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

       THE Ashtanga Yoga Federation of Malaysia organised its first in-person yoga competition of the year in collaboration with the Yoga Mind Centre in Kedah, Malaysia Nanban reported.

       Federation president Amutha Gowravan said the event, which took place at the Sri Subramaniam Devasthanam temple in Sungai Petani, received good support from the community.

       The competition also featured a simplified category which allowed for participation of competitors without formal training, in the traditional Indian discipline.

       Barathan Kunusuraman and Elangovan Sachiya took home the overall top prizes in the men’s category while Urshita Gopi, Akilandeswari Annathurai and Sneha Gopi took home shared gold medals overall.

       > The daily also reported that a man who spent 30 years in prison for his involvement in the killing of India’s sixth prime minister has been released on bail.

       The suicide bombing targeting Rajiv Gandhi on May 21, 1991, related to the Sri Lankan civil war also took the lives of the suicide bomber and 14 others.

       AG Perarivalan had been sentenced to death for his involvement in the killing along with 25 others but a stay of execution by the Madras High Court following a long court battle resulted in his charge being commuted to life imprisonment.

       Following the latest Supreme Court order on March 9, he was released on bail from the Central Prison in Puzhal. He was met by his mother Arputhammal, who led the legal battle for his release over three decades.

       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.