Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu seeks extension to form government

Benjamin Netanyahu has formally asked Israel’s president for more time to form the next government, his Likud party said. Netanyahu was given the first opportunity to form a government after November 1 elections gave him and his allies a majority of seats in Israel's parliament, the Knesset. By law he had 28 days after receiving the mandate on November 13 to form a coalition government. But he wrote in a letter to President Isaac Herzog on Thursday evening that although negotiations with his coalition partners are almost done, he needs an extra two weeks to finish.