A former top executive for major Las Vegas casinos was set to appear before a federal judge on Wednesday after admitting he allowed an illegal bookmaker to gamble millions of dollars at the MGM Grand and pay off debts in cash. Scott Sibella pleaded guilty in January to violating federal anti-money laundering rules that require casinos to file reports of suspicious transactions. He faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Following Sibella’s guilty plea, the MGM Grand and nearby Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas settled a related...

A Malaysian national team footballer who was the victim of an acid attack remained in an intensive care unit Tuesday with fourth-degree burns that will require more surgery, local media reported. Faisal Halim suffered burns on the neck, shoulder, hands and chest in Petaling Jaya district outside the capital Kuala Lumpur over the weekend. Nicknamed "Mickey", the 26-year-old plays on the right wing for Selangor Football Club and Malaysia. "After the first surgery, the specialist doctors found that it was not second-degree burns but fourth-degree burns," Football Association of Selangor...

President Biden on Thursday hosted the first-ever summit between the leaders of the U.S., Japan and the Philippines in a major show of solidarity against China’s military aggressiveness in the South China Sea. Mr. Biden began the meeting by reaffirming the U.S.’s commitment to its defense partnership with both countries. “I want to be clear: The United States defense commitments to Japan and the Philippines are ironclad,” he said. “Any attack on Philippine aircraft, vessels, or armed forces in the South China Sea would invoke our mutual defense treaty.” A...

Malaysia's inflation cooled further in November, easing more than expected as growth in prices of core products such as food and beverages decelerated. The consumer-price index rose 1.5% in November from a year earlier, the Department of Statistics said Friday. That compared with a 1.8% increase in October--the lowest since April 2021--and consensus forecasts for a 1.7% rise. Economists had largely expected inflation to soften, continuing a broad downward trend seen throughout the year.

Malaysia's central bank kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged on Thursday as expected, and said the country's growth outlook continues to face risks such as weak external demand and protracted declines in commodities production. Bank Negara Malaysia held the overnight policy rate at 3.0%, marking the third meeting in a row where the central bank has stood pat. All eight economists polled by The Wall Street Journal had expected Bank Negara to keep the rate unchanged. The bank delivered its first and so far only hike of the year in...

Malaysia cut a music festival short as a result of two male band mates of The 1975 sharing a kiss Friday. The kiss was meant as a protest of the country's laws against homosexuality and was preceded by a speech from lead singer Matty Healy bashing the laws. Healy, along with bass player Ross MacDonald, and their bandmates have been subsequently banned from the country for their conduct. Since The 1975's performance came on the first day of the three-day Good Vibes festival, two days' worth of performances were also...

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — British pop rock band The 1975 announced on Sunday it was canceling its shows in Jakarta and Taipei after the Malaysian government cut short a music festival in the wake of the band’s lead singer slamming the country’s anti-gay laws and kissing a male bandmate during their performance. The 1975 was scheduled to have a performance at We The Fest, Indonesia’s annual summer music festival, in Jakarta on Sunday night, part of their 2023 Asia tour. “The 1975 regret to announce that their forthcoming shows in...

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia’s government Saturday cut short a music festival after the lead singer of British band The 1975 slammed the country’s anti-gay laws and kissed a male bandmate during their performance. Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil slammed Matty Healy’s conduct late Friday at the start of the Good Vibes Festival as “very rude.” Healey used profanity in his speech criticizing the government’s stance against homosexuality, before kissing bass player Ross MacDonald. Footage of the fiasco was posted on social media and sparked a backlash in...