IPOH - TWO Malaysian political activists have been arrested ahead of a parliamentary showdown between the government and the opposition over control of a northern state, officials said on Wednesday.

The Barisan Nasional coalition has deployed tight security in Ipoh, the state capital of Perak, to avert planned protests over its attempts to seize control of the state assembly which has been in limbo since February.

BANGKOK - THAILAND'S cabinet on Wednesday endorsed plans to borrow 800 billion baht (S$32.4 billion) to fund second a stimulus package of 1.4 trillion baht over the next three years, the finance minister said.

KUALA LUMPUR - A BRITISH man has been found dead, with his hands and feet bound, in a hotel room in the Malaysian capital, state media reported on Wednesday.