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Bomb kills 12 in southwest Pakistan: police

QUETTA, Pakistan: A bomb planted in a rickshaw tore through a vehicle used by security forces in southwest Pakistan on Thursday, killing at least 12 people, police said.

Tabung Haji officer and staff charged for khalwat

BALIK PULAU: A high-level Lembaga Tabung Haji officer and a staff were today charged at the Lower Syariah Court here with committing khalwat (close proximity).

Ship overturns in China, 6 killed

NINGBO (Zhejiang Province, China): Six people have been confirmed dead since a ship they were aboard overturned on Wednesday afternoon in east China's Zhejiang Province, China's Xinhua news agency reported quoting local authorities as saying on Thursday.

Hundreds protest against burial of Argentine dictator

MERCEDES, Argentina: Sometimes you can’t go home: hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets Wednesday to protest against the possible burial of the late former dictator Jorge Videla in his home town.

Hamza called as witness in RCI on immigrants in Sabah

KOTA KINABALU: State Police Commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib was called on as a witness in the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on immigrants in Sabah hearing, this morning.

Building materials blamed in Bangladesh disaster

DHAKA, Bangladesh: A government investigation says poor quality construction materials and building code violations contributed to the collapse of building housing garment factories last month in Bangladesh.

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, is back on the mountain to make another attempt at the title.

Adam Adli pleads not guilty to giving seditious speech

KUALA LUMPUR: Student activist Adam Adli Abd Halim pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court with giving seditious speech in a forum on May 13.

<font color=red>BANTING MURDER:</font> N. Pathmanabhan, three farm hands gets death

BANTING MURDER: N. Pathmanabhan, three farm hands gets death

SHAH ALAM: The High Court today sentenced lawyer N. Pathmanabhan and his three farm hands to death after finding them guilty of murdering cosmetics millionaire Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya and three others at a farm three years ago.

S. Korean girl killed by suicide jumper

SEOUL: A seven-year-old South Korean girl was killed instantly after being struck by the body of a man as he plunged from his tenth-floor apartment in an apparent suicide, a report said Thursday.

Obama honors Carole King at White House concert

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama says music is often one place where people turn during trying times, both for comfort and for inspiration.

Ford to halt car production in Australia in 2016

MELBOURNE: Car manufacturer Ford announced Thursday it will cease making vehicles in Australia in 2016 and axe 1,200 jobs, having produced its first car in the country in 1925.

Kim Dotcom mulls suing tech giants for 'copyright breach'

WELLINGTON - Internet mogul Kim Dotcom said Thursday he was considering taking legal action against tech giants such as Twitter, Google and Facebook for infringing copyright on a security measure he invented.

Woman confronted London attackers to deflect danger

LONDON: A woman who challenged knife-wielding assailants suspected of hacking to death a British soldier in London on Wednesday said she intervened because “it was better having them (the weapons) aimed on one person”.

Twitter beefs up security after media hacking spree

Twitter Inc unveiled technology to boost security for its users, following a spate of attacks on accounts of prominent media outlets including the Associated Press, the Financial Times and The Onion.

Polish man gets quick face transplant after injury

WARSAW, Poland: A 33-year-old Polish man received a face transplant just three weeks after being disfigured in a workplace accident, in what his doctors said Wednesday is the fastest time frame to date for such an operation. It was Poland's first face transplant.

US soldier accused of secretly taping naked women

WASHINGTON: The U.S. Army said a soldier has been charged with secretly photographing and videotaping at least a dozen women at the U.S. Military Academy, including in a bathroom.

4 Americans killed since 2009 in US drone strikes

WASHINGTON: The Obama administration acknowledged publicly for the first time Wednesday that four American citizens have been killed in drone strikes since 2009 in Pakistan and Yemen. The disclosure to Congress comes on the eve of a major national security speech by President Barack Obama in which he plans to pledge more transparency to Congress in his counterterrorism policy.

