Israel's Netanyahu faces deadline to form coalition
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is racing to assemble a coalition government ahead of a Wednesday deadline, the BBC reported.
His Likud party won March's election but he is still trying to strike deals with other parties to gain a majority.
On Monday, key ally Avigdor Lieberman said his Yisrael Beitenu party would not join the coalition.
If Mr Netanyahu fails to win a majority by midnight, President Reuven Rivlin will offer the chance to someone else.
By late Tuesday, Mr Netanyahu had secured deals with three parties - the centrist Kulanu and two ultra-Orthodox parties - giving him 53 seats in Israel's 120-seat parliament, the Knesset.
Early on Wednesday, he was said to be in talks with the right-wing Bayit Yehudi (Jewish Home) party led by Naftali Bennett.
Bayit Yehudi's eight seats would give Mr Netanyahu the necessary 61 for a slim majority.