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Turkish Delegation To Visit Damascus For Talks To Integrate SDF
A high-level Turkish delegation will visit Damascus on Monday to discuss bilateral ties and the implementation of a deal for integrating the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into Syria’s state apparatus, a Turkish Foreign Ministry source said.
The visit by Turkey’s foreign and defence ministers and its intelligence chief comes amid efforts by Syrian, Kurdish and U.S. officials to show some progress with the deal. But Ankara accuses the SDF of stalling ahead of a year-end deadline.
Turkey views the U.S.-backed SDF, which controls swathes of northeastern Syria, as a terrorist organisation and has warned of military action if the group does not honour the agreement.
Last week, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Ankara hoped to avoid resorting to military action against the SDF but that its patience was running out.
The Foreign Ministry source said Fidan, Defence Minister Yasar Guler and the head of Turkey’s MIT intelligence agency, Ibrahim Kalin, would attend the talks in Damascus, a year after the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad.
‘National Security’ At Stake
The source said the integration deal “closely concerned Turkey’s national security priorities” and the delegation would discuss its implementation. Turkey has said integration must ensure that the SDF’s chain of command is broken.
Sources have previously told Reuters that Damascus sent a proposal to the SDF expressing openness to reorganising the group’s roughly 50,000 fighters into three main divisions and smaller brigades as long as it cedes some chains of command and opens its territory to other Syrian army units.
Turkey sees the SDF as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group and says it too must disarm and dissolve itself, in line with a disarmament process now underway between the Turkish state and the PKK.
Ankara has conducted cross-border military operations against the SDF in the past. It accuses the group of wanting to circumvent the integration deal and says this poses a threat to both Turkey and the unity of Syria.
(with inputs from Reuters)
Bangladesh: NCP Leader Shot In Khulna
Days after the killing of Bangladesh’s student activist Sharif Osman Hadi, another NCP student leader has been shot at in Khulna city.
The Dhaka Tribune reports that National Citizen Party (NCP) Khulna division chief and central organiser of Shramik Shakti, Motaleb Sikder, was shot in public in the city’s Sonadanga area around 11:45 am on Monday. He was taken to Khulna Medical College Hospital in critical condition.
Sonadanga Model police station Officer-in-charge Animesh Mandal said Sikder was shot by miscreants and rescued by locals, who rushed him to the hospital, added the report. Police were later deployed to the scene.
Out Of Danger
The New Indian Express reports that his condition was initially described as critical, but medical assessments later indicated that the bullet grazed his skull, and he is now out of danger.
Sikder’s party, the National Citizen Party, was formed earlier this year. It emerged from the Students Against Discrimination movement and the Jatiya Nagorik Committee, becoming Bangladesh’s first major student-led political party.
The police have told Prothom Alo that they are certain that the shooting occurred due to an internal dispute among those who were present at the crime scene.
Saif Newaz, organiser of the NCP Khulna city unit, told Prothom Alo that Sikder was recently involved in preparations for an upcoming divisional labour rally of the party.
Hadi’s Killing
Violent protests have taken place across Bangladesh last week after the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, a radical leader known for his anti-India sentiment. Hadi gained fame for his role during the 2024 student protests and uprising that led to the ouster of the then PM of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina.
Hadi was shot on December 12 by masked assailants, and his shooters remain to be found. After being treated in Dhaka, he was airlifted to a hospital in Singapore for treatment, where he succumbed to his injuries on December 18. The protests have also grown more targeted towards India following Hadi’s shooting.
Trump Shakes Up Global Trade In 2025, Uncertainty To Persist
President Donald Trump’s return to the White House in 2025 kicked off a frenetic year for global trade, with waves of tariffs on U.S. trading partners that lifted import taxes to their highest since the Great Depression, roiled financial markets and sparked rounds of negotiations over trade and investment deals.
His trade policies – and the global reaction to them – will remain front and centre in 2026, but face some hefty challenges.
What Happened In 2025
Trump’s moves, aimed broadly at reviving a declining manufacturing base, lifted the average tariff rate to nearly 17% from less than 3% at the end of 2024, according to Yale Budget Lab, and the levies are now generating roughly $30 billion a month of revenue for the U.S. Treasury.
