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Federal Court dismisses former KJCF executive's judical review application

KUALA LUMPUR: The Federal Court which decided a company dispute last year, did not blindly adopt the submissions of a lawyer for the two liquidators.

Art Basel highlights Hong Kong's new status as arts hub

HONG KONG: The first Art Basel fair to be hosted by Hong Kong boasts a prestigious array of international art, highlighting the city’s new role as a global arts hub amid an explosion of personal wealth in mainland China.

Farmers plant rice near doomed Fukushima plant

TOKYO: Farmers have resumed planting rice for market only 15 kilometres (nine miles) from Japan’s crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, a local official said Wednesday.

Penang Macc gets seven reports on money politics after GE13

GEORGE TOWN: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission in Penang has received seven reports on money politics after the 13th general election (GE13), said Penang state MACC director Samarajoo Manikam.

Octogenarians race to be oldest Everest climber

KATMANDU, Nepal: An 80-year-old Japanese extreme skier who climbed Mount Everest five years ago, but just missed becoming the oldest man to reach the summit, was back on the mountain Wednesday to make another attempt at the title.

Msia presents document on model nuclear weapons convention to UN

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has presented a document on a model nuclear weapons convention for the consideration of the United Nations' Open Ended Working Group (OEWG) in taking forward multilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations.

Single mothers want rapist punished

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Single Mothers Organisation (PITS) is infuriated over the rape case involving a 40-year-old man and an underaged girl.

Gerakan proposes BN components merge to form one party

KUALA LUMPUR: All Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties should merge to become only one party in order to win back the people's support and avoid racial problems, said Gerakan acting president Datuk Chang Ko Youn.

Tun M in joint call for OIC to examine Sunni and Shi'a Muslim divide

PUTRAJAYA: Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami today called on the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to set up a task force to examine the Sunni and Shi'a Muslims divide, in depth.

Terengganu PKR to go ahead with rally tomorrow

Kuala Terengganu: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) will proceed with their planned 505 rally in Kuala Ibai tomorrow, said Terengganu PKR chairman Azan Ismail.

Impoverished Malawi sells presidential jet for $15 mln

LILONGWE: Malawi’s luxury presidential jet, bought by late leader Bingu wa Mutharika, has been sold for $15 million to raise cash for the impoverished African country, a government official said on Wednesday.

IGP promises to up fight against crime

KUALA LUMPUR: Newly-appointed Inspector-General (IGP) of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar has promised to come up with effective strategies to fight crime and reduce the crime index nationwide.

Monroe's photos for Prague exhibition stolen

PRAGUE: A publicist for an upcoming Marilyn Monroe exhibition in Prague says that photographs of the star have been stolen.

All 28 bodies recovered from Indonesian mine room

TIMIKA, Indonesia: Rescuers on Wednesday recovered the last of 28 miners killed last week when an underground room of a giant Indonesian gold and copper mine collapsed, the operator of the U.S.-owned facility said.

AG to proceed with case of statutory rape in Sabah

PUTRAJAYA: The prosecution will proceed with the case of a 13-year-old girl in Sabah who was allegedly raped by a 40-year-old restaurant manager.

Private institutions get judicial review of chief registrar's decision

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here today allowed the application for judicial review by 55 institutions of higher learning to challenge the decision of the Private Institutions of Higher Learning (PIHL) chief registrar regarding international students intake.

S'gor police yet to get notice on opposition's proposed Saturday gathering

SHAH ALAM: Selangor police have yet to be notified of a Pakatan Rakyat gathering in Petaling Jaya on Saturday said Selangor Acting Police Chief Datuk A. Thaiveegan.

Riots in Stockholm spread to more suburbs

STOCKHOLM: Groups of youth have smashed shop windows, set cars ablaze and burnt down a cultural center as the riots that started in one Stockholm suburb after a fatal police shooting spread to other low-income areas of the Swedish capital.

Felda failed to obtain judgement against PKR secretary-general

KUALA LUMPUR: The Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) yesterday failed to obtain a judgment in default against PKR secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail in relation to a defamation suit.

Iran's Ahmadinejad denounces election decision

TEHRAN: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says a decision by election overseers to disqualify his top aide from an upcoming presidential race is an act of “oppression” and he will take the case to the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Chinese premier begins 2-day visit to Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan says it shares “identical views” on foreign policy with China, whose premier is beginning a two-day visit to Islamabad in the latest sign of the tight relationship between the two Asian powers.

Users urged to make best use of smartphones

BANGKOK: Users of smartphones have been recommended tolearn to make best use of their smartphone devices and applications in case ofany emergency, Thai News Agency (TNA) reported.

Office bullying video sparks outcry in Singapore

SINGAPORE: A Singapore company supervisor caught on video slapping a male intern is in trouble after the clip went viral on the web and sparked a public outcry.

