AFP

The move follows a denial by the government earlier this month that it had frozen the recruitment of workers from India after reports quoted officials saying a ban was in place.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi declared a popular Hindu festival a public holiday, in an olive branch to the ethnic Indian community following months of dissent.

Abdullah's nationwide tours, along with an upcoming meeting tomorrow of all BN leaders and another on Tuesday with heads of Umno are seen as evidence of election preparations.

Apart from banning the Faizal Tahir the three months, local station 8TV was also similarly punished by being prohibited from broadcasting any live or delayed telecast concerts for the same duration.

Deputy police chief Ismail Omar said police had received a report that the money, about RM700,000, meant for the families of those arrested, had been misused.

Kuala Lumpur faces a major water shortage in the next few days after a burst pipe disrupted supplies to a treatment plant, a report said today.

The tourism boom meant that local hotels, which are cheap compared to neighbouring nations and often half-empty, were packed out for several months of 2007.

Washington says it made progress during this week's free-trade talks with Malaysia, held after a year-long pause, and still hopes a last-minute deal can be struck.

A beaming Nirmala Bonat, 23, arriving in East Nusa Tenggara's capital Kupang, Indonesia said she was happy to be back and looked forward to seeing her parents again after her ordeal.

The think-tank says that a robust growth forecast is threatened by the risk of recession in the United States as well as rising oil and food prices on the domestic front.

KTM is also looking to increase the price of inter-city routes by 30% and commuter services by 50%.

The move comes after the government was forced to flood the market with thousands of tonnes of cooking oil and flour as shortages left supermarket shelves stripped bare.

TNB's net profit was also boosted by a foreign exchange gain of RM242.4 million compared to RM186.2 million previously.

The prime minister says that the American president's description would cause discord and will not be well received by Islamic countries.

Faizal Tahir's stunt was branded shocking by television station 8TV, which said his actions were unacceptable in this conservative Muslim-majority nation.

Malaysian and US trade officials today resumed negotiations for a free trade deal after a year's break, in a last-ditch bid to reach agreement before mid-year, a US official said.

A royal commission begins its inquiry into alleged judicial corruption with witnesses to include top politicians and judicial officers.

Indonesia's president wants justice for his country's workers who have been abused by their Malaysian employers.

The palm oil council rejected a ruling by the British advertising watchdog that its advertisements were misleading, and insisted that Malaysian palm oil is produced sustainably.

Five-year-old Sharlinie Mohamad Nashar was apparently snatched on Wednesday after going to a playground with her elder sister.

Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin urges citizens to preserve peace and harmony, in an appeal that comes as ethnic discord continues to seethe in the multicultural nation.

updated 7.10pm The Indonesian president arrived in KL today for a visit aimed at improving relations between the neighbours which observers have said are at their lowest point in decades.

updated 7.01pm Another flip-flop? The government said that low-cost Australian airline is eligible to fly the newly liberalised route.

A flour shortage in the country that had threatened to cut off supplies of the favourite roti canai has been averted with an agreement to boost production.