Page 7 - ARUBA TODAY JAN 17 2022

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WORLD NEWS Monday 17 January 2022

Netanyahu negotiating plea deal in corruption trial

(AP) — Former Israeli Prime critics who said a it would hu declined to comment.
Minister Benjamin Netan- undermine the rule of law. Netanyahu is on trial for
yahu is negotiating a plea “The man who worked to fraud, breach of trust and
deal in his corruption case, destroy the public’s trust in accepting bribes in three
a person involved in the the foundations of democ- separate cases. The former
talks said Sunday. racy for personal reasons premier, now opposition
The deal, which could be is not eligible for deals,” leader, denies wrongdo-
signed as early as this week, Health Minister Nitzan ing.
could usher Netanyahu off Horowitz tweeted. He was The person involved in the
the Israeli political stage for referring to Netanyahu’s negotiations said the plea
years, paving the way for a attempts after he was in- deal would drop the brib-
leadership race in his Likud dicted to cast doubt on Is- ery and fraud charges and
party and shaking up Israeli rael’s justice system, saying scrap one case entirely.
politics. Any deal could it was biased and pursuing The person asked for ano-
spare Netanyahu an em- a witch hunt against him. Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is negotiat- nymity because he wasn’t
barrassing and protracted Demonstrators gathered ing a plea deal in his corruption case. A person involved in the authorized to discuss the
negotiations said Sunday, Jan. 16, 2021, that the agreement is
trial over an issue that has against the developing likely to be announced in the coming days and could usher details of the talks. He said
gripped the nation and risks deal outside the attorney Netanyahu off the Israeli political stage for years. (AP Photo/ a plea deal would likely be
tarnishing his legacy. general’s house Saturday Maya Alleruzzo, File) announced in the coming
Reports of a deal angered evening. Any deal will likely be challenged in court. A spokesman for Netanya- days.q
Portugal’s election campaign begins under pandemic limits

Associated Press pandemic will be spent. those two parties helped
(AP) — The official two- The ballot will elect 230 law- keep the Socialists in gov-
week campaigning period makers to the Republican ernment, consigning the
for Portugal’s Jan. 30 gen- Assembly, Portugal’s parlia- center-right Social Demo-
eral election kicked off Sun- ment. Lawmakers will then cratic Party —the country’s
day, but there will be none vote on who forms a gov- other major party — to op-
of the large flag-waving ernment. position.
rallies usually associated The center-left Socialist The election could see
with the buildup to the bal- Party has governed Portu- a rise in the influence of
lot because of the corona- gal since 2015 under Prime smaller parties, includ-
virus pandemic. Minister António Costa, and ing the populist Chega!
The vote comes two years recent opinion polls unani- (Enough!), which earned
ahead of schedule after mously indicate the So- one seat in parliament in
parliament in November re- cialists will collect the most 2019 but could far exceed
jected the minority Socialist votes. that this time.
government’s 2022 state But the Socialists could Around 89% of Portugal’s People queue to vote at a polling station at the University of
budget and the country’s again fall short of an over- population of 10.3 million Lisbon, Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021. The official two-week campaign-
ing period for Portugal’s Jan. 30 general election is kicking off,
president, Marcelo Rebelo all majority, forcing it once people is fully vaccinated though due to the coronavirus pandemic there will be none of
de Sousa, called an early again to seek support from against COVID-19, and the large rallies usually associated with the build-up to the bal-
election. its left-of-center allies, the more than 3.5 million peo- lot. (AP Photo/Armando Franca, File)
The state budget is par- Left Bloc and the Portu- ple have received booster
ticularly important now be- guese Communist Party, shots, but new daily cases 38,136 new infections on ous surges, and Portugal
cause it sets out how billions to pass legislation in parlia- have set records of around Saturday. Even so, hospi- has been recording on av-
of euros in European Union ment. 40,000 in recent weeks. The talizations have remained erage around 20 deaths a
aid to recover from the The parliamentary votes of health ministry reported much lower than in previ- day in recent weeks.q