British soldier hacked to death by Muslim terrorist

LONDON - A British soldier was hacked to death by two men shouting Islamic slogans in a south London street on Wednesday, in what the government said appeared to be a terrorist.

Fulham signs Boateng, Amorebieta on free transfers

LONDON - Ghana midfielder Derek Boateng and Venezuela centre back Fernando Amorebieta have both joined Premier League Fulham on free transfers, the club said on Wednesday

Barcelona's Adriano gets 4-year contract extension

MADRID - Barcelona utility player Adriano Correia has agreed a four-year contract extension until 2017, the La Liga champions said in a statement on Wednesday.

PKR may postpone party election this November

PETALING JAYA: Parti Keadilan Rakyat may postpone its annual party elections which is due this November, said its secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution.

Fox show brings messy workplaces to television

NEW YORK: This time “you’re fired” is more than a Donald Trump catchphrase. Fox is turning the firing of real people from real jobs into prime-time entertainment starting this week.

US bars swapped cheap booze for premium liquor

TRENTON, New Jersey: New Jersey officials have seized inventory and demanded records from 29 bars and restaurants that allegedly sold low-quality liquor to patrons who thought they were buying premium brands.

SAP looks to recruit people with autism as programmers

FRANKFURT: German software company SAP is looking to recruit people with autism as programmers and product testers, drawing on skills that can include a close attention to detail and an ability to solve complex problems.

Car explodes in Vancouver, British Columbia

VANCOUVER, British Columbia: A leaking acetylene tank is blamed for a blast early Wednesday that tore apart a car parked on a street in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Britain calls emergency meeting after man killed in London

LONDON: British Prime Minister David Cameron has called a meeting of his government’s emergency Cobra security committee after the killing of a man in south London, his office said on Wednesday.

Science sinks teeth into Neanderthal weaning habits

PARIS: Neanderthals may have started weaning their young from seven months of age and transferred them to solid food by just over a year, a fossil tooth study said Wednesday.

Officials: Suspect lunged at FBI agent with knife

BOSTON: Law enforcement officials say a man was shot while he was being questioned in the Boston Marathon bombing case after he lunged at an FBI agent with a knife.

Ukrainian journalists disrupt government session

KIEV, Ukraine: Ukrainian reporters on Wednesday disrupted a government session chaired by the prime minister, suggesting his family members could be the next victims of official inaction after police in Kiev stood by while pro-government activists attacked two journalists covering an opposition protest.

Police: 1 dead, 2 injured in attack in London

LONDON: One person has died and at least two people were wounded in a violent attack near a military training barracks in London, British officials said Wednesday, as Prime Minister David Cameron called an emergency meeting in response.

Los Angeles gets first Jewish mayor

LOS ANGELES: Los Angeles councilman Eric Garcetti was elected as the US city’s first Jewish mayor Wednesday, after a hard-fought run-off race to succeed Antonio Villaraigosa, full results showed.

Two babies among US tornado victims

MOORE, Oklahoma: Two babies are among the 24 fatalities in the tornado that tore through this US community, officials said Wednesday, as residents began the daunting task of rebuilding their lives in the wake of the catastrophe.

Boston church official faces racketeering charges

BOSTON: A Boston church official who once claimed to be an associate of mobster James “Whitey” Bulger has been arrested on charges of stealing money from the church.

Facebook joins Web freedom group

WASHINGTON: Facebook on Wednesday became a full member of the Global Network Initiative, a non-government organization promoting Internet freedom and privacy rights.

Beatles' lyrics headed for British Library

LONDON: Shakespeare, the Magna Carta — and now some of John Lennon’s finest lyrics.

US tax official: 'I did nothing wrong'

WASHINGTON: The U.S. tax official at the center of the storm over the collection agency’s targeting of conservative groups told Congress on Wednesday that she had done nothing wrong in the episode, and then invoked her constitutional right to refuse to answer lawmakers’ questions.

Atheists are good if they do good, Pope Francis says

VATICAN CITY: Atheists should be seen as good people if they do good, Pope Francis said on Wednesday in his latest urging that people of all religions - or no religion - work together.

