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A28 WORLD NEWS
Monday 20 april 2020
Israelis accuse Netanyahu of endangering democracy

By ODED BALILTY ploiting the crisis to evade
Associated Press his looming trial and ce-
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — ment his lengthy rule.
More than 2,000 Israelis Citing the pandemic, Ne-
took to the streets of Tel tanyahu's hand-picked jus-
Aviv on Sunday, demon- tice minister delayed the
strating against Prime Min- prime minister's trial just two
ister Benjamin Netanyahu's days before it was to begin
attempts to form an "emer- until late May.
gency" government with Since then, Netanyahu's
his chief rival and accusing coalition talks with Gantz
him of using the coronavirus have reportedly stalled
crisis to escape prosecution due to demands by the
on corruption charges. prime minister to gain more
Demonstrators wore face control over judicial ap-
masks and largely kept pointments and assuranc-
their distance from one an- es that he can remain in
other, in line with social-dis- office even if he gives up
tancing rules, as speakers the prime minister's job in
criticized Netanyahu's pos- a proposed power-sharing
sible partnership with rival arrangement with Gantz.
Benny Gantz. Some held Under Israeli law, public of-
black flags, which have ficials, with the exception
become the symbol of their A woman takes part in a protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, seen on the of the prime minister, must
campaign in recent weeks. poster, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, April 19, 2020. Associated Press resign if charged with a
Gantz, who during three crime.
bitter election campaigns to form an "emergency" from within. If you're inside, breach of justice and ac- Demonstrators repeatedly
over the past year vowed government to deal with you're part of it," said Yair cepting bribes. He denies chanted "democracy" and
never to sit in a govern- the coronavirus crisis. The Lapid, Gantz's former politi- the charges and says he is accused the prime minister
ment with Netanyahu due announcement infuriated cal partner, who withdrew the victim of a hostile me- of endangering the coun-
to his legal problems, an- many of Gantz's supporters from the Blue and White al- dia and aggressive police try's democratic institutions.
nounced last month that and caused his Blue and liance last month. and prosecutors. "Corona equals virus in the
he had accepted the White party to fracture. Netanyahu has been Protesters on Sunday ac- service of a dictator," said
prime minister's suggestion "You don't fight corruption charged with fraud, cused Netanyahu of ex- one sign.q

Mass virus test in nursing home seeks to combat loneliness

lowed to go out. We don't essential things." rooms and long corridors,
even have the right to go An Associated Press pho- and residents with often-
out in the hallway," said tographer spent two days severe cognitive difficulties.
Henry Bohn, a 69-year-old chronicling the virus testing "It is hard for them to re-
who suffered a stroke that at three of the 10 nursing member the rules that
has left him in a wheelchair. homes in France's Haut-Rhin we give them. When we
"They bring us breakfast, region, where comprehen- put masks on them, they
lunch and dinner here in sive testing was ordered by hardly keep them on, and
the room. Luckily, we have local authorities. The site in they need to socialize and
the sun these days and it Ammerschwir poses partic- leave their rooms," said Syl-
helps, but we do miss the ular problems with its small vie Ghiringhelli, the head

Iraq lifts Reuters news agency

suspension over virus report
Marie Lithard, right, and her neighboor Yves Chretien sit looking
out of their rooms in a nursing home in Ammerschwir, France
Thursday April 16, 2020. BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq will allow the Re- munications and Media Commission,
Associated Press. uters news agency to go back to work the country's media regulator, that the
after its license was suspended earlier suspension was being lifted "to allow
By LORI HINNANT and France want to chat face this month over a report that the govern- transparent and impartial work by the
JEAN-FRANÇOIS BADIAS to face, to play board ment was underreporting coronavirus media." Reuters said it appreciated the
Associated Press games, to share meals. cases, the news agency said Sunday. efforts made by Iraqi authorities and the
AMMERSCHWIR, France And so each gave a vial of The agency's suspension came after an CMC to resolve the matter. Iraq's Presi-
(AP) — Some were born in blood to be tested for the April 3 story cited multiple sources who dent Barham Saleh had said his office
this warren of small rooms in coronavirus, as did each said the government was misreporting had been working to revoke the suspen-
what used to be a hospital, staff member — about 580 coronavirus cases, and that the true sion in remarks to CNN last week.
dating to the 17th century. tests in all. The goal: to iden- number of infected nationwide was in According to official Health Ministry fig-
Many are likely to die here. tify who must be isolated the thousands. Iraq was reporting cases ures, Iraq has 1,539 confirmed coronavi-
And all are currently con- and who will be allowed in the hundreds at the time. rus cases. At least 82 people have died
fined to their rooms, denied the freedom to leave their The news agency was also fined 25 mil- of the virus and 1,009 had recovered.
the simple comfort of hu- rooms. lion Iraqi dinars, or about $20,800. The Reuters report had said the true
man companionship. "We spend all our days In a news item Sunday, the agency number of virus cases ranged from 3,000
The residents at the Weiss between those four walls said it was informed by the Iraqi Com-
nursing home in eastern — that's it, we are not al- to 9,000.q