KOTA BARU - A schoolgirl was among two persons who have been detained in connection with Sunday's incident where two nursing students were crushed to death by a car at the KB Mall shopping complex here.

A man, in his 20s, was picked up at about 3pm on Monday while the 17-year-old schoolgirl, who had earlier undergone treatment at Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital for minor injuries, was nabbed at her house in the night.

It is understood that the teenager, who did not have a driver's licence, was in the driver's seat and the man was 'push-starting' the car when it failed to start at the mall's third floor car park.

Information ministry launches Upin & Ipin comics

SHAH ALAM - The Ministry of Information Communication and Culture today launched the Upin & Ipin comics magazine in an effort to expand local animation films into comics.

The ministry's Deputy Secretary-General (Culture), Datuk Dr Mohammed Daud, said the publication of the magazine was an extension from the animation series which had previously been shown on television and film.

The 84-page Upin & Ipin' comics magazine, published by Nyla Sdn Bhd with the permission of Les Copaque Sdn Bhd, would be sold throughout Malaysia and Brunei at RM4.90 (Brunei B$2.50) each, beginning tomorrow.

Malaysians spending more time online, says Google

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysians are spending more time online and becoming more internet savvy as Facebook, Tagged, Twitter, multi-player game Dragonica and online file sharing and storage site 4shared became their top five searches on the Internet this year.

Announcing its annual Zeitgeist for Malaysia today, Google said Malaysians used both traditional and new media to get their news updates and celebrity gossip, while the late Michael Jackson and politician Elizabeth Wong left their mark on the people this year.

Google Zeitgeist tools give an idea of what people are curious about in Malaysia and also an insight into which topics were of interest across the globe, based on top search terms.

Good news awaits high performing schools

TOKYO - Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is set to deliver some good news for high performing schools in all areas in Malaysia - a step to be taken by the government to improve the quality of education.

"I want to offer something new to the headmasters and teachers. If the headmasters and teachers perform well, the whole school will gain, not just by way of improving the standards of examination results but also in co-curriculum the headmasters and teachers we will be given incentives. We will announce that," he said.

Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, said he will soon announce the top 20 performing schools in Malaysia.

Kazakhstan scientists create flu vaccine

ASTANA - A team of scientists from the Research Institute for Biological Safety has created a sample of vaccine to fight against the deadly influenza A(H1N1), which is currently in its second wave of infection.

The sample will undergo the final clinical trials in the laboratories of WHO, which is operating at the Russian Research Institute of Influenza in St Petersburg.

"The development of the Refluvac vaccine started in April after the scientists received US$2.9mil for their research and within one and half months, they (scientists) created a vaccine to fight the flu," said Oleg Kiselev, a senior official at the institute.

Cuepacs demand rejected

KUALA LUMPUR - Cuepacs' demand to exempt housing loan repayment for civil servants certified with permanent total disability for housing loans approved before 1995, cannot be entertained, said the Treasury Department.

In a statement here today, it said insurance companies could not entertain the demand as the insurance policy taken did not cover permanent total disability.

"The permanent total disability policy was only offered by insurance companies effective Aug 1, 1995, and thus, only housing loans approved after that date are entitled for the coverage," it said.

Duo escape hangman

PUTRAJAYA - It was worth 10 years of waiting for two car repossessors when they finally escaped the gallows and walked out as free men after the Federal Court today set aside their death sentence for murdering two bouncers in 1999.

M Dorai Pandian, 30, and P Ragu, 36, were acquitted from the charge after the court held that it was unsafe to uphold the conviction and allowed their final appeal.

On Jan 16, 2006, the two appellants were found guilty by the High Court of murdering Tong Tian Leong, 35, and Loo Teik Soon, 36, at the Hotel Sri Pelangi car park in Segamat, Johor  on April 24, 1999.

Army hospital to become full-service centre

KUALA LUMPUR - The Tuanku Mizan Armed Forces Hospital is being beefed-up to become a full-service hospital for soldiers and their families early next year.

Malaysian Armed Forces Health Services director-general Lt Jen Datuk Seri Dr Sulaiman Abdullah said at the moment, the services were confined to out-patient treatment as the hospital was facing a shortage of medical and health specialists and personnel.

It is located at Section 2, Wangsa Maju.

Nik Aziz has final say

KOTA BARU - Kelantan Mentri Besar Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat has the final say on matters relating to Kelantan Mentri Besar Inc, said Kelantan PAS Commissioner III Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah.

He said today that this included the timing of the stepping down of its chief executive officer Abdul Ariffahmi Abdul Rahman, who is also Nik Aziz'z son-in-law. - Agencies