Compiled by IYLIA MARSYA ISKANDAR, C. ARUNO and R. ARAVINTHAN

       A WOMAN poisoned her two young children, one of whom ended up dead, so that she could be with another man, Makkal Osai reported.

       The tragic story began when the woman, identified only as Karthika, met a man at a temple festival in Tamil Nadu and fell in love with him.

       However, the man distanced himself from her when he found out she was married and had two children, aged four and 18 months.

       Thinking she could win him back and leave her husband if she could get rid of her children, Karthika poisoned their food.

       The children fell ill and were admitted to the hospital and the younger one died later.

       When suspicion fell on her during the subsequent investigation, the woman admitted to poisoning the children and pretended to care when one of them died.

       She admitted to wanting to get rid of the children so she could be with the other man but her plan failed when the elder daughter survived.

       When the woman was brought to court to be charged, she only pleaded to be allowed to be with her lover.

       The man was cleared of any involvement in the tragic incident.

       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.