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N. Korean leader stresses Hitler's skills: report

SEOUL: North Korean ruler Kim Jong-Un has reportedly given copies of Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” to his top officials, urging them to study it as a leadership skills manual.

Cops form special task force to curb gangsterism in Taiping

IPOH: Perak police have formed a special task force to address the problem of gangsterism in Taiping.

Australian sentenced for life for migrant's murder

MELBOURNE, Australia: A serial sex offender was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday for a rape and murder that outraged Australia’s second-largest city.

Singapore fumes as air pollution hits 16-year high

SINGAPORE: Singaporeans rolled back military training, kept cough-stricken children indoors and considered wearing protective masks to work after a smoky haze triggered by forest fires in neighboring Indonesia caused air pollution to briefly hit its worst level in nearly 16 years.

Oklahoma executes inmate for couple's deaths in 2000

McALESTER, Oklahoma : Oklahoma executed a 36-year-old man on Tuesday for taking part in the brutal killing of a ranching couple 13 years ago.

Chrysler agrees to recall of Jeeps at risk of fire

DETROIT : After initially defying federal regulators, Chrysler abruptly agreed Tuesday to recall some older-model Jeeps with fuel tanks that could rupture and cause fires in rear-end collisions.

Bolivian girl mauled by dog to fly to US for help

LA PAZ, Bolivia: Doctors in Bolivia say a 4-year-old girl who was unconscious for nearly three weeks after being mauled in the face and body by a Rottweiler is conscious and ready to fly to Boston for reconstructive surgery.

Author, teacher of endangered Lakota language dies

SIOUX FALLS, South Dakota: The endangered Lakota language has lost one of its greatest supporters.

Serena Williams comments on rape case in interview

Serena Williams says in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine that, while not blaming the victim in the Steubenville rape case, “she shouldn’t have put herself in that position.”

US House passes bill banning abortion after 20 weeks

WASHINGTON : The US House of Representatives approved a Republican measure Tuesday restricting abortion to the first 20 weeks after conception, one of the most stringent pro-life bills in the past decade.

Brazil lawmakers OK bill for treatment of gays

BRASILIA, Brazil : A Brazilian congressional human rights committee on Thursday approved legislation that would allow psychologists to treat homosexuality as a disorder or pathology.

US cabbie pursues charges after anti-Muslim rant

McLEAN, Virginia : For the second time in as many months, a Muslim civil rights group is pursuing criminal charges on behalf of a taxicab driver who was subjected to an anti-Islamic rant caught on tape.

Disabled woman, US child held captive with snakes

CHICAGO: A mentally disabled woman and her daughter were forced to live in an Ohio basement with snakes and pitbulls and were treated like slaves for more than two years, US prosecutors said Tuesday.

US actor charged with assaulting girlfriend

LOS ANGELES: US actor Edward Furlong, whose credits range from “Terminator 2” (1991) to 2011 hit “The Green Hornet,” was charged Tuesday with assaulting his girlfriend, prosecutors said.

EU's billion-euro aid to Egypt 'ineffective'

BRUSSELS : A billion euros of EU aid channelled to Egypt before and after the January 2011 uprising that ended Hosni Mubarak’s reign failed to improve human rights and governance, or reduce corruption, auditors said Tuesday.

Korean Air orders 11 Boeing long-haul jets in $3.6bn deal

LE BOURGET, France : Boeing announced Tuesday that Korean Air had agreed to buy five 747-8 jumbo jets and six 777 planes in a deal worth some $3.6 billion (2.7 billion euros) at list prices, adding to an already strong order book at the Paris Air Show.

US video game retail sales fall 25 percent in May

NEW YORK : U.S. retail sales of video games, hardware and accessories declined 25 percent in May as demand for aging game consoles continued to fade and fewer new games launched compared with last year, according to market researcher NPD Group.

Tunisian court jails Salafists for burning Sufi shrine

TUNIS : A Tunisian court has sentenced six radical Islamists to five years in prison for burning a Sufi Muslim shrine in one of a spate of attacks that have highlighted rising militancy in the country that ignited the Arab Spring.

Conservatives win majority in Tehran council

TEHRAN : Conservative candidates, among them four Olympians, won a majority in the election for Tehran’s 31 municipal councillors, Iranian media reported on Tuesday.

US military plans to put women in most combat jobs

WASHINGTON : U.S. military leaders are ready to begin tearing down the remaining walls that have prevented women from holding thousands of combat and special operations jobs near the front lines.

