Vance unleashes profanity-laced two-word message for critics of his wife Usha
Vice President JD Vance is not mincing his words, telling the news outlet UnHerd during an interview that those who attack his wife Usha “can eat s—.” He declared that “anyone who attacks my wife, whether their name is Jen Psaki or Nick Fuentes, can eat s—. That’s my official policy as vice president of the United States,” according to an interview transcript. Fuentes is a controversial podcaster widely described as a White nationalist with antisemitic views, while Psaki, a President Joe Biden-era White House press secretary, hosts a show on MS NOW. VICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE DECLARES MARRIAGE TO WIFE USHA ‘IS AS STRONG AS IT’S EVER BEEN’ Fox News Digital reached out to Fuentes on X and emailed MS Now to request a comment from Psaki. In a November 2024 post on X, Fuentes wrote, “Poo-sha Vance.” He has also used an ethnic slur to refer to her. And earlier this year he wrote, “When conservatives attack Zohran Mamdani for being a foreigner, I just want them to keep the same energy with Vivek Ramaswamy and Usha Vance. Let’s be consistent.” VANCE SAYS ‘AMERICA FIRST’ MOVEMENT REJECTS ‘PURITY TESTS,’ WELCOMES CRITICAL THINKERS New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, who was born in Uganda, is a naturalized U.S. citizen, while Usha Vance and Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy were both born in the U.S. VANCE CALLS PSAKI COMMENTS ABOUT WIFE USHA ‘DISGRACEFUL’ UnHerd had asked Vance if he disavows Fuentes. “My attitude towards anybody, again, who is calling for judging people based on their ethnic heritage, whether they’re Jewish or white or anything else, it’s disgusting,” Vance replied. “We shouldn’t be doing it.” “[That said,] I think that Nick Fuentes, his influence within Donald Trump’s administration, and within a whole host of institutions on the Right, is vastly overstated — and frankly, it’s overstated by people who want to avoid having a foreign-policy conversation about America’s relationship with Israel,” Vance continued. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Psaki made controversial comments about the second lady during an appearance on a podcast, saying she wonders what’s happening in Usha Vance’s mind, adding, “Are you OK? Please … blink four times … come over here … we’ll save you.”
Sanders blasted after blocking bipartisan kids’ cancer research bill: ‘Grinch,’ ‘selfish’
A bipartisan bill to bolster research for kids’ cancer drugs was quietly killed on the Senate floor last week, the second year in a row the legislation was torpedoed. The Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act was primed to pass through a fast-track process with near unanimous support in the Senate on Wednesday, save for one lawmaker who sought to amend the bill: Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. “What’s happened right here in front of us? The Grinch is stealing kids’ lives, and they’re stealing hope from the families, hope from the families that might have an opportunity just to try for a political agenda,” said Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., who brought the bill to the floor. SEN MURPHY WARNS ‘PEOPLE ARE GOING TO DIE’ AS CONGRESS PUNTS ON EXPIRING OBAMACARE SUBSIDIES “And I hope to God that every single family that’s going through this will hold the senator from Vermont accountable, and the state of Vermont will hold him accountable, too, because he’s playing with kids’ lives,” he continued. “He’s literally killing kids in front of us because of his political movement, and it is ridiculous.” Sanders’ move to block the bill was not a surprise. Several lawmakers who spoke in favor of the legislation urged him not to go through with the decision as pediatric cancer research advocates looked on from the viewing gallery. But doing so once again sets the bill back to square one as Congress enters a new year. The Vermont independent explained that he had no problem with the legislation, which would have incentivized the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and drug companies to encourage more relevant pediatric studies and invest in rare pediatric disease treatments, but he wanted to tack on an amendment to fund community health centers throughout the country. DEMOCRATS’ LAST-MINUTE MOVE TO BLOCK GOP FUNDING PLAN SENDS LAWMAKERS HOME EARLY “This is not a radical amendment,” Sanders said. “I’m not coming here saying, ‘Let’s do something we’ve not talked about.’ I’m not talking about passing Medicare for all here. I am talking about doing what the Republicans and Democrats agreed to a year ago but was torpedoed by some tweets from Elon Musk.” Lawmakers already had a version of the bill teed up for passage last year, attached to the colossal, year-end temporary funding extension produced by the House. But that package was ultimately blown apart by tech billionaire Elon Musk, who at the time was coming to Washington, D.C., to serve as President Donald Trump’s government waste attack dog at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). What eventually passed in late 2024 was a slimmed-down, three-month extension to government funding without the pediatric cancer research bill, and several other policy and funding riders eyed by both sides of the aisle. SENATE MULLS NEXT STEPS AFTER DUELING OBAMACARE FIXES GO UP IN FLAMES Lawmakers who spoke in support of Mullin’s bill argued that they supported Sanders’ desire to fund community health centers, but the underlying legislation was too important to let die on the vine again. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chair Bill Cassidy, R-La., said he shared the concern for increased funding for health centers and committed to doing so when Congress returned, but that the “irony here is that the objection is going to come out of a genuine concern that people achieve healthcare.” “But there’s no one way to treat the ills, literally, the ills of the United States of America, and to think that we can do it all at once, it’s just not true,” Cassidy said. “But also to say that you’re not going to give a chance for children to have a cure for cancer if you don’t get what you want, it’s just not true. It is selfish. It is tragic.” And Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., shared Sanders’ concern, but noted that the GOP-controlled House had not committed to tackling the issue of community health center funding. “As disappointed as I am that the House isn’t ready to support increased funding for community health centers, I also believe that it is important to take action on this package now to help address pediatric cancer and lower prescription drug costs,” she said. “So I am disappointed that this bill will not move forward today.”