Public advised not to visit places with leptospirosis cases

NIBONG TEBAL: The public are advised not to visit, temporarily, places that have been detected as the source of leptospirosis cases to avoid the serious viral disease.

Football: Star-studded Johor DT edge closer to the top

KUALA LUMPUR: Star-studded Johor Darul Takzim (Johor DT) lived up to its top billing by beating Kelantan 2-0 in a Super League match at the Tan Sri Hassan Yunos Stadium in Larkin, Johor, tonight.

18 protestors detain for ignoring police orders to disperse

KUALA LUMPUR: Eighteen people, including four women, were arrested in front of the Jinjang police lock-up yesterday.

Police classify death of man in lock-up as murder

KUALA LUMPUR: Police have classified the death of a man while in a lock-up on Tuesday as murder.

7 dead in Afghan suicide blast: officials

GHAZNI, Afghanistan: A teenage suicide bomber killed seven people in central Afghanistan on Wednesday when he targeted local fighters who battle against Taliban insurgents, officials said.

NYC woman gets probation for stalking actress

NEW YORK: A New York City woman has been sentenced to probation for stalking French actress Marion Cotillard on the Internet.

US test-launches intercontinental missile

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, California: The U.S. Air Force has launched an unarmed intercontinental ballistic missile from a California base, a month after the test flight was postponed because of tensions with North Korea.

Mais non! French universities may teach in English

PARIS: In France, there’s a brewing debate over whether to speak anglais in universite.

Ministry urges further charge in syariah or sessions court for rape accused

KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry views seriously media reports on the marriage of an underage victim with her alleged 40-year-old rapist, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim said today.

MACC will investigate if financial mismanagement reported in Kontena Nasional's losses

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) will start investigations if there were reports received on elements of corruption in the RM19.2 million loss suffered by KONTENA Nasional Bhd, the country's largest logistics company.

Evian giving its water bottle a makeover

NEW YORK: Evian is giving itself a facelift to keep up with its sleek, young competitors on store shelves.

Turkey presents Prophet’s sayings for the 21st Century

ANKARA: Scholars around the Muslim world were alarmed five years ago by news reports that Turkey planned a new, possibly heretical compilation of the Prophet Mohammad’s sayings that might scrap those it thought were out of date.

PM's special envoy writes book to share country's foreign affairs experience

KUALA LUMPUR: The Prime Minister's Special Envoy Tan Sri Ahmad Kamil Jaafar shared his more than 35 years of diplomatic experience revolving Malaysia's bilateral ties with many nations as well as promote Malaysia in his first book "Growing Up With The Nation."

20,000 foreign national Muslim marriages in 13 years, says RCI witness

KOTA KINABALU: The number of foreign nationals who married local Muslims in Sabah reached almost 20,000 to date since 2000, the Royal Commission of Inquiry on illegal immigrants was told today.

Terengganu assembly session on June 17-19

KUALA TERENGGANU: The new session for the Terengganu state assembly will be from June 17 to June 19, said Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said.

Festive season price cap in Sabah, Sarawak

KUALA LUMPUR: Thirteen items have been placed under the Price Control Scheme for the Kaamatan (harvest) Festival in 24 districts in Sabah and Labuan.

Costa Concordia shipwreck captain to face manslaughter trial

ROME: The captain of the cruise ship Costa Concordia, which capsized off Italy’s west coast last year killing 32 people, will face trial for manslaughter as well as other charges, an Italian judge ruled on Wednesday.

Turkey: 4 sentenced over fake liquor deaths

ANKARA, Turkey: Turkey’s state-run news agency says a Turkish court has sentenced four people to 83 years in prison each for the deaths of five Russians from bootleg alcohol poisoning.

FBI shoots, kills man linked to Boston bomb suspect: report

MIAMI: An FBI agent fatally shot a man in the US state of Florida Wednesday while he was being questioned in connection with the Boston Marathon bombings, the FBI said.

