ISRAEL COULD BE HEADING FOR FIFTH ELECTION IN TWO YEARS: Long-time Israeli prime minister and consummate politician Benjamin Netanyahu has failed to form a government by the Tuesday midnight deadline, despite trying his best to divide the opposition and garner enough seats to take his Likud-led right-wing coalition to power. The prime minister is also facing trial in three corruption cases. During the government formation process, he could have moved aside to let someone else from his Likud party head the ticket, as this would make opposition parties - who want Netanyahu out - more willing to form a coalition with Likud. But doing so is not in Netanyahu’s personal interest, as remaining in power is the only way in which he can claim immunity and derail his trial. It is quite possible that Israel might be heading for a fifth election in two years. [COMMENT BY: Omar Shariff, International Editor]
Dan Balilty/The New York Times