Donna Summer dies

NEW YORK: Disco queen Donna Summer, whose pulsing anthems such as "Last Dance," ''Love to Love You Baby" and "Bad Girls" became the soundtrack for a glittery age of sex, drugs, dance and flashy clothes, has died. She was 63.

Metro Ahad apologises to Penans over 'incest' article

KUCHING: Metro Ahad has apologised to all Sarawakians, especially the Penans, who were offended by an article titled "Ibuku isteriku, bapaku suamiku" (My mother my wife, my father my husband) that was carried its online edition www.hmetro.com.my, on Sunday.

Nayati kidnap mastermind?s wife lodges police report

KUALA LUMPUR: The wife of the suspected mastermind involved in the kidnaping of 12 year old Dutch national Nayati Shamelin Moodliar has lodged a police report denying any involvement or knowledge about the kidnapping.

Muhyiddin: We rather clarify issues to people than debate

KUALA LUMPUR: The Government prefers to clarify any issue rather than debate on it with the opposition, said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

Nazri: Foreign Workers Act needed to manage the four million workers

JAKARTA: Malaysia will explore the possibility of having a Foreign Workers Act to manage the four million foreign workers in the country.

DPM: Up to Bar to correct perception it is monopolised by opposition

KUALA LUMPUR: The Bar Council, established under the Legal Profession Act, has to eliminate the perception that it is an organisation monopolised by the opposition, said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

DPM: Abolishing quota for international schools won't affect national schools

KUALA LUMPUR: The decision to abolish the 40% quota for locals to enrol in international schools will not affect national and national-type school enrolment, said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

Foreigners need not fill up arrival card from June 1

PUTRAJAYA: Foreigners coming into the country need not fill up arrival cards issued by the Immigration Department starting June 1, said the Home Ministry in a statement.

Consult EC to avoid making misguided conclusions, researchers told

PORT DICKSON: Independent researchers should consult the Election Commission (EC) for accurate information to avoid making misguided assumptions, said EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof.

Ho Hup Construction given leave to appeal in land case

PUTRAJAYA: Ho Hup Construction Company Bhd can appeal to the Federal Court against an Appeals Court decision over the company's right to control the development of a 24ha land in Bukit Jalil.

MIC to submit candidate list to PM

KUALA LUMPUR: MIC will submit a list of candidates for the 13th General Election to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, comprising a blend of old and new faces.

Former MAS chairman asks unions not to make rash decisions

KUALA LUMPUR: Former MAS chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman has appealed to the airline's workers' unions not to make rash decisions over business plans by its management to turn around the ailing national carrier.

Nine acquitted of giving false statements in Norza's corruption case

TEMERLOH: The High Court here rejected the appeal by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on the case of nine witnesses charged with giving false evidence during the corruption trial of Datuk Mohamad Norza Zakaria two years ago.

M?sian education reforms to be based on ?cradle to career? US methodology

NEW YORK: Malaysia is preparing national level education reforms based on a methodology pioneered in the US that has successfully raised student success throughout the school system, from the very early childhood through completion of university or college.

Canada has closed visa/immigration section in M?sia, services handled by S?pore office

PETALING JAYA: Canada has closed its Visa and Immigration Section in Malaysia. From May 1, all relevant services have been handled by the Singapore office.

Penang Syariah High Court judge freed of khalwat charge

GEORGE TOWN: Penang Syariah High Court judge Adam Tumiran, 44, and his partner Nurul Izani Md Isa, 35, were acquitted by the Syariah High Court on Thursday of a khalwat (close proximity) charge.

PAS to field non-Muslim candidates in Sarawak, Johor

KUALA LUMPUR: PAS has agreed to field non-Muslim candidates to contest in Sarawak and Johor in the next general election, said Non-Muslim PAS Supporters Congress chairman Hu Pang Chaw.

French tourist died after she was bashed on the head, court hears

KUANTAN: The Stephanie Foray murder trial opened with the prosecution telling the High Court here that the French tourist had died from a probable blunt force trauma to the head.

Ex-Tourism Malaysia DG Mirza acquitted of CBT

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Tourism Malaysia director-general Datuk Mirza Mohammad Taiyab Beg was acquitted by the Sessions Court here over charges of criminal breach of trust (CBT) involving RM888,000.

Elderly M?sian killer of surgeon likely to be deported

MELBOURNE: The Malaysian who shot dead Sydney heart surgeon Dr Victor Chang will most likely be released from prison in the next few months.

Ex-driver a liar, says Zahida

PETALING JAYA: Actress Zahida Mohamed Rafik, who was linked to a federal minister, has denied a fresh round of allegations from her former driver.

Missing man with Down Syndrome returns home

JOHOR BARU: A 21-year-old man with Down Syndrome who was missing for six days has returned home.Saiful Sarmidi was last seen by a relative at the surau near his home in Kampung Sungai Rinting C, Masai, here on Thursday.

