Netanyahu to form coalition

ISRAEL’S president has officially asked former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form a government, ushering the long-serving leader back to power after a one-year hiatus.

With Mr Netanyahu comes what is expected to be Israel’s most right-wing coalition ever.

Elections earlier this month indicated a clear win for Mr Netanyahu and his ultra-Orthodox and ultranationalist allies and ended the short-lived, ideologically-diverse government that had ousted him last year after 12 consecutive years in power.

Mr Netanyahu now has up to six weeks to conclude negotiations and cobble together a government.