News In Brief

Peres is given 3 more weeks to form Israeli government

Prime Minister-designate Shimon Peres, seeking to end Israel's month-long political deadlock, won a 21-day extension of his mandate to form a coalition government from President Chaim Herzog.

Mr. Peres, whose initial mandate expired Sunday, was forced to ask for extra time after negotiations with 14 of the 15 deeply divided parties in parliament failed to produce agreement. Peres said he would ''not lose a moment'' in trying to form a ''national unity'' government with the incumbent right-wing Likud bloc.