It says it has received reports on the matter, which involved purported deals for land and luxury cars.
The Selangor palace urged the public to verify with its administration any claims by individuals purporting to represent or have connections with the royal household before entering into transactions. (Facebook pic)
SHAH ALAM: The Selangor palace has expressed concern over allegations that an individual impersonated the Raja Muda of Selangor’s personal bodyguard to deceive members of the public for financial gain.
In a statement, the Office of the Sultan of Selangor said it had received reports concerning the alleged impersonation, which involved purported deals for land and luxury cars.
“The Selangor palace administration takes this matter seriously and has referred it to the police for a thorough, fair and transparent investigation.
“The palace will not protect anyone found to be involved in the case,” it said.
The palace also urged the public to verify with its administration any claims by individuals purporting to represent or have connections with the royal household before entering into transactions.
It stressed the importance of checking the authenticity of such claims to avoid falling victim to fraudulent dealings.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy waits for Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson ahead of their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of a European Union summit at the EU headquarters in Brussels on October 16, 2026. — AFP pic
Summary
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky engaged with top US envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, aiming to alleviate tensions amid ongoing war with Russia, as former US President Donald Trump criticized him for allegedly not seeking peace.
As both nations target each other's energy infrastructure, Zelensky emphasized the significance of the US's stance on the war, advocating for constructive cooperation.
Concurrently, a Wall Street Journal report indicated a potential meeting between Trump, Vladimir Putin, and Xi Jinping on Ukraine's situation, excluding Zelensky, escalating concerns about US alignment.
Amidst accusations from Trump regarding Zelensky's actions affecting global diesel markets, the Ukrainian leader reiterated his commitment to ending the conflict constructively.
First Published: Monday, 19 Oct 2026 9:01 AM MYT
KYIV, Oct 19 — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with top US envoys yesterday to try to ease tensions, as Donald Trump accused his counterpart of not wanting to end the war with Russia.
Zelensky spoke to US officials Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner as both Russia and Ukraine hit each other’s energy sites, with Moscow leaving thousands without power and Kyiv carrying out the largest drone attack on Saint Petersburg since the start of the war in 2022.
Trump and Zelensky have clashed as the US president blocked new sanctions on Russia and struck a diesel deal with Moscow, fuelling fears in Kyiv and Europe that the White House was steering towards Moscow.
A Wall Street Journal report that Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed a meeting on Ukraine with Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, but not Zelensky, has set off more alarm bells.
On Sunday, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that he was in the process of negotiating peace between Russia and Ukraine and making “great progress”, but claimed: “Zelenskyy doesn’t care, and frankly, with all of the money that Europe is famously giving him... he doesn’t want to end this war, and probably never did.”
“Zelenskyy is using Diesel Refineries in Russia as a target, knowing that these attacks are seriously hurting the world diesel markets, including those in the United States,” Trump said.
Earlier, after speaking to Trump’s business partner Witkoff and son-in-law Kushner, Zelensky said “a lot depends” on the US position in the war but that “it is clear that there are many things that matter to all of us and that this war must be brought to an end”.
Ukraine was ready to work “constructively” and “honestly”, he said. “We expect exactly this approach from all our partners, both from the Europeans and, of course, from the American side.”
He said he discussed deliveries of US Patriot air defence systems, as Kyiv struggles to counter Russian missiles.
Zelensky earlier told US broadcaster NBC it would be a “historic mistake” if Washington formally supported Russia and that he hoped Trump would “change his decisions”.
But he also said he was “thankful” the United States resumed intelligence sharing after a pause that left his country vulnerable to Russian missile strikes.
Thousands without power
A US-led push to end Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II has so far not brought about a breakthrough and Trump has in the past grown frustrated with both Zelensky and Putin because of their lack of progress.
Zelensky spoke to the American officials as he accused Russia of breaking Trump’s “energy ceasefire” 76 times and warning Moscow planned to deprive Ukrainians of heat and electricity before winter.
Russian strikes left “tens of thousands” without power in several regions, he said, with Ukrainian officials reporting three people had been killed.
Ukraine’s army launched drones at Putin’s hometown of Saint Petersburg late Sunday, setting an oil refinery ablaze and killing one person, Moscow said.
Russia’s VKontakte social network said its data centre was hit and Ozon, Russia’s second largest retailer, also reported a strike on its logistics centre.
The head of the wider Leningrad region, Alexander Drozdenko, said air defence shot down 144 Ukrainian drones, with state media saying this was the largest attack on the city since the start of the war.
Dreadful routine of war
The Kremlin, however, said Ukrainian attacks on its cities would not change its war aims.