Comer summons Minnesota officials as House probes massive social services fraud
FIRST ON FOX: The House Oversight Committee is widening its probe into allegations of widespread fraud within Minnesota’s social services programs, which prosecutors suggested could be worth billions of dollars. Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., sent letters to seven current and former Minnesota state officials on Monday morning, inviting them for transcribed interviews with his panel. Comer sent two additional letters to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, seeking the federal government’s cooperation in the probe and requesting briefings for committee staff by Jan. 9. LABOR SECRETARY ANNOUNCES ‘STRIKE TEAM’ GOING TO MINNESOTA TO INVESTIGATE RAMPANT FRAUD “The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is investigating reports of widespread fraud in Minnesota’s social services programs. As the Director of Nutrition Program Services and in your previous roles as the Assistant Director of Nutrition Program Services and Supervisor of Business Operations and Support Services for the Minnesota Department of Education, you have information that will assist the Committee’s investigation,” read one such letter, sent to Emily Honer, the director of Nutrition Program Services at the Minnesota Department of Education. “Accordingly, we request your testimony at an in-person transcribed interview on January 26, 2026. If you do not voluntarily appear for the interview, we will be forced to evaluate the use of the compulsory process.” Another current official, Minnesota Department of Education Assistant Commissioner Daron Korte, was asked to appear on Jan. 28. Similar letters were sent to the following former officials with requests to appear on dates ranging from late January through early February: former Minnesota Department of Human Services Commissioner Jodi Harpstead, former Minnesota Department of Education Commissioner Mary Cathryn Ricker, former Minnesota Department of Human Services Chief Financial Officer David Greeman, former Minnesota Department of Human Services Commissioner Tony Lourey, and Eric Grumdahl, the department’s former assistant commissioner of Homelessness & Housing Supports. ILHAN OMAR DEFENDS MEALS ACT DESPITE TIES TO MASSIVE MINNESOTA FRAUD SCHEME “Whistleblowers have made it clear that American taxpayers were defrauded in Minnesota, raising serious questions about whether Governor Walz and Attorney General Ellison failed to act or were complicit in the theft,” Comer told Fox News Digital. “Today, the Committee is requesting information from the Treasury Department and the Department of Justice, as well as transcribed interviews with Minnesota state officials.” Federal prosecutors in Minnesota have charged multiple people with stealing more than $240 million from the Federal Child Nutrition Program through the Minnesota-based nonprofit Feeding Our Future. The probe has since widened to multiple state-run programs being investigated for potential fraud. Officials investigating are now questioning whether people at the very top of Minnesota’s government were aware of signs of fraud but did not act in any way to stop it. Gov. Tim Walz, who is running for a third term, took accountability in remarks to reporters on Friday: “This is on my watch. I am accountable for this. And more importantly, I am the one that will fix it.” He heaped doubt on federal prosecutors’ accusations that the fraud could have totaled in the billions, however. AGRICULTURE SECRETARY DEMANDS MINNESOTA FIX SNAP BENEFITS FOR 4 COUNTIES IMMEDIATELY UNDER PILOT PROGRAM “You should be equally outraged about $1 or whatever that number is, but they’re using that number, without the proof behind it,” Walz said. “But to extrapolate what that number is for sensationalism, or to make statements about it, it doesn’t really help us.” Walz also said he was “partners” with the federal government in stopping the fraud, and said he stopped payments to programs suspected of fraud in July after being granted the ability to do so. U.S. prosecutors held a press conference on Thursday announcing the fraud probe was widening to focus on 14 programs aimed at disbursing Medicaid funds. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson said those programs have cost roughly $18 billion since 2018, of which he said a “significant amount” likely fell prey to fraud. “It is staggering, industrial-scale fraud,” he said during the press conference. Thompson said some of those dollars have been traced to real estate investments in Nairobi, Kenya. He also said “some money went to Somalia indirectly” and “might have gotten into the hands” of militant group Al-Shabaab, but stated there was “no indication that the defendants that we’ve charged were radicalized or seeking to fund Al-Shabaab or other terrorist groups.” Fox News Digital reached out to Walz’s office, as well as the offices of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, the Department of Human Services and the Department of Education for comment.