Five men, including 3 Mexican brothers, get death for drug trafficking

KUALA LUMPUR: Five men, including three Mexican brothers, were sentenced to death by the High Court here on Thursday after being found guilty of trafficking in dangerous drugs worth about RM44mil.

Noh Omar: Issue of bird?s nest export to be resolved soon

BEIJING: Malaysian Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister, Datuk Seri Noh Omar said the issue on the exports of bird's nest would be resolved in the near future.

Study suggests lower death risk for coffee lovers

NEW YORK: Older people who reported drinking a few daily cups of coffee were less likely to die over the subsequent 14 years than were those who abstained from the beverage or rarely drank it, according to a U.S. study of 400,000 people.

Crest Builder proposes share placement, bonus issue of new warrants

Crest Builder Holdings Bhd has proposed a corporate exercise involving a share placement of up 10% of its paid-up share capital and a bonus issue of new warrants.

Notion Vtec turns around with RM15.5m net profit in Q2

Notion Vtec Bhd returned to the black in the second quarter ended March 31, 2012 as earnings rose 43.5% to RM15.53mil from RM10.82mil a year ago.

IGB Corp Q1 earnings up 47.9% to RM57.43m

IGB Corporation Bhd's earnings rose 47.9% to RM57.43mil in the first quarter ended March 31 from RM38.82mil, underpinned by the property development and construction divisions.

KLCI snaps losing streak but SapuraKencana disappoints

Blue chips snapped their losing streak on Thursday, but managed to recoup only one-third of their losses from the previous day, as investors worried about the deepening turmoil in Greece and fears of contagion spreading.

Asia Aviation to raise $143 mln from Thai IPO

BANGKOK (Reuters): Asia Aviation Pcl, owner of the Thai affiliate of Malaysian-based budget carrier AirAsia Bhd , has set an IPO price of 3.7 baht ($0.12) a share to raise 4.5 billion baht ($143 million) in the Thai market this month, sources close to the deal said on Thursday.

JCY International's Q2 earnings surge 1,209% to RM163m

Hard-disk drive manufacturer JCY International Bhd's earnings surged 1,209% to RM163.09mil in the second quarter from RM12.46mil a year ago, boosted by higher average selling prices.

AsiaEP falls after triggering GN3 listing rules

Shares of AsiaEP Resources fell sharply on Thursday after it was classified as a Guidance Note 3 company.

EPF confirms taking stake in SPV for KFCH, QSR buyout

The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) has teamed up with Johor Corporation to become shareholders of Massive Equity Sdn Bhd (MESB) in the QSR Brands Bhd (QSR) and KFC Holdings (M) Bhd (KFCH).

Private pension funds to boost Malaysian capital markets, says OBG

Malaysia's capital markets are in line for a boost as the introduction of private pension funds is expected to create a significant funding inflow that will be directed towards various investment vehicles, says the Oxford Business Group (OBG).

Federal Court grants leave to Ho Hup to appeal

The Federal Court granted Ho Hup Construction Co. Bhd leave on Thursday to appeal against a decision of the Court of Appeal.

Greek fears linger as Europe shares slip at open

LONDON (Reuters): European shares edged lower at the start of trading on Thursday, having closed down during the last three sessions, as fears over Greece and Spain continue to weigh on sentiment, traders said.

Asian markets higher, Tenaga powers KLCI

Asian markets were mostly higher at midday, Thursday, although overall investor sentiment still remained cautious as concerns over the persisting European debt crisis had not abated.

AMMB FY net profit up 12.5% to RM1.51b

AMMB Holdings Bhd recorded net profit of RM1.51bil in the financial year ended March 31, 2012 compared with RM1.34bil in FY11.

Scomi Group sells Nigerian operations for RM123.9m

Scomi Group Bhd is selling its entire 100% stake in Scomi Nigeria Pte Ltd and a 2% stake in Oiltools Africa Ltd for US$39.77mil or RM123.90mil cash consideration.

Hap Seng Consolidated sees 50m shares crossed

Hap Seng Consolidated Bhd's 50 million shares were transacted in an off-market deal on Thursday at RM1.73 each.

AmBank to issue up to 100m Carlsberg call warrants

AmBank (M) Bhd has proposed to issue up to 100 million European style cash settled call warrants of Carlsberg Brewery Malaysia Bhd.

Khazanah to list US$1.5b healthcare IPO end-July

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters): The planned US$1.5 billion listing of Malaysia's Integrated Healthcare Holdings (IHH) is expected to debut on the Malaysian and Singapore bourses by the end of July, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

ECB move on Greek banks hits euro confidence

FRANKFURT/ATHENS (Reuters): The European Central Bank has stopped offering liquidity to some Greek banks it does not consider solvent, and international concern about the euro zone rose as Athens called new elections that look set to be won by parties opposing austerity measures.

Tradewinds Plantations falls to lowest since April 3

Tradewinds Plantations Bhd's share price fell to RM4.86, its lowest since April 3 after it reported a 91% decline in net profit to RM4.34mil.