Wanted suspect caught after dramatic car chase

BATU PAHAT: Police arrested a 32-year-old man after a dramatic car chase where six shots were fired at the suspect's car tyre in Jalan Kluang here early today.

Students embark on used cooking oil recycling project

PEKAN: For so many years, Form Four student Ahmad Kamal Imran has seen the people around him disposing used cooking oil by pouring it into the sink or drain.

Unruly fans disrupt Johor-Kelantan football match tonight

JOHOR BARU: The Super League football match between Johor Darul Takzim and Kelantan was disrupted when their supporters turned unruly here tonight.

Malacca police on the hunt for Pikap gang members

BATU GAJAH: Police are hot on the heels of Pikap Gang members, believed to be responsible for seven robbery and vehicle theft cases in the district for the past year.

169 policemen promoted to corporal and sergeant

SHAH ALAM: For Sergeant Azman Iten, 47, his childhood hobby of watching police and investigation-based television programmes has turned into a rewarding lifelong career.

Pahang's special committee on unity should include political leaders

KUANTAN: Various parties lauded the Pahang government's effort to establish a special committee on unity which will also look into the interest of the non-Malay communities.

Golf: Garcia’s fried chicken jibe ’hurtful’ - Woods

LONDON: The feud between world number one Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia deepened when Woods described the Spaniard’s “fried chicken” jibe as “wrong, hurtful and inappropriate” on Wednesday.

Silver coffee pot could set $6 mln record at auction

LONDON: An 18th century silver Rococo coffee pot is expected to become the most valuable piece of English silver ever sold at auction when it goes up for sale in July, auction house Christie’s said.

Four accused in Sosilawati's murder, three others to know fate tomorrow

SHAH ALAM: The four accused in the murder of cosmetics millionairess Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya and three other individuals, will know their fate tomorrow after the trial which received wide media coverage came to an end yesterday after almost two years.

"No serious injuries, I can continue riding" - Zulfahmi

PUTRAJAYA: Red Bull-KTM-Ajo's Moto3 rider Mohd Zulfahmi Khairuddin who was involved in a spectacularly crash with four laps remaining in the French Motorcycle Grand Prix at Le Mans last week, has been cleared of any serious injuries as feared initially.

Najib to address global Women Deliver 2013 conference

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is scheduled to deliver the opening address at the landmark global gathering Women Deliver 2013 Conference at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) here, next Tuesday.

Negri Sembilan state excos have a month to declare assets

SEREMBAN: All newly-appointed Negri Sembilan State Executive Councillors (Excos) were today given one month to declare their assets.

RON97 price down by 20 sen

KUALA LUMPUR: The retail price of RON97 petrol nationwide was reduced by 20 sen per litre to RM2.70 per litre from RM2.90 per litre effective last night.

Three died in car-bus crash

TANAH MERAH: Three youths including a teenage girl were killed in an accident involving two cars and a bus at Km3 of Jalan Ismail Petra here at midnight on Wednesday.

KTMB security guard killed after being hit by train

ALOR GAJAH: An Orang Asli guard on duty at the KTM Berhad's Tampin-Rembau railway who took a short break to answer the call of nature, suffered a gruesome death when he was hit by a passing train today.

Indian medics reconstruct baby's swollen head

NEW DELHI: Indian doctors said Wednesday they have successfully carried out a first round of reconstructive surgery on the skull of a baby suffering from a rare disorder that caused her head to nearly double in size.

Ohio kidnapping victims 'happy and safe'

CLEVELAND: The three women rescued after being held captive in a Cleveland house for about a decade say they are doing fine.

Syria denounces pro-opposition meeting

AMMAN, Jordan: Syria’s ambassador to Jordan has denounced a meeting of nations that back the Syrian opposition, calling the gathering part of a U.S.-Israeli campaign to destroy his country.