Romanian pop star claims manager beat her up

BUCHAREST, Romania : Romanian prosecutors say they are investigating a claim made by a popular singer that she was beaten up by her manager after a dispute over money.

There is a need to rewrite Malaysian history - Tun Mahathir

KUALA LUMPUR : There is a need to rewrite Malaysian history books to include problems faced in the past and steps taken by the government to solve such issues, so as to offer a better understanding of the country's history to the younger generation.

Justin Bieber in traffic accident in Los Angeles

Teen pop star Justin Bieber was involved in a late-night traffic accident, which Los Angeles media said injured a photographer who had been among a crowd trying to take pictures of the singer.

Britain lays off 4,400 soldiers as army downsizes

LONDON : Britain laid off more 4,400 soldiers on Tuesday in a third wave of military job cuts intended to help tackle a budget deficit, the Ministry of Defence said.

EU nations grant more asylum, Syrians top the list

BERLIN : European nations granted more people asylum in 2012, including seven times as many Syrians as the previous year.

US to begin meetings with Taliban

KABUL : American officials say U.S. representatives will begin formal meetings with the Taliban in a few days at the group’s new office opening in Qatar.

Algeria electricity CEO under investigation

ALGIERS, Algeria : The former and current heads of Algeria’s state electricity company are under investigation for alleged corruption along with 15 others, a top official said.

Egypt court ends Mubarak detention in fraud case

CAIRO : An Egyptian court on Tuesday ended the detention of Hosni Mubarak in one corruption case, judicial sources told AFP, but the ousted president will remain in custody on other charges.

Russia to ban adoption by same-sex couples

MOSCOW : Russia is on its way to formally prohibiting all adoption by same-sex couples and also banning the adoption of Russian children by single people or unmarried couples from countries that allow same-sex marriage.

Lahad Datu police still investigating teen's abduction claim

LAHAD DATU : A claim by a 14-year-old girl at Kampung Tanagian in the Tanjung Labian zone, about 150 kilometers from here, that she was abducted by a group of men is still being investigated.

Police seeks killer who knifed 54-year-old man in Jalan Imbi

KUALA LUMPUR : Members of the public who saw a murder in Jalan 1/77B, Off Jalan Imbi on Sunday morning are asked to step forward and provide information to the police.

Three siblings who drowned in Sungai Golok buried in one grave

PASIR MAS : The remains of three siblings who drowned in Sungai Golok yesterday were today buried at Kampung Rahmat Muslim cemetery.

Dating site for broody singles launches in Denmark

COPENHAGEN : A dating site targeting singles looking for a partner to have children with launched this week in Denmark, attracting slightly more men than women, its founder said on Tuesday.

Five slain, five kidnapped by Philippine rebels

DAVAO : Communist insurgents killed five civilians and kidnapped five soldiers in the southern Philippines on Tuesday in the latest of a series of violent acts following the collapse of peace talks, authorities said.

With Samsung, Jay-Z's business continues to boom

NEW YORK : Jay-Z’s partnership with Samsung for his new album, “Magna Carta Holy Grail,” is another sign of how musicians are finding new ways to sell and promote their music, and how the multiplatinum performer — who famously rapped “I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man” — continues to leverage his enduring popularity into a successful brand.

Bus plunges off road in China, 11 dead

BEIJING : State media say a bus carrying 35 people has plunged into a valley in western China, killing at least 11 people.

'Mass hysteria' hits Bangladesh garment workers

DHAKA : Hundreds of Bangladesh factory workers who fell sick in recent weeks could have been struck down by a mysterious illness described as a type of “mass hysteria,” officials said Tuesday.

Philippine woman held for five years without charge

MANILA : The Philippine justice secretary demanded an investigation after a woman was detained in a police prison for more than five years without charge, in a case likened to the plight of terror suspects languishing in Guantanamo Bay.

RM 10 mill needed to upgrade motorcycle lanes along federal highway : Fadillah

KUALA LUMPUR : The Works Ministry will need an allocation of RM10 million to upgrade 16 kilometers of motorcycle lanes supervised by the Public Works Department (JKR) along the Federal Highway, said its minister Datuk Fadillah Yusof.

Chad arrests suspected member of elephant slaughter gang

N’DJAMENA : Authorities in Chad have arrested a suspected member of a poaching gang accused of slaughtering nearly 200 elephants and killing five Cameroonian park rangers, the environment minister said on Tuesday.

