Israel lawmakers approve 2007 budget in initial vote

Tuesday, November 7, 2006, 23:35 [IST]

TEL AVIV, Nov 7 (Reuters) Israel's parliament gave initial approval today to a 2007 state budget revamped after a month-long war with Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas.

Lawmakers voted 68 to 38 in favour of the 295.4 billion shekel budget, which includes a budget deficit target of 2.9 percent of gross domestic product, raised from the 2.0 percent targeted before the conflict broke out in mid-July.

The budget includes a spending boost of 3.5 billion shekels in one-time items for defence and to help rebuild areas of northern Israel that were hit by Hezbollah rockets.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's coalition holds 78 seats in the 120-member parliament.

Reuters AKJ GC2301

Other articles published on November 7, 2006

World must not abandon Iraq - Jordan's king

Tuesday, November 7, 2006,23:35 [IST]

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No sign of uranium weapons used in Lebanon-UNEP

Tuesday, November 7, 2006,23:35 [IST]

NAIROBI, Nov 7 (Reuters) UN experts have found no sign that depleted uranium weapons were used in Lebanon during the war between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said today. ''All remnants of weapons found at sites visited ... could be identified as being weapons of well-known design,'' it said in a statement after UNEP scientists visited southern Lebanon from September 30-October 21. ''The samples taken by the UNEP scientists show no.....

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EU to take legal action vs members on working time

Tuesday, November 7, 2006,23:35 [IST]

BRUSSELS, Nov 7 (Reuters) The European Commission will launch as soon as possible legal action against European Union members that are in breach of the bloc's working time regulations, Employment Commissioner Vladimir Spidla said. His statement follows the failure of EU labour ministers today to agree on amendments to the EU law that would solve discrepancies between national legislation and the EU regulation as revealed by European Court of Justice rulings. ''We need to.....

Israel pulls out around border village-UNIFIL

Tuesday, November 7, 2006,23:35 [IST]

BEIRUT, Nov 7 (Reuters) The commander of UN peacekeepers in Lebanon said after meeting senior Lebanese and Israeli officers today that Israeli troops pulled out from most of the surrounding area of a divided village. Israel had completed its withdrawal from all but one small part of southern Lebanon at the start of October. Its forces remained in the divided village of Ghajar, which straddles the border between Lebanon and territory Israel captured from.....

Communist Vietnam will become WTO's 150th member

Tuesday, November 7, 2006,23:36 [IST]

GENEVA, Nov 7 (Reuters) Communist Vietnam, one of the world's fastest growing economies, won formal approval from the World Trade Organisation on Tuesday to become its 150th member by the end of the year. The Southeast Asian country of 82 million people will officially join the WTO, which sets the rules for global trade, 30 days after its National Assembly ratifies the accords. ''Today is a memorable day in the process of the international.....