Lawsuit claims security cameras sold in the US carried undisclosed surveillance risks
FIRST ON FOX: Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers is set to file a lawsuit Monday against Resideo, a smart home tech manufacturer, alleging the company misled consumers about the safety and privacy of its devices, Fox News Digital has learned. Resideo may not be a household name but its security cameras are widely available and could be quietly monitoring homes across the United States. The 33-page lawsuit, filed in Nebraska state court, alleges the company failed to disclose known security vulnerabilities and national-security risks associated with cameras made by the Chinese manufacturers Hikvision and Dahua. LAWSUIT CLAIMS BABY MONITORS MARKETED AS SAFE MAY BE FEEDING DATA TO BEIJING According to Hilgers, the cameras are linked to Chinese manufacturers that can be compelled under Chinese law to assist the country’s intelligence services. Meanwhile, Americans can purchase the cameras through ADI, Resideo’s global distribution network, which the company has marketed as a trusted security provider for homes, businesses, schools and hospitals. “Nebraskans install security cameras to protect their families, homes and businesses—not to invite hidden surveillance into the most private parts of their lives,” Hilgers told Fox News Digital. “Selling cameras with known security risks while marketing them as ‘secure’ is deceptive and dangerous. That kind of conduct will not be tolerated in Nebraska,” he added. CHINA TARGETS US MILITARY MEMBERS IN OVERSEAS SPY OPERATIONS, FORMER CIA CHIEF WARNS The complaint notes that Hikvision and Dahua appear on multiple U.S. government restriction lists, including under the National Defense Authorization Act and by the Federal Communications Commission, over national-security concerns, information the company does not disclose to consumers. In the lawsuit, Hilgers is asking a judge to require clearer warnings about the cameras, fine the company, refund customers who bought the products, and change how the cameras are advertised. Hikvision and Dahua did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Hilgers isn’t alone in sounding the alarm. Others in the security space say Resideo’s products represent a broader national threat. Michael Lucci, CEO of State Armor, said a win for Nebraska could send a message far beyond the state’s borders. “Companies that refuse to do the right thing for our country should pay the full price for any fraud they perpetuate on the American people,” Lucci said. “General Hilgers’ leadership should be replicated across all 50 states.” In a statement, Lucci added that “despite state and federal bans on dangerous Chinese Communist Party (CCP) surveillance technologies, some American companies relabel and continue to distribute cheap but dangerous Chinese tech to get around these bans.” “That is exactly what Resideo is doing at the expense of American manufacturers and our national security,” Lucci said. In September, Hilgers sued Lorex, a security camera maker that sells its products through retailers such as Costco and Best Buy, on similar allegations. The company marketed its cameras as “private by design” and safe for places like children’s bedrooms, while concealing that the devices rely on a Chinese firm sanctioned by the U.S. over national security and human rights violations. Lawmakers from both parties have long raised concerns that the Chinese government exploits educational exchanges, research partnerships and business investments in the U.S. as cover for espionage activities. These warnings have intensified in recent years amid growing scrutiny of Beijing’s influence operations on U.S. soil.
