Israeli court rejects Netanyahu's call to postpone graft trial hearings
An Israeli court on Friday rejected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's request to postpone his testimony in his corruption trial, after US President Donald Trump said the case should be cancelled.
The Jerusalem district court said in a judgement published online that 'in its current form (his request) does not provide a basis or detailed justification for the cancellation of the hearings.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
23 minutes ago
- Al Arabiya
Six Israelis detained for attacking soldiers in West Bank: Military
Six Israelis were detained for assaulting soldiers near a town in the occupied West Bank where clashes with Palestinians erupted earlier this week, the military said on Saturday. Soldiers went to disperse a gathering of Israelis near the central West Bank town of Kafr Malik overnight Friday to Saturday, the military said in a statement. 'Upon the arrival of the security forces, dozens of Israeli civilians hurled stones toward them and physically and verbally assaulted the soldiers, including the Battalion Commander,' it said. In addition, the civilians vandalized and damaged security forces' vehicles, and attempted to ram the security forces,' it added. 'The security forces dispersed the gathering, and six Israeli civilians were apprehended and transferred to the Israel Police for further processing.' Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military declined to say whether those arrested were residents of Israeli settlements in the territory, which has been occupied by Israel since 1967. The military referred the query to the Israeli police, which was not available to comment. In a separate incident on Wednesday, the Palestinian health ministry said three men died in Kafr Malik in an attack by settlers. AFP journalists saw several hundred people gather for the three men's funerals on Thursday. The Palestinian foreign ministry alleged 'official complicity' by Israel in Wednesday's attack, in a message on X. 'Israeli occupation forces prevented ambulance crews from reaching the wounded and obstructed civil defense teams from entering the village for several hours, allowing fires ignited by the settlers to spread and destroy dozens of homes,' it said. The Israeli military did not respond to a request by AFP to comment on those claims. A military spokesman told AFP its forces intervened on Wednesday after 'dozens of Israeli civilians set fire to property in Kafr Malik' and a 'confrontation' involving 'mutual rock-hurling' broke out between Israelis and Palestinians. Referring to action by the Palestinians, the spokesman said: 'Several terrorists fired from within Kafr Malik and hurled rocks at the forces, who opened fire toward the source of fire and the rock-hurlers.'
Saudi Gazette
35 minutes ago
- Saudi Gazette
Iran warns Trump over ‘disrespect' to Khamenei amid post-war tensions
WASHINGTON — Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi issued a stern warning to U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday, insisting that any future negotiations must begin with a change in tone toward Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. 'If President Trump is genuine about wanting a deal, he should put aside the disrespectful and unacceptable tone towards Iran's Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Khamenei, and stop hurting his millions of heartfelt followers,' Araghchi wrote on X. The rebuke followed Trump's comments on Truth Social, where he criticized Khamenei's declaration of victory over the United States and Israel following a US-brokered ceasefire that ended 12 days of hostilities. 'Why would the so-called 'Supreme Leader'... say so blatantly and foolishly that he won the war with Israel... It is not so,' Trump wrote, accusing Khamenei of lying and describing Iran as 'always so angry, hostile, and unhappy.' In response, Araghchi defended Khamenei and accused the U.S. of provoking Iran with both rhetoric and military aggression. 'If illusions lead to worse mistakes, Iran will not hesitate to unveil its real capabilities,' he warned. 'Good will begets good will, and respect begets respect.' Tensions between Washington and Tehran have escalated since the U.S. dropped six bunker-buster bombs on Iran's Fordo nuclear facility and launched additional cruise missile strikes on Natanz and Isfahan on June 22. The attacks came amid a wider conflict that included Israeli airstrikes on Iranian infrastructure on June 13. Although a US-brokered ceasefire went into effect on June 24, Iran has maintained a defiant posture. Araghchi emphasized Iran's independence, saying, 'The Great and Powerful Iranian People... do not take kindly to threats and insults.' A sixth round of talks between the U.S. and Iran was originally scheduled for June 15 but was derailed by the outbreak of hostilities. It remains unclear if negotiations will resume in the near term. — Agencies
Arab News
36 minutes ago
- Arab News
Belgrade braces for another anti-government protest, calling for an early parliamentary election
BELGRADE: Belgrade is bracing for yet another student-led protest on Saturday to pressure Serbia's populist President Aleksandar Vucic to call for a snap parliamentary election after nearly eight months of rallies that have rattled his firm grip on power in the Balkan country. Tensions have soared ahead of the protest organized by Serbia's university students, a key force behind nationwide anti-corruption demonstrations that started after a renovated rail station canopy collapsed, killing 16 people on Nov. 1. Many blamed the concrete roof crash on rampant government corruption and negligence in state infrastructure projects, leading to recurring mass protests. Vucic and his right-wing Serbian Progressive Party have refused the demand for an early vote and accused protesters of planning to spur violence at orders from abroad, which they didn't specify. In a show of business as usual, the Serbian president handed out presidential awards in the capital to people, including artists and journalists, he deemed worthy, as his loyalists, camping in a park in central Belgrade, announced they would hold a 'literary evening.' 'People need not worry — the state will be defended and thugs brought to justice,' Vucic told reporters on Saturday. Serbian presidential and parliamentary elections are due in 2027. Saturday marks St. Vitus Day, a religious holiday and the date when Serbs mark a 14th-century battle against Ottoman Turks in Kosovo that was the start of hundreds of years of Turkish rule, holding symbolic importance. Police earlier this week arrested several people accused of allegedly plotting to overthrow the government and banned entry into the country to several people from Croatia and a theater director from Montenegro without explanation. Serbia's railway company halted train service over an alleged bomb threat in what critics said was an apparent bid to prevent people from traveling to Belgrade for the rally. Authorities made similar moves back in March, ahead of what was the biggest ever anti-government protest in the Balkan country, which drew hundreds of thousands of people. Vucic's loyalists then set up a camp in a park outside his office, which still stands. The otherwise peaceful gathering on March 15 came to an abrupt end when part of the crowd suddenly scattered in panic, triggering allegations that authorities used a sonic weapon against peaceful protesters, which they have denied. Vucic, a former extreme nationalist, has become increasingly authoritarian since coming to power over a decade ago. Though he formally says he wants Serbia to join the European Union, critics say Vucic has stifled democratic freedoms as he strengthened ties with Russia and China.
