Malaysia court grants jailed ex-PM Najib access to house arrest decree
Three-member bench rules 2-1 to grant Najib Razak’s appeal to use the decree to argue his case before the High Court. Malaysia’s appeals court has granted a bid by jailed ex-premier Najib Razak to see a document he said should allow him to serve his sentence at home, in a rare win for a disgraced former leader at the heart of the country’s biggest scandal. A three-member bench ruled 2-1 on Monday to grant Najib’s appeal to use the decree to argue his case before the High Court. “Given the fact that there is no challenge [of the existence of the decree], there is no justification that the order has not been complied with,” said Mohamad Firuz Jaffril, one of the three Court of Appeal judges. The 71-year-old Najib, who was jailed over the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal, had appealed a lower court decision last July that dismissed his bid to confirm the existence of and execute a royal order that he said entitled him to house arrest. Malaysia’s pardons board, at the time chaired by then-King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah, agreed in February last year to halve Najib’s jail sentence to six years from 12 and reduce fines imposed on him, prompting public uproar. Advertisement But Najib maintained that an “addendum order” on house arrest was issued by the former king alongside the decision and was never executed by authorities. Following the court ruling on Monday, Malaysia’s home minister said the prisons department had not received any notification about Najib’s possible home detention last year. The home ministry received no communication on the issue from Malaysia’s former king, who chaired the pardons board, minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail told a press conference. “The government will fully implement royal orders if received,” he said. According to the constitution, the monarch, who changes every five years under Malaysia’s unique system of monarchy, has authority to take decisions on granting pardons, upon the advice of the pardons board. Following Monday’s ruling, “Najib was happy,” his lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah told a news conference. “[He is] very relieved that finally they recognised some element of injustice that has been placed against him.” Najib was found guilty in 2020 of criminal breach of trust and abuse of power for illegally receiving funds misappropriated from a unit of state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad. Najib remains on trial for corruption in several other 1MDB-linked cases. He has consistently denied wrongdoing. Malaysian and United States investigators estimate $4.5bn was stolen from 1MDB and more than $1bn channelled to accounts linked to Najib. Adblock test (Why?)
Israeli forces kill 200 in three days in Gaza, overwhelming hospitals
Israeli attacks have killed more than 200 Palestinians across Gaza over the last three days as the military continues to hit residential buildings, people gathering in the streets, marketplaces, and shelters. Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Deir el-Balah, said although Israel claims it is targeting Hamas fighters, most of the victims are innocent people. “We are seeing women and children making up the vast majority of casualties,” he said. Hospitals are overwhelmed by the steady stream of casualties, direct attacks on medical facilities, and severe shortages of supplies as Israel imposes a tight siege on the territory. At the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah, many injured people are dying before they can be treated. Israel’s war on Gaza has now killed at least 45,805 Palestinians and wounded 109,064 since October 7, 2023. At least 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks that day and about 250 were taken captive. Adblock test (Why?)
‘I refuse a cheap death’: Israel kills Palestinian journalist in Gaza
A Palestinian writer, poet and journalist has been killed in an Israeli air attack in northern Gaza’s Jabalia refugee camp, according to his family, taking the total number of journalists killed in the Israel-Palestine conflict since October 7, 2023 to 220. Mohammad Hijazi was among nearly 90 Palestinians slain in Israeli attacks across the besieged territory in the last 24 hours, according to a statement from the Gaza Ministry of Health on Sunday. Hundreds of people have been killed in the Jabalia camp since Israel imposed a military siege of northern Gaza on October 5 and intensified bombardment, forcing thousands to flee. Israel has prevented even aid groups from supplying basic food items to the area. “I don’t know if I will write to you again. I keep what I have written and am writing. Maybe it will come to light one day. I refuse a cheap death. I curse the murderer,” Hijazi wrote on Facebook in August last year. “Let us in this bottom that we have finally reached, arm ourselves with patience and prayer, and count the days we have lived as a historic achievement, while awaiting what is coming with a broken heart, an extinguished eye, a head held high, and a spirit that fights until the end of the road.” Advertisement It was not immediately clear whether Hijazi was working for a specific media organisation when he died. Since the beginning of its war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, Israel has killed at least 220 journalists and media workers, including Hijazi. The Health Ministry reported on Sunday that at least 88 Palestinians had been killed and 208 others injured in Gaza in the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, another baby died from the cold in Gaza, as displaced Palestinians lack warm clothes and are forced to live in tents that provide little protection from the weather. The child’s mother told Al Jazeera that her baby, Yousef, was born healthy, but he became the eighth infant to die in Gaza in recent days due to the cold. “They didn’t give a single moment to feel happy with my baby,” she said. “He slept next to me