Ducati's Marc Marquez takes a 10-point lead into this weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix following his impressive victory in the sprint race at Phillip Island last time out.
His nearest rival is Aprilia rider Jorge Martin, who is attempting to race with a broken arm following his high-speed crash in Australia.
The ****** le protagonists have enjoyed relatively limited success at Sepang. Marquez last won the race back in 2018, while Aprilia has never scored a premier class podium at this venue.
Ducati has won the last four MotoGP races at Sepang, with Alex Marquez triumphing for Gresini in 2025. Francesco Bagnaia has won twice at the venue, while Enea Bastianini was victorious in 2023.
Your time

#marquez #marc #malaysian

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysian former Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob was charged Thursday with failing to declare his ****** ets, making him the nation's third leader to face criminal charges after leaving office.
Ismail, 66, pleaded not guilty to a charge under the anti-graft law that alleged he failed to provide a complete declaration of ****** ets following a notice from the anti-corruption agency in January 2025. The charge sheet lists large amounts of cash in Malaysian and foreign currencies, as well as gold and silver.
If convicted, Ismail faces up to five years' imprisonment and a fine of up to 100,000 ringgit ($24,810).
Ismail, the country's ninth leader, unexpectedly became prime minister without a general election after emerging as a consensus figure during a turbulent political period. He was the shortest-serving leader, leading for only 15 months from August 2021 to November 2022.
After leaving office, Ismail has been questioned multiple times by anti-graft officials for possible misconduct involving millions of dollars spent on government publicity during his tenure. The anti-graft agency has also seized gold bars and some $40 million in cash from properties linked to him.

#anti #graft #minister #leaving

Two established fan favorites look to reassert their standing at the top of a talent-laden women's atomweight MMA division at ONE SAMURAI 4.
Itsuki "Android 18" Hirata and Jihin "Shadow Cat" Radzuan will settle unfinished business when they meet in a pivotal atomweight MMA rematch, which emanates live from Ariake Arena in Tokyo, **** an, on Saturday, October 17.
Hirata originally burst onto the global stage with real fanfare, backing up her widespread popularity with formidable judo skills. The 27-year-old ignited her promotional tenure with a flawless 4-0 run that featured three finishes.
However, that momentum came to a screeching halt when her path first crossed with Jihin's at the historic ONE X in 2022.
Entering the highly anticipated bout as the clear favorite, the Tokyo native found her signature hip throws repeatedly neutralized by the resilient Malaysian underdog. Jihin executed clever escapes and expertly timed strikes to control the exchanges, ultimately leaving Hirata trailing on the judges' scorecards to secure a split-decision upset.

#jihin

Malaysia's Sultan Abdullah and former actress Julia Rais' daughter Princess Ilyana of Malaysia, 29, married British racing driver Christopher Froggatt, 32, over the weekend.
The couple gathered their friends and family in Kuala Lumpur, where the bride walked down the aisle in a heavily embroidered column wedding dress by Malaysian designer Radzuan Radziwill. Features included long sleeves, puff shoulders and an embellished skirt, which tied in with Ilyana's glittering bridal jewellery.
As well as an heirloom necklace that fell in the same V-neck as her dress, the bride wore a sentimental tiara that had been in the family for generations – but she opted for the newly-tweaked version.
According to the Royal Watcher, the Queen Azizah Diamond Tiara was originally acquired from the Belgian jeweller Wolfers in Brussels, but it has been loaned to brides such as Tengku Nurul Kamalia for her 2008 wedding to Dato Ahmad Najmi and Puteri Afzan Shakira when she married Khairul Fahmy in 2015.
Three years later, the original design underwent a makeover for the Sultan's daughter Tengku Puteri Iman Afzan's wedding to Tengku Dato Sri Abu Bakar Ahmad in 2018, with three diamond stars added to the middle section for a more striking overall appearance.

#tiara #three

A 24-year-old Thai footballer died and at least nine other individuals, including a Malaysian national, suffered injuries after being struck by lightning in the middle of the pitch during a regional cup match in southern Thailand, the police stated.
Sofwan Awae, a winger who recently signed up with the third-tier Yala FC, was in a critical condition upon the arrival of the officers at Santiphap Stadium in Sungai Golok on Tuesday evening, according to the Sungai Golok police chief Col. Thun Sirikhunt.
"Although the emergency medical team made every effort to save him, the victim succumbed to severe injuries sustained in the incident," Thun told Bernama, the Malaysian state news agency.
The lightning strike occurred during the semi-final match of the Golok FA Cup, an amateur competition with teams from both sides of the Thailand-Malaysia border. Awae played for the mixed Thai-Malaysian team SAMCOLTS against Abu x Nong Sirin when the rain poured heavily over the pitch around 5 p.m. local time, Thun said. The police received the emergency phone call about half an hour later.
The amateur video footage uploaded on the Internet captures the players moving in the rain before the lightning strikes the middle of the pitch with a loud explosion that sends several players to the ground. The teammates help Awae, who is lying face down on the ground, into a supine position and try to revive him while spectators move onto the pitch.

#awae #thun

England's teenage cyclist Henry Hobbs claimed his first senior individual medal by winning Commonwealth Games bronze in the men's elimination race - just one day after a dramatic gold in the 4,000m team pursuit.
Fresh from the exploits of Thursday evening, the 19-year-old from Essex enjoyed yet more success in his first appearance at a major competition.
Hobbs managed to hold off New Zealand's Thomas ***** ton to finish third behind Scottish silver medallist Mark Stewart and Australian winner Blake Agnoletto.
His compatriot Harry Ledingham-Horn also picked up his first senior individual medal with bronze in the men's keirin.
The 22-year-old from Stoke-on-Trent finished 0.243 seconds behind Malaysian winner Mohd Azizulhasni Awang and 0.134 off silver medallist Leigh Hoffman of Australia.