Risky behaviour starts young on web: survey

SYDNEY: Australian children are accessing social media websites at an increasingly younger age, a new survey suggests, with one in five “tweens” admitting they have chatted to someone online they do not know.

Green light from the High Court for private colleges and universities

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Association of Private Colleges and Universities and 54 others yesterday obtained the green light from the High Court to quash a circular in relation to the new registration system of international students in local private institutions.

6 kids among 7 injured in south China knife attack

BEIJING: Authorities in southern China say a mentally ill man stabbed six primary school students and an adult in the latest of several attacks on Chinese schoolchildren.

Tawau MMEA foils attempt to smuggle black wood logs

TAWAU: The Malaysian Marine Enforcement Agency (MMEA) in Tawau has foiled an attempt to smuggle 57 black wood logs from a neigbouringcountry by boat on Monday night.

Uruguay joins the women's presidential club

MONTEVIDEO: For several days beginning Wednesday, Uruguay, as its neighbours, Brazil and Argentina, will be ruled by a woman.

Sunbathing crocodile shocks Indonesian beachgoers

JAKARTA: Hundreds of sunbathers fled a popular Indonesian beach in panic when a four-metre (13-foot) crocodile laid down next to them to soak up some rays, an official said Wednesday.

14 arrested for corruption offences

GEORGE TOWN: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in Penang has received 215 complaints this year up until this Tuesday.

Japan watchdog: Nuclear plant sits on top of fault

TOKYO: Japan’s nuclear watchdog has endorsed a panel’s conclusion that a seismic fault running underneath an atomic plant in western Japan is active, making the plant’s restart virtually impossible.

Japan approves joining international child abduction pact

TOKYO: Japan’s parliament has approved joining an international child custody treaty amid foreign concerns that Japanese mothers can take children away from foreign fathers without recourse.

N. Korean leader's special envoy arrives in Beijing

BEIJING: A special envoy of North Korean leader KimJong-un arrived in Beijing on Wednesday, a trip that comes at a time of strained ties between North Korea and China, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported.

N. Sembilan state executive councillors take oath of office

KUALA PILAH: Ten assemblymen, including seven new faces, were sworn in as Negeri Sembilan state executive councillors before the Yang Dipertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir at the Istana Besar Seri Menanti here today.

Fishermen pay price in Asia's volatile sea rifts

MASINLOC, Philippines: Along the northwestern Philippine coast, poor children with claw hammers clamber aboard an abandoned fishing vessel to pry loose and steal rusty nails from its deck.

Porn star's calligraphy sparks art debate in China

SHANGHAI: Calligraphy by Japanese porn star Sola Aoi has sparked a culture war in China, where she has a huge fan base, with purists dismissing the work as “unskilled” after it was reportedly auctioned for 95,000.

UMS prepares students with social, ethnic, economic and educational experiences

LABUAN: Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) Labuan International Campus will continue to prepare its students with the necessary skills, competency and knowledge to serve the population with diverse social,ethnic, economic and educational experiences.

Sinai kidnappers free Egypt security personnel: army

CAIRO: Kidnappers on Wednesday released three Egyptian policemen and four soldiers seized in the Sinai, the army said, leading to the reopening of a Gaza border crossing that police closed to protest the abductions.

Los Angeles mayor poll too close to call

LOS ANGELES: Los Angeles councilman Eric Garcetti took a narrow lead in early results from a run-off election to succeed LA mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, but the race remained too close to call early Wednesday.

Amazon plans greenhouse-style headquarters

SEATTLE, Washington: US online giant Amazon has unveiled plans for a futuristic greenhouse style headquarters “where employees can work and socialize in a more natural, park-like setting.”

Egypt: 7 security men kidnapped in Sinai freed

CAIRO: Six Egyptian policemen and a border guard kidnapped by suspected militants in the Sinai Peninsula last week were freed by their captors Wednesday after successful mediation in the volatile region, the country’s military spokesman said.

Handphone seller slashed while having supper

GOMBAK: A 47-year-old handphone seller was slashed repeatedly while having dinner with a group of friends at an eatery in Gombak Setia here just after midnight today.

PDRM to set up crime prevention departments at all levels

KUALA LUMPUR: The Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) will setup a Crime Prevention Department in Bukit Aman (Federal police hadquarters) and all state and district police contingent headquarters soon.

House panel seeks to curb military sexual assaults

WASHINGTON: A House panel is poised to approve a series of revisions to military law in an effort to stem the growing epidemic of sexual assaults in the armed forces.

Rescuers seek Oklahoma tornado survivors as area eyes recovery

MOORE: Rescue efforts in the tornado-ravaged Oklahoma City suburb of Moore continued through the night into Wednesday morning, with officials increasingly confident that everyone caught in the disaster had been accounted for.

