The Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert, was questioned by police today for the eighth time since May on corruption allegations that led him to resign from office last month.
"The interrogation is being conducted at the official residence of the prime minister and should normally last two hours," police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said.
Mr Olmert tendered his resignation on September 21 in the wake of a series of corruption allegations concerning financial dealings when he served as Jerusalem mayor and trade minister before assuming the premiership in 2006.
He will continue to serve as interim prime minister until the foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, forms a new governing coalition or the country holds snap elections ? a period of political limbo that could last weeks or months.
Police have recommended that the 63-year-old Mr Olmert should be indicted on criminal charges in cases where he is accused of illegally accepting large sums of cash from a US financier and multiple-billing foreign trips.
Mr Olmert has denied any wrongdoing.
His resignation has dealt a major blow to already sluggish US-backed Israeli-Palestinian peace talks relaunched in November 2007, when the two sides vowed to try to reach a full peace deal by the end of 2008.
If Ms Livni is unable to form a government in the coming weeks general elections would be held early next year, which polls indicate would give the right-wing Likud party the most seats in Israel's parliament.
* AFP
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Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
The biog
Hometown: Cairo
Age: 37
Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror
Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing
Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
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Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
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