News In Brief

Way is clearer for a coalition in Israel, two rival leaders say

Prime Minister designate Shimon Peres of the Labor Party and his rival, Likud leader Yitzhak Shamir, have cleared away most of the obstacles to a bipartisan national-unity government, Israeli radio stations reported Thursday.

The major unresolved topic was still the question of who would head the government and how Cabinet seats would be apportioned, the reports say. The two rivals expected that negotiations on a joint government would be concluded next week.