Putin has repeatedly said Moscow intends to seize the rest of eastern Ukraine and, in a fifth year of war, few see a way out of the conflict.
“There’s a general feeling: they’re attacking, we’re attacking, it’s become the dreadful routine of war,” 58-year-old Galina told AFP in Saint Petersburg.
Moscow has rained drones and missiles on Ukrainian cities daily and Kyiv says its strikes are fair retribution.
Sergei, another Saint Petersburg resident who is also 58, said he felt his apartment block shake and quickly realised it was a drone attack.
“I don’t know if I was scared, what must be will be,” he said.
Ukrainian strikes caused nationwide fuel shortages in Russia earlier this year. — AFP
EU condemns Israeli settler attack on diplomats in occupied West Bank
EU demands accountability after settlers attack European diplomats amid violence against Palestinian olive farmers.
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Former Israeli ambassadors and Foreign Ministry employees protest against settler violence in the occupied West Bank outside the ministry in Jerusalem on Sunday [Ilia Yefimovich/AFP]
The European Union has condemned an attack by Israeli settlers on a convoy carrying European diplomats in the occupied West Bank and called for action to stop the pogroms.
The 27-member bloc issued its statement on Sunday, the day after masked settlers attacked a visiting delegation near the Palestinian village of Taybeh.
The assault has intensified diplomatic pressure on Israel as attacks on Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest increasingly threaten journalists and foreign visitors accompanying them.
Diplomats from France, Belgium and Poland, along with representatives of the Catholic Church, were visiting the predominantly Christian village east of Ramallah to show support for Palestinian olive growers when masked men attacked them.
Bernard Baudoux, the 78-year-old mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries in northern France, said he was kicked and beaten, despite wearing the ceremonial sash identifying him as a French official.
“I was thrown to the ground,” Baudoux told the Reuters news agency on Saturday.
The EU said on Sunday it welcomed statements by Israeli officials condemning the attacks but expected “full accountability” and measures to prevent further violence against Palestinians and journalists.
It also called on Israel to respect international law and stop expanding settlements in the occupied territory.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot called on Israel on Saturday to arrest those responsible and protect civilians.
Prevot said Belgian personnel were safe, although their vehicle had been damaged.
Poland’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted on X on Saturday evening that its diplomats were unharmed and there was no indication they had been specifically targeted.
Warsaw demanded an explanation from Israel and action against the attackers.
0:28
Rubio wants ‘crackdown’ on settler violence after US journalist attack
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned the violence on Saturday, describing the perpetrators as rioters and said that police had opened an investigation.
He also criticised the delegation for failing to coordinate its visit with the Israeli military, arguing that advance arrangements could have helped protect the visitors.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said violence against diplomats was unacceptable but questioned whether video circulating online provided enough evidence to establish exactly what happened.
Violence during olive harvest
The diplomatic incident followed another attack on Friday in the village of Abu Falah, near Ramallah. Masked settlers assaulted Palestinians harvesting olives and severely injured US photojournalist Heidi Levine, who was covering the farmers for The Washington Post.
Levine said she was beaten for more than 10 minutes, despite wearing protective clothing identifying her as a journalist.
She suffered broken ribs and underwent surgery on her hand. Her camera, phone and passport were stolen.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking to reporters in Maryland on Saturday, urged Israel to crack down on settler pogroms and warned that President Donald Trump did not want another crisis in the West Bank.
3:00
Jerusalem Daily: Israeli settlers attack farmers and journalists
In a statement on X on Saturday evening, the US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee described Levine’s assault as a “despicable act of terror” and demanded prosecutions.
The attacks have disrupted an olive harvest that provides income for tens of thousands of Palestinian families.
On Sunday, Israeli settlers cut down 120 olive trees on Palestinian-owned land in the village of Kisan, southeast of Bethlehem, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.
Farmers have reported assaults, stolen crops, damaged trees and restrictions preventing them from reaching their land.
The United Nations humanitarian office said last week that nearly 200 settler attacks linked to this year’s harvest had caused casualties or property damage, already exceeding the 185 incidents recorded throughout last year’s season.
SOME rightist-minded netizens have interestingly revived the Gardenia-Massimo bread rivalry which goes back to 2011-2013 when the former got framed online as a UMNO crony brand to paint a picture of so-called Chinese racist attitude towards Malay-owned businesses.
A good example will be this post by Threader @mangkuk999 who ticked off the Chinese for defending ‘unpatriotic’ Oriental Kopi in the no-BM-in-menu brouhaha while poking fun at the clarion call to boycott the popular Nanyang-style kopitiam chain as a “typical B40 cry-baby mentality”.
