Shadow hangs over Olmert's US visit

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert yesterday began a three-day visit to Washington, under criminal investigation back home in a corruption scandal that is casting a shadow over US-brokered talks with the Palestinians.

Breaking with his usual practice, Olmert did not hold a question-and-answer session with reporters on his plane during an overnight flight from Tel Aviv.

Olmert, due to see President George W. Bush in the White House today, has rebuffed calls that he step aside after a US businessman testified that he gave the veteran Israeli politician $150,000 in cash and in unpaid loans.