The highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of bird flu has spread to northern Malaysia, authorities said today, after several dead chickens were found infected in a poultry-rearing village.

ONE of the largest earthquakes yet to strike the planet sent huge tidal waves tearing into countries across Asia.

AT least 42 people, including foreign tourists, were killed yesterday after being swept away by tidal waves on a Malaysian resort island and in other areas, government officials and police said.

A British company, which is among a handful in the world promoting affordable space tourism, has offered to turn a northern Malaysian state into Asia’s first space travel hub.