January 23, 2026
Local
Local
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 23 — Two foreign nationals have become the first individuals in Malaysia to be charged in court for littering under the newly enforced anti-littering law, according to a report by The Star.
WASHINGTON, June 29 — President Donald Trump declared yesterday that the United States would not tolerate the ongoing prosecution of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on corruption charges.
“The United States of America spends billions of dollars each year—far more than on any other nation—protecting and supporting Israel. We are not going to stand for this,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
His remarks followed an Israeli court decision on Friday rejecting Netanyahu’s request to delay his testimony in the corruption trial, stating the prime minister had not provided sufficient justification.
Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, are accused in one case of receiving over US$260,000 (RM1 million) worth of luxury gifts—including cigars, jewellery, and champagne—from wealthy benefactors in exchange for political favours. In two other cases, Netanyahu allegedly sought favorable media coverage from Israeli outlets.
Netanyahu denies all allegations and recently expressed gratitude to Trump for his support during Israel’s recent conflict with Iran, which ended in a ceasefire earlier this week.
His legal team had requested that court proceedings be postponed, arguing that Netanyahu needed time to focus on national security matters.
Trump came to Netanyahu’s defence on Wednesday, branding the charges a “witch hunt.” On Friday, he escalated his criticism, calling Netanyahu a “war hero” and warning that the trial could distract the Israeli leader from sensitive negotiations with Iran and Hamas.
“This travesty of ‘Justice’ will interfere with both Iran and Hamas negotiations,” Trump said, though he did not clarify what negotiations with Iran he was referring to.
Hamas took 251 hostages during its October 7, 2023, assault on Israel. Of those, 49 remain in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military believes are deceased. Talks are ongoing to secure the release of the remaining hostages and recover the bodies, while Israel’s military campaign in Gaza continues.
Trump also drew a parallel between Netanyahu’s legal troubles and his own, referring to his own criminal case before beginning his second term as president.
“It is a POLITICAL WITCH HUNT, very similar to the Witch Hunt that I was forced to endure,” he said.
In May 2024, Trump was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to hush money payments to a porn star. He also faces two federal cases, including one involving his alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden. — AFP
