Tel Aviv  - Near-final results of Israel's election showed the centrist Kadima party of Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni narrowly edging out the hardline Likud party of former premier Benjamin Netanyahu, but right-wing parties still scored enough mandates to prevent her from putting together a stable coalition.

With 98 per cent of the votes counted by early Wednesday morning, Kadima had a predicted 28 mandates in the 120-seat Knesset, with the Likud close behind with a projected 27.

Tel Aviv  - Exit polls in Israel showed the centrist Kadima party of Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni scoring an extremely close, upset victory over the hardline Likud party of former premier Benjamin Netanyahu.

The three separate polls, commissioned by Israel's news channels and issued late Tuesday, projected that the ruling Kadima would retain its position as the largest party in the Knesset with a razor- thin lead of some two seats over the Likud.

Tel Aviv  - Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, whose Kadima party was predicted by exit polls to score a narrow victory in Tuesday's Israeli election, invited chief rival Benjamin Netanyahu early Wednesday to join her in a national unity government.

Tel Aviv  - The ruling Kadima party of Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni could score a narrow upset victory in Tuesday's Israeli elections, three separate exit polls on Israel's television news channels predicted.

Two exit polls by Channel 10 and the state-run Channel 1 both gave 30 seats to the centrist Kadima and 28 to the hardline Likud party of former premier Benjamin Netanyahu, despite the latter's having led in the opinion polls virtually throughout the entire campaign.

A third poll by Channel 2 also gave Kadima a two-seat lead, but with 29 mandates for it compared to 27 for the Likud.

Tel Aviv  - The ruling Kadima party of Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni could narrowly win Tuesday's elections in Israel, exit polls by Israel's leading television channels predicted.

The centrist Kadima can count on some 29 mandates, against around 27 for the hardline Likud of opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu, according to an exit poll by Channel 2.

Two other exit polls by Channel 10 and the state-run Channel 1 both predicted 30 seats for Kadima and 28 for the Likud.

Tel Aviv  - T