Entertainment
Malaysia court finds ex-PM Najib Razak guilty of abuse of power in biggest 1MDB trial
- Ex-PM Najib charged with four counts of corruption.
- Former premier also faces 21 counts of money laundering.
- $4.5bn stolen; over $1bn make way to accounts linked to Najib.
KUALA LUMPUR: Jailed former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak was found guilty of abuse of power on Friday in the biggest trial yet in the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal, a ruling that could have significant political repercussions.
The judge had yet to deliver the full verdict and sentencing.
Malaysia and US investigators say at least $4.5 billion was stolen from 1Malaysia Development Berhad, a state fund Najib co-founded in 2009 while in office. More than $1 billion allegedly made its way into accounts linked to Najib, who has consistently denied wrongdoing.
Najib has been charged with four counts of corruption and 21 counts of money laundering for receiving illegal transfers of more than 2.3 billion ringgit ($569.45 million) from 1MDB. He had consistently denied wrongdoing.
“The contention by the accused that the charges against him were a witch hunt and politically motivated was debunked by the cold, hard and incontrovertible evidence against him that pointed towards the accused having abused his own powerful position in 1MDB, coupled with the extensive powers conferred upon him,” Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah said in an ongoing reading of the verdict.

Najib could face maximum jail terms of between 15 and 20 years on each charge, as well as a fine of up to five times the value of the alleged misappropriations.
Najib, 72, has been in prison since August 2022, when Malaysia’s top court upheld a verdict convicting him of corruption for illegally receiving funds from a 1MDB unit. His 12-year jail sentence in that case was halved last year by a pardons board.
Link with fugitive financier
Najib last year apologised for mishandling the scandal while in office but had consistently denied wrongdoing, saying repeatedly that he was misled by 1MDB officials and the fugitive financier, Jho Low, about the source of the funds.
Judge Sequerah, in reading the verdict, had earlier said evidence had revealed Najib had an “unmistakable bond and connection” with Low, who acted as the then prime minister’s “proxy and intermediary” in 1MDB affairs.
Low, who has been charged in the United States for his central role in the case, denies all wrongdoing, and his whereabouts are unknown.
Najib has maintained he was misled by Low and other 1MDB officials into believing that funds deposited into his account were donations from the Saudi royal family.

But Sequerah said Najib’s argument was “implausible” and dismissed letters on the donations produced by Najib that allegedly originated from the Saudi royal family, saying they were not corroborated by evidence and were probably forgeries.
“The irresistible conclusion is that the Arab donation narrative is not meritorious … the evidence pointed unmistakably to the fact that the monies were, in fact derived from 1MDB funds,” Sequerah said.
Govt’s test
The verdict came just days after another court denied a bid by Najib to serve his jail sentence under house arrest — a decision that reignited tensions within current Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration.
Najib’s party, the United Malays National Organisation, campaigned against Anwar in a 2022 election but joined his coalition to form a government after the poll ended in a hung parliament.
Some UMNO leaders expressed disappointment with the decision to deny Najib house arrest and others were angered by social media posts by some members of Anwar’s coalition celebrating the earlier ruling.
Anwar on Tuesday called for calm, urging all parties to accept the court verdict with “full patience and wisdom”.
Entertainment
American Music Awards airing tonight with performances from Billy Idol, Keith Urban, Teyana Taylor and more
The American Music Awards kick off the unofficial start of summer tonight, celebrating the best in music and featuring performances from such artists as Billy Idol, Keith Urban, Teyana Taylor and others.
The show airs on CBS television stations and streams on Paramount+ starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
The AMAs boast of being the world’s largest fan-voted awards show. Voting for most of the categories closed earlier this month, but people can still vote online or on Instagram for social song of the year and tour of the year through the first half hour of the show.
Queen Latifah serves as host this year, returning to the AMAs stage after co-hosting in 1995 and performing over the years.
Taylor Swift leads the nominations with eight following last year’s release of “The Life of a Showgirl,” which is up for album of the year and best pop album. Two songs from the album also received nods: “The Fate of Ophelia” for song of the year, best music video and best pop song, and “Elizabeth Taylor” for song of the summer.
Swift has already won 40 times at the AMAs, which is more than any other artist. She’s also up for artist of the year and best female pop artist this year.
Morgan Wallen, Olivia Dean, Sabrina Carpenter and Sombr were right behind Swift with seven nominations each.
But the awards are only part of the show. Billy Idol, who’s known for such hits as “Dancing With Myself,” “Rebel Yell” and “White Wedding,” will receive a lifetime achievement award and perform a medley of some of his hits on the AMAs stage.