and in the morning I found him frozen and dead. I don’t know what to say. No one can feel my misery. No one in the world can understand our catastrophic situation.” The latest fatalities bring the death toll of Palestinians killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza to at least 45,805 since October 2023, while an estimated 109,064 have been injured. Among those slain in Israeli strikes across Gaza on Sunday were three Palestinians who were living in a tent in Deir el-Balah, according to Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from central Gaza. A family of 15 people was also buried under the rubble in the northwest of Gaza City, following a separate strike, Mahmoud reported. “The Palestinian Civil Defence is doing its best to remove bodies from under the rubble, but has only removed four of the family members,” he said. Advertisement “It’s estimated there are at least 15 family members under the three-storey building that was flattened to the ground. “These repeated attacks – deliberate against families – continue to unfold, causing more tragedies among Palestinians.” “I refuse to die cheaply… I curse the killer.” This morning, writer and journalist Mohamed Hijazi, the author of these words, was killed by the Israeli army in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza. #GazaGenocide pic.twitter.com/LWsCak8IPr — Ramy Abdu| رامي عبده (@RamAbdu) January 5, 2025 In the last three days, Israeli forces have killed more than 200 people in Gaza, Mahmoud noted. The last few remaining hospitals across Gaza are now overwhelmed, he added. At the emergency department at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah, many people were left on the floor and others were waiting to be admitted into the operating theatre, Mahmoud said. “By the time it’s their turn, it’s too late – they have already bled to death. [Many] burns are quite severe, and no pain medication is available at the hospital,” he said. “There’s a silent death going on. In the past weeks, due to the ongoing attacks, people are dying quietly because of the lack of medical supplies.” On Sunday, the Israeli military claimed that it had struck more than 100 “terror targets” in the Gaza Strip over the past two days. Several of the strikes targeted sites from which Palestinian fighters had been firing projectiles into Israel in recent days, the military said. The latest violence in Gaza comes as indirect negotiations for a captive release deal resumed in Qatar. Advertisement Mediators Qatar, Egypt and the United States have been engaged for months in efforts to strike a deal to end the war and secure the release of dozens of captives still held in Gaza. Israel has detained more than 10,000 Palestinians since launching its devastating war, which has brought it global condemnation. Rights groups have termed Israel’s military offensive as a genocide, while the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the top United Nations court, said in March 2024 that the Israeli operation “plausibly” amounted to genocide. Seperately, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. Adblock test (Why?)
Ukraine launches new offensive in Russia’s Kursk as war casualties mount
Ukrainian forces have been launching counteroffensives in Kursk in an effort to hold on to seized territory. The Ukrainian military has launched a new offensive in the Kursk region of Russia as Moscow’s forces continue to push deep inside eastern Ukraine. The Russian Ministry of Defence confirmed in a statement on Sunday that Ukrainian forces launched new attacks amid their incursion into Russia that began with a surprise assault in August. Andriy Kovalenko, a senior official with Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, appeared to confirm the operation in a Telegram post. “In the Kursk region the Russians are deeply concerned. They were attacked on multiple fronts, which came as a surprise to them,” he said. Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office, suggested the attack had been successful. “Kursk region, good news, Russia is getting what it deserves,” he wrote on Sunday. The Russian Defence Ministry said a Ukrainian counterattack began on Sunday morning which included two tanks, a barrier vehicle, and 12 armoured combat vehicles with soldiers who were heading to the Russian settlement of Berdin. Advertisement Most of them were destroyed, according to the ministry, which also released aerial footage of what it said was an explosives-laden drone taking out a self-propelled artillery unit of the Ukrainian armed forces in Kursk. The ministry said its soldiers killed 340 members of the Ukrainian armed forces over the past day. The Russian military claims that Ukraine has lost more than 49,000 servicemen in Kursk since the start of its offensive in August, along with 273 tanks, 44 rocket launch systems, and hundreds of other vehicles and munitions. Ukraine claims Russia lost 430,000 soldiers in 2024, and that North Korean soldiers brought to Kursk have recently taken heavy casualties on the front lines of the Russian territory. Russian forces have been gradually pushing back Ukrainian soldiers out of seized areas in Kursk, but they have not been able to fully repel the offensive. Zelenskyy has said territory held in Kursk could play a considerable role in future “peace” talks. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he is ready for talks but also remains prepared to carry on with the war for much longer. Russian forces continue to push deep inside Ukrainian territory as well, having gradually taken over significant areas in the eastern part of the country. Advancing at an accelerating rate in recent months, they are continuing with an attempt to take the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk oblast. Moscow promised retaliation on Saturday after the Ukrainian military used more ATACMS missiles provided to it by the United States. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
How can world powers stop Israel from attacking Gaza’s medical facilities?