Two French football stars on trial for sex with underage prostitute

PARIS : The trial of French football stars Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema for having sex with an underage prostitute opened without the two defendants or the woman at the centre of the scandal.

Suicide bombers target Baghdad mosque, killing 26

BAGHDAD : Two suicide bombers blew themselves up inside and near a Shiite mosque in Baghdad on Tuesday, killing 26 people and wounding 55, Iraqi officials said.

Israeli leaders condemn hate crime against Arabs

JERUSALEM : Israeli leaders on Tuesday condemned an apparent hate crime in an Arab town near Jerusalem that is known for good relations with its Jewish neighbors.

Russia: G-8 declaration won’t mention Assad’s fate

ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland : A senior Russian diplomat says the G-8 summit’s joint statement on ending the Syrian civil war will not mention whether Bashar Assad must step down from power as part of any peace settlement.

64 dead as early monsoon hammers northern India

RISHIKESH, India : Torrential rains washed away hundreds of homes and roads, leaving at least 64 people dead and thousands stranded, after the annual monsoon hit northern India earlier than expected, officials said Tuesday.

Baby found on stairs of shophouse

LAHAD DATU : A baby boy, believed to be three-days-old, was found on the stairs of a shop house at Fajar Centre near here today.

Fake printer cartridge syndicate busted

SHAH ALAM : The Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry's Selangor branch has busted a syndicate that buys and re-sells fake printer cartridges.

Hong Kong dolphin numbers dwindling quickly

HONG KONG : Conservationists Tuesday warned that the number of rare Chinese white dolphins in Hong Kong waters has fallen to its lowest level in a decade of monitoring, and urged the government to immediately create more protected areas.

At least 9,000 flee northern Nigeria violence

GENEVA : At least 9,000 people have fled violence in northern Nigeria and crossed into neighbouring countries as a government offensive aims to end a four-year Islamist insurgency, the UN said on Tuesday.

Pakistan funeral bomb kills 10, including MP

PESHAWAR, Pakistan : A bomb attack killed 10 people, including a provincial lawmaker, and wounded more than 40 others at a funeral in northwestern Pakistan on Tuesday, police said.

Leaving power would be 'betrayal,' says Syria's Assad

DAMASCUS : Quitting power while his government battles a countrywide uprising would be a “national betrayal,” Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad has told a German newspaper in an interview.

Burns victim still in stable condition

KUALA TERENGGANU : Asrah Ramadi, 7, who suffered burns while playing kitchen is reported to be in stable condition.

Japan experts to OK animal-human embryos test

TOKYO : Proposed experiments with animal-human embryos cleared the first regulatory hurdle Tuesday, reports said, as scientists seek permission for tests that could see human organs produced inside the growing body of an animal.

Umno to implement new methods of informing members of general meetings

MALACCA: Umno may soon implement new methods of informing members of general meetings at branch and division levels through short-messaging system (SMS) and social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter.

Iran's Ahmadinejad meets newly elected successor

TEHRAN : Iran’s outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad met his successor Hassan Rowhani on Tuesday for the first time since the moderate conservative was elected, in talks centred on political and economic issues.

British clean-up begins on rescued German WWII bomber

LONDON : British experts began on Tuesday an 18-month task of cleaning the barnacles, silt and seaweed from a rare World War II German bomber plane rescued after more than 70 years on the sea bed.

Former journalist appointed Sabah tourism board chairman

KOTA KINABALU : Former Sabah Journalists Association (SJA) president Datuk Joniston Bangkuai has been appointed as chairman of the Sabah Tourism Board.

Brazil shaken by largest protests in 20 years

RIO DE JANEIRO : Rio police fired tear gas and rubber bullets in clashes with protesting youths early Tuesday, after tens of thousands rallied in major Brazilian cities against the huge costs of hosting the 2014 World Cup.

US safety agency investigating Suzuki's small SUVs

DETROIT : U.S. safety regulators are investigating problems with air bag sensors in the seats of some small Suzuki SUVs.

Chinese business leaders to head to France, Belgium

BEIJING : Belgium and France roll out the red carpet next week for 30 Chinese businesses leaders in a visit designed to promote trade, despite an ongoing dispute between Europe and China.

Jordan's king endorses treaty with UK

AMMAN, Jordan : Jordan’s King Abdullah II has endorsed a treaty with Britain that sets the stage for the possible deportation of radical Muslim preacher Abu Qatada.