Asian markets up, KLCI holds on to early gains

Asian markets were mostly higher in late morning on Thursday after the sell-off the previous day as as investors continued to remain cautious as concerns over Europe remained.

CIMB Research upgrades MISC from Underperform to Neutral

CIMB Equities Research said that despite MISC Bhd's first quarter core core net loss shocker, it thinks that earnings have bottomed.

KLCI stages mild technical rebound

Blue chips staged a technical rebound in early trade on Thursday after several days of heavy losses but the gains were limited as investors remain cautious about the eurozone debt crisis.

Facebook IPO size 25% bigger

NEW YORK:Facebook Inc increased the size of its initial public offering (IPO) by almost 25%, and could raise as much as US$16bil as strong investor demand for a share of the No.1 social network trumps debate about its long-term potential to make money.

Asia helps drive Facebook?s goal

KUALA LUMPUR: As Facebook nears saturation levels in some Western countries, Asian users are helping drive the social-networking leader?s march on the 1 billion-user milestone and beyond.

SapuraKencana opens at RM2.30

SapuraKencana Petroleum Bhd(SapuraKencana) made its debut on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia on Thursday at RM2.30, which was six sen above its reference price of RM2.24.

Greece prepares to hand flame to London

ATHENS (Reuters): Greece formally hands over the Olympic flame to a London delegation led by Princess Anne and including David Beckham on Thursday at the Panathenaic stadium where the first modern Games were held in 1896.

NBA: Celtics spank 76ers for 2-1 series lead

THE Boston Celtics trounced the Philadelphia 76ers 107-91 on Wednesday to spoil their return home and move ahead 2-1 in the second round East series of the NBA playoffs.

Tennis: Azarenka withdraws from Rome with shoulder injury

WORLD number one Victoria Azarenka suffered a blow to her French Open preparations when she was forced to pull out of the Italian Open with a right shoulder injury.

Yoo slams BAM

KUALA LUMPUR: South Korean Yoo Yong-sung has hit out at the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) for not telling the truth about his resignation as a doubles coach.

Mouth-watering clash if Malaysia and Indonesia face off in China

KUALA LUMPUR: A clash between Malaysia and Indonesia in the Thomas Cup Finals has always been a mouth-watering affair.

British Open: Nicol powers into second round

PETALING JAYA: Malaysian squash queen Nicol David gave a clear signal of her intent to win back the British Open title by demolishing Pakistan qualifier Maria Toor Pakay in the first round in London.

Bryan-Huang Qiang make it to top 10 in world rankings

PETALING JAYA: All it took was just three tournaments for the newly-paired Malaysian duo of Huang Qiang and Bryan Nickson Lomas to find their way into the top 10 in the world rankings.

Athletes should be going to world meet rather than Sukma, says Shahidan

KUALA LUMPUR: Six athletes have qualified for the World Junior Athletic championships in Barcelona from July 10-15 but none of them will feature in the biennial Under-19 meet.

Jazeman to contest in four extra races

PETALING JAYA: Jazeman Jaafar has added four extra race weekends to his schedule, contesting selected rounds of the FIA European F3 Championship to broaden his experience.

Ex-NBA stars to strut their magic in Malaysia in July

PETALING JAYA: Basketball fans are in for a treat as several retired top NBA players ? including the likes of Scottie Pippen and the colourful Dennis Rodman ? will strut their stuff in Malaysia as part of their Asian Tour.

Rose out for a year with knee injury

TORONTO: Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose could be out of action for an entire year while he recovers from surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament, the doctor who performed the procedure said on Tuesday.

Federer storms past Berloq in return to Rome clay

ROME: Roger Federer?s last minute decision to compete at the Rome Masters was rewarded immediately as he coasted to a 6-3, 6-4 second-round win over Argentinian journeyman Carlos Berlocq here yesterday.

Hewitt gets French Open wildcard

SYDNEY: Two-time Grand Slam champion Lleyton Hewitt, who is battling back from foot surgery, was handed a wildcard into the main draw of this month?s French Open yesterday.

West Indies batsmen set for stern England test

LONDON: West Indies face England in the first of a three-Test series at Lord?s here today with the tourists? batting likely to determine the course of the match.

Australian woman boxer banned for doping

MELBOURNE: Australian boxer Bianca Elmir?s hopes of competing at the London Olympics are in jeopardy after she was slapped with a provisional ban for failing a doping test at national championships in February.

Americans hoping to top the medal standings at London Olympics

DALLAS (Texas): US Olympic officials expect China and Russia to be America?s biggest rivals in the London Games medals race, but a bevy of medal hopefuls introduced this week aim to put the US atop the table.

Blackout curtain will ensure a better sleep

LONDON: If the sun shines on the London Olympics athletes will not have to worry about being woken up early by its rays thanks to blackout curtains installed in every apartment in the Games village.

Beckham to help bring the Olympic flame to Britain

LONDON: David Beckham will help bring the Olympic flame to Britain tomorrow after he takes part in a formal handover ceremony in Athens, London 2012 organisers said.

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