They brought world leaders scrambling to Washington seeking deals for lower rates, often in return for pledges of billions of dollars in U.S. investments. Framework deals were struck with a host of major trading partners, including the European Union, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and others, but notably a final agreement with China remains on the undone list despite multiple rounds of talks and a face-to-face meeting between Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
The EU was criticised by many for its deal for a 15% tariff on its exports and a vague commitment to big U.S. investments. France’s prime minister at the time, Francois Bayrou, called it an act of submission and a “sombre day” for the bloc. Others shrugged that it was the “least bad” deal on offer.
Since then, European exporters and economies have broadly coped with the new tariff rate, thanks to various exemptions and their ability to find markets elsewhere. French bank Societe Generale estimated the total direct impact of the tariffs was equivalent to just 0.37% of the region’s GDP.
Meanwhile, China’s trade surplus defied Trump’s tariffs to surpass $1 trillion as it succeeded in diversifying away from the U.S., moved its manufacturing sector up the value chain, and used the leverage it has gained in rare earth minerals – crucial inputs into the West’s security scaffolding – to push back against pressure from the U.S. or Europe to curb its surplus.
U.S. Inflation Elevated
What notably did not happen was the economic calamity and high inflation that legions of economists predicted would unfold from Trump’s tariffs.
The U.S. economy suffered a modest contraction in the first quarter amid a scramble to import goods before tariffs took effect, but quickly rebounded and continues to grow at an above-trend pace thanks to a massive artificial intelligence investment boom and resilient consumer spending. The International Monetary Fund, in fact, twice lifted its global growth outlook in the months following Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs announcement in April as uncertainty ebbed and deals were struck to reduce the originally announced rates.
And while U.S. inflation remains somewhat elevated in part because of tariffs, economists and policymakers now expect the effects to be milder and short-lived than feared, with cost sharing of the import taxes occurring across the supply chain among producers, importers, retailers and consumers.
What To Look Out For
A big unknown for 2026 is whether many of Trump’s tariffs are allowed to stand. A challenge to the novel legal premise for what he branded as “reciprocal” tariffs on goods from individual countries and for levies imposed on China, Canada and Mexico tied to the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. was argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in late 2025, and a decision is expected in early 2026.
The Trump administration insists it can shift to other, more-established legal authorities to keep tariffs in place should it lose. But those are more cumbersome and often limited in scope, so a loss at the high court for the administration might prompt renegotiations of the deals struck so far or usher in a new era of uncertainty about where the tariffs will end up.
Arguably, just as important for Europe is what is happening with its trading relationship with China, which has been a reliable destination for its exporters. The depreciation of the yuan and the gradual move up the value chain for Chinese companies have helped China’s exporters. Europe’s companies, meanwhile, have struggled to make further inroads into the slowing domestic Chinese market. One of the key questions for 2026 is whether Europe finally uses tariffs or other measures to address what some of its officials are starting to call the “imbalances” in the China-EU trading ties.
Efforts to finally cement a U.S.-China deal loom large as well. A shaky detente reached in this year’s talks will expire in the second half of 2026, and Trump and Xi are tentatively set to meet twice over the course of the year.
And lastly, the free trade deal with the two largest U.S. trading partners – Canada and Mexico – is up for review in 2026 amid uncertainty over whether Trump will let the pact expire or try to retool it more to his liking.
(with inputs from Reuters)
Myanmar’s Election Tests India’s Eastern Strategy
Myanmar’s military has announced elections beginning December 28, spread across multiple phases into January, but the process is designed to preserve military control rather than transfer power, according to Dr Cchavi Vasisht, Associate Fellow at the Chintan Research Foundation
The military, which has ruled Myanmar directly or indirectly for more than seven decades, framed the vote as part of a roadmap released after the 2021 coup. That roadmap promised elections and reforms to the election commission. In practice, the system rests firmly on the 2008 Constitution, which guarantees the military 25 percent of parliamentary seats, giving it an effective veto over any constitutional change. Past attempts by the National League for Democracy to amend this framework failed for that reason.