Ukrainian journalists disrupt government session

KIEV, Ukraine: Ukrainian reporters have disrupted a government session chaired by the prime minister, suggesting his family members could be the next victims of official inaction after police in Kiev stood by while pro-government activists attacked two journalists covering an opposition protest.

EU bid to label Hezbollah wing terror group

BRUSSELS: Two officials say Britain has launched a bid to formally have the European Union declare the Lebanese party Hezbollah’s military wing a terrorist organization.

Oklahoma residents come home to pick up the pieces

MOORE, Oklahoma: Residents began returning home to their flattened Oklahoma town after a giant tornado killed at least 24 people, destroyed countless homes and reduced one elementary school almost entirely to rubble, killing seven children inside.

Soldier's welfare my priority, says Hishammuddin

KUALA LUMPUR: Newly appointed Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said he would give priority to the welfare of soldiers stationed in seven battalions in the Sabah East Coast Special Security Area (Esscom) and the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (Esszone).

Iran denies link to group arrested for spying in Saudi Arabia

DUBAI: Iran denied on Wednesday any link to members of a spying ring detained by its Sunni Muslim regional rival Saudi Arabia, according to Iranian media.

Communist rebels raise 634,000 in Philippine polls

MANILA: Communist insurgents extorted 26 million pesos (634,000) from campaigning politicians in the just-concluded Philippine mid-term elections, the military said Wednesday.

Mortar lands in Congo as UN chief arrives

GOMA, Congo: A spokesman for the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Congo says that a mortar landed in a neighborhood of Goma, a major city in eastern Congo, which last year was briefly overrun by a rebel group.

US scientist committed suicide, not murdered: pathologists

SINGAPORE: Two US pathologists on Wednesday supported Singapore police findings that an American scientist found hanged last year in the city-state committed suicide and was not murdered as his family claims.

Life-saving face transplant performed in Poland

WARSAW: Doctors in Poland say they have performed an urgent total face transplant on a 33-year-old man whose face was torn off in an accident which also crushed his jaws.

Mais non! French universities may teach in English

PARIS: France’s National Assembly is taking up an education reform bill that would allow public universities to hold some courses — like science or economics classes — in English, a plan that has alarmed language purists and the political far-right alike.

Habitat loss and poaching threatens survival of Sun Bears

SANDAKAN: Habitat loss and poaching have led to a decline of up to 30 per cent of the Malayan sun bear population in the last three decades, according to the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC).

UK to finalize plans for Afghan interpreters

LONDON: Britain is proposing to let Afghan interpreters who worked alongside its troops the right to settle in the U.K. in recognition of the risks to their personal safety.

Death toll rises to 23 in China factory blast

BEIJING: The death toll from a massive blast at an explosives plant in eastern China has risen to 23 with 10 people still missing.

Public warned to be wary of fake e-mail bearing Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor's name

KUALA LUMPUR: The public is warned to be wary of a fakee-mail bearing the name of the Prime Minister's wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.

Irishman charged with 1982 IRA Hyde Park bombing

LONDON: A 61-year-old Irishman has been charged with the Irish Republican Army bombing of the queen’s ceremonial cavalry in Hyde Park in 1982 that killed four soldiers and seven horses.

Three killed in three separate accidents in Pahang

KUANTAN: Three people were killed in three separateaccidents in Pahang, yesterday. In the first incident, Ong Kim Tian, 77, was driving along Jalan Air Putih 2in Kuantan, was killed when his car lost control and landed in a drain.

Saiful Apek ordered to enter defence

SHAH ALAM: Comedian Saiful Apek found himself back in court facing a charge of consuming drugs when the High Court allowed the prosecution's appeal against his acquittal.

Pakistan court rejects Musharraf bail in judges' case

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani court Wednesday refused bail to former military leader Pervez Musharraf over the detention of judges during his 1999-2008 rule, the state prosecutor said.

Kenya's truth report: Killings, land grabs, graft

NAIROBI: Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has received a long-awaited Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission report whose findings show that his father, the country’s first president, presided over a government responsible for numerous human rights violations, including political assassinations and illegal allocation of land.