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Malaysia’s High Court on Friday sentenced former Prime Minister Najib Razak to 15 years in prison after finding him guilty of abuse of power and money laundering tied to the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal, deepening the legal reckoning over a case that has reshaped the country’s politics and reputation. Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah said the sentences “are to run concurrently,” and ordered fines and asset seizures. Najib’s lawyers said they will appeal the ruling next week. The verdict adds to a cascade of criminal cases…

Israel on Friday formally recognized North Western State of Somalia as an independent and sovereign state, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced, in a move that could reshape diplomacy and security dynamics in the Horn of Africa. Netanyahu said Israel and North Western State of Somalia signed a joint declaration formalizing the recognition. “Together with Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and the President of the Republic of North Western State of Somalia, we signed a joint and mutual declaration,” he said in a statement.…

Sudan’s prime minister urges U.N. Security Council to back monitored cease-fire plan NEW YORK — Sudan’s prime minister called on the U.N. Security Council to stand “on the right side of history” by endorsing a peace plan for his war-torn country that would impose a nationwide cease-fire and bring international monitoring to the conflict. Since April 2023, Sudan’s army has been locked in a brutal fight with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which controls the west and parts of the south. The war has killed tens of…

Ireland’s Taoiseach Michéal Martin will press Lebanon’s prime minister for accountability in the killing of Private Seán Rooney during talks in Beirut on Friday, while delivering a Christmas message of thanks to Irish peacekeepers serving with the U.N. in south Lebanon. Martin is expected to raise the case directly with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, underscoring Dublin’s concern that justice remains incomplete nearly two years after Rooney was shot dead while his UNIFIL convoy came under fire on Dec. 14, 2022, as it traveled…

Somali president meets Ethiopia’s Abiy in Addis Ababa to bolster security, trade ties ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud arrived in Ethiopia on Friday for a one-day working visit and held talks with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed focused on strengthening bilateral relations and regional security, according to the Somali Presidency. In a statement, Mogadishu said the leaders discussed deepening cooperation across four priority areas: security coordination, political engagement, trade, and wider regional…

Swedish aid to Somalia faces scrutiny: What the Ekot investigation reveals—and what we still don’t know Swedish public radio’s flagship news division, Ekot, has ignited a debate over how Swedish government funds were used in Somalia following cooperation arrangements between the two countries, raising sensitive questions about governance, transparency and the line between development aid and migration policy. The Office of the Somali Prime Minister has forcefully denied any impropriety and says Swedish support is implemented…

Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul dissolved parliament after just three months in office, a royal decree published in the Royal Gazette showed, clearing the way for a general election amid renewed violence on the Cambodia border. “The House of Representatives is dissolved to hold a new general election for members of the House,” the decree said. The move came earlier than expected. Anutin had been widely anticipated to wait until after Christmas before sending voters back to the polls. In a report cited by the…

Ireland’s prime minister rejected Donald Trump’s latest broadside against the European Union, after the U.S. president described the bloc as “weak” and accused member states of letting Ukraine fight “until they drop.” Speaking in Dublin, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said, “Europe is strong, not weak,” pointing to the EU’s pandemic response and ongoing work on defense and security as evidence of resilience. “New challenges” have emerged on defense and security, Martin said, but he added he was “confident” they would be overcome.…

ADDIS ABABA — Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed vowed to “shake off Ethiopia’s enemies one by one, like hair lice” as he urged national unity and vigilance during the 20th Ethiopian Nationalities and People’s Day, framing the country’s struggles as tests of resolve that must be met with discipline, dialogue and reform. In a speech calling for resilience amid persistent political and regional strains, Abiy warned citizens against becoming conduits for “outsiders” he said are bent on derailing Ethiopia’s progress. He did…

Negotiations to consolidate the US-backed truce in Gaza are at a "critical" moment, Qatar's prime minister said Friday, as mediators press to move the cease-fire to its next phase while violence continues to flare. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told a Doha Forum panel that mediators were working to "force the next phase" of the cease-fire forward, calling the current halt in fighting a pause rather than a resolution. "We are at a critical moment. It's not yet there," he said. The truce took effect Oct. 10 and…