News in Brief (13-12-2018)

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's former Prime Minister Najib Razak leaving a court on Oct 04 — Reuters file

Najib, 1MDB ex-CEO face
fresh graft charges
KULA LUMPUR, Dec12: Malaysian prosecutors on Wednesday filed new graft charges against former prime minister Najib Razak and the former chief executive of scandal-linked state fund 1MDB, in the latest cases over alleged theft of billions of dollars from the fund. Anti-graft investigators this week questioned Najib and the former fund official over accusations that the former premier's office had tampered with a 2016 government audit into the fund, 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). — Reuters

Egypt raids kill 27 militants
CAIRO, Dec 12: At least 27 militants were killed in exchange of fire in North and Central Sinai in the past few days, the Egyptian armed forces said in a statement on Wednesday. "During anti-terrorist raids, the national security forces have killed 27 gunmen including three highly dangerous terrorists in several desert areas in the Sinai Peninsula," said Tamer al-Refai, the spokesperson of the armed forces. —Xinhua

Nigeria presidential candidate denies peace deal snub
ABUJA, Dec 12: Nigeria's main opposition party has blamed a "communication lapse" for its candidate not being present to sign a deal with other candidates for peaceful elections. Atiku Abubakar was a notable absentee at Tuesday's ceremony in Abuja, at which President Muhammadu Buhari and dozens of other candidates vowed to ensure non-violence. — AFP

Polish PM seeks confidence vote
WARSAW, Dec 12: Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has asked in parliament for a confidence vote on his own government, saying he wants to be sure that his government has "a mandate" ahead of a European Union summit. Morawiecki called on Wednesday for the vote to be held later in the day, ahead of the EU summit on Thursday. — AP

Iraq welcomes Nobel Prize winner
BAGHDAD, Dec 12: Iraqi activist Nadia Murad is meeting with her country's president in Baghdad after receiving the Nobel Peace Prize for her advocacy on behalf of victims of wartime sexual violence. Murad, a member of Iraq's Yazidi minority, was among thousands of women and girls who were captured and forced into sexual slavery by Islamic State militants in 2014. She became an activist on behalf of women and girls after escaping and finding refuge in Germany.—AP

Germany arrests four over bid to revive banned far-right group
BERLIN, Dec 12: Authorities in Germany have arrested four people and carried out raids at 15 sites in an investigation of suspected efforts to revive a far-right group that was banned 18 years ago. The German division of the "Blood & Honor" skinhead group was banned in 2000, with authorities saying that it spread neo-Nazi ideology through racist music, magazines and websites. — AP