"Malaysia's Pardons Board Halves Prison Sentence for Ex-PM Najib Razak"

Malaysia has halved the jail term of former Prime Minister Najib Razak, who was convicted in the 1MDB corruption scandal, reducing his sentence to six years and lowering his fines. Najib, the first Malaysian premier to be jailed, remains on trial in multiple cases related to the scandal, which involved the misappropriation of billions of dollars from a state fund he established. The decision to reduce his sentence has raised concerns about political influence in Malaysia's fight against corruption, especially as the country's current administration has faced accusations of backsliding on reforms.