Malaysia

Malaysian authorities dropped charges this week against the Indonesian woman accused of smearing poison on the face of Kim Jong Nam. But they won't drop charges against Doan Thi Huong.

Siti Aisyah of Indonesia was freed Monday after Malaysian prosecutors unexpectedly dropped the murder charge against her. Kim Jong Nam was killed after a nerve agent was spread on his face in 2017.

The U.S. bank and two of its former bankers face criminal charges in connection with Malaysia's 1MDB scandal, which involves billions of dollars allegedly stolen from a development fund.

Hassan Al Kontar arrived in Canada eight months after posting his first pleas for help at a Malaysian airport. He didn't have a visa to go anywhere else — until he found allies in an unlikely place.

Najib Razak was charged in connection with the 1MDB scandal, involving the alleged misuse of more than $1.5 billion. He pleaded not guilty to the 21 charges he faces.

The secretary of state will meet senior officials from the new Malaysian government, following the country's unexpected election result.

Lawyers are appealing the sentence and say the 54-year-old from Sydney was the victim of an online scam.

The pre-dawn raid on a condominium belonging to former Prime Minister Najib Razak, who was defeated in last week's elections, comes in connection with a long-running corruption scandal.

The release of Anwar, who has served nearly a decade in jail on two separate convictions for sodomy, was less than a week after a stunning election upset by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

Anwar Ibrahim, the popular opposition leader who was jailed for sodomy in 2015, will get a royal pardon — clearing the way for him to possibly become prime minister.