OIC To Revive Ailing IINA By Year-end

The waning International Islamic News Agency (IINA), a media body of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), will be given a new breath of life by the end of the year if a plan to revive it goes well.

A study to draw up a new roadmap for a fresh plan of action for the 35-year-old body will be conducted soon and it will be fully financed by the Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank (IDB).

The decision to carry out the study was made here today at the inaugural meeting of the new Board of Directors of IINA which was established at the seventh meeting of the Islamic Conference of Information Ministers in Jeddah last September.

Seven Fatalities On 12th Day Of Ops Sikap XII

Seven more deaths were recorded in road accidents yesterday, bringing the total fatalities under Ops Sikap XII, held in conjunction with the Chinese New Year celebration, to 172.

According to Bukit Aman police, the number of deaths recorded yesterday was the lowest since the operation was launched on Feb 11. Ops Sikap XII will end on Sunday.

Five of the fatalities were motorcyclists and pillion riders while the other two were a van driver and a pedestrian.

US Has No Objection To M’sia Pursuing Nuclear Energy Programme

The United States said today that it would not oppose if Malaysia were to pursue a nuclear energy programme for peaceful purposes.

Its ambassador to Malaysia Christopher J. LaFleur said there were very clear international guidelines for such a programme.

“Many other countries do it…Malaysia wants to do it…fine, we have no objection,” he said when asked by Bernama on an earlier comment he made during a question-and-answer session at an intellectual discourse, on Iran’s nuclear programme and whether Malaysia would face any objection if it did the same.

KLCI Down 2.81 Pct Following Sell-Off In China Stocks

The local bourse fell sharply on Tuesday with the market barometer Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (KLCI) down 2.81 percent, the biggest single-day loss in two years following a sell-off in regional stocks which was triggered by sharp fall in China stocks, dealers said.

The KLCI went down as much as 52.68 points to 1,220.19 intraday, before closing 35.79 points down at 1,237.08. It opened 0.56 of a point higher at 1,273.43.

Declining stocks outweighed advancers by 1,123 to 42 on volume of 3.699 billion shares.