Scott Dudelson/Getty Images for Coachella
Keith Urban will perform a track from his upcoming yacht rock album “Flow State.” Teyana Taylor, who won a Golden Globe in January for her performance in “One Battle After Another” and is up for best female R&B artist at the AMAs, will perform a medley from her album, “Escape Room.”
There will also be performances by some groups that have amassed huge followings over the years, with Hootie and the Blowfish, New Kids on the Block and The Pussycat Dolls taking the stage.
K-pop superstars BTS will also make a special appearance. Following a nearly four-year hiatus for the members to fulfill their mandatory military service, the group began a world tour in March and will appear at their first awards show in four years at the AMAs. They are nominated for three awards as well.
Who’s performing at the 2026 American Music Awards?
Here’s a list of all the announced performers at the American Music Awards:
- Billy Idol
- Hootie and the Blowfish
- Karol G
- Katseye
- Keith Urban
- Maluma
- New Kids on the Block
- The Pussycat Dolls, with a guest appearance by Busta Rhymes
- Riley Green
- Sombr
- Teddy Swims
- Teyana Taylor
- Twenty One Pilots
How to watch the 2026 American Music Awards
- What: The 2026 American Music Awards show
- Date: Monday, May 25, 2026
- Time: 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT
- Location: MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas
- On TV: Live on CBS television stations. Find your local station here.
- Online stream: Live on Paramount+
Entertainment
King Charles orders new safety measures after shocking incident
The royal family’s famouse show faces serious calls to conduct a review of its safety protocols after a heartbreaking loss.
The British monarch, 77, has reportedly taken an action to ensure safety meassure after a young soldier’s detah during a King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery performance earlier this month.
Lance Bombardier Ciara Sullivan, 24, lost his life after falling from her horse on May 15.
Heartbroken Britons urged officials to take notice of their concerns. They questioned whether traditional ceremonial practices, including the use of historic headwear rather than modern protective helmets, should continue in public displays.
She had been wearing the regiment’s ceremonial busby hat as part of the King’s Troop full dress uniform.
The insider claimed: “The organisers need to adopt smart strategy to save lives.
“We may face the same situation in the future if the measures are nt taken.”
The First World War-era QF 13-pounder field artillery, constructed from steel and wood with large spoked wheels, is pulled at speed by six horses arranged in three rows.
During performances, riders guide the heavy weaponry through complex arena manoeuvres and sharp turns.
“These carriages were invented centuries ago, before modern safety measures. They are not fit for purpose and nor are the hats. There should be a serious review of horse displays like this,” one source told the Mail.
Another said: “The continued use of traditional headwear that offers only limited protection has to be reviewed in an activity where serious head injuries are an ever-present risk.”
It announced the following morning: “The Royal Windsor Horse Show is continuing as planned, with the omission of The King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery display.”
After the shocking incident, Chief Superintendent Michael Loebenberg said: “We are appealing for anyone with information or material relating to the sad death of a military rider at Royal Windsor Horse Show yesterday to please get in touch.”
“At this stage, we have not found any suspicious circumstances. We are working with the Ministry of Defence, the Defence Accident Investigation Branch and Royal Windsor Horse Show organisers HPower to gather as much information as possible to understand how this happened.”
Buckingham Palace released a statment, saying that the King was “greatly shocked and saddened” by the tragedy.
The monarch also conveyed his condolences privately to her family.
Entertainment
Meghan Markle makes statement as William scones remark takes unexpected turn
Meghan Markle took a coy approach as she appeared to have doubled down on her stance after a new debate was triggered involving Prince William.
It was believed that the Duchess of Sussex had made a direct attempt to get the future King’s attention with a bold move, knowing fully-well how critical the dynamics are between Prince Harry and William.
The discussion, on the surface, seems to be merely about scones, but experts believes there is something more to it. Eagle-eyed royal watchers noted that only hours after William shared his preferred method to eat the famous British tea-time snack, Meghan’s As Ever had shared a post about scones.
As the debate made headlines over the weekend, Meghan seemed to have reacted to the whole thing with a statement, somewhat confirming suspicions.
“Inspired by the jams Meghan has created in her own kitchen and shared over the years, each spread reflects a small-batch, carefully balanced approach to flavour,” a message read on As Ever alongside a video of the founder.
“Bright and fruit-forward with just a hint of tartness and a whisper of lemon, these spreads are crafted to highlight each fruit’s natural essence without overpowering it.”
In the brief video clip, Meghan shared her family’s preferred jams – Harry likes raspberry, Lilibet likes strawberry and Archie likes both.
The relations between the Sussexes and the Waleses are still at an impasse even though King Charles has begun warming up to his younger son.
Meghan’s move has earned mixed reactions, where some believe this is her usual tactic to steal the spotlight from the royals, other suggest this could be an icebreaker to get a conversation moving between them.
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