
Archaeologists work around a 1,800-year-old bronze chariot unearthed at an ancient Thracian tomb near the Bulgarian village of Karanovo yesterday. Along with the chariot, which was decorated with scenes from mythology, the team unearthed well-preserved wooden and leather objects, some of which the archaeologists believe were horse harnesses. — AP pic

Petra says Bruce Willis will be repaid 'in a few weeks' KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 21 - The Petra Group said today it is in the process of buying back Hollywood actor Bruce Willis's shares in a "green rubber" venture amounting to US$900,000 and is surprised at the "Die Hard" star's decision to sue them.. >Read more	Yusli gets one more year at Bursa Telekom’s value lost in paper shuffle Abdullah: Ka Chuan still a Cabinet Minister

Opinion

In Malaysia, bailouts are old hat

NOV 20 — If there's any consolation for enduring the post-Mahathir era hangover, it is that bailouts seem to be a thing of the past. Or are they?

The Columnists

Baradan Kuppusamy
Brian Yap
Cheah Sin Ann
Fahmi Fadzil
Hafiz Noor Shams
Hsu Dar Ren
Joan Lau
John Lee
Jeremiah Mahadevan
Jerome Martin
K Anand
Khalid Jaafar
Leslie Lau
Liew Chin Tong
Muaz Omar
Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad
Nur Jazlan
Ooi Kee Beng
Shannon Teoh
Zulkifli Sulong
James Chin
Wan Hamidi Hamid
Vazeer Alam

Malaysia

Bruce Willis sues Petra, Tunku Imran as green venture turns sour

LOS ANGELES, Nov 21 — Hollywood actor Bruce Willis of “Die Hard” fame is suing Malaysia’s Petra Group and Tunku Imran Tuanku Ja’afar over a “green rubber venture”, Bloomberg news...

By Adib Zalkapli KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 21 - Wanita Umno chief Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz today announced that she would be defending her post in the party polls in March...

By Adib Zalkapli PUTRAJAYA, Nov 21 - Umno President Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi said the contest for the top post in Wanita Umno will allow the best leader to prevail....

Abdullah: Ka Chuan still a Cabinet Minister

PUTRAJAYA, Nov 21 - Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said today Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan is still a member of the Cabinet holding the Housing and Local Government portfolio....

Don’t let polls affect unity, Najib tells Wanita Umno

LIMA (Peru), Nov 21 — Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the Wanita Umno elections should not affect unity within the women's wing. "Wanita Umno must be professional...

Anwar confident of uniting opposition in Sabah and Sarawak

KOTA KINABALU, Nov 21 - Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is confident of uniting the main political parties in Sabah and Sarawak, which are in the...

PM: Human capital development in Defence Ministry must be main agenda

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 21 - The Defence Ministry should invest in human capital development as one of its main agendas, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said today. Abdullah,...

DAP readies for snap election

By Shannon Teoh PETALING JAYA, Nov 21 - It has been barely nine months since the last general elections, but the DAP is now readying itself for possible fresh elections...

Sisters in Islam hits out at ‘tomboy’ fatwa

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 21 — Sisters in Islam today took the religious authorities to task for its fatwa on “tomboys”, saying that it could lead to arbitrary arrests and undue...

Petra says Bruce Willis will be repaid 'in a few weeks'

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 21 - The Petra Group said today it is in the process of buying back Hollywood actor Bruce Willis's shares in a "green rubber" venture amounting to...

Dow ends up nearly 500 on Geithner treasury report

NEW YORK, Nov 22 — Wall Street staged a comeback yesterday, with the major indexes jumping more than 5 per cent and the Dow Jones industrials surging nearly 500 points....

US gas prices dip below US$2, lowest in 3-plus years

HOUSTON, Nov 22 — Only four months after peaking at an unheard of US$4.11 (RM14.80) a gallon, the national average price for gasoline tumbled below US$2 yesterday, its lowest point...

NEW YORK, Nov 21 - Wall Street found some relief today from a report that a pounded-down Citigroup Inc. might put itself up for sale. That prospect, along with the...

NEW YORK, Nov 21- Citigroup Inc. shares tumbled below $5 a share yesterday to their lowest level in more than 15 years, a sign that a Saudi prince's decision to...

