unidentified men - believed to have drowned - were found floating in separate incidents here today

U.N. chief Ban says worried over N.Korea missile launch

MOSCOW: U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon voiced concern on Sunday over North Korea’s launch of short-range missiles, urging Pyonyang to refrain from further launches and return to stalled nuclear talks with world powers.

Japanese expatriate dies of heart attack

KUALA LUMPUR: A 53-year-old Japanese director of a golf company was found dead at his condominium unit at Casa Desa Condo, Jalan Desa Utama here yesterday.

Pakistan's Imran blames rival for killing

KARACHI: Pakistani politician Imran Khan Sunday blamed a rival political leader for the killing of a senior member of his party, who was gunned down outside her home in the violence-plagued city of Karachi.

2 Bills to be tabled at Sarawak state assembly sitting

KUCHING: Two bills would be tabled at the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly sitting which begins on Monday, Speaker Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar said today.

Less than 1pc of forest reserves in Peninsula affected by illegal logging

IPOH: Less than one per cent of 4.7 million hectares of forest reserves in Peninsular Malaysia have been affected by illegal logging, according to Peninsula Forestry director-general Datuk Dr Abd Rahman Abd Rahim.

Iran hangs two spies working for Israel and U.S.-report

DUBAI: Iranian authorities executed two men on Sunday convicted of working for Israeli and U.S. spy agencies, Iran’s Fars news agency reported.

Sailor dies during Sri Lanka victory parade

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s navy Sunday recovered the body of a sailor who drowned during a parade marking the fourth anniversary of the defeat of Tamil Tiger rebels, an official said.

Taib wants Sarawak infrastructure development issues resolved

KUCHING: Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud wants all Sarawak members of parliament appointed to the federal government to resolve the state's infrastructure development issues which are unique, as compared to those in the Peninsular.

China investigates N. Korea boat hijack claim: official

BEIJING: Chinese authorities were Sunday investigating claims that unidentified North Koreans hijacked a Chinese fishing boat, kidnapping 16 sailors and demanding a ransom, local media and an official said.

Philippines waiting for Taiwan anger to cool

MANILA: The Philippines is waiting for tempers in Taiwan to cool before settling the dispute over a shot Taiwanese fisherman, the head of an office in charge of relations said Sunday.

S. Korea slams N. Korea's 'provocative' missile launches

SEOUL: South Korea Sunday condemned North Korea’s latest short-range missile launches as “provocative” and again urged it to hold talks about a suspended jointly-run industrial park.

Japan defends PM aide's surprise N. Korea trip

TOKYO: A Japanese minister Sunday defended a surprise visit to North Korea by one of the prime minister’s aides which Washington and Seoul said could not help efforts to forge a united front against Pyongyang.

Couple killed in pre-dawn fire

JOHOR BARU: A couple was killed when a fire broke out about dawn today, trapping them inside their house.

Pas gets four in Selangor Exco

PORT KLANG: The Selangor State Executive Council (Exco) will be represented by four candidates from PAS and three each from PKR and DAP, said Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

Karpal warns Tunku Abdul Aziz to stop exposing party secrets

GEORGE TOWN: DAP chairman Karpal Singh has warned former party chairman Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim to stop exposing the DAP's internal secrets to the public.

Chinese premier heads to India to boost ties

NEW DELHI: Just weeks after a tense border standoff, China’s new premier headed to India on Sunday for his first foreign trip as the neighboring giants look to speed up efforts to settle a decades-old boundary dispute and boost economic ties.

Official: Broken rail eyed in US train crash

BRIDGEPORT, Connecticut: The commuter train derailment and collision that left dozens injured outside New York City was not the result of foul play, officials said, but a fractured section of rail is being studied to determine if it is connected to the accident.

Training push fails to halt U.S. military sexual assault crisis

WASHINGTON: Under pressure to fight sexual assault, the U.S. armed forces in recent years rolled out education programs about proper sexual conduct through methods like role playing and video games.

Saudi woman tops Everest as country warms to women in sports

KATHMANDU: Saudi woman Raha Moharrak reached the summit of Nepal’s Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak, in a first for the conservative Muslim kingdom where women’s sports are severely restricted, tourism officials said Sunday.

Johnson first to win 4 NASCAR All-Star races

CONCORD, North Carolina: Jimmie Johnson became the first four-time winner of NASCAR’s annual All-Star race, taking out Saturday’s event to break a tie with the late Dale Earnhardt and teammate Jeff Gordon.

Greying China taps rural elderly to care for those even older

QIANTUN, China: Two years short of 70, Zhang Guosheng spends his days caring for an 81-year-old fellow villager - washing his clothes, bringing meals to his bed, and keeping him company - a routine he’ll keep up until he himself needs the type of care he is now giving.

