Compiled by C. ARUNO, JUNAID IBRAHIM and R. ARAVINTHAN

       FORMER lecturer Thirugnana Sambanthan Muthusamy has made history in MIC by winning the Larut division chief post uncontested for the first time in 30 years, reported Makkal Osai.

       The division with 10 branches in Perak is used to seeing fierce competition in the party elections.

       This year however, the longtime party member and leader was declared the winner after no other candidate filed in their nomination papers.

       > A Hyderabad tea shop’s 1,000 rupee (RM55) coffee is shocking for being so expensive, but ironically, it is popular among residents, Makkal Osai reported.

       The Nilofar Tea Shop which recently opened a new branch at the upscale Panchara Hills, introduced the special tea made from Assam’s Golden Tips Black Tea leaves.

       The shop owner said he bought the rare tea leaves at an auction for 75,000 rupees (RM4,150) per kilo.

       The sales strategy has proven successful with many people turning up to give the tea a try and giving it the thumbs up.

       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.