Netanyahu Questioned Over Three Corruption Cases

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is a suspect in two cases being investigated. Photograph: Reuters
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is a suspect in two cases being investigated. Photograph: Reuters
TT

Netanyahu Questioned Over Three Corruption Cases

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is a suspect in two cases being investigated. Photograph: Reuters
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is a suspect in two cases being investigated. Photograph: Reuters

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was interrogated by the Israeli police in corruption-related matters -- investigations majorly focused on cases known as 1000 and 2000.

The police waited for the return of Netanyahu from London in order to investigate him.

In case 1000, police suspect that Netanyahu and his wife received bribes including a cigar and champagne worth ten thousand dollars from businessmen to facilitate their commercial activities.

As for case 2000, it is related to a barter between Netanyahu and Yedioth Ahronoth on ceasing the work of a competitor newspaper, and Yedioth Ahronoth would in return provide a better coverage.

The case of submarines holds the name of “case 3000” – a corruption deal to purchase navy vehicles from Germany and it is expected to lead to a list of hight-rank suspects.

The police will refer investigation results to the Israeli government Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit who recommended investigating Netanyahu for the fifth time. They announced in a document presented to the court last August that Netanyahu is a suspect of receiving bribes and betraying trust.

However, Netanyahu's office denied this and accused opposing parties of attempts to put him out for political motives.

In a step that seems a retaliation, Israeli legislators close to Netanyahu caused chaos as they announced their will to demand a salary raise for Netanyahu and a salary drop for head of Israeli police Roni Alsheikh who insists on interrogating Netanyahu.

Analysts and politicians interpreted the step as another initiative to raise a debate with Alsheikh, in light of the probe with Netanyahu. Likud deputies criticized the initiative, describing it as unacceptable.



Traffic on French High-Speed Trains Gradually Improving after Sabotage

Workers operate to reconnect the signal box to the track in its technical ducts in Vald' Yerres, near Chartres on July 26, 2024, as France's high-speed rail network was hit by an attack disrupting the transport system, hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. (AFP)
Workers operate to reconnect the signal box to the track in its technical ducts in Vald' Yerres, near Chartres on July 26, 2024, as France's high-speed rail network was hit by an attack disrupting the transport system, hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. (AFP)
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Traffic on French High-Speed Trains Gradually Improving after Sabotage

Workers operate to reconnect the signal box to the track in its technical ducts in Vald' Yerres, near Chartres on July 26, 2024, as France's high-speed rail network was hit by an attack disrupting the transport system, hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. (AFP)
Workers operate to reconnect the signal box to the track in its technical ducts in Vald' Yerres, near Chartres on July 26, 2024, as France's high-speed rail network was hit by an attack disrupting the transport system, hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. (AFP)

Traffic on France's TGV high-speed trains was gradually returning to normal on Saturday after engineers worked overnight repairing sabotaged signal stations and cables that caused travel chaos on Friday, the opening day of the Paris Olympic Games.

In Friday's pre-dawn attacks on the high-speed rail network vandals damaged infrastructure along the lines connecting Paris with cities such as Lille in the north, Bordeaux in the west and Strasbourg in the east. Another attack on the Paris-Marseille line was foiled, French rail operator SNCF said.

There has been no immediate claim of responsibility.

"On the Eastern high-speed line, traffic resumed normally this morning at 6:30 a.m. while on the North, Brittany and South-West high-speed lines, 7 out of 10 trains on average will run with delays of 1 to 2 hours," SNCF said in a statement on Saturday morning.

"At this stage, traffic will remain disrupted on Sunday on the North axis and should improve on the Atlantic axis for weekend returns," it added.

SNCF reiterated that transport plans for teams competing in the Olympics would be guaranteed.