The United Nations says the health system in Gaza is on the verge of total collapse amid relentless Israeli attacks. The United Nations says only 16 of the 36 hospitals in Gaza are functional, and even those are only able to offer partial services. The UN has verified more than 650 Israeli attacks on medical facilities since the Israel-Palestine conflict began in October 2023, and at least 1,054 health workers have been killed. Israel says Hamas fighters are operating from hospitals, but provides little evidence to substantiate its claims. Is it possible to prevent the collapse of Gaza’s health system? Presenter: Imran Khan Guests: Mohammed Abu Mughaisib – Deputy medical coordinator for Gaza for Doctors Without Borders (MSF) Michael Lynk – Human rights lawyer and former UN special rapporteur for human rights in occupied Palestinian territories Mohammed Adeel Khaleel – Orthopaedic surgeon who recently returned from Gaza Adblock test (Why?)
Egyptian activist al-Qaradawi’s family appeal to Lebanese PM for release
Al-Qaradawi’s family seeks Lebanese PM’s intervention to prevent his deportation to Egypt, fearing risks to his life. The family of Egyptian opposition activist Abdul Rahman al-Qaradawi has called on Lebanese authorities to immediately release him, as fears grow that he will be deported to Egypt, where he is wanted by the law. Al-Qaradawi’s family members issued a press release on Sunday saying that they had sent a letter to Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati asking him to intervene in the case of the Egyptian poet and writer, who is also a Turkish citizen and lives with his family in Istanbul. “As a family, we trust in the wisdom of the Lebanese leadership and the dignified people of Lebanon,” the press release said. “Lebanon has always been a symbol of the defence of freedoms, and we appeal to the Lebanese prime minister, in the name of justice and humanity, to intervene immediately to release him and ensure his safe return to his family and three daughters who are waiting for him in Istanbul.” Al-Qaradawi, the son of the late spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood Yusuf al-Qaradawi, was arrested on December 28 due to an Egyptian arrest warrant, a Lebanese judicial official quoted by the AFP news agency and the family said. He was detained at the Masnaa border crossing after he entered Lebanon from Syria. Advertisement Al-Qaradawi had been sentenced by an Egyptian court in absentia to five years in prison on charges of “opposing the state and inciting terrorism”, the official said. The family said the ruling was a response to an article published by al-Qaradawi in 2012, and warned that Lebanon would be endangering al-Qaradawi’s life if it extradited him to Egypt. “His extradition to any country that demands him endangers his life, especially considering the record of human rights violations in those countries,” the press release issued on behalf of al-Qaradawi’s family said. Al-Qaradawi’s lawyer in Lebanon, Mohammed Sablouh, had previously said that his client could be tortured if he was handed over to Egypt, which is accused by human rights organisations such as Amnesty International of repressing political dissidents and committing crimes including torture “with impunity”. Al-Qaradawi’s family’s letter is part of a campaign urging his release and return to Turkey. The 53-year-old was a longtime opponent of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who was overthrown in the country’s 2011 revolution. The activist has also become a vocal critic of Egypt’s current leader, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who came to power after a bloody coup in 2013 against elected President Mohamed Morsi, who later died in prison. Adblock test (Why?)