“It’s so funny the Chinese (are) mocking the Malays about boycotting Oriental Kopi which I’m not boycotting since the owner has already apologised,” remarked the self-proclaimed “have no qualm to speak out even from the toilet” poster.
“You think we don’t know the Chinese boycotting Gardenia and buy Massimo because the owner is Malay? Come on lah, don’t talk about boycott. U already did first. We just keep silent [Sic].”
Beyond the two bread brands, @mangkuk999 further observed that the Chinese “also rarely shop at Mydin (Bumiputera-owned hypermarket)”.
“Do you know why? ” he jibed. “Just that we the tolerant Malays couldn’t be bothered.”
Like it or not, the claim by @mangkuk999 was verified by one Kak Lala (@sewavellfiresemenyih) who recounted an auntie telling her to “better buy Massimo which pay taxes, taste good, blah blah blah”.
“The auntie must have thought I’m not as smart. But I’m a nurtizen (slang for social media users who support aspects of morality that are considered correct) la,” teased the Vellfire car rental owner.
As a self-proclaimed Chinese footballer revealed that “I buy Gardenia if they’re available and Massimo when they’re out of stock”, another Malay woman recalled a former Chinese officemate “got scolded by another Chinese colleague because she bought Gardinia instead of Massimo”.
To quell suspicion of his biasness towards this Chinese given “many Chinese friends DM (direct message) me denying any boycotting of Gardenia from the Chinese community”, @mangkuk999 who was adamant that “this is an open secret” resorted to attach the following screenshot.
In fact, his post elicited so much attention from rightist-minded netizens till political influencer ahmad abdul nasir (@ghazoff) started wondering if “it’s true that Chinese is boycotting Gardenia and even Petronas (petrol) because both are owned by Malay entities”.
Well, true or otherwise, one commenter reckoned that this is inevitable as “the Buy Chinese First (BCF) mentality has been inculcated from childhood”.
“I had one engaged in a heated exchange on Twitter (on a similar subject) and someone admitted to it. But they get angry when we Buy Muslim First (BMF) as this will affect their market.”
Truth be told
At the end of the day, the Gardenia vs Massimo perception is misplaced given that market share study reveals that Gardenia Bakeries (KL) Sdn Bhd dominates roughly 70% of the market with its bread products enjoying an extensive “route-to-market” distribution network reaching over 23,000 stores, high-volume automated production and strong brand loyalty.
Moreover, Gardenia is not an entirely a Bumiputera entity but a 50/50 joint venture controlled by Singapore-listed food and beverage group QAF Ltd and Padiberas Nasional Bhd (BERNAS) which is linked to tycoon Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary through Tradewinds (M) Bhd.
On the other hand, The Italian Baker Sdn Bhd which is the parent of Massimo holds an estimated 8% to 10% consumer preference share.
The brand competes through vertical integration, quality-focused branding and competitive pricing backed by parent company FFM Bhd which has since been privatised and delisted from Bursa Malaysia in 2004 after it became a subsidiary of PPB Group Bhd which was founded by Malaysian billionaire Tan Sri Robert Kuok.
As a matter of fact, Massimo boasts a more nationalistic feature given that it is a 100% Malaysian-owned business compared to Gardenia. – Oct 18, 2026
FORMER Melaka Menteri Besar (MB) Datuk Seri Idris Haron has reaffirmed his support for the Unity Government led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, proposing a new “Greater UMNO” concept to unite the nation’s political landscape.
Speaking at a press conference in Klebang, Idris revealed he held face-to-face discussions with Anwar regarding his role as a national leader.
He suggested that Anwar assume the leadership of a re-envisioned United Malaysian National Organisation (Greater UMNO) – not as an ethnic Malay party, but as an overarching umbrella coalition representing all Malaysians.
“I support the government led by Anwar. There were discussions with Anwar to discuss how he can become a greater leader in the context of Malaysian unity,” he said.
Under this proposed framework, existing political parties across the spectrum – including UMNO, MCA, MIC, DAP, Gerakan, Amanah, and PAS – would function under one central leadership headed by Anwar.
Idris emphasised that fostering a truly united Malaysian nation must take precedence over preserving ethnic-based political parties to ensure long-term stability and national integration.
“It is not the Malay party UMNO that is meant, but rather you need to become the President of the United Malaysian National Organisation, and this United Malaysian National Organisation is a Greater UMNO that serves as the central leadership for all political parties.
“UMNO, MCA, MIC, DAP, Gerakan, Amanah, and PAS are the United Malaysian National Organisation, and you (Anwar) are its president.
“All the presidents of those respective parties will work with and assist you as the President of the United Malaysian Nation,” he said. — Oct 17, 2026
