Compiled by CHAN MAY THENG, C. ARUNO and R. ARAVINTHAN

       A 73-YEAR-OLD woman was arrested with 1kg of methamphetamine and 450g of heroin in Taiping, Malaysia Nanban reported.

       The arrest followed a week-long anti-drug operation, said Perak police chief Comm Datuk Mior Faridalathrash Wahid.

       A total of 241 people were arrested in fishing villages and other drug hotspots for drug trafficking and possession, during the operation.

       The Indian woman who was not named has no criminal record and she also tested negative for drug use.

       The drugs in her possession were worth around RM115,750.

       Meanwhile, a 32-year-old Indian man was arrested in Ipoh for possession of 3,188g of heroin in the same operation. He tested positive for illegal substance use and has a criminal record.

       > An elderly woman in Tamil Nadu was slashed to death by a crazed man who blamed her for using black magic on him, Makkal Osai reported.

       S. Kannaian, 38, who is in the military, was reportedly having marriage troubles and his wife left him recently.

       He apparently blamed Muthammal, 68, from the same village for the failure of his marriage, claiming she had put a curse on them.

       The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.