Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid testified in the trial of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which will determine whether the long-serving prime minister is guilty of corruption charges.
Mr Lapid gave evidence in a packed court relating to his 2013 stint as finance minister when Mr Netanyahu was also the prime minister.
Mr Netanyahu faces charges of breach of trust, bribery and fraud.
Questioning focused on whether Mr Netanyahu sought to give an improper tax break to receive gifts from Israeli film producer Arnon Milchan.
Mr Lapid said that Mr Milchan was allegedly lobbying the prime minister for a 10-year extension to tax breaks that Israelis returning from abroad currently receive.
The prosecution argues that Mr Netanyahu sought to pressure the former finance minister into accepting the legislation that would directly benefit Mr Milchan, and go against the advice of some in the Finance Ministry at the time, according to Mr Lapid.
The opposition leader said Mr Netanyahu had casually sought to lobby him for the law, which he refused to do.
Mr Netanyahu’s defence warned throughout Mr Lapid’s evidence that the opposition leader was using his platform for political messaging in front of several journalists.
Mr Lapid is at the forefront of a block of high-profile opposition lawmakers seeking to end the prime minister’s plans to drastically alter Israel’s judiciary. He has also been a vociferous critic of the new far-right government on many other issues.
Mr Milchan is due to give evidence via video link next week.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Abdul Jabar Qahraman was meeting supporters in his campaign office in the southern Afghan province of Helmand when a bomb hidden under a sofa exploded on Wednesday.
The blast in the provincial capital Lashkar Gah killed the Afghan election candidate and at least another three people, Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak told reporters. Another three were wounded, while three suspects were detained, he said.
The Taliban – which controls much of Helmand and has vowed to disrupt the October 20 parliamentary elections – claimed responsibility for the attack.
Mr Qahraman was at least the 10th candidate killed so far during the campaign season, and the second from Lashkar Gah this month. Another candidate, Saleh Mohammad Asikzai, was among eight people killed in a suicide attack last week. Most of the slain candidates were murdered in targeted assassinations, including Avtar Singh Khalsa, the first Afghan Sikh to run for the lower house of the parliament.
The same week the Taliban warned candidates to withdraw from the elections. On Wednesday the group issued fresh warnings, calling on educational workers to stop schools from being used as polling centres.
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Trolls World Tour
Directed by: Walt Dohrn, David Smith
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake
Rating: 4 stars
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
