Come Rain or Shine...

HEAVY FLOODING from monsoon rains in Malaysia kept more than 11,000 students out of classes yesterday as La Nina, a cold-weather system related to the El Nino phenomenon, tightened its grip on the country.

The forced closures meant an extended holiday break for students and teachers of some 43 schools, mostly near the worst-hit town of Pekan, in Pahang state, 450km (280 miles) east of Kuala Lumpur.