Social media erupts after Minnesota AG posts about cracking down on fraud: ‘You’re kidding right?’
Minnesota’s attorney general was widely mocked by conservatives on social media over the weekend for a social media post touting his work to crack down on fraudsters at the same time a massive fraud scandal that could total up to $9 billion has exploded in the state over the last several years. “Scammers thought Minnesotans were easy targets,” Democrat Keith Ellison, who has been Minnesota attorney general since 2019, posted on X on Friday in a message that is approaching 1 million views. “They were wrong. From student loan scams to fake utility callers, we shut them down this year — fast.” Ellison’s video, where he promoted various wins cracking down on robocalls and online scams, was blasted online by those pointing out the fraud scandal involving government agencies and welfare programs that has rocked the state under his watch. OMAR ACCUSED BY GOP OPPONENT OF OPENING UP THE DOOR TO MASSIVE MINNEAPOLIS FRAUD: ‘DEEP, DEEP TIES’ “Arsonist claims to be fire fighter….,” GOP Sen. Ted Cruz posted on X. “Seriously?” Former sports broadcaster Michelle Tafoya, rumored to be mulling a run for Senate in Minnesota, posted on X. “How could your team make this video when it was under your nose that Somalis in your state stole up to $9 billion of taxpayer funds meant to help Americans in need?” Post Millennial senior editor Andy Ngo posted on X. “Spare us your feign outrage, Keith,” Minnesota Republican Rep. Tom Emmer posted on X. “You’ve done nothing but enable and exacerbate fraud in Minnesota. This all happened on your watch. Welcome to the party.” “Scammers were right,” former federal prosecutor Joe Teirab, who worked on the Feeding Our Future fraud case in the state, posted on X. “Minnesota was an easy target. That’s why they stole literally BILLIONS of dollars from us.” MEDIA ‘COMPLICITY’ BLAMED AS FEDS SAY MINNESOTA FRAUD CRISIS COULD REACH $9B: ‘SHOWN THEIR TRUE COLORS’ “You’re kidding right?” Townhall columnist Dustin Grage posted on X. “They literally created a new term called ‘fraud tourism’ to describe how easy it was to defraud Minnesota taxpayers.” “No s—, Sherlock,” conservative communicator Steve Guest posted on X. “Minnesota was an easy target. Per CBS News, $9 BILLION worth of Medicaid fraud happened right under your nose. And the largest funder of Al-Shabaab terrorists in Somalia is the Minnesota taxpayer.” In a statement to Fox News Digital received after publication, a spokesperson for Ellison’s office said, “The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office has broad authority in civil law to protect consumers, and Attorney General Ellison regularly uses that authority to protect Minnesota consumers from scams, deception, and fraud by businesses, corporations, and other individual bad actors.” “That’s what the video is about. When it comes to criminal fraud against federal- and state-funded Medicaid programs, the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of Attorney General Ellison’s Office works closely with the U.S. Department of Justice to prosecute it, including on the very cases in which the Justice Department announced new indictments on Thursday.” The spokesperson added that Ellison’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit is “one of the most successful units of its size in the country: in the last 7 years, it has won more than 300 convictions and $80 million in judgments for the State.” “In a recent audit, the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recognized Minnesota for winning more Medicaid fraud convictions than any other comparably sized state.” Ellison, along with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, have been the target of heated criticism from conservatives and Republican officials in the state over the fraud scandal that has infiltrated several government agencies and, according to a press conference from federal prosecutors last week, could end up costing taxpayers up to $9 billion. “Tim Walz was responsible for putting into place the commissioners of the different departments who are allowing all this money to go out, and then you had Keith Ellison, who not only should have done something about stopping the fraud once he had a sense that things were happening, he should have started to investigate it,” Teirab told Fox News Digital in an interview earlier this month. “He now tries to say that he was working hand in hand with the federal government… absolutely false, lying about what he did, what he knew and when he knew it.”