LONDON, Nov 21 - European and Asian stock markets rebounded Friday as expectations of a recovery on Wall Street prompted investors to scoop up battered financial and energy shares. The...

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 21 - Share prices on Bursa Malaysia ended firmer today, with the key index recouping its early losses as large cap stocks staged last-minute rebound, dealers said....

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 21 — This year's break-up of utility giant Telekom Malaysia Berhad into fixed-line and mobile units to unlock their share value has achieved the reverse and is...

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 21 — Bursa Malaysia chief executive Datuk Yusli Mohamed Yusoff, whose future was resting on a new trading system due to start on Dec 1, will have...

BANGKOK, Nov 21 — Most Asian markets rebounded today after days of sharp declines in global markets as investors scooped up battered financial and technology shares. Major regional benchmarks opened...

Urgent need for new global financial system, says Najib

LIMA (Peru), Nov 21 — Malaysia wants a new global financial architecture drawn up soon to combat the financial crisis, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said yesterday. He...

Gallas stripped of captaincy, headed for Emirates exit

LONDON, Nov 22 - William Gallas is likely to have played his last game for Arsenal after he was stripped of the club captaincy and dropped from the squad to...

Weekend EPL matchups

SATURDAY CHELSEA v NEWCASTLE (11pm) CHELSEA have a doubt over Frank Lampard, who withdrew from England's squad for the friendly with Germany on Wednesday because of a rib injury, for...

Financial meltdown hits the Premier League

LONDON, Nov 22 - As the Arabs rode into Manchester City in the summer and sanctioned the £34.2 million purchase of Robinho, while John Terry signed a record-breaking £35 million...

Man City launch RM275m bid for Buffon

LONDON, Nov 22 - Manchester City's wealthy Arab owners have launched a world-record £50 million (RM275m) bid to sign Gianluigi Buffon, widely regarded as the best goalkeeper on the planet....

O'Neill calls on Agbonlahor to kick on against United

MANCHESTER, Nov 22- Just as Aston Villa seek to follow up victory over Arsenal by establishing their top-four credibility against Manchester United today, Martin O'Neill has urged Gabriel Agbonlahor to...

2010 World Cup organisers concerned about meltdown

JOHANNESBURG, Nov 22 — South African organisers of the 2010 World Cup expressed concern yesterday about the effect the global financial crisis will have on the tournament, which is already...

LONDON, Nov 21 - Ending 13 years of frustration against Manchester United suddenly doesn’t seem so daunting for Aston Villa after winning at Arsenal for the first time since 1993....

PARIS, Nov 21 - Arsenal captain William Gallas has called for the team’s coveted young stars to toughen up and accept that having the stomach for a fight is just...

ROME, Nov 21 - Rival coaches Jose Mourinho and Claudio Ranieri will meet for the first time when Serie A leader Inter Milan hosts resurgent Juventus this weekend. Besides the...

Barcelona’s success hurts for Real

MADRID, Nov 21 - Barcelona’s best-ever league start isn’t helping under-pressure Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster. Barcelona has won nine straight to sit five points ahead of its classic rival,...

Myanmar court hands comedian 45-year prison term

YANGON, Nov 22 — Myanmar's courts continued a crackdown on activists yesterday, handing out a 45-year prison sentence to a comedian who went to the delta to help cyclone victims...

Congo refugees suffer shooting, rape, looting

KIBATI, Congo, Nov 22 — Looting soldiers tried to rape one woman and fatally shot another at a refugee camp, witnesses said yesterday, as the United Nations prepared to send...

Islamists say they’ll fight Somali pirates

MOGADISHU, Nov 22 — A radical Islamic group in Somalia said yesterday it will fight the pirates holding a Saudi supertanker loaded with US$100 million (RM360 million) worth of crude...

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 17 - Somali pirates have collected more than $150 million (RM525 million) in ransoms over the past year, Kenya's foreign affairs minister said today, calling on ship...

WASHINGTON, Nov 21 - The CIA withheld information from the White House, Justice Department and Congress about the 2001 shooting down of a plane over Peru carrying an American missionary...

BEIJING, Nov 21 — China acknowledged today for the first time that more than 19,000 schoolchildren were among the dead in the massive earthquake that struck Sichuan province in May....

WASHINGTON, Nov 21 — Attorney-General Michael Mukasey, the no-nonsense ally in President Bush's war on terror, was hospitalised yesterday after he collapsed during a late-night speech and lost consciousness. "Oh,...