The constitution also allows elections to be held in phases and only in selected areas. This provision is now central to the military’s plan. Polling will take place mainly in central regions under army control, while elections have been cancelled in at least 65 townships, mostly in border areas described as “unstable.” Many of these regions are controlled by ethnic armed groups that now run local administration, courts, and economic activity.
The playing field has narrowed further through restrictive party registration rules. High membership thresholds and financial requirements have excluded dozens of parties, including the NLD, effectively clearing the path for the pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party to retain power. A new election protection law has also introduced harsh penalties, including the death penalty, for opposing the process.
Despite questions over legitimacy, regional and global powers are expected to engage with the post-election government. Dr Vasisht argues that isolating Myanmar has previously pushed it closer to China, a scenario India and others want to avoid. Myanmar shares a long land and maritime boundary with India and sits at the junction of South and Southeast Asia, making disengagement costly.
Aung San Suu Kyi remains imprisoned, with no clear information about her health or location. While her past role in Myanmar’s political transition is acknowledged, her current influence is uncertain. Meanwhile, violence continues, ethnic conflicts persist, and instability is likely to remain a defining feature of Myanmar’s political landscape even after the vote. Watch the full interview to understand why Myanmar is important for India.
Syria’s Prisons Fill Up Again With Alawites, Christians And Shias
The first wave of detentions in the new Syria came almost immediately – just after victorious rebels flung open the doors of Bashar al-Assad’s notorious prisons.
As ordinary Syrians stormed detention complexes last December to search for loved ones who had vanished under Assad’s rule, thousands of the deposed dictator’s soldiers who had abandoned their posts – officers and conscripts alike – were taken prisoner by the rebels.
Then came the second wave in late winter: Hundreds of people from Assad’s Alawite sect, mostly men, were seized by the new authorities throughout Syria. Their detentions spiked after a brief uprising along the coast in March killed dozens of security forces, sparking reprisals that left nearly 1,500 Alawites dead. Those arrests continue to this day.
Beginning in summer there was another round of mass detentions, this time in the south among the minority Druze community. It came after hundreds died in an outbreak of sectarian violence, with government forces accused of summary executions and other abuses.
Throughout, there were other detentions from all denominations in the name of security: large numbers of people, many from Syria’s Sunni majority, accused of vague links to
Assad; human-rights activists; Christians who say they have been shaken down for information or money; Shi’ites picked up at checkpoints and accused of ties with Iran or Hezbollah.
Prisons and lockups that jailed tens of thousands of people during Assad’s rule are now crowded with Syrians detained by President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s security forces and held without formal charges, a Reuters investigation has found.
Reuters compiled the names of at least 829 people who have been detained on security grounds since Assad’s demise a year ago, according to interviews with family members of the detainees and people who themselves were in detention. In reaching this number, Reuters also reviewed some lists of detainees created by people who organized family
visits to seven facilities.
Interviews, lists of detainees and multiple accounts of overcrowding in the prisons and lockups suggest that the number of security detainees is considerably higher than the tally that Reuters was able to establish.
Car Bomb Kills Russian General In Moscow, Ukraine Hand Suspected
A Russian general was killed by a car bomb in southern Moscow on Monday, Russian
investigators said, adding that they suspected Ukrainian special services could have been behind the attack.
The bomb exploded under the Kia Sorento car driven by Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Russian General Staff’s army operational training directorate, as he left a parking space at 06:55 Moscow time (0355 GMT).
Russia’s State Investigative Committee said Sarvarov had died from his injuries. It published video of the wrecked vehicle, with blood visible on the driver’s seat and one of the doors blown off.
Svetlana Petrenko, a spokesperson for the committee, said investigators were gathering forensic evidence, questioning witnesses and reviewing security camera footage.
“Various versions for the killing are being examined, one of which involves the possible role of Ukrainian intelligence services in organising the crime,” she said.
There was no official comment from Ukraine.
Myrotvorets, an unofficial Ukrainian website that provides a database of people described as war criminals or traitors, updated its entry on Sarvarov to say the 56-year-old had been “liquidated”.
A string of Russian military figures and high-profile supporters of Moscow’s war in Ukraine have been assassinated during the nearly four-year-old conflict, and Ukrainian military
intelligence has said it was responsible for a number of the attacks.
