Melaka education department gets RM15.75mil to upgrade schools

MELAKA: The Melaka State Education Department has received an allocation of RM15.7 million from the Education Ministry to upgrade and carry out minor maintenance works for the toilets at 225 primary and secondary schools in the state. Its director, Mohd Ghazali Ahmad, the department has completed upgrading toilets at 215 schools within eight weeks, from Aug...

Zii Jia heads for short holiday to recharge for next year’s Malaysian Open

PETALING JAYA: Professional shuttler Lee Zii Jia’s inability to break through Kenta Nishimoto’s brick-like defence cost him dearly in the men’s singles quarter-finals of the China Masters. World No. 11 Zii Jia fell to a disappointing 11-21, 12-21 defeat at the hands of world No. 13 Nishimoto at the Shenzhen Bay Gymnasium yesterday. Zii Jia struggled to...

Rexy downplays communication issue between Pearly and Thinaah

PETALING JAYA: National coaching director Rexy Mainaky has played down the lack of communication between women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah in the China Masters. Something seemed amiss between Pearly and Thinaah in their first-round match against South Korea’s Jeong Na-eun-Kim Hye-jeong where the duo barely spoke to each other. Pearly-Thinaah went on to lose narrowly 11-21,...

39 Palestinians freed in first Hamas-Israel prisoner exchange deal

RAMALLAH (Bernama-Anadolu): The first batch of 39 Palestinian prisoners was released from the Israeli Ofer prison in the west of Ramallah, as part of the Hamas-Israel prisoner exchange deal. Anadolu Agency (AA) reported that Israel and Hamas on Friday (Nov 24) conducted the first prisoner exchange since the start of the conflict on Oct 7. Under the...

Gov’t views Merdeka Centre’s survey from positive angle, says Fahmi

KUALA LUMPUR: The government takes note of the Merdeka Centre’s survey on the one-year administration of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and views it from a positive angle, with efforts to address issues, including economic concerns, being taken, says the Communications and Digital Minister. Fahmi Fadzil (pic) said the government acknowledges the survey's findings, which he described...

Court rejects Najib’s appeal

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal has dismissed Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s appeal to attend the proceedings of the US$681mil 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) lawsuit that was filed against him and several other individuals. A three-man bench comprising Justices P. Ravinthran, Mariana Yahya and Lim Chong Fong held that the proceedings the former prime minister wanted to...

‘I didn’t kill her, I was paid to keep silent’

PETALING JAYA: While continuing to insist that he did not kill Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu, ex-police commando Sirul Azhar Umar admitted to taking money for his silence. “I didn’t do murder (sic). But yes, I am involved,” he said in an interview with Al Jazeera’s 101 East programme, while admitting that he had taken Altantuya from...

Tourism Ministry to review eligibility of travel agencies managing umrah pilgrimage

KUALA LUMPUR: The Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry will review the eligibility of travel agencies involved in organising umrah travels. Its Minister, Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing (pic), said this is due to complaints lodged by umrah pilgrims who have been duped by travel agencies despite the strict action taken against these errant companies. He says that his...

Diner killed as car crashes into Seremban restaurant

SEREMBAN: An elderly woman was killed and another injured when a car crashed into a restaurant in Taman Meranti, Bahau, near here. Jempol district police chief Supt Hoo Chang Hook said Tan Joo Lan, 75, was dining there when the accident happened at 8.50am on Friday (Nov 24). He said she suffered serious neck injuries and was...

Collapsed Indian tunnel had no safety exit, was built through geological fault – panel member

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - A tunnel which collapsed, trapping 41 workers in the Indian Himalayas this month, did not have an emergency exit and was built through a geological fault, a member of a panel of experts investigating the disaster said on Friday. Rescuers are still struggling to reach the construction workers 12 days after the...