Schumer moves to force Senate to take legal action against DOJ, Trump admin over Epstein doc dump
Senate Democrats are mounting a legal offensive against the Trump administration for its handling of the release of files and materials related to Jeffrey Epstein, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has teed up the first salvo. Schumer on Monday announced that he would file a resolution that would compel the Senate to take legal action against the Trump administration for “illegally refusing to release the complete Epstein files and heavily redacting the files that are released.” “The law Congress passed is crystal clear: release the Epstein files in full, so Americans can see the truth,” Schumer said in a statement. “Instead, the Trump Department of Justice dumped redactions and withheld the evidence — that breaks the law. Today, I am introducing a resolution to force the Senate to take legal action and compel this administration to comply.” SCHUMER ACCUSES TRUMP ADMIN OF EPSTEIN FILES ‘COVER-UP’ AMID DOCUMENT DISPUTE Schumer’s move comes just days after the Department of Justice (DOJ) dumped several hundred thousand documents and photos from its trove of materials related to the late Epstein. Schumer and Senate Democrats warned ahead of the document dump on Friday that unless the DOJ fully complied with the recently passed law, they would seek legal action. They argue that Attorney General Pam Bondi and the DOJ didn’t follow the law, which Congress passed nearly unanimously out of both chambers last month. Schumer, who forced a successful vote in the Senate on the Epstein Files Transparency Act, previously argued that the “heavily redacted documents released by the Department of Justice today is just a fraction of the whole body of evidence.” “Simply releasing a mountain of blacked-out pages violates the spirit of transparency and the letter of the law,” Schumer said in a statement. “For example, all 119 pages of one document were completely blacked out. We need answers as to why.” The law required that the DOJ release all unclassified records related to Epstein, his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, known associates and entities linked to Epstein and Maxwell, internal DOJ decision-making on the Epstein case, records on destroying or tampering with documents, and all documents on his detention and death. DOJ FACES FRIDAY DEADLINE TO RELEASE EPSTEIN FILES AS LAWMAKERS PUSH FOR TRANSPARENCY There were narrow exceptions to what the government could opt against releasing, including materials that reveal victims’ identities or medical files, child sex abuse materials, information that could jeopardize active investigations, images of graphic death or injury, or classified national security information. Schumer and congressional Democrats, along with some congressional Republicans, were already peeved that the DOJ wasn’t going to dump every document in its possession by Friday’s deadline. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that day that the agency would be taking a phased approach and said he expected “that we’re going to release more documents over the next couple of weeks,” as the DOJ worked to comb through every document to ensure “every victim, their name, their identity, their story, to the extent it needs to be protected, is completely protected.” JUSTICE DEPARTMENT PREPARES TO DROP TROVE OF EPSTEIN FILES AS DEADLINE LOOMS But it was the inclusion of several heavily redacted documents without explanation as to why they were blacked out that raised lawmakers’ eyebrows. Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who also is the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said that Friday’s release “could have been a win for survivors, accountability, and transparency to the public. It wasn’t.” He accused the Trump administration of breaking the law with how it handled the document dump and vowed that the Judiciary Committee would investigate. “Senate Judiciary Democrats will investigate this violation of law and make sure the American people know about it,” Durbin said in a statement. “The survivors deserve better. It’s clear Donald Trump and his Republican enablers are working for the rich and powerful elites — and not you.”
Trump admin pausing all off shore wind project construction due to national security concerns
FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump’s Department of Interior announced on Monday that, effective immediately, leases for all large-scale offshore wind projects being constructed in the United States will be paused. In a press release, DOI wrote that the pause is due to “national security risks” identified by the Department of War in “recently completed classified reports.” In a press release, DOI says the pause will “give the Department, along with the Department of War and other relevant government agencies, time to work with leaseholders and state partners to assess the possibility of mitigating the national security risks posed by these projects.” “The prime duty of the United States government is to protect the American people,” Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, said in the press release. BURGUM, ZELDIN, WRIGHT: THIS IS HOW AMERICA WILL ACHIEVE ENERGY DOMINANCE “Today’s action addresses emerging national security risks, including the rapid evolution of the relevant adversary technologies, and the vulnerabilities created by large-scale offshore wind projects with proximity near our east coast population centers. The Trump administration will always prioritize the security of the American people.” The Department of Interior listed five leases that will be paused: Vineyard Wind1, Revolution Wind, CVOW, Sunrise Wind, and Empire Wind. TRUMP’S VENEZUELA OIL BLOCKADE PUTS CHEVRON IN THE MIDDLE OF A HIGH-STAKES SANCTIONS CRACKDOWN The department highlighted unclassified reports from the U.S. government in the past that have “long found” that massive turbine blades in large-scale offshore wind projects can create radar interference called “clutter” that can obscure legitimate moving targets and generate false targets. In 2024, a Department of Energy report found that while the radar threshold for false alarm detection can be increased to reduce some of that “clutter,” the radar can “miss actual targets” when that threshold is increased. “Today’s action ensures that national security risks posed by offshore wind projects are appropriately addressed and that the United States government retains its ability to effectively defend the American people,” the press release states.
