Netanyahu tapped to form next govt

Israel's veteran ex-premier Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday secured a mandate to form a new government, paving the way for his comeback at the helm of what is expected to be the most right-wing administration in the country's history.After a period of unprecedented political gridlock that forced five elections in less than four years, November 1 polls gave Netanyahu and his far-right allies a clear majority in the 120-seat parliament. "I have decided to assign to you, Benjamin Netanyahu, the task of forming a government," President Isaac Herzog told him at a ceremony in Jerusalem. Accepting the mandate, Netanyahu vowed to serve all Israelis. The veteran right-winger will have at least 28 days to build a coalition with his allies -- two ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties a rising extreme-right alliance called Religious Zionism.