Malaysia's prime minister won the backing of his party today despite leading it to historic electoral losses.

Malaysia’s prime minister declared today he does not intend to quit despite unprecedented electoral losses that gave the opposition control of five states and one-third of the Parliament.

Malaysia’s ruling coalition suffered its biggest yet electoral upset, losing control of four state governments and failing to win a two-thirds majority in parliament, in a protest vote against racial discrimination, crime and corruption.

Malaysians will vote on March 8 in the next general election, which is expected to return the ruling coalition to power despite widespread public anger over inflation, crime and racial discord.

Malaysia’s prime minister dissolved Parliament today, paving the way for general elections that will test his declining popularity amid complaints about inflation, crime and ethnic tensions.

Malaysia’s leader said claims made to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown that his government pursued ethnic cleansing policies were lies designed to divide the races in the Muslim-majority country.

Malaysia’s first astronaut, a Muslim, has vowed to keep praying and fasting in space.

The Asian Football Confederation are optimistic a compromise can be reached in their ongoing dispute with Manchester United.

The Malaysian leg of Manchester United’s tour of Asia will go ahead as planned according to the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) despite the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) request that it be cancelled.

MORE than 110,000 Malaysians have been forced to flee their homes as floods worsen in the south and on Borneo island, officials said, as relief workers struggled to feed and shelter victims.

Authorities found more than 70 more bodies in flood-ravaged villages in western Indonesia today, officials said.

Malaysia’s former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, the architect of the country’s modernisation, has been taken to hospital after suffering a heart attack.

EXACTLY what part of ‘I’m deeply sorry’ militant Muslims do not understand is difficult to grasp.

Pope Benedict XVI’s expression of regret following his remarks on Islam and violence is acceptable, but the pontiff should avoid making future comments that could offend Muslims, Malaysia’s prime minister has said.

The Islamic world’s biggest bloc today demanded that the United Nations implement an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon and investigate what it called flagrant human rights violations by Israel.

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today accused a local newspaper and foreign publications of being insensitive for reprinting Danish caricatures of Prophet Mohammed.

An editor of a small Malaysian newspaper has resigned for reprinting Danish newspaper caricatures of Prophet Muhammad, which have unleashed a storm of protests across the Islamic world.

Workplaces were closed in two regions under a state of emergency, as Malaysia’s leader called on mosques to hold special Friday prayers for rain to rid the country of hazardous haze from Indonesian forest fires.

Asian leaders expressed shock and dismay today over the bomb attacks in London that killed dozens of people as the world’s most powerful leaders met at the G8 summit in Scotland. From China to Malaysia to Australia, leaders urged greater cooperation in fighting terrorism.

Malaysia and Australia will launch negotiations on a free trade agreement, their prime ministers announced.

Authorities in Indonesia have discovered 4,000 new bodies, bringing the death toll from the tsunami in Asia and Africa to nearly 150,000, while UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan toured Sumatra island to witness the devastation and the massive relief effort.

Ballot boxes poured into centres today for a count of the troubled presidential election in Afghanistan, where organisers hope an independent panel’s probe into the balloting will end an opposition boycott that threatens the country’s chances for peace.

A PRINCE who is heir to the fabulous fortune of the oil-rich sultanate of Brunei married a 17-year-old half-Swiss commoner yesterday in Asia’s wedding of the year, attended by royalty and dignitaries from around the world.

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today urged the Britain and the US to take swift and stern measures to prevent any of their soldiers from abusing Iraqi prisoners.

Incumbent Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was sworn in today as Malaysia’s fifth prime minister, a day after scoring a landslide election victory that handed the fundamentalist Islamic opposition its worst defeat in more than a decade.

Malaysia’s prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi won a landslide victory yesterday after voters resoundingly rejected the fundamentalist Islamic opposition and handed the secular leader a mandate for cleaner government.

Malaysia’s Prime Minister was expected to retain power easily as voting began today in an election that will also decide how strong the fundamentalist Islamic opposition will be in the mostly Muslim country.

Malaysia’s new prime minister today called early national elections that will pit his secular government against a fundamentalist Islamic opposition.

Malaysia will not permit the United States to conduct air strikes and covert attacks against any terrorists, government leaders have said.

An American militant accused of conspiring to help the al-Qaida terror network has been arrested in Malaysia.

Malaysia’s highest court today rejected former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim’s appeal against his conviction and six-year prison term for corruption.