Trump taps Republican governor to serve as special envoy to Greenland
President Donald Trump announced he is tapping Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry to serve as U.S. special envoy to Greenland, asserting that the island is key to national security. “I am pleased to announce that I am appointing the GREAT Governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, as the United States Special Envoy to Greenland. Jeff understands how essential Greenland is to our National Security, and will strongly advance our Country’s Interests for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Allies, and indeed, the World. Congratulations Jeff!” the president said in a Truth Social post. Landry said the new position would not impact his role as governor. GOV. JEFF LANDRY WARNS CRIMINAL MIGRANTS IN BOLD AD: ‘WE’VE GOT A PLACE FOR YOU’ AT LOUISIANA LOCKUP “Thank you @realDonaldTrump! It’s an honor to serve you in this volunteer position to make Greenland a part of the U.S. This in no way affects my position as Governor of Louisiana!” Landry wrote in a post on X. The Republican, who has been serving as governor since early 2024, previously served as Louisiana attorney general and as a lawmaker in the U.S. House of Representatives. “The appointment confirms the continued American interest in Greenland. However, we insist that everyone – including the US – must show respect for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark,” Denmark’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Lars Løkke Rasmussen noted in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital. BORDER PATROL CHIEF URGES ILLINOIS TO FOLLOW LOUISIANA BLUEPRINT AS THREATS AGAINST AGENTS SURGE Trump has expressed ambitions for the U.S. to acquire Greenland. “For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity,” he asserted in part of a December 2024 Truth Social post. LOUISIANA INTENSIFIES IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN AS BORDER CHIEF WARNS FAR-LEFT RHETORIC ENDANGERS AGENTS CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Greenland is an incredible place, and the people will benefit tremendously if, and when, it becomes part of our Nation. We will protect it, and cherish it, from a very vicious outside World. MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!” he declared in a January 2025 Truth Social post.
Malaysian court rejects Najib’s bid to serve sentence under house arrest
High Court says a royal document allowing the ex-PM’s transfer to house arrest was not valid. By News Agencies Published On 22 Dec 202522 Dec 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share A court in Malaysia has dismissed jailed former Prime Minister Najib Razak’s bid to serve the remainder of his sentence for corruption at home, ruling that a royal document allowing the move was not valid. The ruling on Monday dealt another blow to Najib, who has been imprisoned since August 2022 for his role in the multi-billion dollar 1MDB scandal. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Najib had sought to compel Malaysian authorities to confirm the existence of and execute a royal order that he said was issued last year as part of a pardon by the then-king, entitling him to serve the remainder of his sentence at home. Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Alice Loke said on Monday that the existence of the order was not in dispute, but the former king should have consulted the country’s pardons board before making the order to allow Najib house arrest. “The court ruled that the king could not grant house arrest independently of the pardons board,” she wrote. “I’m of the view that a house arrest order is not capable of execution, no legal provision for such a mechanism in Malaysia.” Najib did not show much emotion, and later smiled when his lawyer described the ruling as “shocking” after the judge left the courtroom. The lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah told The Star newspaper that the former leader will appeal the verdict. Najib denies wrongdoing, alleging that Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho duped him. Low, thought to be the mastermind of the scandal, remains at large. Former Malaysian parliament member Charles Santiago, who had pushed for the prosecution of Najib, hailed Monday’s ruling in a social media post. Advertisement “Faith in the judiciary restored,” he wrote. The country’s pardons board announced last year that it had reduced to six years the original sentence of Najib, who was convicted and sent to jail for 12 years for corruption. Najib is set to be released on August 23, 2028, and fines imposed on him were reduced to 50 million ringgit ($10.6m) from 210 million ringgit ($44.5m), according to the pardons board. Separately on Friday, the former leader will also find out if he is acquitted or convicted in a second graft trial that ties him directly to the 1MDB scandal. The High Court will rule on four charges of abuse of power to obtain over $700m from 1MDB that went into Najib’s bank accounts, and 21 counts of money laundering involving the same amount. If found guilty, Najib faces up to 20 years in prison for each count of abuse of power and up to five years for each of the money laundering charges. Najib set up the 1MDB development fund shortly after he took office in 2009. Investigators allege at least $4.5bn was stolen from the fund and laundered by Najib’s associates through layers of bank accounts in the US and other countries. The funds were allegedly used to finance Hollywood films and extravagant purchases that included hotels, a luxury yacht, art and jewelry. A national outrage over the 1MDB scandal led to the historic 2018 election defeat of the party that had governed Malaysia since independence from the United Kingdom in 1957. Despite his conviction, Najib still holds clout in his party, the United Malays National Organization, which is now part of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim‘s unity government that took power after elections in 2022. Adblock test (Why?)