#first #medal #bronze #year

The 2026 Formula 1 calendar has been in a state of flux since the Middle East conflict forced the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix earlier this year. Now, the scramble to fill the void is reaching a climax, and a fan-favorite circuit is on the verge of an unexpected return.
According to a recent update from F1 Speed Indonesia, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has officially addressed the rumors surrounding the Sepang International Circuit. Responding to press inquiries regarding F1's request to have Malaysia replace the canceled Bahrain GP, Ibrahim confirmed that a definitive answer is imminent.
"Regarding F1, we will make an announcement on Sunday," the Prime Minister stated, setting a July 26 deadline for the decision.
This aligns with recent confirmations from Malaysia's Youth and Sports Ministry, which has been actively ***** sing the feasibility, costs, and logistics of hosting a Grand Prix at short notice.
The aggressive push for Malaysia comes after F1's initial contingency plans fell apart. Organizers had originally hoped to reschedule the Bahrain GP for early October—slotting it right between the Azerbaijan and Singapore races. However, with geopolitical tensions flaring up once again, the FIA and F1 management have been forced to abandon the Middle East makeup dates entirely.

#Bahrain #prix #malaysia #circuit

By Clare Jim and Danial Azhar
HONG KONG/JOHOR, Malaysia, July 24 (Reuters) - After leapfrogging Singapore to become the region's fastest-growing data centre hub, Malaysia is facing intensifying scrutiny as the resources debate that has complicated the industry's growth spreads to emerging Asia.
Protests over a data centre complex in Johor state's southern tip — the epicentre of the boom — were the first of their kind in ‌the country. In Selangor, the richest and most populous state, debate about the burden on communities has become politicised.
"Two years ago, it was just about building capacity," said Cheam Tat Inn, managing director ‌at the Malaysian arm of U.S. data centre operator Equinix.
"The conversation today is more like, How will you use power? Are you looking at renewables? They want to see how you're going to grow sustainably and responsibly."

#johor #debate #clare

Just a week after its high-octane tripleheader, ONE Championship returns with two explosive spectacles at "The Madison Square Garden of the East."
The world's largest martial arts organization will broadcast The Inner Circle 23 and ONE Friday Fights 163 live in Asia primetime from the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, July 24.
In the headline attraction of The Inner Circle 23, the legendary Sam-A Gaiyanghadao will take on 22-year-old Thai-Malaysian phenom Aliff Sor Dechapan for the ONE Interim Strawweight Muay Thai World Championship.
In the main event of ONE Friday Fights 163, Pompet Pongsuphan PK will look to author his second straight knockout performance. But Lethwei star Nat Khat Min will attempt to shut him down in this flyweight Muay Thai thriller and make this a promotional debut to remember.
Plus, 16 other rising stars will try to leave Lumpinee Stadium with a victory, a life-changing US$100,000 contract, and coveted spot on ONE Championship's global roster.

#Friday #championship #stadium #muay

Umios has moved to enter Southeast Asia's pet-food market through a deal for 51% of Malaysia's Pet World International.
The ***** anese seafood giant, formerly known as Maruha Nichiro, has a presence in wet cat food, selling to east Asia, North America and Europe.
The acquisition of a majority stake in Pet World International (PWI) will see Umios enter Southeast Asia and expand its range to dry dog food.
Umios, which is paying Malaysian conglomerate Wah Kong Corporation Y11.4bn ($$70.4m) for the stake in PWI, described Southeast Asia as the "fastest-growing pet-food market" in Asia. The company pointed to the Philippines and Thailand, where it said sales are growing at a compound annual growth rate of 10%.
In a stock-exchange filing, Umios said PWI has a "strong brand position" in Malaysia. Without disclosing figures, the company added PWI "holds the number two market share" in the dog and cat pet food market in Malaysia.

Malaysian scientists have discovered a new species of parasitic fungus that preys on "zombie fungus" known to infect insects before subjecting them to a gruesome death.
The new species was found in the jungles on Malaysia's part of Borneo, a large island known for its biodiverse rainforests. Samples were collected during multiple field trips conducted by the University of Malaysia Sabah's Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation, and the research was published in the New Zealand Journal of Botany.
It was dubbed a "hyperparasite" because it "effectively parasitizes the primary pathogen," the institute's Deputy Director Jaya Seelan Sathiya Seelan told AFP on Friday.
"The fungus belongs to the genus Pleurocordyceps and acts as a specialized hyperparasite," Seelan said.
The new species targets ants already infected by Ophiocordyceps, or "zombie fungus," which manipulates the infected insect's nervous system and makes it behave erratically before killing it and bursting from its carcass.

Under glaring laboratory lights, a research **** istant extends his forearm and carefully inverts a mesh-topped container onto his skin to allow a wriggling mass of bed bugs to feed on his blood, all in the name of science.
Long-loathed as itchy household pests, the blood-sucking insects have revealed a darker, more intriguing potential as Malaysian scientists have discovered they can be turned into unlikely crime-busting allies.
A team from the Science University of Malaysia (USM) in northern Penang has found that tropical bed bugs can retain DNA from human prey for up to 45 days after snac