Ariel Sharon Bid to form new government
The outgoing Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, has begun the task of forming a new government after his Likud party made sweeping gains in the general election.
Mr Sharon was asked to form a new administration by President Moshe Katzav in a ceremony televised last night.
Likud won one-third of parliament's 120 seats in last month's poll and could form a narrow coalition with a combination of right-wing, religious and secular parties.
Meanwhile three Palestinians suspected of planning suicide attacks inside Israel have been arrested by the Israeli army in the West Bank.
One of the three is a member of Hamas. He was arrested in a hotel in Ramallah, where an explosive belt equipped with 20 kilograms of explosives was found.
Another suspect was arrested in the northern village of Yammun, near Jenin. He has been identified as a member of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.
A third suspect was arrested in the northern region of Nablus.