Saiful Apek ordered to enter defence for consuming drugs

SHAH ALAM: Saiful Apek has been ordered to enter his defence for consuming drugs.

Woman gets the gallows for murder of stepdaughter

JOHOR BARU: A 27-year-old woman has been sentenced to death by the Johor Baru High Court here today for the murder of her three-year-old stepdaughter in 2011.

Botak Gang members nabbed in Kuala Kangsar

IPOH: Four members of the Botak Gang including a juvenile, believed to be responsible for at least 20 robbery cases in Perak, Kuala Lumpur and Selangor were nabbed by police in Kuala Kangsar near here on Tuesday.

300 indigenous people affected by dam projects hold protest

KUCHING: More than 300 indigenous people affected by dam projects in the state held a protest outside the International Hydropower Association 2013 World Congress conference venue yesterday.

Man with homemade air rifle arrested

BESUT: Pursuing a public tip-off on drugs activities, the district police's narcotics criminal investigation department found a man with a homemade air rifle in Kampung Gong Ubi Keling here on Monday.

Further probe into collapsed mosque's roof incident

KUALA TERENGGANU: State Public Works Department (PWD) yesterday forwarded initial investigation report of the collapsed Kampung Binjai Kertas mosque's roof incident on Monday night to its federal headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

Three people killed in road accident

TANAH MERAH: Three people including a teenage girl was killed in an accident involving two cars and a bus at Km 3 Jalan Ismail Petra here at midnight last night.

Health Ministry mulls extending out-patient operating hours

NIBONG TEBAL: The Health Ministry is contemplating on extending its out-patient service operation hours to mitigate the issue of long waiting hours at government hospitals.

China arrests 13 over protest 'rumours': police

BEIJING: Chinese authorities have arrested 13 people for Internet posts that sparked a rare protest in Beijing, highlighting tensions between officials and migrant workers, police said.

Nicol only Malaysian still in running in 2013 British Open

KUALA LUMPUR -- World No. 1 Datuk Nicol David is the only Malaysian player still in the running in the 2013 British Open squash championship being held at Pontefract in West Yorkshire, England.

Far-right writer kills himself inside Notre Dame de Paris

PARIS: A far-right writer and activist shot himself dead in front of the altar of Paris’s famed Notre Dame Cathedral on Tuesday, after calling for “spectacular” action to protect France’s identity.

North Korean leader sends 'special envoy' to China

SEOUL, South Korea: North Korea says that a “special envoy” for leader Kim Jong Un has left for China.

Star Wars hero's pants auctioned for US$36,100

LOS ANGELES: The pants worn by actor Mark Hamill in the first Oscar-winning “Star Wars” film went under the hammer Tuesday for 36,100, according to auction house’s website.

'Malaria parasites can talk with each other'

MELBOURNE -- Scientists here have been shocked to discover that malaria parasites can communicate with each other to replicate and improve their chances of being transmitted to other humans.

Power of US tornado dwarfs Hiroshima bomb

WASHINGTON: Wind, humidity and rainfall combined precisely to create Monday’s massive killer tornado in Oklahoma. The awesome amount of energy released dwarfed the power of the atomic bomb that leveled Hiroshima.

US missile test delayed for a day

WASHINGTON - The US Air Force delayed for a day an intercontinental ballistic missile test Tuesday because of a “range safety instrumentation issue.”

China vows continued support for Zimbabwe

HARARE -- China will continue supporting Zimbabwe in its quest to fend off international threats on its sovereignty and economic prosperity, visiting Chinese vice Premier Wang Yang said Tuesday.

US landmark bill offers citizenship path for millions

WASHINGTON - The sweeping overhaul of the US immigration system took a major step towards viability Tuesday when the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 13-5 to approve a landmark bill offering a path to citizenship for millions.

Teachers credited with saving kids in Oklahoma

MOORE, Oklahoma: The principal’s voice came on over the intercom at Plaza Towers Elementary School: A severe storm was approaching and students were to go to the cafeteria and wait for their parents to pick them up.

UN urges action to end child soldiers in Myanmar

UNITED NATIONS: U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Myanmar’s government has made progress in reducing the recruitment of children into the armed forces but still needs to stamp out the practice.

Man pleads guilty in Picasso vandalism case

HOUSTON: A man accused of vandalizing a 1929 Pablo Picasso painting in a Texas museum — an act that was caught on cellphone video — agreed Tuesday to a two-year prison term as part of a plea deal with prosecutors. His lawyer called his act “an artistic statement.”

2 more reports of anti-gay attacks in NYC

NEW YORK: New York City police say there have been two more reports of possible anti-gay attacks, following the killing of a gay man taunted with homophobic slurs.

Andy Carroll pulls out of England's friendlies

LONDON - Striker Andy Carroll has pulled out of England's friendly internationals against Ireland and Brazil through injury, the FA said on its website (www.thefa.com) on Tuesday.