Obama all set to nominate Hillary, says aide

WASHINGTON, Nov 21 - President-elect Barack Obama is on track to nominate Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state as early as next week, an aide to his transition said...

What climate change? Meltdown trumps fears at Apec

LIMA, Nov 21 - Countries on both sides of the Pacific have reason to be very afraid of climate change. Rising sea levels could swamp coastal farms, higher temperatures wipe...

Sun sets on US power: Report predicts end of dominance

WASHINGTON, Nov 21 - The United States' leading intelligence organisation has warned that the world is entering an increasingly unstable and unpredictable period in which the advance of western-style democracy...

A strong middle class is key to a united country

NOV 20 — While everyone from the taxi driver to the corporate CEO often talks about race and religion, Malaysians in general don't often discuss economic class. Perhaps it's a...

Cabaran terbesar generasi kita

NOV 20 — Mohamed Nasheed umpama Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim atau Nelson Mandela bagi Maldives. Beliau pernah dipenjarakan sebanyak 23 kali, diseksa dan ditahan berseorangan selama 18 bulan oleh Kerajaan...

DAP's Personality Disorder

NOV 19 - From being Umno lackeys and yes-men to condoning abuses of power and corruption, we already know the inability of Gerakan leaders to move Penang forward. That is...

Cabaran yang belum tersahut

By Fahmi Fadzil Nov 19 – Tiga senario mutakhir yang bagi saya mencerminkan perjalanan auh yang masih harus kita tempuhi sebagai satu Keluarga Besar Malaysia untuk menzahirkan Bangsa Malaysia. Pertama....

The race for polarisation

By Muaz Omar Nov 19 - Recent developments, both local and international have heightened the debate on the role of race in politics. The election of Barack Obama as the...

Freedom to err and to learn

NOV 18 — Failure is simply part of life. A world without failure is a fanciful dream incapable of withstanding reality. No matter how much failure hurts, it teaches us...

Bomoh economics

NOV 17 — Economics is such a funny subject. According to economics theory, there is a "hidden hand" in the market and if you leave the market alone, it will...

NOV 15 — Wanted: Attorney-General with ability to marshal strong prosecution team and achieve some degree of success in high-profile cases. Caveat: present holder of the position need not apply....

Inconsistency will lead to Gunners’ and Devils’ undoing

NOV 15 — You would have read that Arsenal are back in the race for the English Premiership title following last week’s outstanding performance against defending champions Manchester United. Many...

Permission to speak, sir?

NOV 14 — The Malaysian authorities have done it again. A year ago, they took it upon themselves to violently disperse Malaysians calling for free and fair elections; earlier this...

Kanye West’s new album to debut on MySpace Music

NEW YORK, Nov 22 — Add Kanye West to the list of artists previewing their new CDs on MySpace Music. The 31-year-old rapper's "808s & Heartbreak" doesn't come out until...

Paul Newman’s will includes wife, foundation

NEW YORK, Nov 22 — Paul Newman has left his assets to his wife, the Oscars to his foundation and the race cars to the highest bidder. A will made...

NEW YORK, Nov 21 - The last time they shared a Lincoln Center stage, violinist Gil Shaham wielded the big smiles as Gustavo Dudamel made his conducting debut with the...

LONDON, Nov 21 — Michael Jackson has become a Muslim — and changed his name to Mikaeel. The skint superstar, 50, donned Islamic garb to pledge allegiance to the Quran...

NEW YORK, Nov 21 — Movies are increasingly creeping online, as video sites like YouTube and Hulu are adding feature films to their extensive libraries. At the Google-owned YouTube, there...

LONDON, Nov 21 — A judge will likely grant Madonna and Guy Ritchie an initial divorce decree today, according to the schedule for London’s High Court. The court lists “Ciccone...

NEW YORK, Nov 21 — Britney Spears is craving more freedom — and less of the "control" that's stabilised her personal life and reinvigorated her career over the last several...

LOS ANGELES, Nov 21 — Jennifer Garner has won a restraining order from a man she says has been stalking her for years. An attorney for Garner appeared in a...

GOMA, Nov 21 — Ben Affleck is talking to children and aid officials in refugee camps in war-torn eastern Congo in an effort to raise awareness of the conflict that...