Fernandes and Amorim upset with United after impressive draw at Liverpool
Frustrated footballer Bruno Fernandes said if Manchester United can perform at Anfield, they must “do it everywhere” after the crisis-hit side secured a 2-2 draw against Premier League leaders Liverpool on Sunday. Cody Gakpo cancelled out Lisandro Martinez’s shock opener for United on Sunday before Mohamed Salah put Liverpool ahead from the penalty spot, but Amad Diallo scored a late equaliser. United finished the match the stronger, and defender Harry Maguire spurned a last-kick chance to win the game by firing over the bar from Joshua Zirkzee’s squared pass. The point for Liverpool takes them six clear of second-placed Arsenal with a game in hand. United are way down in 13th place, but at least they have ended their four-game losing run. “We have been criticised, and fairly,” United captain Fernandes told Sky Sports. “Our position in the table says it all. We have lost too many points. Even today, we can’t be happy with a point. We need the points and we could’ve won the game at the end, but it’s a fair result. Both teams played good football. Advertisement “I’m pretty upset. If we show this level at Liverpool, first in the league, why can’t we do this everywhere? It frustrates me. Also, finally I did a proper performance. We said we need much more from ourselves to get more from this season.” Harry Maguire missed the chance to win the match for Manchester United in the final minutes of Sunday’s game [Carl Recine/Getty Images] The midfielder said next week’s FA Cup tie at Arsenal would be tough for the holders but “we want to get to the final again”. “We know how tough it is to play against Liverpool,” he said. “Today, we put in a real effort to the game. Playing with some passion and heart is what is going to give you something from the game. You have to put in effort and that’s why we took something from today. “It can’t stop here. We have to bring this frustration to the next game to understand this has to be the level. If we can do it at Anfield, we have to do it everywhere.” 👆 @LFC are six points clear of Arsenal after today’s draw with Man Utd! #LIVMUN | #FestiveFixtures pic.twitter.com/uTOw1Tq3Si — Premier League (@premierleague) January 5, 2025 Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk said it could have been worse for his team if Maguire had converted a late chance. “I’m definitely disappointed with dropping points at home but it is what is and we have to move on and we will,” he said. “We found the 2-1 and then it is about trying to manage the game and keep the ball for longer than three and four passes. We lost the ball too easily at times and then we were more open than we should have been. We’re not perfect. We’re still learning and we have to learn from this as well.” Advertisement The defender said Liverpool had not underestimated United, despite their rivals’ troubles this season. “That’s all the media, media talk,” he said. “It’s nothing to do with us. We prepared for a very tough game like we have seen today. We didn’t think any of that.” Manchester United’s Matthijs de Ligt concedes a penalty ahead of Liverpool’s second goal [Phil Noble/Reuters] United manager Ruben Amorim has endured a wretched start to his time in charge at Old Trafford, with the club slipping to six defeats in September, culminating in the four-match losing streak. “We are in a difficult moment,” Amorim told Sky Sports. “If you play against Liverpool every day, we will recover positions like that. But if you play against any opponent, we will need to do it. We have proven we can do it. The way we were really competitive – that is what we must be going forward. “It’s not just the players, all the staff in the club. I’m happy for the performance, not for the results. But I’m really mad for the other games,” Amorim continued after United slipped to that fourth straight defeat, and sixth in the month of December, against Newcastle on Monday. A look at @ManUtd‘s average positions from their two latest matches 🔎 What stands out to you? 📊 @Oracle | #LIVMUN pic.twitter.com/UG07jqgHCo — Premier League (@premierleague) January 5, 2025 “Of course, we are going to improve in training, but it is the way we faced the game, not from the training,” he continued. “You can ask any fan – the way we fight, the way we kick, the way we fight for the ball. It’s so clear. Advertisement “Today I feel the players really wanted it. The important thing is not to relax tomorrow and return to the same performances. I will do everything to make the players understand, they have to suffer in a game. I am really trying on the basics and we have to move on. “Congratulations on the performance, but not the result. Everyone will say the players did everything right, so I am allowed to be upset [with them for the other results] today.” Amad Diallo impressed once again for Manchester United and scored his side’s second goal [Carl Recine/Getty Images] Adblock test (Why?)
Palestinian man mourns his mother outside morgue in Gaza
NewsFeed A Palestinian man was seen crying outside the door of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital’s morgue in Deir el-Balah, pleading for an answer from his mother who was killed in an Israeli attack on Gaza. Published On 5 Jan 20255 Jan 2025 Adblock test (Why?)
