Rivet Daily

Rivet Daily


News Espresso: Israel braces for political fight after Netanyahu indictment, Hong Kong gears up for local elections, Trump doubles down on debunked Ukraine conspiracy theory

November 22, 2019

The indictment of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to sharpen the battle lines in Israel's already deadlocked political system. The serious corruption charges appear to have dashed already slim hopes for a unity government following September's elections, paving the way for an unprecedented repeat vote in March. In an angry speech, Netanyahu lashed out at investigators and vowed to fight on in the face of an "attempted coup." Hong Kong is gearing for local elections that have become a referendum on public support for more than five months of protests. For the first time, all 452 seats on the city's 18 councils are contested in Hong Kong's only fully democratic elections on Sunday. President Trump is still promoting a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine interfered in the 2016 election, a day after a former White House security adviser called it a "fictional narrative." Trump said on "Fox & Friends" he was trying to root out corruption in Ukraine when he withheld aid over the summer. He said "There was no quid pro quo," contradicting testimony by impeachment witnesses.