Subscribe to Print Edition | Tue., August 19, 2008 Av 18, 5768 | | Israel Time: 01:24 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Business in Brief 012 Smile has a reason to smile: It overtook 013 Netvision in the second quarter of 2008 to become the leader in international long-distance phone calls, reaching a 35% share compared to 013's 33%. For years, Netvision held a clear lead with a 35-37% share. Bezeq International is in third place with an estimated 28% share, and 018 Exaphone holds about 4% of the international traffic. The Communications Ministry collects the data on both incoming and outgoing calls quarterly from all the operators. The figures also include a sizable number of calls through the cellular operators, in particular for tourists who use the Israeli operators. (Amitai Ziv) Demand for workers dropped in the January to July period of this year in all professions - except for the financial sector, where banks, investment houses and insurance companies all took on more employees. The biggest drop compared to 2007 was in construction workers, 13.8%, according to the survey conducted by Manpower Israel. Demand for workers in the educational system fell by 8.1%. (Haim Bior) Advertisement If you want to know where your much higher bank fees are going, here is one answer: Bank Hapoalim has put out a tender for 1,600 leased cars, valued at NIS 17 million. The new cars, family-sized sedans such as the Mazda 3 or Toyota Corolla, will replace the older cars given to the bank employees. (Eti Aflalo) The pension fund of the National Workers Organization, made famous partly in connection with the charges now facing former finance minister Abraham Hirchson, will be nationalized. The fund's chairman and CEO both quit yesterday in response. The treasury's supervisor of capital markets, insurance and savings, Yadin Antebi, will conduct a hearing involving the fund, before it almost certainly meets the fate of most other veteran pension funds. Antebi has been investigating the fund since the end of last year, after the previous management allegedly caused an over NIS 100 million loss to members in insider deals. (Eti Aflalo) The agriculture and finance ministers have signed off on an increase in egg prices by 8.2% - an average of 7 agorot per egg. The increase will take effect starting tomorrow. The Agriculture Ministry says the hike is due to higher production prices, mostly in grain which makes up the main part of chicken feed. In addition, all eggs, except for organic and free-range ones, will be put under price supervision in two months. Today, "fresh" and "super fresh" eggs are sold to the public at very high prices, and in many stores it is no longer possible to find regular, cheaper eggs. (Amiram Cohen) The tradition that appointments of department heads in hospitals last a lifetime, or at least until retirement, is starting to crack. An agreement signed between the Israeli Medical Association and the Hadassah hospitals in Jerusalem will for the first time limit doctors to only two terms as department heads, for a total of only 10 years. However, you don't have to worry about the doctors after they complete their terms, as they will continue to receive the same salary and benefits as they did as department heads - even if they return to a regular physician's job. They will also be able to apply for positions as heads of other medical departments, or other management roles. The lifetime appointments have been considered a major problem in the health system, which limits the advancement of young doctors and hobbles excellence and competition. A similar agreement does not seem to be in the works for state hospitals. (Ronny Linder-Ganz) The clothing chain Gap is not coming to Israel after all. Representatives of the American fashion chain were scheduled to come in September and hold discussions with a number of Israeli chains, including H&O, Hamashbir Lazarchan and the Fishman group. However, they have now canceled their visit until further notice. (Adi Dovrat) Bookmark to del.icio.us   A second chance Parents shocked to see their baby breathing moments before she was to be buried. Kafka the Zionist Remnants of Kafka's estate found in T.A. raise questions of his belief in Zionism.

Read & React Iran claims its new warplanes can reach Israel without refueling Responses: 219 Livni helps get Israeli ID card for daughter of top Palestinian official Responses: 52 Egypt to Hamas: Stop blocking Shalit deal Responses: 29 Editorial: Israel must do what it can to stay on Fatah's good side Responses: 26 Akiva Eldar: Israel can't survive on just military strength Responses: 27 Itamar Rabinovitch: Is Russia becoming the Iran of Europe? Responses: 26 More Headlines 23:45 Report: Syria test fires series of long-range missiles 01:20 Security officials voice mixed reactions to Iranian satellite launch 20:52 Israel publishes names of 199 Palestinian prisoners slated for release 01:06 Baby pronunced dead comes back to life minutes before burial 00:06 From Australia to Israel, on a footballing peace mission 22:38 Israel Factor: Panel doesn't worry about Obama on Israel-Palestine 00:28 IDF commander kept in post 3 months after accused of raping mentally challenged volunteer 17:21 Russian troops begin withdrawing from Georgia 23:47 IDF magazine: Soon wounded soldiers will be evacuated by unmanned vehicles 14:39 'Kafka's lifelong dream was to make aliyah' 19:40 In village with no power, Bedouin family fights to keep baby's respirator working 17:46 IDF troops foil smuggling of illicit drugs from Lebanon 21:32 Disabled Israeli turtle uses skateboard to get around Previous Editions Select Day 18 aug 17 aug 15 aug 14 aug 13 aug 12 aug 11 aug 10 aug 08 aug 07 aug 06 aug 05 aug

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