Malaysia ex-PM Najib Razak gets 12 years jail for 1MDB graft trial

The European Union's attempts to bolster free speech in parts of Asia have taken another setback following protests from Muslim-majority countries in response to Quran burnings across northern Europe this year.

Young environmental activists sued the US state for allowing fossil fuel development which they argue harms their physical and mental health. The trial is believed to be the first of its kind in the US.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi was detained shortly after giving a press conference in which he slammed authorities for seeking to delay the election. Some experts think the vote, due in November, could be pushed to next year.

The former prime minister was hospitalized after developing high blood pressure as he spent his first night in prison after more than 15 years in exile.

Lawyers for former Donald Trump had argued that they would need until 2026 to read through all the documents in the case. Trump is running to be the Republican candidate in the 2024 election.

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan had been handed a three-year prison sentence for concealing gifts he had received while in office. It was unclear whether the suspension enables Khan to run for office in 2024.

Former Prime Minister Thaksin returned to Thailand last month, after some 15 years in self-imposed exile. He was arrested and sentenced to eight years in prison shortly afterward.

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi faced 47 various charges of criminal breach of trust, bribery and money laundering. The court says the dropped charges do not amount to an acquittal.

Venice plans to charge day-trippers €5 to enter the lagoon city. The goal is not to make money, but to manage tourist flows, officials say.

Over the next 10 weeks, federal lawyers and state attorneys general will try to prove Google rigged the market in its favour, in violation of the Sherman Act, by locking its search engine in as the default choice in a plethora of places and devices.

Malaysia has a unique take on positive discrimination. While most affirmative action programs are aimed at promoting opportunities for ethnic and religious minorities, the Malaysian government has implemented a system that favours the country’s majority, Malay Muslims, who account for nearly 70 percent of the population. These policies have proved to be harmful for descendants of minority groups in Malaysia, such as Chinese and Indians.

Far-right Alternative for Germany politician Björn Höcke is to stand trial for allegedly using a banned Nazi slogan in a speech.