Photo: APIsrael's attorney general has recommended criminal charges against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a series of corruption cases, shaking up an already tumultuous election campaign and threatening to end the Israeli leader's decades-long political career. Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who spent time in prison for corruption, stepped down a decade ago, months before police completed an investigation against him. As opposition leader, Netanyahu called on Olmert to step down before his indictment, saying he could not devote his full attention to governing. Netanyahu has been prime minister since 2009 and served a previous term between 1996 and 1999. Netanyahu had previously tried unsuccessfully to persuade Mandelblit to delay publication of his recommendations until after the election.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 28, 2019 21:11 UTC