BBC News with Jerry Smit.
The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has struck a deal to form a coalition government shortly before a deadline expired. Mr. Netanyahu reached an agreement with the far-right Jewish home party, Bayit Yehudi, led by Naftali Bennet, which will guarantee the slimmest possible majority. Kevin Connolly is in Jerusalem.
“Mr. Netanyahu had entered the last day of talks with 53 of the parliamentary seats he needed in the bag out of the 61 required for a majority in Israel's 120-seat Parliament. The party, with the last stake vote he needed, was thus able to drive a hard bargain. Bayit Yehudi which enjoys strong support among settlers on the West Bank, will control the powerful Justice Ministry.”
Political campaigning for Thursday's general election in Britain has now drawn to a close. The Prime Minister, David Cameroon, said the Conservatives will protect recent economic gains. His main rival, Labour's Ed Miliband, promised to protect working families. Here is our U.K. political correspondent, Rob Watson.
“In his final appeal to the voters, David Cameroon said Britain was stronger than it was 5 years ago, but there was more work to do. While Labour's Ed Miliband insisted he was the best man to lead the country. But the rise of the Scottish National Party and that the faction of Conservative and Labour voters toward used-to-be-considered fringe parties, such as UKIP and the Greens, means neither Mr. Cameroon nor Mr. Miliband is likely to win outright, so expects all the sleep-deprived politicians to soon be facing the exhausting challenge of somehow forming a stable government.”
The President of Burundi, Pierre Nkurunziza, says his bid to become President for a third term in June's election will be his last. In an address to the nation, he also promised the immediate release of children arrested in bloody protests sparked by his controversial decision, which the opposition says is unconstitutional. President Nkurunziza added that hundreds of others would also be freed if the protest stopped. His opponents immediately said the demonstrations would continue.
The end of the Spanish football season has been thrown into doubt, with the National Federation saying it's suspending all competitions from the 16th of this month in a multi-layered dispute with the government. Here is our sports reporter, Alex Capstick.
“The Spanish Federation's move followed the announcement last week of new legislation governing the selling of television rights to broadcast football. Collective bargaining will replace the existing structure whereby clubs negotiate their own TV contracts, which favours more popular teams, like Real Madrid and Barcelona. The top two leagues in Spain support the change, but the influential Football Federation and the Players' Union are opposed to certain aspects of the deal. They want further negotiations with the government.”
World news from the BBC.
Parliament in Canada has approved a law, giving the security services broad new powers to combat terrorism. It allows Canada's spy agency to expand surveillance at home and abroad and makes it easier for police to detain suspects without charge. The law was introduced in response to an Islamic attack in Canada last year, when a gunman killed a soldier and stormed Parliament before being shot dead.
Yemen has urged the United Nations to authorize a swift intervention by foreign land forces in order to save the country, specifically in the cities of Aden and Ta'izz. Houthis rebels have been advancing in both areas despite airstrikes against them by a Saudi-led coalition. Yemen's letter to the Security Council could provide legal cover for foreign intervention on the ground. The coalition air campaign began after a similar letter in March, requesting military help from Gulf Arab states.
The security forces in Pakistan have prevented a suicide bomb attack on a school football match in the northwest tribal region of Kurram. A gun fight broke out when guards stopped two bombers from entering the crowded stadium. Both attackers were killed, but at least one managed to detonate his explosives. Two other people died in the gun battle.
The singer and song writer, Errol Brown, who founded the band, Hot Chocolate, has died at his home in the Bahamas. He'd been suffering from liver cancer. For 15 years, Hot Chocolate had more than 30 hit records in over 50 countries, including their most famous, You Sexy Thing, which, Errol Brown said was a love song to his wife of 41 years.
“When you hear the song and you get the joy from the song, and if it brightens your moment. That is special. That's what songs are supposed to do. She's just the only hope.”The late Errol Brown.