Datuk Wira Ahmad Hamzah reappointed Malaysia Rubber Board chairman

KUALA LUMPUR : Datuk Wira Ahmad Hamzah has been re-appointed Malaysian Rubber Board chairman, the Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry announced today.

India cancels friendly matches against Malaysia, Philippines

NEW DELHI : India has decided to cancel two friendly football matches scheduled against Malaysia and the Philippines in September, due to other events taking place around the same time, said a report.

Appeal court sets aside acquittal of former ISA detainee

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal has set aside the acquittal of a former Internal Security detainee charged with a security offence and another who allegedly abetted him.

Belgian who says she is king’s daughter asks him to testify

BRUSSELS : A woman who says she is the unrecognised daughter of Belgian King Albert II has summoned the monarch and two of his children to appear in a Brussels court in her bid to prove he is her father, her lawyer said on Tuesday.

Thailand admits losing $4.4bn from rice scheme

BANGKOK : Thailand’s government has acknowledged losing more than $4.46 billion in a much-criticized scheme to support rice prices that ended up dislodging the country from its top spot as the grain’s exporter.

Meteorologists meet to mull weird British weather

LONDON : Come rain, wind or sunshine, the weather has long been one of Britain’s main topics of conversation. Now it has also become a mystery.

Police arrest 5 men involved in fight and vehicle burning

GEORGE TOWN : Police arrested five men involved in a fight that led to a car and two motorcycles being burnt in Nibong Tebal, near here, last Sunday.

Russia seeks to ban adoption to foreign gay couples

MOSCOW : Russian lawmakers on Tuesday debated a bill which would place tough restrictions on adoption to countries where same-sex marriages are legal, following France’s vote last month allowing such unions.

China's Xi in 'thorough clean-up' of party

BEIJING : President Xi Jinping is to launch a “thorough clean-up” of the ruling Communist Party, state media reported Tuesday, the latest strongly-worded anti-corruption drive to be enacted by China’s new leader.

Poland checking files on Nazi unit commander

WARSAW, Poland : A prosecutor in Poland says that files concerning a Nazi unit commander are being reviewed to see if they contain sufficient evidence to press charges and request his extradition from the United States, where he is living.

FHDA to organise seminar on sexual health in vulnerable communities

GEORGE TOWN : The Penang Family Health Development Association (FHDA) will be organising a seminar on sexual health in vulnerable communities on June 26, said its Medical Chairman Dr Gan Kam Ling.

MOSTI : Malaysia to adopt digital education solution

CYBERJAYA : Malaysia will adopt the Digital Education Solution (DES) to provide an attractive digital teaching and learning environment.

Three including women suspected of stealing scrap metal assaulted by villagers

KUANTAN : Three people including a woman, who were suspected to have stolen scrap metal, were hurt after they were assaulted by residents at Felda Panching Utara here, last night.

Support for gay marriage high in developed nations

NEW YORK : Most adults in developed countries favor gay marriage or some type of legal recognition for same-sex couples and think they should be able to adopt children, according to an international poll.

Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan faces baby sex test inquiry

MUMBAI : Indian officials said Tuesday they were probing reports Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan knows he and his wife are expecting a baby boy, in a country where prenatal sex tests are banned.

18 Vietnamese crew held as ship hits Philippine reef

MANILA : Eighteen Vietnamese crew members of a cargo ship have been detained after it ploughed into a coral reef in the central Philippines, the coastguard said Tuesday.

TV chef Nigella Lawson’s husband cautioned by police for assault

LONDON : Art collector Charles Saatchi has been cautioned by police for assaulting his wife, the celebrity chef Nigella Lawson, after being photographed grabbing her by the throat in an incident that has fueled a debate in Britain about domestic violence.

Lebanese Sunni Muslim politician warns of state collapse

BEIRUT : Lebanon’s main Sunni Muslim political party pleaded with the presidency on Tuesday to prevent “state collapse”, blaming the Shi’ite Hezbollah group for dragging the country into the war in neighbouring Syria.

Top South Korean director cuts incest scenes for censor

SEOUL : Prize-winning South Korean film director Kim Ki-Duk said Tuesday he had cut scenes from his incest-themed new movie

"Drunk” allegations halt Ukraine parliament budget hearing

KIEV : A parliamentary hearing on Ukraine’s budget was suspended on Tuesday when opposition deputies alleged that a deputy finance minister presenting the budget report was drunk.