New clashes erupt on Thai-Cambodia border as ASEAN convenes peace talks
DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY, Fighting resumes hours before regional foreign ministers meet in Malaysia to discuss steps to de-escalate hostilities. New fighting has broken out along the Thailand-Cambodia border, hours before Southeast Asian foreign ministers are due to meet in Malaysia to find a resolution to the deadly conflict between the two neighbours. The clashes early on Monday threaten to undermine diplomatic efforts by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to revive a ceasefire deal that was first brokered in July by Malaysia and United States President Donald Trump. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list The conflict, since it resumed on December 8, has killed at least 40 people and displaced nearly one million people on both sides of the border. The Cambodian Ministry of National Defence on Monday accused Thailand of deploying F-16 fighter jets that dropped four bombs in the Banteay Meanchay province and of firing “toxic gas” in the area of the Prey Chan village, according to the Agence Kampuchea Press state news agency. “The Ministry emphasised that Cambodian forces are monitoring the situation closely. They remain brave and steadfast in their defence against the aggressors, remaining vigilant in their duty to protect Cambodia’s territorial integrity,” the report said. Video footage posted online showed civilians, including young children, sheltering from the bombardment. Some of the children could be heard wailing as the residents crowded together. There were no immediate reports of casualties. Thailand’s Morning News TV 3 reported an “exchange of fire” in the Sa Kaeo Province early on Monday morning, with Cambodian forces firing “heavy weapons”, igniting fires and damaging homes in the Khok Sung district. Advertisement The Thai government has yet to comment on the renewed fighting. Earlier on Monday, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet’s office announced that as of Sunday evening, an estimated 525,000 civilians have been displaced on their side of the border. Thai authorities have reported that 400,000 people were displaced in their territory. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, meanwhile, insisted that Thailand has never acted as the aggressor, telling reporters on Sunday that nearly all areas “previously been encroached upon” by Cambodian forces have now been reclaimed. A man with protective gear inspects a garage damaged after a reported Thai air strike in Poipet town, Banteay Meanchey province, Cambodia [Handout: Agence Kampuchea Press Photo via AFP] In the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, representatives from Thailand and Cambodia were set to attend the ASEAN gathering, their first face-to-face meeting since the fighting resumed. Cambodian Minister of Foreign Affairs Prak Sokhonn will attend the meeting, according to his office. Malaysia said the ASEAN talks, chaired by Malaysian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohamad Hasan, will consider steps the regional bloc can take to help de-escalate the tensions and end the fighting. An ASEAN team is expected to present satellite-monitoring data provided by the US, alongside field observations. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has expressed hope that the meeting will enable Thailand and Cambodia to negotiate openly, resolve differences and achieve a fair and lasting solution. Last week, he told reporters that Thailand’s Anutin and Cambodia’s Hun Manet were both “keen to achieve an amicable resolution as soon as possible”. The US Department of State on Sunday urged both sides “to end hostilities, withdraw heavy weapons, cease emplacement of landmines, and fully implement the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords”. It said it welcomed “ASEAN leaders coming together this week to support Cambodia and Thailand fully honoring their commitments to end this conflict”. In addition to the regional push, the US and China have pursued separate diplomatic efforts to end the conflict, although neither has yielded tangible results. Bangkok and Phnom Penh continue to trade blame for violations of the July ceasefire, as well as another extended agreement signed in October. Adblock test (Why?)