A court in Malaysia rejected former prime minister Najib Razak’s request to serve the remainder of his sentence for corruption at home, arguing that a royal document authorizing the move was invalid because it was not made in accordance with the law.
Najib, who has been incarcerated since August 2022 for his involvement in the multi-billion dollar 1MDB scandal, received yet another blow from the court’s decision on Monday.
Najib has urged Malaysian authorities to ratify and carry out a royal order that, according to him, was issued last year as part of a pardon granted to the then-king, allowing him to spend the rest of his sentence in his own home.
The former king should have consulted the country’s pardons board before granting the order, according to Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Alice Loke, who on Monday stated that the order’s existence was uncontested.
The court’s decision to deny him house arrest comes just as Najib’s biggest trial of the 1MDB scandal is scheduled to begin its proceedings on Friday.
Najib has refuted every charge brought against him.
Following his mother Victoria’s liking of a post about him roasting a chicken, Brooklyn Beckham is said to have blocked his family on social media. This is the latest remark in the ongoing family feud.
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Brooklyn Beckham is pictured with wife Nicola Peltz, who is an actress(Image: Getty Images for Vogue)
Brooklyn Beckham and wife Nicola Peltz have reportedly asked David and Victoria to “back off” in the ongoing family feud.
It is understood they have made thr request in the hope it’ll bring them peace during the Christmas period, following a difficult 2025. The latest swipe in the saga came over the weekend when Brooklyn, 26, blocked his family on social media after mum Victoria liked a post about him roasting a chicken.
But it is believed Brooklyn and Nicola are “upset” about the reaction to this, including from his youngest brother Cruz, and now want David and Victoria “to leave them alone” during the holiday season. It is unclear how each of the family is spending Christmas Day this year.
The Beckhams could simply back off and leave them alone for the time being, according to a friend of theirs. Nicola and Brooklyn haven’t been commenting. They merely desire tranquility. It would be best for everyone because it doesn’t help them [the Beckhams] to stop contacting, commenting, and briefing.
They have requested that Beckhams withdraw. They simply want to be themselves. The speculation makes them angry. They are attempting to take the dangerous path of living simply by themselves.
READ MORE: Brooklyn Beckham feud with family in full as brother claims they’ve been blockedREAD MORE: Beckhams in agonising split as Cruz says Brooklyn has blocked the whole family
Since Brooklyn first met Nicola, 30, an American aspiring actress and Nelson Peltz’s daughter, there has been trouble in the Beckhams’ home. Nicola accepted Brooklyn’s marriage proposal, but she was offended when Victoria promised to design her wedding dress before, according to reports, the project was put on hold.
Dim hopes of a reconciliation in the summer faded quickly, and now the situation has taken another bleak turn. The latest row over the Instagram stand-off has caused significant concern among Nicola and Brooklyn’s friends, according to the Daily Mail.
READ MORE: Brooklyn Beckham panned by fans after getting classic British recipe wrong
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And sources close to David and Victoria told The Sun that the distance was “taking its toll”. The insider said: “His absence has really taken a toll on the special days – the knighthood – and now Christmas.
“Over their Christmas and New Year’s, it seems like Brooklyn has a ghost hanging.” They were together last year. The door is always open, and he’s always welcome, is what they’re communicating.
After Brahim Diaz and substitute Ayoub El Kaabi scored the hosts of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) opener, Morocco overcame a nervey start to defeat the Comoros 2-0 on Sunday.
Morocco, who are 97 places above the tiny island nation of the Indian Ocean in the world rankings, worked hard for the points in the rain at Rabat’s Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.
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Morocco squandered an early penalty and were goalless at halftime despite having the majority of possession. They eventually broke the deadlock in the 55th minute when Noussair Mazraoui skillfully kept the ball in play before passing it square to Diaz for side-footing home.
Ten minutes after El Kaabi’s debut as a substitute, the 74th minute saw the end of a trademark bicycle kick goal.
Morocco initially appeared to be struggling, but the tiny Comoros comfortably held them to a bay before the hosts’ superior firepower ensured victory.
After Iyad Mohamed awarded a soft penalty for a challenge on Diaz, the hosts could have been ahead as early as the eleventh minute. However, Soufiane Rahimi hit the spot kick straight down the middle, causing the ball to fall to safety after hitting goalkeeper Yannick Pandor’s knee.
However, they eventually overcame the opposition, as Diaz’s continued probing earned him honorable honors and El Kaabi’s goal kept a respectable score.
In the final moments as Diaz’s teammates began to tire, Pandor and his team made several other strong stops to keep the score at a close. Comoros did have a chance to equalize four minutes later, but Rafiki Said’s shot straight at Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou in their opening chance of the match was wasted.
In the 74th minute, Ayoub El Kaabi scores Morocco’s second goal.
Opening the “Difficult” game is challenging.
Walid Regragui, a coach for Morocco, said: “The opening game is always challenging, but we did well in the second half.”
Morocco’s winning streak is the longest in a national team history, reaching 19 victories in a row. They overcame Spain’s previous best of 15 set in 2008-2009 in October.
However, Romain Saiss, the captain’s captain, limped off after 18 minutes, leaving the field in tears. He had ankle surgery for the first half of the year, but he only returned to the national team last month after a year’s absence.
On Monday, December 22, 2018, this is how things are going.
Fighting
According to Governor Oleh Syniehubov, a 49-year-old man and a 42-year-old woman were killed in a Russian attack in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine. In the Izyum village, killings took place.