Among those killed in previous car bombings in or near Moscow were a senior member of the General Staff, the chief of Russia’s Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Troops and the daughter of a prominent Russian nationalist figure.
Interfax news agency quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying President Vladimir Putin had been instantly informed of the attack on Sarvarov.
China Slams U.S. for Seizing Venezuela Oil Tanker Bound for China
China on Monday sharply criticised the United States for intercepting a China-bound oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast, calling the action a “serious violation of international law.” Beijing’s response marks its strongest public reaction yet to Washington’s expanding maritime enforcement campaign against Venezuela’s oil exports.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters that Venezuela “has the right to develop relations with other countries” and that China “firmly opposes all unilateral and illegal sanctions.” Lin urged the U.S. to “respect international law and the norms of international relations” and to avoid actions that could escalate regional tensions.
U.S. Intercepts Sanctioned Tanker Carrying Venezuelan Crude
The criticism followed Washington’s interception on Saturday of the oil tanker Centuries in international waters off Venezuela, the second such seizure in a week. The operation came days after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a “blockade” targeting all sanctioned tankers entering or leaving the South American country.
According to documents reviewed by Reuters, the Centuries had loaded 1.8 million barrels of Venezuelan Merey crude oil and was bound for China under a false flag, operating under the name “Crag.” The cargo was reportedly purchased by Satau Tijana Oil Trading, an intermediary involved in Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA’s sales to independent Chinese refiners.
A White House spokesperson said the tanker formed part of Venezuela’s “shadow fleet” and accused it of carrying sanctioned oil in violation of U.S. restrictions. The official described the ship as a “falsely flagged vessel” engaged in illicit trade designed to evade sanctions.
Venezuela and China Denounce “Piracy”
Venezuela’s government condemned the interception as “a serious act of international piracy,” saying it violated the country’s sovereignty and international maritime law. Caracas has been seeking to maintain crude exports despite years of U.S. sanctions targeting its energy sector.
China, which remains Venezuela’s largest oil customer, continues to import roughly 4% of its total crude supply from the country. Beijing has consistently criticised U.S. secondary sanctions, arguing that they disrupt global trade and undermine developing nations’ economic rights.
Rising Geopolitical Tensions
The latest seizure underscores growing friction between Washington, Beijing and Caracas as the U.S. expands its maritime operations in the Caribbean and Atlantic to curb Venezuela’s sanctioned oil trade. Analysts warn that the move risks inflaming broader geopolitical tensions between the world’s two largest economies.
Beijing has reiterated that its energy cooperation with Venezuela is based on “mutual respect and equality” and insists that such trade is lawful. Chinese officials have also urged all parties to pursue dialogue rather than confrontation in resolving disputes related to global energy markets.
With multiple U.S. naval operations now active in the region, observers say further seizures could heighten the standoff and disrupt crude flows from one of the world’s most heavily sanctioned oil producers.
with inputs from Reuters
Trade Deal With India: Kiwi PM Hails, Foreign Minister Rails!
India and New Zealand have formally concluded a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA), marking a significant milestone in India’s expanding global trade architecture and strengthening economic ties across the Indo-Pacific.
The agreement, finalised after intensive negotiations launched in March 2025, is being described by both sides as a next-generation trade partnership that goes beyond tariffs to focus on jobs, investment, mobility, agricultural productivity and people-to-people links.
Piyush Goyal, Minister Commerce and Industry said: “This is the 7th FTA, all of them with developed economies, demonstrating that we are expanding trade relations rapidly, with countries who compliment the Indian economy rather than those that compete with India. This is both comprehensive and forward looking.”
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon confirmed the conclusion of the pact after speaking with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Calling it a breakthrough for Kiwi exporters and workers, he said the deal would dramatically improve New Zealand’s access to one of the world’s fastest-growing markets.
“This will open doors for New Zealand farmers, growers and businesses, boosting exports, creating jobs and lifting incomes so all Kiwis can get ahead,” Luxon said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
For India, the agreement delivers 100% duty-free access on all tariff lines, significantly enhancing competitiveness for labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, apparel, leather, footwear, gems and jewellery, marine products, engineering goods, automobiles and agricultural exports.
