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Israeli court rejects Netanyahu’s call to postpone graft trial hearings

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Israeli court rejects Netanyahu’s call to postpone graft trial hearings

JERUSALEM: An Israeli court on Friday rejected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s request to postpone giving testimony in his corruption trial, after US President Donald Trump said the case should be canceled.

Netanyahu’s lawyer on Thursday asked the court to excuse the leader from hearings over the next two weeks, saying he needed to concentrate on “security issues” after Israel’s 12-day war with Iran.

The Jerusalem district court said in a judgment published online that “in its current form (his request) does not provide a basis or detailed justification for the cancelation of the hearings.”

Trump on Wednesday described the case against Netanyahu as a “witch hunt,” saying the trial “should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero.”

Netanyahu has thanked Trump for his support in Israel’s brief war against Iran, which ended with a ceasefire on June 24.

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Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing and his supporters have described the long-running trial as politically motivated.

In a first case, he and his wife, Sara, are accused of accepting more than $260,000 worth of luxury goods such as cigars, jewelry and champagne from billionaires in exchange for political favors.

In two other cases, Netanyahu is accused of attempting to negotiate more favorable coverage from two Israeli media outlets.

During his current term since late 2022, Netanyahu’s government has proposed a series of far-reaching judicial reforms that critics say were designed to weaken the courts.

Netanyahu has requested multiple postponements in the trial since it began in May 2020, citing the war in Gaza which started in 2023, later fighting in Lebanon and this month the conflict with Iran.

Israeli court rejects Netanyahu’s call to postpone graft trial hearings

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International

Five Dead After Coach Carrying Dutch Tourists Overturns in Switzerland

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Five Dead After Coach Carrying Dutch Tourists Overturns in Switzerland

A holiday trip in Switzerland has ended in tragedy after a coach carrying 45 Dutch adults overturned in the eastern part of the country, killing five people and injuring the remaining passengers.

The crash occurred on Thursday afternoon on the road linking Susch and Zernez in the Graubünden region. Police said the vehicle went off the roadway while passing through an area where construction work was taking place before overturning.

Three of those injured are in serious condition, while another 37 people sustained less severe injuries. The driver, who is also Dutch, survived the crash but was among those taken for medical treatment.

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Authorities have begun investigating the incident and are working to establish what caused the coach to leave the road.

Tour operator Oad said the company was devastated by the deaths and described the incident as a deeply shocking tragedy.

The crash took place close to Zernez, a popular gateway to Switzerland’s National Park, a large Alpine nature reserve in the Engadine valley.

 

Five Dead After Coach Carrying Dutch Tourists Overturns in Switzerland

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International

Iran’s President Seeks End to War as US Tightens Economic Pressure

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Iran’s President Seeks End to War as US Tightens Economic Pressure

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said he does not support prolonging the war with the United States, while urging Iran to strengthen its economic and political resilience.

Speaking to university leaders, Pezeshkian said Tehran must avoid entering negotiations from a position of weakness, particularly as the US increases pressure through its Operation Economic Outcast campaign.

He called on universities to help the government tackle the country’s economic and social challenges, warning that poorly planned policies could worsen existing problems.

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Pezeshkian also urged young Iranians, including Generation Z students, to contribute to solving social problems rather than allowing frustration to fuel protests.

The president said he was willing to work with different political groups and anyone capable of helping Iran overcome its current difficulties.

His comments come amid growing pressure on Tehran to find a way forward. The conflict began on February 28, when the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran, prompting Iranian missile and drone strikes against Israel and US positions across the region.

With Washington now intensifying economic pressure, Pezeshkian’s remarks reflect the challenge facing Tehran: resisting US demands while preventing the prolonged conflict and sanctions from further weakening the country.

 

Iran’s President Seeks End to War as US Tightens Economic Pressure

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Africa

Murder of Nigerian Bishop in South Africa Sparks Outcry Over Unsolved Killings

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Murder of Nigerian Bishop in South Africa Sparks Outcry Over Unsolved Killings

Family and community leaders rally for justice after 58-year-old cleric from Ekiti is assassinated in his Johannesburg residence.

To his congregation and loved ones, Nigerian clergyman Bishop Taiwo Michael Fakunle was a pillar of faith and moral guidance. But that sanctuary was violently shattered inside his Kensington home in Johannesburg when two gunmen forced their way inside and opened fire at point-blank range.

Hit more than seven times, the 58-year-old Ekiti native died at the scene, sending shockwaves across the Nigerian expatriate community and turning deep grief into a collective cry for justice.

Leading the push for accountability, the Nigerian Citizens Association South Africa (NICASA) voiced the community’s sorrow and growing frustration with violent crime.

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Association leaders stressed that Bishop Fakunle’s family, church, and compatriots deserve clear answers rather than empty reassurances.

Urging South African investigators to act with speed and transparency, the group warned authorities against letting the tragedy become another forgotten statistic in an endless stack of unsolved homicides.

As detectives at Jeppe Police Station proceed with the murder inquiry, community heads are calling for robust oversight from Nigerian diplomats while urging the public to exercise restraint.

Despite the intense anger surrounding the brazen attack, leaders emphasized that justice must be pursued through legitimate legal channels.

As mourners across South Africa and Nigeria remember the slain bishop, their message to investigators remains clear: the community will not look away until those responsible are brought before a judge.

 

Murder of Nigerian Bishop in South Africa Sparks Outcry Over Unsolved Killings

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