KUALA LUMPUR: The 9,101 Malaysian students in Egypt are safe and are not involved in the turmoil in that country. A spokesman at the Malaysian embassy in Cairo said all the students were now having their semester examination and staying near their universities. “At the moment, the situation in Egypt is under control and so far, there has been no report of any untoward incident happening to any Malaysian student in Egypt,” he said. He said the embassy would inform about the latest developments from time to time and take safety measures if the political turbulence continued.
Royal pardon for prisoner
BANGKOK: A Thai man who was serving a 13-year term for posting online content deemed offensive to the kingdom’s monarchy said yesterday he had been given a royal pardon and released from prison. Thantawut Thaweewarodomkul, a former administrator of the Nor Por Chor USA website, which has links to the “Red Shirt” protest movement, was convicted under controversial lese majeste and computer crime laws. The royal family is a highly sensitive subject in politically turbulent Thailand.
Seoul N-reactor shuts down
SEOUL: A South Korean nuclear reactor shut down yesterday after a technical malfunction, operators said, at a time when the government is already warning of serious power shortages because multiple reactors are offline. The state-run Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power said an investigation was underway to confirm the precise cause but added there was no immediate safety threat. The incident occurred at the Hanwool Nuclear Power Plant in Uljin County on South Korea’s eastern coast.
Bloggers call for clarity
SINGAPORE: A group of bloggers campaigning to repeal recent licensing regulations for online news sites called for more clarity and wider consultation yesterday, pointing to remarks made by a senior civil servant that an aspect of the legislation was being re-looked. Ministry of Communications and Information Permanent Secretary Aubeck Kam had said on Thursday at a forum that sites will not be automatically liable for content posted by other parties and which contravene government regulations. Such regulations prohibit content that infringes on public decency and public harmony.
334-crash scam driver arrested
BEIJING: A man who crashed a car on average every three days for almost three years in a Chinese insurance scam has been arrested, media reported yesterday. The 42-year-old made 334 insurance claims in the southern city of Shenzhen between 2010 and May this year. He drove up behind other cars during rush hour, bumping into them slowly to avoid being injured and then bribed mechanics to overestimate the damage and claimed for the inflated invoices, which totalled 357,000 yuan ($58,000). He covered his vehicles with stickers to hide previous damage.
Agencies