This is expected to directly benefit MSMEs, artisans, women-led enterprises and young entrepreneurs by integrating them more deeply into global value chains.
The New Zealand government says the FTA eliminates or reduces tariffs on 95% of its exports to India, with projections suggesting New Zealand exports could rise by $1.1–1.3 billion annually over the next two decades.
Luxon highlighted that improved trade access to India’s 1.4 billion consumers would translate into higher wages and new opportunities at home.
But it came with an unexpected attack from no less than New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters, who said his New Zealand First party was “regrettably opposed” to the deal and would vote against it in parliament.
His post on X said “We consider the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement to be neither free nor fair. Regrettably, this is a bad deal for New Zealand. It gives too much away, especially on immigration, and does not get enough in return for New Zealanders, including on dairy.”
The India FTA would be New Zealand’s first trade deal to exclude major dairy products – including milk, cheese and butter. He also claimed that it had extraneous elements such as the immigration of Indians to New Zealand and investment in India.
The final agreement is expected to be inked in the first quarter of 2026 as the negotiated text is under legal scrub.
U.S. Coast Guard Pursues Sanctioned Oil Tanker Near Venezuela
The U.S. Coast Guard is pursuing an oil tanker in international waters near Venezuela, officials told Reuters on Sunday, in what would mark the second such operation over the weekend and the third in less than two weeks if successful.
A U.S. official described the targeted vessel as part of a “dark fleet” engaged in sanctions evasion linked to Venezuela’s oil trade. “The United States Coast Guard is in active pursuit of a sanctioned ‘dark fleet’ vessel that is part of Venezuela’s illegal sanctions evasion,” the official said. “It is flying a false flag and under a judicial seizure order.”
Bella 1 Identified as Vessel Under Pursuit
While U.S. authorities did not name the ship, British maritime risk firm Vanguard and a U.S. maritime security source identified it as Bella 1, a very large crude carrier (VLCC) sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department last year for its links to Iran. According to the vessel-tracking service TankerTrackers.com, Bella 1 was empty as it approached Venezuela on Sunday.
Internal documents from Venezuela’s state-owned oil company PDVSA showed that in 2021 the ship had transported crude oil to China and previously carried Iranian oil.
Officials said no boarding had yet taken place and that U.S. interceptions can take various forms including sailing or flying close to vessels suspected of sanctions violations. They did not disclose the operation’s precise location.
Intensified U.S. Campaign on Venezuela’s Oil Trade
The pursuit follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement last week of a “blockade” targeting all oil tankers under sanctions that enter or leave Venezuela. The campaign forms part of a broader effort to pressure Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, involving heightened military activity in the Caribbean and Pacific.
According to U.S. officials, the initiative has led to over two dozen military strikes on vessels near Venezuela, resulting in at least 100 deaths. The White House did not immediately comment on the latest operation.
The Skipper, another VLCC and the first Venezuela-linked vessel seized by the U.S. on 10 December, arrived on Sunday at the Galveston Offshore Lightering Area near Houston, where very large crude carriers typically transfer their cargoes to smaller tankers due to depth restrictions in the Houston Ship Channel.
Kevin Hassett, director of the White House’s National Economic Council, defended the seizures during an interview on CBS’s Face the Nation. He said the tankers were “black market ships” supplying sanctioned nations and dismissed concerns about U.S. fuel prices. “There’s just a couple of them,” Hassett said, “and they were black market ships.”
Market and Regional Implications
Oil markets reacted cautiously to the developments. In early Asian trading on Monday, Brent crude futures rose 42 cents, or 0.7%, to $60.89 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate gained 37 cents to $56.89 per barrel.
Analysts warned that further tanker seizures could escalate tensions and disrupt Venezuelan oil exports. UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo said traders might view the operations as “an escalation with more Venezuelan barrels at risk,” especially since one of the intercepted vessels over the weekend was not itself under U.S. sanctions.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro vowed on Wednesday that his government would continue oil trade despite mounting U.S. pressure. However, experts said Washington’s focus on intercepting tankers could quickly reduce export volumes and strain Venezuela’s already limited storage capacity.
