The Malaysian Insider

SINGAPORE, Feb 10 — At 9am yesterday, just as Singaporeans digested the news of Lighthouse Evangelism’s founder and Senior Pastor Rony Tan publicly apologising for his “offensive” and “insensitive” comments about Buddhists and Taoists, the pastor turned up at the Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery.

Arriving alone, he wanted to extend, in person, his “sincere” apologies to representatives from the Buddhist and Taoist faiths.

Tan, who was dressed in a long-sleeved shirt and trousers, met Singapore Buddhist Federation president Venerable Kwang Sheng and Taoist Federation chairman Tan Thiam Lye at the monastery, also known as Bright Hill Temple.

TEHRAN, Feb 9 — With their paths through the Internet increasingly blocked by government filters, Nooshin and her fellow Iranian opposition-supporters say their information on planned protests now comes in emails.

They say they don’t know who sends them.

Internet messages have been circulating about possible rallies on Feb 11, when Iran marks the 31st anniversary of the Islamic revolution. But the climate in the Islamic Republic is much harder than before last year’s post-election protests.

RIYADH, Feb 9 — A Saudi appeals court has upheld a sentence of five years in jail and 1,000 lashes for a Saudi man who bragged about his sexual exploits on television, newspapers reported today.

The court in Jeddah also confirmed a five-year travel ban for airline employee Mazen Abdul-Jawad, and sentences of two years plus 300 lashes for three friends who also appeared on the show, aired by Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation (LBC)

Officials at the court could not be reached for comment.

LONDON, Feb 9 — British MPs were due to vote today on a proposal by Prime Minister Gordon Brown to hold a referendum to change the way they are elected.

The referendum would take place next year, and any change to the voting system would not affect the forthcoming election which must be held by June. Brown’s Labour Party is trailing the opposition Conservatives in opinion polls.

KIEV, Feb 9 — Defeated candidate Yulia Tymoshenko “will never recognise” the victory of pro-Russian rival Viktor Yanukovich in Sunday’s Ukrainian presidential election, a local newspaper reported today.

Official results gave ex-mechanic Yanukovich a three-point margin of victory over Orange Revolution co-leader and Prime Minister Tymoshenko. International monitors said the election was fair but the premier has so far refused to concede.