Sabah’s wealth to be shared irrespective of race and religion, says Hajiji

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah's development agenda is for its wealth to be shared for the benefit of all communities regardless of race and religion, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said. "We are trying hard to advance Sabah in terms of development and sharing its wealth to all Sabahans regardless of race and religion," he said at...

Chance encounter transforms girl from Mumbai slum into teenage model, internet influencer

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Three years ago an inquisitive American tourist wandered into a waterfront slum in Mumbai and met a tiny, smiley girl. Maleesha Kharwa is now 15, still tiny, and with the same winning smile, and her family still has hutment on a shoreline strewn with garbage, but they now also rent a one room...

Australia swelters in spring heat wave, temperatures set to break records

SYDNEY (Reuters) - A spring heat wave across large parts of Australia's southeast, including Sydney, will intensify on Monday, the weather bureau said, with temperatures expected to peak up to 16 degrees Celsius (60 Fahrenheit) above the September average. Australia is baking through a rising heat wave which has been building in the country's outback interior...

Workshop owner fatally shot in Machang has criminal record, say cops

KOTA BARU: The man who was shot dead on Jalan Hutan Kuin in Machang, near here, on Sunday (Sept 17), was found to have a criminal record, including for drug-related offences. Kelantan police chief comm Datuk Muhamad Zaki Harun said the 38-year-old businessman was in a four-wheel drive (4WD) vehicle in front of an auto parts...

S. Korea opposition leader hospitalised after hunger strike, prosecutors seek arrest

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's main opposition leader was hospitalised on Monday, days into a hunger strike in protest against government policies, while prosecutors sought an arrest warrant for him over corruption allegations. Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, began the protest on Aug. 31, citing the government's economic mismanagement, threats to media...

S’wak considering replanting degraded forest, says Premier

SIBU: Sarawak is considering replanting its degraded forest with fast-growing tree species that can be used to produce renewable energy through biomass pellets. "We can replant our degraded forest areas with new fast-growing species; that will become feedstock to produce pellets for us to produce power as an additional source for our grid," said Sarawak Premier...

North Korea’s Kim heads home after final stop in Russia’s Vladivostok -KCNA

SEOUL (Reuters) -North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was headed home after making a final stop in Russia's far eastern city of Vladivostok, where he visited a university, an aquarium and an animal food plant, state media KCNA reported on Monday. Kim spent two days in Vladivostok while inspecting various facilities in the fields of military,...

Senior citizen, daughter, son-in-law killed in blaze in Kedah

SUNGAI PETANI: A 90-year-old woman, her daughter and son-in-law were killed in a fire that destroyed eight semi-wooden double-storey shoplots in Kota Kuala Muda in Kedah on Monday (Sept 18) morning. The Fire and Rescue department said that the charred remains were discovered at one of the shoplots. "The fire was put under control at about 3.08am....

Soaring rice prices sow hope – and trouble – for indebted Thai farmers

CHAI NAT, Thailand (Reuters) - After finishing her latest rice harvest, Sripai Kaeo-eam hurriedly cleared her fields and planted a new crop in late August — ignoring a Thai government advisory to restrict further sowing of the grain this year to conserve water. "This crop is our hope," said the 58-year-old farmer in Thailand's central Chai...

Man killed, two homes severely damaged in early morning fire

GEORGE TOWN: A 60-year-old disabled man perished in a fire that engulfed two kampung houses in the early hours of Monday morning (Sept 18). The Fire and Rescue department in a statement said the man burnt to death in the fire at Jalan Kampung Pisang in Ayer Itam here. "We received a report at 3.44am of a...