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.
LONDON, March 3 — Ukraine is prepared to sign a minerals agreement with the United States, President Volodymyr Zelensky told UK media yesterday.
"The agreement on the table will be signed if both parties are ready," Zelensky stated during a late-night discussion with UK journalists following a landmark summit in London.
The deal, intended as a step toward resolving the conflict in Ukraine, fell through on Friday after a tense Oval Office exchange between Zelensky and US President Donald Trump.
"Our policy is to continue what was established in the past—we remain constructive," Zelensky said, as quoted by the BBC.
"If we agreed to sign the minerals deal, we are ready to sign it."
Zelensky had traveled to Washington on Friday for a formal White House visit aimed at finalizing a US-Ukrainian partnership to jointly develop Ukraine’s vast mineral resources as part of a post-war recovery strategy under a US-brokered peace framework.
However, during their Oval Office meeting, Trump criticized Zelensky, urging him to be more "thankful" for US support in the three-year war, adding that without American assistance, Ukraine would have been overtaken by Russia.
"You're either going to make a deal, or we're out," Trump told Zelensky.
"And if we're out, you'll have to fight it out—and I don’t think it will be pretty."
While Trump previously described the proposed minerals deal as "very fair," the agreement would have provided financial benefits to Washington in exchange for supporting a peace truce. However, Trump has repeatedly refused to commit US military forces, even as European troops discuss potential peacekeeping roles.
Following the heated exchange, Zelensky departed in his motorcade shortly after being asked to leave, skipping a planned joint press conference. The White House later confirmed that the resources deal remained unsigned.
European Leaders Rally Behind Ukraine
On Sunday, Zelensky’s allies reaffirmed their support at a London summit hosted by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, where several European leaders pledged increased security spending and proposed a coalition to defend any potential truce.
French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking after the summit, revealed in a newspaper interview that France and Britain are considering a one-month partial ceasefire proposal with Russia. — AFP