According to local officials, one person was killed in the Donetsk region of Ukraine and one more was killed in the southeast of Zaporizhia region.
According to Governor Ivan Fedorov, Russian forces have shelled the Zaporizhia region nearly 5, 000 times in the past week, causing injuries to 60 people and destroying hundreds of buildings.
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Russian forces have launched nine missiles and nearly 1,300 drones into Ukraine overall over the past week.
Dmytro Lubinets, the country’s ambassador to Ukraine, claimed that the Russian forces “forcibly” deported about 50 people from the Sumy region’s village of Hrabovske and “illegally” detained them.
A pipeline in the Krasnodar Krai region was reportedly damaged by debris from a Ukrainian drone attack on Russia, according to The Kyiv Independent, citing Ukrainian authorities.
29 Ukrainian drones were shot down by Russia’s Ministry of Defense, according to the Ministry of Defense’s statement.
According to the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), Russian forces used the “Donbass Dome electronic warfare system” to shoot down 252 drones over the Russian-occupied Donbas region over the past week, according to the TASS news agency.
diplomacy and politics
As the US continued to hold talks in Miami, Florida on a potential peace deal for Russia’s war on Ukraine for a third day on Sunday, US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with senior official Rustem Umerov and European officials.
In a post on X late on Sunday, Witkoff claimed that the discussions with Ukrainians and Europeans had been “productive and constructive” and that Ukraine, the United States, and Europe had a “shared strategic approach.”
In a second post, Witkoff claimed that over the past two days, the US had also had “productive and constructive meetings” with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
According to Witkoff, “Russia continues to be fully committed to bringing peace to Ukraine” and “highly values the efforts and support of the United States to end the Ukrainian conflict and restore world peace.”
Yury Ushakov, the head of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy team, claimed earlier that the changes made by the US’s proposals to end the Russian war had had no impact on peace prospects.
According to Russian news sources, Ushakov was quoted as saying, “I am certain that the proposals that the Europeans and Ukrainians have made or are trying to make do not undoubtedly improve the document and do not improve the chances of long-term peace.”
After Emmanuel Macron said that Europe should reach out to Moscow, Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, said the Russian president was open to speaking with him.
The Russian statement, Macron’s office said, “It is welcome that the Kremlin has publicly accepted this approach. In the upcoming days, we’ll make a decision regarding the best course of action.
202 Indian nationals are alleged to have been recruited into the Russian armed forces during Russia’s conflict with Ukraine, according to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. According to the statement, Russian authorities had reported 26 murders and seven missing deaths.
After engine problems, Swedish authorities boarded a Russian freighter in Swedish waters on Friday to inspect the cargo, according to the Swedish customs service. According to Martin Hoglund, a customs authority spokesman, the owners of the ship, the Adler, are on the list of countries” potential sanctions.
We boarded the ship with the assistance of the Swedish Coast Guard and the police service to conduct a customs inspection shortly after 16:00 last night, Hoglund said. The inspection is still ongoing, it seems.
Dion Dublin, a pundit for Match of the Day, analyzes Manchester United’s performance against Aston Villa, and Wayne Rooney discusses Morgan Rogers’ potential as a World Cup “man of the moment.”
Watch more as stunning Rogers double seals Villa’s victory over Man Utd.
The US chat show host Jim Kimmel praised a “really great year” in his recording of Channel 4’s 2025 Alternative Christmas Message.
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(Image: PA)
US chat show host Jimmy Kimmel has said it has been a “great year” from “a fascism perspective” in his Christmas address.
The presenter, 58, was chosen to deliver Channel 4’s 2025 Christmas Message, an alternative to the monarch’s annual televised address on December 25. Jimmy, who was taken off air by Donald Trump earlier this year, is expected to say: “From a fascism perspective, this has been a really great year.”
The comedian was suspended indefinitely in September following comments he made on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! after the murder of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, an ally of the US President. Staff were reportedly “shocked” when the programme was yanked off air minutes before it was due to broadcast.
However, Mr. Trump’s decision caused the programmne to be immediately reinstated after Jimmy’s fans voiced their disapproval. Hollywood’s biggest stars and political figures have complained to the US administration about violating their right to free speech and the press.
READ MORE: Jimmy Kimmel’s childhood friend Cleto Escobedo’s cause of death revealed
Mikey Smith
Jimmy, who was born in Brooklyn, New York City, will continue to reflect on the recent events and share his own experiences and insights in the Christmas Day address. He was at the center of a story that shocked the US and its underlying democratic values.
A Channel 4 spokesperson said: “Donald Trump’s return to the White House and wide-ranging impact on the world has been the story of 2025 and it would be hard to think of a better person to address it than Jimmy Kimmel, who has found himself on the front line of America’s battle over free speech.”
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The channel’s annual broadcast, which first aired in 1993, aims to bring viewers a message about that year’s events. Kimmel’s address follows on from previous messages delivered by a wide range of presenters, including comedian Chris McCausland who addressed ableism last year after becoming the first blind person to win Strictly Come Dancing.
He blatantly stated, “Discrimination is never a good thing. I suppose sometimes, I suppose. Before I started comedy, I applied to be a spy for MI5 many, many years ago. Out of 3, 000 applicants, I made the final 30. The top 1% of potential spies this nation had before they decided against it. They weren’t looking for a blind spy, but I think they were. I believe that discrimination can sometimes be harmful to a country’s safety, but in general, we can do better.
