IN BRIEF (Page 12)

China Daily | Updated: 2019-02-11 08:38

United Kingdom

May asks lawmakers for 'more time' on Brexit

With Brexit just 47 days away, the government asked lawmakers on Sunday to give Prime Minister Theresa May more time to rework her divorce deal with the European Union. Communities Secretary James Brokenshire said Parliament would get to pass judgment on May's Brexit plan "no later than Feb 27". Britain is due to leave the EU on March 29, but Parliament has rejected May's divorce bill, leaving the prime minister to seek changes from the EU. The UK's bid for last-minute changes has exasperated EU leaders, who insist the legally binding withdrawal agreement can't be changed. The impasse risks a chaotic "no deal" departure for Britain, which could be painful for businesses and ordinary people on both sides of the Channel. Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl told the BBC that a "disorderly exit" was now the most likely option.

Malaysia

Najib to go on trial over 1MDB financial scandal

The country's former leader Najib Razak will go on trial this week over an extraordinary financial scandal that contributed to the downfall of his longruling coalition and reverberated around the world. The former prime minister and his cronies are accused of stealing $4.5 billion from Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1MDB in a mind-boggling fraud that stretched from Switzerland to the Seychelles. The money was purportedly used to fund a global shopping spree - a $250-million superyacht, high-end real estate, and Monet and Van Gogh artworks were among the items allegedly bought with cash plundered from public coffers. This week's trial, starting on Tuesday, centers on allegations that $10.3 million was transferred from SRC International, a former 1MDB unit, into Najib's personal bank accounts.

Ap - Afp

(China Daily 02/11/2019 page12)