Cork is a useful material for making a number of things — wine bottles, furniture, and cork boards, to name a few–but airplane parts? A group of Portuguese cork producers recently launched the Aerocork project, which is investigating the feasibility of replacing plastic PVC with cork in the fuselage, wings, and flaps of light aircraft. The cork-based parts could be coated in carbon fiber sheets to create a lightweight, fire-retardant material.

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Cumulonimbus clouds observed 25°C

Humidity:

94%

Wind Speed:

2 KMH

Wind Direction:

N (010°)

Barometer:

1011 mb

Dewpoint:

24°C

Heat Index:

26°C

Wind Chill:

25°C

Visibility:

8 km

Economy Fan Ensuite. Excluding breakfast. Hotel ChinaTown Inn, with 4 different room types, is a highly rated budget hotel ideally located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown. This 2-star hotel offers cost-conscious travellers international standard accommodation and services at affordable prices. At the Hotel Inn, you are surrounded by an open air shopping paradise with a myriad of side-walk eateries and shop corners. Hotel ChinaTown Inn offers attractively furnished rooms which are fairly roomy and quiet with air-conditioning, carpet flooring and an attached bathroom. The Hotel is highly recommended in the Lonely Planet Travel Guide Book (Issue 2001) for "Far better value, and thoroughly recommended, with spotless hotel-quality rooms.

MELAKA: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said he has made a specific offer to Tan Sri Hassan Merican to serve the government and country after he is no longer helming Petronas. The national oil corporation's president and chief executive officer whose contract ends on Feb 9, however, needed time to consider it as he wanted to rest and settle some personal matter, the prime minister said. Speaking to reporters after a walkabout during his one-day visit here, Najib said: "I had a discussion with him about what he can contribute to the government and country." Replying to a question what was the post offered to Hassan, he said: "Let's wait. The discussion is ongoing." Yesterday, former MISC President and Chief Executive Officer Datuk Shamsul Azhar Abbas was named Hassan's successor at Petronas effective Feb 10. Hassan began his career with Petronas in 1989 as Senior Vice President, Finance, before being appointed President and Chief Executive Officer in 1995 and later also assumed the position of Acting Chairman in 2004. - BERNAMA

TELEKOM Malaysia Bhd (TM) plans to boost the broadband penetration rate in Sarawak from the current 17 per cent to more than 20 per cent by year-end. TM Sarawak general manager, Omar Zaki Mustafa, said the TM would push to increase the broadband penetration of households in Sarawak. "We will focus on our Streamyx services by offering many special packages to get new customers," he told reporters in Kuching today. Omar said this when asked to comment on TM's role in meeting Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission's (MCMC)s target of achieving a 50 per cent broadband penetration in the state by year-end. Currently, the broadband penetration rate in Sarawak is 19.3 per cent. Earlier, Omar officiated at the opening of TM's SME Biz Net Seminar 2010. About 200 customers attended the seminar, which is part of the nationwide programme for its small and medium enterprise customers. The seminar aims to create awareness among its customers on the latest products, services and technology. Meanwhile, Omar said TM would also push to provide free round-the-clock WiFi connection in the state. He said currently there were only a few WiFi hotsposts in the state such as in Kuching and Miri. "TM will increase the number of WiFi hotsports in the state by 1,000 before year-end. By then, more people are getting mobility," he said. Beside that, Omar said, TM was collaborating with MCMC to set up 18 community broadband centres (CBCs) in rural areas under MCMC's Universal Service Provision programme. "We have completed nine, including in Kota Samarahan, Julau, Dalat and Simunjan. We will complete the other nine by year-end," he said. - BERNAMA

HO HUP Construction Bhd's extraordinary general meeting (EGM) scheduled this morning was cancelled following the Kuala Lumpur High court injunction to stop the meeting. The injunction was sought by substantial shareholder Extreme System Sdn Bhd, which had won a court order late yesterday. The EGM was called by Datuk Low Tuck Choy, who acts for Low Chee and Sons and another shareholder with the intention to remove the present board of directors comprising Datuk Vincent Lye Ek Seang, Lim Ching Choy, Datuk Liew Lee Leong, Lai Moo Chan, Long Md Nor Amran Long Ibrahim, Mohd Shahril Hamzah and Foo Ton Hin. Low is one of the directors of Low Chee and Sons, which owns a direct 23 per cent interest in Ho Hup. The only board member whom the conveners planned to retain was Low Teik Kien, Ho Hup said in a statement today. It seeks to vote in Magna Prima Bhd's former chairman Tan Sri Kamaruzzaman Shariff, Hew Thin Choy, Yusob Md Nasir, D. Felix Dorairaj, Slamat Hamzah and Chow Seck Kai. The lawyers for Extreme System, William Leong and Co, turned up at the meeting shortly before 10am to serve the restraining order. An oral application for a stay of the restraining order by counsel Rabindra Nathan, who represented shareholders Low, Chan Bee Ling, Low Lai Yong, APT Revenue Sdn Bhd and Tung Yin Peng, was dismissed with costs. Extreme System was represented by counsel S. Suhendran. - BERNAMA

Rain with thunder 25°C

Humidity:

88%

Wind Speed:

19 KMH

Wind Direction:

N (350°)

Barometer:

1009 mb

Dewpoint:

23°C

Heat Index:

26°C

Wind Chill:

25°C

Visibility:

5 km

PUSPAKOM Sdn Bhd is offering free inspections for privately owned vehicles nationwide from Feb 8 to Feb 13, 2010. The promotion is held in conjunction with the coming Chinese New Year and involves an eight-point inspection, Puspakom said in a statement today. The inspection covers vehicle identity check, above carriage check, smoke emission test, brake test, suspension test, side slip test, speedometer test, and undercarriage check. Those with enquiries on the promotion and the Puspakom branches involved can call the toll-free line at 1-800-88-6927. - BERNAMA

VW Cars Sdn Bhd recently filed a civil action against Volkswagen Group Malaysia Sdn Bhd (VGM), arising from the contractual dispute between the two companies. VW Cars, in a statement today, said it was claiming for a substantial amount of damages from VGM, based on its cause of action which was contained in the relevant court documents filed in court. This civil action was filed in the High Court of Malaya at Kuala Lumpur and the court documents have since been served on VGM. Volkswagen dealerships operated by VW Cars at The Curve, Mutiara Damansara, and Jalan 219 (off Federal Highway), Petaling Jaya, ceased operations since November 2009. VGM last month appointed Cergaz Autohaus Sdn Bhd as the authorized dealer for volkswagen cars in Malaysia. Cergas Autohaus operates a 3S (Sales, Service and Spare parts) dealership in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur. - BERNAMA

MINORITY Shareholder Watch Group (MSWG) chief executive officer Rita Benoy Bushon said the board that comes in after the Petra Perdana Bhd extraordinary general meeting (EGM) must ensure the necessary corporate governance structure be put in place. "They should put in place the necessary structure. Anything in terms of good practices. A proper corporate governance should be put in place," she told reporters on the sidelines of the EGM in Kuala Lumpur today. Rita said the position of executive chairman and chief executive officer should be separated to ensure check and balance. "The management has brought up issues that have some valid reasons. But we will never know what really occurred. Let the shareholders decide," she said. The counting of ballots is on going and the meeting is expected to resume at 5.30pm. - BERNAMA