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Washington yesterday hailed Malaysia’s promotion of religious moderation, pledging its “whole-hearted” endorsement of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s call for a Global Movement of Moderates (GMM). Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the United States stood behind Malaysia in its stand that moderates should not lose out to extremism as it was not the path to building sustainability and stability, as well as peace and democracy. “Extremism promotes only conflict and hardens hearts. “We very much welcome the prime minister’s call for a global movement of moderates and we are eager to support him and urge other leaders to take up his call to promote interfaith dialogues,” Clinton said at a joint press conference with Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman at Wisma Putra. Najib had, at the United Nations general assembly in September, called for the GMM, which aims to rally Muslim leaders and intellectuals to state their stand against extremism. Clinton sa

Women should change their mindset and aim for a higher degree of success, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, wife of the prime minister, said yesterday. “This is to ensure that women are continuing meeting the challenges at both the local and global level.” Rosmah said as the only constant in life is change, women should hold this as their mantra. “Change is no longer a choice, but a requirement in order to remain with the quickly shifting times.” She was speaking at the KWAP Leadership Series on women and leadership organised by the Retirement Fund Incorporated. She said women must be creative and do away with the norm and think out of the box. “They must seek opportunities to form strategic alliances, smart partnership and strong networking in order to strengthen their positions so that their voices will continue to be heard,” Rosmah said. She urged women not to be discouraged by the challenges they are facing along the leadership journey. “Women should remain focused and not get d

The floods in Kedah claimed the lives of two young sisters yesterday, bringing the total number of fatalities in the state to four since Monday. The situation in Perlis is still precarious with two-thirds of the state inundated by floodwaters, while in Kelantan it is easing up. To date, however, more than 33,000 victims are being housed in relief centres in the three states. The two latest victims — Siti Nadia Syukur, 13, and Sharipah, 8 — were believed to have drowned after they fell off a motorcycle, ridden by a neighbour, into an irrigation canal in Kampung Telaga Emas, Langgar in Pokok Sena about noon. The neighbour, Intan Malik, 14, also fell into the canal but she held on to a tree and was saved by villagers. The two earlier victims were identified as a 64-year-old German woman, Erna Fischer, who drowned in Kampung Kota Giam near Jitra on Monday night and schoolboy, Mohd Zaki Shaari, 13, who fell into a pond in Kampung Charok Bongor on Tuesday. Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk

The family of murdered victim Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya has filed a suit agst N. Pathmanabhan and five others claiming for damages amounting to RM60 million over her wrongful death. The suit was filed at the Shah Alam High Court registry through Messrs Kamarudin & Partners at 8.45am today. Sosilawati's children Erni Dekritawati Yuliana, Erwan Suwari Rizuwan, Md Erwan Nasri, Erni Erinawati Sofia, Erni Rineelawati and Siti Nur Fatimah named N. Pathmanabhan, R.Kathavarayan, R.Matan, T. Thilaiyalagan, K. Sarawanan, and U. Suresh as respondents. The respondents were charged over her murder. Pathmanabhan and his farm hands Kathavarayan, Matan and Thilaiyalagan were charged with murdering the cosmetic queen while Sarawanan and Suresh were charged with disposing of evidence. The two were sentenced to seven years jail for the offence. The plaintiffs are claiming for RM20 million in general damages and RM40 million in exemplary damages. Read more: Sosilawati's family file R

The victim who lost both his legs in the Genting Sempah bus crash said the bus was in a bad condition from the start. Adip Ramli, 20, said the bus could hardly move at certain stretches. “When we passed Grik, we felt the bus might break down anytime. We heard all sorts of noises,” he said at Kuala Lumpur Hospital yesterday. He was saddened with the irresponsible attitude of the bus company. “First, they hire a bus driver with no licence and then they give us an old bus,” he said. He also hoped stern action would be taken against the bus company and the driver. During the accident, he said he heard all his seven friends who died screaming. The first-year architecture student hopes to pursue his studies to keep his mind occupied. His mother, Zainab Abdullah, 56, was in tears when she said she will look after her son. The housewife has nine children and Adip is the seventh. Next to his bed was the driver of the bus which crashed on Oct 29. Nurses at the unit said the driver had gone int

Baling Umno division chief Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim bertanya asking Dr Fadlina Mohtar (right) about the condition of accident victim Mohd Adid Ramli ’s amputated legs at Kuala Lumpur Hospital yesterday. Adid’s legs were amputated from the knee onward. The driver of the bus that crashed at a Genting slip road on Friday apologised unreservedly to the victims and their families for causing so much grief. "I am so sorry and I wish I could undo what had happened," the 36-year-old said from his hospital bed in Hospital Kuala Lumpur, yesterday. Speaking to reporters with his 35-year-old wife by his side, the driver looked remorseful and became teary when relating the incident. He said he had been a driver for the last five years despite having no driving licence. He said he was blacklisted by the Road Transport Department (RTD) about 10 years ago for owning a lesen terbang (illegally obtained licence). Desperation drove the father of three to continue driving, despite his