Winning numbers drawn in huge US Powerball jackpot

DES MOINES, Iowa: Last-minute fortune seekers across the U.S. rushed to buy lottery tickets Saturday, undeterred by the astronomically low odds of winning a Powerball jackpot that could reach a near-historic $600 million.

Chinese premier heads to India to boost ties

NEW DELHI: Just weeks after a tense border standoff, China’s new premier is heading to India on his first foreign trip as the neighboring giants look to expedite efforts to settle a decades-old boundary dispute and boost economic ties.

Japan's elderly not acting their age

SAITAMA: When amateur actress Etsuko Shigemoto walks out in front of a Paris audience in an all-Japanese production this month she will forget about being 87 years old.

Slippery eel slides towards disaster

NEWBURGH, USA / New York: Cupping a tiny, translucent eel in the palm of his hand, New York environmental researcher Chris Bowser shook his head in amazement. “This is worth about one dollar,” he said.

Beatles’ guitar auctioned to the tune of $408,000

LOS ANGELES: A custom-made electric guitar played by the late John Lennon and George Harrison of the Beatles sold at a New York auction on Saturday for $408,000, said officials with the company behind the event.

China police billions spell profit opportunity

BEIJING: Mannequins in riot gear, armoured cars and drones line a police equipment and “anti-terrorism technology” trade fair in Beijing as vendors seek to profit from China’s huge internal security budget.

Pakistani politician gunned down in Karachi

KARACHI: Gunmen have killed a Pakistani politician from Imran Khan’s party in the southern port city of Karachi on the eve of a partial re-run of May 11 polls that were marked by more than 150 killings.

Police: Fatal NYC shooting an anti-gay hate crime

NEW YORK: A gunman used homophobic slurs before firing a fatal shot point-blank into a man’s face on a Manhattan street alive with a weekend midnight crowd, in a neighborhood long known as a bedrock of the gay rights movement. New York’s police commissioner called the killing a hate crime.

Dissident ex-general released in Venezuela

CARACAS, Venezuela: Venezuelan authorities have released a dissident ex-general who was jailed on charges of inciting unrest after the country’s disputed presidential election.

Visually-impaired student swims across Penang Channel

GEORGE TOWN: A Universiti Malaya visually-impaired undergraduate began his quest to swim across the Penang Channel today.

Alzheimer's leaves bilingual victims stranded in Canada

TORONTO, Canada: The devastating effect of Alzheimer’s disease on bilingual people has been thrown into focus in Canada, where the sudden loss of a second language can leave sufferers feeling like strangers in their own country.

Mexico judge orders prison for suspects in killing

MEXICO CITY: A judge on Saturday issued an order for the imprisonment of two waiters accused in the beating death of Malcolm Shabazz, grandson of civil rights activist Malcolm X, the Mexico City attorney general’s office said.

Edward Furlong arrested in West Hollywood

LOS ANGELES: A Los Angeles sheriff’s spokesman says `Terminator 2’ star Edward Furlong has been arrested on suspicion of violating a restraining order filed by his ex-girlfriend.

Authorities: US student was killed by police

MINEOLA: A New York college student being held by an armed home intruder was shot and killed by a police officer who had responded to a report of a home invasion at an off-campus home, police said Saturday.

Alzheimer's leaves bilingual victims stranded in Canada

TORONTO: The devastating effect of Alzheimer’s disease on bilingual people has been thrown into focus in Canada, where the sudden loss of a second language can leave sufferers feeling like strangers in their own country.

'Gap' for HIV vaccine efforts after latest setback

WASHINGTON: The hunt for an HIV vaccine has gobbled up $8 billion in the past decade, and the failure of the most recent efficacy trial has delivered yet another setback to 26 years of efforts.

Probe opened into US train crash, major disruption seen

NEW YORK: US officials opened an investigation Saturday into a rush-hour collision between two commuter trains that injured 70 passengers and severed a key rail link in the northeastern United States.

France's disgraced ex-minister abandons re-election bid

TOULOUSE, France: France’s disgraced former budget minister, forced out of office over a tax fraud scandal, will not seek re-election to his former parliamentary seat, a newspaper reported Sunday.

Taib rejects 'Chinese Tsunami' reason for urban losses in GE13

MIRI -- Sarawak Barisan Nasional (BN) has rejected the main reason behind it losses in urban areas in the recent 13th general election due dwindling support of Chinese communities.

New Xbox more than a game console

SAN FRANCISCO/SEATTLE - Microsoft Corp is set to make a splash this week with the eagerly awaited unveiling of its new Xbox game console, eight years after the last version, as it seeks a larger share of the $65 billion a year global computer gaming industry.

Submit proof of price hike in essential items: Hasan

KUALA LUMPUR -- Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Hasan Malek today challenged anyone claiming that there are increases in the prices of essential items after the 13th general election (GE13) to come forward with proof instead of making unfounded claims.