Syria to resume international flights from Damascus airport next week
Airport authority says flights will resume on January 7 as Qatar Airways set to begin flights to Damascus after 13 years. Syria’s Damascus airport will resume international flights on Tuesday for the first time since Bashar al-Assad was overthrown last month by armed opposition fighters. No flights had taken off or landed since pro-Assad forces abandoned the airport in the Syrian capital on December 8 after the opposition fighters marched on the city following a lightning offensive that began on November 27. “We announce we will start receiving international flights to and from Damascus International Airport” from Tuesday, state news agency SANA said on Saturday, quoting Ashhad al-Salibi, who heads the General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport. “We reassure Arab and international airlines that we have begun the phase of rehabilitating the Aleppo and Damascus airports with our partners’ help, so that they can welcome flights from all over the world,” he said. Al Jazeera’s Hashim Ahelbarra, reporting from Damascus, said the announcement has a “significant political and economic implication” for the war-torn nation. Advertisement “The new administration has been in touch with key regional players, particularly Qatar, on the need to help them rehabilitate their airport in Damascus to be in line with international safety standards,” he said. “They want to send a message that life is back to normal in Syria and to allow hundreds of thousands of Syrians who live abroad to come back home. And also, it’s a message to the international community that the new administration, which is in control, and despite the situation across the country, they are managing to ensure safety standards across Syria.” International aid planes and foreign diplomatic delegations have already been landing in Syria. Domestic flights resumed on December 18, when a flight from Damascus left for Aleppo, according to the AFP news agency. Syrian Airlines will resume flights from Damascus to Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, starting on Tuesday, an employee told AFP, requesting anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media. On Thursday, Qatar Airways announced it would resume flights to the Syrian capital after nearly 13 years, starting with three weekly flights from Tuesday. Adblock test (Why?)
Australia beat India to reclaim Border-Gavaskar Trophy and enter WTC final
Australia have beaten India by six wickets in the fifth Test of their five-match series and won back the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in a decade. The hosts held their nerve to chase down their victory target of 162 after lunch on the third day of the final Test in Sydney on Sunday, prompting wild celebrations from their camp as they also sealed a spot in the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord’s in June. Travis Head, who was 34 not out, and debutant Beau Webster, unbeaten on 39, got their team over the line to end the series on a high. “It’s unreal, it’s been an amazing series,” Australia skipper Pat Cummins said shortly after the win. “It felt like it was kind of seesawing throughout the whole series so to finish it 3-1, to hold the trophy, is an amazing feeling,” he added. “I’m immensely proud, I absolutely love playing with these guys and it’s been a lot of fun along the way as well.” India captain Jasprit Bumrah was unable to bowl in Australia’s second innings because of a back issue but his fellow pace bowlers Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj kept the match on a knife edge by removing four top-order Australian batters. Advertisement The match had been played on fast forward over the first two days with 15 wickets falling on Saturday, and Australia removed four more in the first hour on Sunday morning to dismiss India for 157. The track retained some spice, and Krishna stood up in Bumrah’s stead and sent back opener Sam Konstas for 22, Marnus Labuschagne for six and Steve Smith for four before lunch. Smith trudged off, head bowed, on 9,999 career runs, and was followed soon after the break by Usman Khawaja, who was caught behind off Siraj for 41 to leave Australia on 104-4. The end of a topsy-turvy Test, where the momentum had shifted by the over, came almost as an anti-climax for another big crowd bathing in the sunshine at Sydney Cricket Ground. Head and Webster got the job done with an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 58, the latter continuing his nerveless debut by clubbing the winning runs with a straight four. Travis Head (R) and teammate Beau Webster celebrate after winning the match on day three of the fifth Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground [David Gray/AFP] “It was a little frustrating but sometimes you have to respect your body,” said Bumrah, who was named Player of the Series for his 32 wickets over the five matches. “It was a great series. The whole series was well-fought and we were still in the match today. Our young players will take a lot of learnings for the future.” The bulk of the Australian side has been together for years and beating India remained an elusive goal for many of them. Only Smith, Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc were part of the squad that played in the last series win over their rivals a decade ago. Advertisement It was Cummins’ 20th win as captain. “It is one that a few of us didn’t have. The boys have had their eye on it and it has lived up to the hype. “We’ve spent a lot of time together as a group over the years, so we knew we weren’t at our best at Perth. “But it was never as bad as it seems. So you stick tight and double down on what makes us a really good side.” Australia handed out three debuts during the series – opener Nathan McSweeney who was axed after the first three Tests, the man who replaced him, Sam Konstas, and all-rounder Beau Webster in the fifth Test. They also heavily relied on stalwarts such as Smith, Starc and Head. “Always nice to have a squad,” said Cummins. “The three debutants in this series fitted in well. They contributed at different times. “There were some key moments when our mainstays really stood up. You need to do that to beat a side like India.” Ready to defend their World Test Championship mace 👊 Australia qualify for the #WTC25 Final at Lord’s 🏏 More 👉 https://t.co/EanY9jFouE pic.twitter.com/xcpTrBOsB8 — ICC (@ICC) January 5, 2025 Adblock test (Why?)