“The effects could be felt rapidly as Venezuela’s export volumes decline and storage tanks reach capacity, forcing the country to cut production,” said Francisco Monaldi, director of the Latin America Energy Program at Rice University’s Baker Institute.
with inputs from Reuters
Malaysia Rejects Ex-PM Najib’s House Arrest Bid Ahead Of Key Verdict
A court in Malaysia denied on Monday a bid by jailed former Prime Minister Najib Razak to serve the remainder of his sentence at home, in the first of two key rulings the ex-premier faces this week over his role in the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal.
Najib, who has been imprisoned since 2022, had his 12-year jail sentence halved last year by a pardons board chaired by the former king of Malaysia.
But he insists the monarch of Malaysia also issued an “addendum order” that converts his sentence to house arrest, and that Najib has been seeking to compel the government to confirm the document’s existence and enforce its contents.
Pardons Board And Limitations
Government officials, including members of the pardons board, for months denied knowledge of its existence, though the former king’s office and a federal lawyer this year confirmed the royal document had been issued.
The king plays a largely ceremonial role in Malaysia, but can pardon convicted people as one of the discretionary powers granted to him by the federal constitution.
The Kuala Lumpur High Court on Monday said the existence of the document was not in dispute, but the order was not legally enforceable as it was not made with the consultation of the country’s pardons board, as required under the constitution.
While Malaysia’s rulers are allowed to issue pardons according to their discretion, their powers are not without limits, Judge Alice Loke said.
“The addendum order was not deliberated nor decided at the pardons board meeting … Consequently, it is not a valid order,” Loke said.
Najib will appeal the ruling, his lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah told reporters after the verdict, adding that the decision risked diluting the power of Malaysia’s rulers to grant clemency.
Additional Jail Time
Monday’s decision comes four days before the court reaches a verdict in Najib’s biggest trial related to the scandal at 1MDB, the state fund he co-founded in 2009.
U.S. investigators say at least $4.5 billion was misappropriated from 1MDB by the fund’s high-level officials and their associates. More than $1 billion allegedly flowed into bank accounts owned by Najib, who co-founded the fund in 2009.
He was found guilty of graft and money laundering in 2020 after receiving funds from a 1MDB unit. Two years later, Najib became the first prime minister of Malaysia to go to prison after losing all his appeals.
Voted out in 2018, Najib last year apologised for mishandling the scandal during his time in office, but he has consistently denied wrongdoing, saying he was misled about the source of the funds by fugitive financier Jho Low and other 1MDB officials.
On December 26, the court will decide whether to convict Najib of four additional charges of corruption and 21 counts of money laundering involving the illegal transfer of about 2.2 billion ringgit ($539 million) from 1MDB.
If found guilty, he could face a maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment on each charge, as well as a fine of up to five times the value of the alleged misappropriations.
PM Anwar Being Tested
Both court verdicts are being closely watched amid growing tensions within current premier Anwar Ibrahim’s ruling coalition over the treatment of Najib, who remains a popular figure within his own party, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).
UMNO – which champions the rights of the country’s majority ethnic Malays – campaigned against Anwar, but joined his coalition in government following a 2022 election that resulted in a hung parliament.
UMNO youth leader Akmal Saleh called on the party on Monday to withdraw from the government, saying the decision not to allow house arrest for Najib reduced the powers of the Malay rulers.
The party, he said, was also offended by social media posts by some members of Anwar’s coalition celebrating the court decision.
“Better for us to be a dignified opposition than be insulted by these ignorant parties,” he said in a post on Facebook.
Anwar, who came to power on an anti-corruption platform, also faces pressure about his commitment to reform as prosecutors dropped several charges against Najib. This month, prosecutors also abandoned an appeal against the acquittal of Najib’s wife, Rosmah Mansor, in a separate graft case.
Anwar has said he does not interfere in court cases, though the country’s attorney generals are appointed by the prime minister and their independence has often been questioned.
“It’s a test of the prosecution, it’s a test of the judiciary, it’s a test of political will,” University of Nottingham Asia political analyst Bridget Welsh said.