12 killed in Nepal landslides

KATHMANDU : At least 12 people have been killed in landslides triggered by three days of heavy monsoon rain in remote parts of Nepal, officials said Tuesday.

Students robbed of borrowed car at supermarket car park

KUALA TERENGGANU : The Terengganu police have launched a manhunt for four suspects alleged to have robbed a couple at a car park of a supermarket here yesterday.

RM 1 mill for roofed futsal courts in Terengganu

KUALA TERENGGANU: Allocations for the construction of two roofed futsal courts in the state will be received from the federal government, as an initiative in helping the state government to encourage the healthy lifestyle among the youth, said the state Youth and Sports Department director Rusli Yusoff.

Former employees pleaded not guilty of cheating a general goods supplier

KUALA LUMPUR : Two former employees of E-Genius Welfare and Education Fund pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court yesterday to charges of cheating a general goods supplier of RM200,000 six years ago.

Parcel syndicate busted with the arrest of 4 Nigerians

SUBANG JAYA: Police busted a parcel syndicate following the arrest of four Nigerians early this month.

Agong launches RM 600 million MSU campus

SHAH ALAM : Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah today launched the RM600 million Management and Science University (MSU) campus here.

Communist rebels in Philippines abduct 5 soldiers

MANILA : Communist rebels posing as government troops have abducted five Philippine army soldiers on the outskirts of a southern city, the military said Tuesday.

Kuwait hangs 'monster' child rapist

KUWAIT CITY : Authorities in Kuwait on Tuesday hanged a 33-year-old Egyptian man dubbed a “monster” for the abduction and rape of 17 children under the age of 10, the public prosecution said.

Hungarian man, 98, charged with WW2 crimes

BUDAPEST : Hungarian prosecutors on Tuesday charged a 98-year-old man who tops the Nazi-hunting Simon Wiesenthal Center’s wanted list with war crimes, saying he had helped to deport Jews to Auschwitz in World War Two.

Police arrest suspected drug-trafficker in surau

KUANTAN : Police arrested a poultry dealer, believed to be involved in drug trafficking, in a surau at Kampung Batu 4 1/2 Jalan Kuantan-Gambang here.

Police busted armed robbery gang

BUKIT MERTAJAM: Police busted a ruthless armed robbery gang which had slashed a bookstore assistant in Nibong Tebal and escaped with RM17,000 taking from the shop.

Drunk driver killed two motorcyclists

TAIPING: Two motorcyclists were killed while another four were injured after a car rammed into three motorcycles in succession here early today.

Architects and engineers to conduct technical studies on Menara Umno

GEORGE TOWN: The original architects and engineers who built Menara Umno, where a 15m lightning arrestor fell 21 storeys onto Jalan Macalister last Thursday, will be conducting technical studies on the building.

Aid for missing hawker family

GEORGE TOWN: The grieving family of Lim Chin Aik, who went missing after a lightning arrestor on Menara Umno collapsed and fell on his car last Thursday, was given a contribution of an undisclosed sum from Penang Umno.

Indonesia presses on with fuel hike despite popular anger

JAKARTA : Indonesia defied popular anger Tuesday by pressing ahead with its first fuel price hike since 2008, a day after police fought running battles with thousands outside parliament.

Penang police to view CCTV footage in Jalan Macalister to determine Lim's death

GEORGE TOWN : Penang police will view the closed-circuit television (CCTV) recordings in Jalan Macalister as part of the investigation to determine the death of the rise seller, Lim Chin Aik, who is believed to be buried in the collapse of the lightning arrestor pole in the area last Thursday.

China arrests man for seeking repeat of Tiananmen protest

BEIJING : Chinese authorities have formally arrested a man for trying to stage a repeat of the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protest, his wife said on Tuesday, signalling an increasing intolerance for dissent under Communist Party rule.

Israel police hunt for vandals that hit Arab town

JERUSALEM:Israeli police have launched an investigation to find perpetrators who vandalized cars and sprayed hate graffiti in an Arab town near Jerusalem.

Business as usual for hoteliers in Penang

BUTTERWORTH: Except for a a minor damage reported by a hotel in Gurney Drive and a water supply disruption at a hotel in Jalan Macalister, George Town, the hotels in Penang and Seberang Perai mainland were unaffected by the Thursday freak storm incident.