CANBERRA: Australia has committed up to AUD89.9mil (RM272.3mil) towards the search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 over two years, budget papers released on Tuesday revealed. Australia has been leading the hunt for the plane, which was carrying 239 people when it disappeared on March 8 en …

TRAFFIC in Kuala Lumpur was chaotic after heavy rains and strong winds caused flash floods and toppled trees in several parts of the city. The Jalan Duta-Jalan Semantan interchange was one of the worst-affected stretches by yesterday’s 3pm downpour, with cars caught in a bumper-to-bumper crawl. A ca …

JOHOR BARU: This baby girl sure knew how to make a surprise entrance on Mothers Day. She “arrived” at the back seat of a car. Earlier, her 33-year-old mother Siti Rohaida Basiron experienced contractions when she was attending the 7am assembly at SMK Kompleks Sultan Abu Bakar in Gelang Patah where s …

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will be looking to share operational costs as search for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 enters a new, much longer phase. “Before this, there has been no talk of dollars and cents, but to be fair to our partners (in the search), it is time for us to look at it more …

PUTRAJAYA: The Government is considering the possibility of stopping fish export and adjusting the start of the padi season in view of the expected prolonged dry spell caused by the El Nino. Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said with the padi planting proce …

MORE Klang Valley drivers left their cars at home and used public transport to go to work to avoid rush hour traffic gridlocks last year. According to the Government Transformation Programme report, the morning peak ridership, between 6am and 10am, reached 437,525 by the end of last year. This excee …

KUALA LUMPUR: Cendol seller P. Chandrasekaran was forced to leave his job as a welder when he suffered a stroke 14 years ago. After a year, he decided to start up his cendol business but still struggled to make ends meet, pushing a small cart under an umbrella and making about RM60 a day. He earned …

KOTA BAHARU, May 12 (Bernama) — The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry aims to set up Mini Children’s Homes to place neglected and abused children nationwide by 2020. Its minister Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim said there was currently only one such existing home in the coun …

KANGAR, May 12 (Bernama) — Perlis will host all the SUKMA events in Perlis said Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaludin. However, aquatics may be held at the Gunung Keriang Aquatic Centre in Alor Setar, Kedah if the new swimming complex being build in Perlis could not be completed in time o …

Show us the funny! Sunday Star asked readers to write a creative caption in a speech ballon for a cartoon panel published in the paper, take a picture of it with their smartphone or tablet, and send their entries to star2@thestar.com.my. Here are the best entries. Sent in by Alvin, alvinzlim@gmailco …

MELAKA, May 12 (Bernama) – The Department of Volunteers (Rela) has 2.97 million members nationwide and over 70 percent of them are youths. Its director-general, Datuk Mustafa Ibrahim said the figure was expected to increase at year end with the launch of Briged Rela Siswa-Siswi (RELASIS)involv …

PARIS (Reuters) – Abubakar Shekau, the leader of Nigeria’s Islamist Boko Haram militants, said on Monday he would release more than 200 schoolgirls abducted by his fighters in exchange for prisoners, according to a video seen by Agence France-Presse. The French news agency said the 17-mi …

KUALA LUMPUR, May 12 (Bernama) — The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) is confident sales from the lifestyle segment will double this year, says Chief Executive Officer Datuk Dr Wong Lai Sum. She said Matrade would focus on promoting fashion-related programmes this year …

IPOH: Two blocks of building at SMK Ringlet in Cameron Highlands are in danger of collapsing after huge cracks started appearing on the ground. The school’s Parent Teacher Association chairman V.P. Selvam said the cracks at its school hall and a two-storey block had widened over two years and the bu …

PUTRAJAYA, May 12 (Bernama) — A total of 15,700 nurses are being recruited since last year to fill a shortage in government hospitals and clinics, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam. Five thousand nurses were taken last year and 4,037 more in January and February this year, he s …