Beckham's eldest son trains at QPR's junior academy

LONDON - David Beckham's eldest son Brooklyn has trained at the junior academy of London club Queens Park Rangers and bookmakers are already offering short odds that the 14-year-old will emulate his father by playing for England.

In tornado's wake, rain hampers relief efforts

MOORE, Oklahoma — Torrential rains hampered rescue and relief efforts Tuesday in this Oklahoma City suburb reeling from one of the worst tornadoes in the United States in recent years.

Police deny photo of Adam Adli being handcuffed was taken at the Jinjang police station

KUALA LUMPUR : Police yesterday rubbished the claims over a photo of student activist Adam Adli being handcuffed, which has been circulating on the Internet, was taken at the Jinjang police station where the latter is currently being remanded.

Epileptic woman who stayed alone found dead

SANDAKAN : Concerned villagers broke down the front door of an ailing woman's house near here today, when she failed to emerge from the wooden building over the past three days.

Mother and two-month-old baby died in after ramming into an electric pole

BOTA : A mother and her baby died, while another was seriously injured, when their car skidded into a trench after ramming into an electric pole here today.

Police solved Pakistani murder

REMBAU : Police investigator's persistence led to the discovery of the body of a Pakistani national in Kampung Legung Ulu in Kota here more than a month he was reported missing by the same man who had murdered him.

Jeruk Pak Ali eyes Mecca market

BATU KAWAN : Pak Ali Food Industries Sdn Bhd targets to sell its fruit pickles in Mecca, Saudi Arabia by year-end.

Malaysia to work hard for UN security council seat

PUTRAJAYA : Leaving no stone unturned, Malaysia will work hard to secure a seat in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the term 2015-2016, which would enable the country to play a part in international security issues.

Thai police seize record 4.49 million meth tablets

BANGKOK: Thai police have seized 4.49 million methamphetamine pills found in an apartment in the largest meth bust ever in Bangkok.

Thailand urged to explore edible insect market

BANGKOK: Researchers say Thailand is showing the world how to respond to the global food crisis: by raising bugs for eating.

EC sets up team to probe indelible ink issue

KUALA LUMPUR : The Election Commission (EC) today set up a special team to find out why the indelible ink used to mark voters in the 13th general election could be easily removed, said EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof.

Apple's Cook to face Senate questions on taxes

WASHINGTON: A Senate panel says Apple Inc. is avoiding paying billions of dollars in U.S. taxes, but the world’s most valuable company says it is complying with the laws and pays “an extraordinary amount” in taxes to the U.S. government.

Reports: Iran bars 2 top figures from June ballot

TEHRAN: Iranian news websites have boosted speculation that election overseers have barred two prominent but divisive figures from next month’s presidential ballot.

Shukri Ahmad appointed second infantry commander

GEORGE TOWN : Second Infantry Division Commander Major-General Datuk Azizan Md Delin today officially handed over duties to his successor, Major-General Datuk Shukri Ahmad.

Philippines boosts military to resist 'bullies'

MANILA: Philippine President Benigno Aquino on Tuesday announced a $1.8-billion military upgrade to help defend his country’s maritime territory against “bullies”, amid an ever-worsening dispute with China.

South Africa: Winnie Mandela forced auction flops

JOHANNESBURG: An auction to pay off a debt of Nelson Mandela’s ex-wife failed to take place because no one would open her home to the sheriff.

Syrian opposition groups say Assad must go

MADRID: Syrian opposition groups meeting in Spain say they oppose all negotiation with President Bashar Assad’s government unless it is aimed at his giving up of power.

Minister invites Pakatan to contribute ideas on urban well-being

KANGAR: Urban Well-being, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan has invited Pakatan Rakyat to contribute ideas in addressing issues related to his ministry.

Group: More Afghan women jailed for 'moral crimes'

KABUL: An international rights group says the number of Afghan women and girls jailed for “moral crimes” has risen dramatically in the past 18 months.

Bulgaria: Socialist elected as parliament speaker

SOFIA, Bulgaria: Bulgaria’s newly seated parliament has elected Socialist Mihail Mikov as its speaker during what is proving to be a turbulent stretch in the economically struggling country’s politics.

Gay marriage in Britain ’could lead to lesbian queen’

LONDON: The debate in Britain over legalising gay marriage took a surreal turn on Tuesday after a senior politician said it could result in a lesbian queen giving birth to an heir by artificial insemination.

Four killed, one injured in a head-on collision

PONTIAN: Four people were killed while a woman suffered serious injuries when the Proton Waja they were in was involved in a head-on collision with a factory bus at Kilometer 66.5 Jalan Pontian-Batu Pahat, near the Sekolah Kebangsaan Api Api here, early today.